Militant Islam in Africa and South Africa

 

Draft version


Outline

1. Short description of the problem

2. Short history of Islam in Africa

3. Short history of Islam in South Africa

4. Recent events, Islam and gangsterism in South Africa

5. Analysis of Islam in South Africa

6. Possible solutions

7. Analysis and meaning of political Islam in Africa



Militant Islam in South Africa



1. Short Description of the problem

The increasing presence and rise of militant Islam on the African continent is a fact that can be witnessed daily. It is not an extreme diagnosis of events or a matter of doubt, but an ongoing fact occurring overwhelmingly over the African continent. Leaving aside the Arab spring revolutions in the Maghreb countries of northern Africa, which can be considered in some ways as in and by themselves as counter-revolutions to extremism, fundamentalism and Islamism, it is sufficient to take a quick look at the recent developments of the continent to have a general picture of militant Islam in Africa.

From the continuous Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria, the crisis in the Sudan/South Sudan/Darfur, to the breakdown of the country of Mali and the Tuareg rebellion (overspill of the Libyan crisis), to the persistent crisis in Somalia with the Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen movement, spreading to the civil war in the Central African Republic, which for the most part is going unnoticed to the general media, or to the Kenya Westgate shopping mall attack by cross border Al-Shabaab jihad this September, or the even more recent presence both in the North Kivu and now in the city of Kinshasa of Al-Shabaab militants, down to South Africa as being the location of one of the most important headquarter centers of Islamic faith in Sub-Saharan Africa (the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) established in 1945 in Cape Town and connected with the American Muslim movement of the Nation of Islam), it is of the order of evidence that from all sides the African continent is undergoing a massive Islamist aggression. But this is not something new, being the Islamization of the continent one of the major objectives of militant Islam global jihad.

To have a better understanding of the phenomenon the important elements that should be examined are the causes at the root of it. Each African country has its own peculiarities and a specific and particular history with Islam, since Islam is not a new religion to Africa, but dates as far as its own beginnings, that is to say to the 7th century A.D in the Arabian Peninsula. In this article examination and update of militant Islam will be done only for the country of South Africa. A series of following articles on the subject will update the situation for the other African countries.



2. Short history of Islam in South Africa

The history of Islam in South Africa is rather recent. It dates to the second half of the sixteenth century with the immigration of Muslims and jihadists from the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia).

...to be continued



3. Recent events, Islam and gangsterism in South Africa

The most impressive attack by Islamists in South Africa was carried out by the Islamic vigilante group PAGAD (People Against Gangsterism and Drugs) with the bombing of Cape Town Planet Hollywood restaurant in 1998. Shortly after this attack the PAGAD group was listed as terrorist group by the South African government and between 2000 and 2002 ceased its activities.
Writer James Ferguson has recently associated Al-Shabaab to a "giant street gang" (BBC Newsday: Writer James Fergusson on what's turning Somalis to extremism: https://soundcloud.com/#bbc-world-service/newsday-writer-james-fergusson). In fact the parallel with PAGAD vigilante group - gangster group is not to be missed, since Al-Shabaab started in Somalia exactly with similar intentions: as a Sufi group of well intentioned clerics determined to clean up the city from the ravaging despotism of the Somali warlords and restore peace and stability to the Somalis.

Another interesting analysis that can be picked up is the South African movie "Jersalema, Welcome to the Promised Land" directed by Ralph Ziman. In the trailer it is possible to have a quick insight to the reality of South Africa gangsterism, the hope for a new world order to come, and Islam. It is quite impressive. The video of the movie can be viewed at this link: Jerusalema, Welcome to the Promised Land. 

...to be continued



4. Analysis of Islam in South Africa

It is clear that there is a connection between Islam, the war on Western values, the disruption of traditional African society and post apartheid South Africa. To understand the psychology behind the rise of Islamism it is necessary to look at the type of relations that exist between gangsterism as a reaction to the apartheid regime, the failure of African societies to cope with the violence of what was apartheid South Africa, the economic discrimination, and the persistence of the race problem faced by Black Africans in the unjust distribution of wealth in South Africa.

...to be continued