Rüdiger Seesemann

Kenyan Muslims, the Aftermath of 9/11, and the “War On Terror”

Much has been said about 9/11, but relatively little attention has been paid so far to the impact the events of that day had on Africa—at least if one discounts studies that focus on the rising U.S. security concerns in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.1 In contrast to most previous analyses, my approach to the matter attempts to highlight how Africans—in this case, Kenyan Muslims—view the effects of 9/ 11 on their communities and the challenges they face in the post-9/11 world.

Three Ibrāhīms: Literary Production and the Remaking of the Tijāniyya Sufi Order in Twentieth-Century Sudanic Africa

In terms of the number of followers, the Tijāniyya is the largest Sufi order in sub-Saharan Africa. Geographically, it is strongest in West Africa, but also plays a significant role in the Maghreb and Eastern Sudanic Africa. This article highlights the development of the Tijāniyya in three locations during the twentieth century by focusing on three of its leading figures, who all happen to be called Ibrāhīm: Ibrāhām Niasse (1900-1975) from Kaolack (Senegal), sharīf Ibrāhīm Sālih (born 1939) from Maiduguri (Nigeria), and sharīf Ibrāhīm Sīdī (1949-1999) from El Fasher (Sudan). Through a comparative analysis of their biographies and some of their writings, the paper shows how these three personalities were instrumental in adapting Tijānī doctrines and practices to changing contexts and circumstances that reflect both local conditions and global influences. The study is based on extensive fieldwork conducted by the author over an extended period of time and proposes to view Sufi communities as dynamic entities, rather than static expressions of “traditional Islam”, in order to explain the continuing relevance of Sufism in African Muslim societies. As the paper demonstrates, the process of remaking the Tijāniyya can lead to rather contradictory results.

Ziyāra: Funktionen und Bedeutungen in der Tiǧānīya (Westafrika)

Abstract Ziyāra: der Besuch von Heiligengräbern Der Orientalistik, islamischen Pilgerhandbüchern sowie einer langen Reihe polemischer Schriften aus der Feder von Muslimen ist gemeinsam, dass sie mit dem Terminus technicus ziyāra den Besuch eines Friedhofs bzw. eines Heiligengrabes assoziieren. Ein solcher Besuch wird von Musliminnen bzw. Muslimen alleine oder in Gruppen in der Absicht unternommen, entweder für einen (in der Regel verwandten) Toten zu beten oder am Grab eines Toten dessen Fürbitte bei Gott zu erwirken. Dies geschieht zumeist durch das Sprechen von Gebetsformeln (ad‘īya, sg. du‘ā).