>
>No it is not revisionist. First off, as I discussed in a
>former post "God is IMMANENT," various Afrikan groups tend
>to be very inclusive when it comes to religious practices,
>beliefs and/or deities. By this alone, foreign religions
>already had open door. If we then look at specific cases we
>see that conversion was generally ushered in by
>ECONOMIC/POLITICAL BENEFITS. For example, the conversion of
>King Ezana(sp?) of Axum allowed for better relations with
>then Christian Egypt and the larger Byzantine Empire; the
>conversion of the mansas and royalty of the ancient MAli
>empire to Islam allowed the empire to gain better trade
>relations with the greater Muslim world; scores of kidnapped
>and forcibly enslaved Afrikans converted to Islam to gain
>their freedom from their captors. In all these cases it si
>obvious that the conversion was not done so simply because
>someone saw the "truth" of g.o.d. or a.l.l.a.h. but moreso
>because of economic gain, betterment of international
>relations or improvement of social status.

Okay. Except for the slaves, most of your examples are royalty or political leaders. However, do you have information as to occurences of conversion amongst the average Afrikan? Also the slaves youre talking about,did they become Muslims to gain freedom in non-Afrikan lands?(North Africa, the Middle East)or amongst Afrikan Muslim slaveholders?Also some information as to why the leaders themselves thought it fit to become Muslims? Was there an Islamic hegemony on trade?I have a hard time believing that ordinary people only converted for economic gain. I assume they just added Islam/Christianity to their belief systems or just coexisted with it. I do agree that economic interests were considered, especially amongst the elite.






>

>Initially there are going to be an obvious syncretization of
>beliefs. This is obvious in the Kingdom of Mali example when
>traveler Ibn Battuta visited Mali. He spoke of many
>differences and drew a distinct line between the people of
>Mali (who were all technically Muslim) and his own Muslim
>group in North Afrika. Over time and much money (initially
>spent by the frivolous Mansa Musa trying to show off his
>bling bling to Arabs) Arab scholars set up shop teaching
>Afrikans how to be better Arabs instead of Afrikans.

So for example Timbuktu was a place for Islamic learning but also Arabization? There were no Afrikan teachers there? Islam was taught primarily by Arabs? Arabs did not intermarry with the community? My experience with this comes from my knowledge of Islam in India. Arabs, Persians and other Middle Easterners came to Bengal and set up shop there but they eventually (most of them) became Bengalised. So Arabs that went to West Afrika didnt become Afrikanised over time? See in Bengal, there is more of a balance between Islam and the beleifs that preceded its arrival there(primarily Hinduism)even though Bengalis dont realise this. Many pre-Islamic festivals are still celebrated. So this is no more in Afrika?


>
>This technique also occurred in East Afrika where East
>Afrikans took over the Arab job of capturing more Afrikans
>for Arab enslavement. Thanks be to a.l.l.a.h.

No thanks be to Arabs and Persians. Similar things have happened to Bengal and other non-Arab Muslim areas. Bengali children are kidnapped on the daily to work in Saudi Arabia and Bengali girls as well as Somalian girls are used as prostitutes in the Gulf. Most Bengalis aren't anti-Islam because of what Arabs do however, they just might not like Arabs. And I assume that is what is true in Afrika but youre telling me that Afrikan Muslims don't think that theyre different somewhat from Arabs?



>
>And yes there is a high degree of syncretization. I would
>argue that the degree of syncretization varies according to
>a people's access of teachers of foreign doctrines. In
>general, in West Afrika for instance, I think one is more
>likely to find more syncretized (or "afrikanized") versions
>of ISlam than one would find in Christianity. I think this
>would be the case simply because modern Christianity had
>more dedicated and stringent teachers of the religion than
>did past Muslims.
>
>Overall however, syncretization or not, I would argue that
>Islam and Christianity ultimately do or will overshadow
>traditional Afrikan ways of thought simply because of
>their(Islam and christianity) isolating, segregating and/or
>excluding natures, thus making any syncretization minimal or
>negligible.
I can't speak for Christianity but Islam has syncretised well in India. I'm not sure if you feel this way because of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Afrika?(which I feel is also revisionist)So youre saying that throughout history that Afrikan way of life has been syncretised but at the same deleted by Islam?


>
>>Don't you think going to visit Afrika would be important in
>>actually seeing the Afrikan way of life rather than just
>>reading theories about it?
>
>No because the "Afrikan way of life" exists throughout the
>diaspora. I've elements of it in America and I've seen the
>survival of it within MAroon communities of the Americas as
>a whole. (What IS the "Afrikan way of life?")

Indo-carribeans have bits and pieces of Indian culture within them but they wouldnt dare to call themselves Indian. That would be an insult. Besides the Maroons in Jamaica or Guyana(I might be missing some places)how could you say that Amrikan Blacks can call themselves African? Call-and-response and polyrhythms only takes you too far.


>
>>And if you have been to
>>Afrika(Solarus) how has that affected your viewpoint about
>>Afrikan discourse?
>
>I haven't been to the continent yet but from the views of
>some close brothas of mine who stayed in the continent for a
>year it strengthened their resolve. Seeing Afrikans worship
>alien dieties and the sickness that evolves from it
>(self-hate, negative look on past traditions and thus one's
>(particular Afrikan)group as a whole). The sickness only
>quickens and solidifies the ability of foreigners to sway
>the minds and hearts of Afrikans for their (foreigners')
>benefits.

So Afrikan Muslims hate the fact that they are Afrikan? I think you're essentialising them a little bit to much. I know non-Arab Muslims have complexes but they also have to face the reality of where they live. And what ever is the norms will have to compromise with their religion. This sort of victimisation of Afrikan culture is sort of misleading. Such a great culture wouldn't fight for representation amongst competing cultures doesnt make sense to me. I dont think that Islam or Christianity will overshadow Afrikan culture. Afrikan culture is not weak.
>
>PS. Before anyone responds with some silly ish, I'm not
>using "Arab" and "Muslim" synonymously but I am advocating
>that the origin and evolution of Islam emanates from a
>greater Arab worldview.

Islam might emanate from an Arab worldview but it slowly changes as it travels and it always has. Arabs call a lot of people Kaffir and its not just Malians. Its Bengalis and Pakistanis as well.

>
>PEace

Thanks for answering and I hope you respond.

Codahafez