Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa

This is a wide-ranging study of Christian-Muslim relations in two very different manifestations: intense friction between the two in northern Nigeria, and harmony in Tanzania. It covers the establishment of both religions in the countries concerned, relations with the colonial powers, the effect of religion on national independence movements, and the effect of religious questions on ethnicity in mixed communities. The book thus deals with central aspects of social and political life in two countries where religion profoundly affects not only personal spirituality and local harmony in mixed communities, but also high politics - for instance the attempted imposition of Islam’s Sharia law in multi-ethnic regions. The whole discussion is set against the background of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the connections between northern Nigeria and Middle Eastern Islamic states.