From the news desk

Islamic civilization in Southern Africa under the spotlight

Share this article

Islam as a religion and as a group of cultures has had a major influence in Africa since its introduction to the region. More than 60% of Africans are Muslims and numerous Muslim cultures and arts flourished in North, West, and East Africa. In the Southern tip of Africa, the Muslim community has contributed significantly to the fabric of Cape Town and the rest of South Africa.

With this in mind, the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), the National Awqaf Foundation of South Africa (Awqaf SA), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), and the International Peace College South Africa (IPSA) are jointly organizing the 2nd International Congress on Islamic Civilisation in Southern Africa in Durban from 4-6 March 2016.

The theme of the symposium this year is “Islamic Civilization in Southern Africa: Developments and Future Perspectives”.  This year 22 scholars from Turkey, the USA, India, Uganda, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and South Africa.

The symposium will address numerous topics that are vital to the Muslim community, these include; Spread of Islam in Southern Africa, trade and Islam language and Islamic literature, Islamic education and intellectual development, history, contribution, and challenges, colonialism, and apartheid & democracy, coexistence of cultures.

The objectives of the symposium are to increase knowledge of the history and heritage of Islam, make the religious and cultural heritage of Southern African Muslims better understood, strengthen affinities and cooperation among Muslim and African nations, and promote a better understanding and dialogue amongst Muslims and people of other faith and cultural communities.

Awqaf SA deputy CEO Mikaeel Collier says a conference of this nature “allows us to think outside of the box and refocus our attention.”
Collier urged the Muslim community to develop mechanisms that will direct positive change, both within South Africa and, within the broader international community.

VOC Drivetime presenter Shafiq Morton will deliver a paper via a video-link exploring the ‘Role and Impact of the Voice of the Cape as a Community Muslim Broadcaster from 1995-2015’.

Programme manager Mishka Daries is attending the conference.

Audio stream and booklets of the conference may be accessed on the Awqaf website: http://www.awqafsa.org.za/

Tune into VOC for daily updates from the conference.

For more on the symposium, listen here: https://iono.fm/e/262202

VOC

 


Share this article

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

WhatsApp WhatsApp us
Wait a sec, saving restore vars.