Shi'a in Africa
Encyclopedia
The population of Shi'a in Africa is composed of several, primarily heterodox, communities:
- SyncreticSyncretismSyncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
Shia adherents in northern Nigeria. (See: Shia in NigeriaShia in NigeriaThough the majority of the Nigerian Muslim population is Sunni , there is a significant Shia minority , particularly in the northern states of Kano and Sokoto.-Introduction of Shi'ism in Nigeria:...
) - Introduced Shiism in SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, brought to that country by the Lebanese Sheikh Abdul-Mun'am Az-zain. The Sheikh built Shi'a schools and mosques and helped send Senegalese to Iran or Lebanon to study the religion. 7% of Senegalese people practice Shi'a Islam, most of whom are Twelvers. - IsmailiIsmaili' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
communities, most of which were established by immigrants from South Asia. These populations are found in:- East Africa, particularly ZanzibarZanzibarZanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
. Such groups include the KhojaKhojaThe Khojas are ethnic group of Shia Muslims. The word Khoja derives from Khwaja, a Persian title .In Pakistan, many Khojas migrated to and settled in the province of Sindh and especially in the city of Karachi. While in India, most Khojas live in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and...
, who are primarily Ismaili. - South Africa
- East Africa, particularly Zanzibar
See also
- Qibla (group)Qibla (group)Qibla is a militant Shi'a Muslim organisation in South Africa, founded in the 1980s. The group espouses jihad and the establishment of an Islamic state in South Africa.Qibla is associated with People Against Gangsterism and Drugs, which was founded in 1996....
, a Shi'a militant organisation in South Africa