Proceedings of the International Symposium on Islamic Civilisation in Southern Africa 31 August - 3 September 2006

This book resulted from the symposium on “Islamic Civilisation in Southern Africa” which was held in Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa, on 31 August-3 September 2006. It was co-organised by IRCICA, Awqaf Foundation of South Africa (Awqaf SA) and the University of Johannesburg. The symposium was a landmark event, first to be co-organised by the OIC and IRCICA in the region. It aimed, among others, to increase knowledge on the history and heritage of Islam in the OIC Member States and their neighbours in the region, and to promote dialogue amongst Muslim peoples in the region and with peoples of other faiths and cultures. After the opening addresses, the book contains the keynote article by Mahomed Haroon, titled “Southern African Muslim Communities in Context and Scholarship”. Then come six articles under the section title Historical Background, five articles under Challenge of Racism and Response in Politics, seven articles under Spiritual Culture and Learning, and seven articles under Miscellany. The papers have been edited and prepared for publication by Mahomed Haroon and Suleman Essop Dangor, specialists of Islamic culture in Africa.