Islam in Africa

(1:23:42) Guest: Souleymane Bachir Diagne, professor of philosophy and French at Columbia University  Numerous guests on our show of late have established that Islam is not a monolithic religion. Extremist such as the group calling itself the “Islamic State” espouse what they consider a more orthodox practice of the religion dating back centuries to nomadic Arab tribes. Now, the group in West Africa known as Boko Haram is pledging allegiance to the Islamic State – not surprising given Boko Haram’s brutal tactics and stated opposition to Western influences.  What is surprising, to many, is that Islam is different in Africa. When you move south beyond Libya, Egypt and Tunisia to what’s known as sub-Saharan Africa – which includes Nigeria, Sudan, Chad and Senegal - the dominant form of Islam is a tolerant, open-minded branch known as Sufism. Senegal native Souleyman Bachir Diagne recently visited BYU to talk about the nature of Islam in Africa and how an extreme group like Boko Haram is gaining traction in a place where Muslims are generally more moderate in their views.  “The emphasis of Sufism in general is the idea that there is one common driving force in the world, which is the love of God,” says Diagne.