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Jewish in Muslim Black Africa: Reflections on the Mazrui-Habtu Debate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

William F.S. Miles*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Northeastern University
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Extract

As a Jewish political scientist who has lived, taught, and conducted research in Muslim areas of sub-Saharan Africa (particularly Niger and Northern Nigeria), I was more than intrigued with that aspect of the debate between Ali Mazrui and Hailu Habtu-two African Africanists, at least one of whom is of Islamic origin-concerning “Jewish cultural influences on Black Africa” (“The Semitic Impact on Black Africa: Arab and Jewish Cultural Influences”; “The Fallacy of the ‘Triple Heritage’ Thesis: A Critique,” Issue, vol. XIII, 1985). As a reflection on the revolution in Africana studies that has occurred over the past few decades, it is refreshing to note that Westerners (including Jews) may now find themselves to be the objects of intellectual discourse and historical analysis by African scholars-and not, as has traditionally been the case, the other way around.

Type
Insight
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 1987 

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