A conference on Islamic civilisation in Southern Africa is set to take place in Cape Town next week, aiming to serve as a “decolonisation project” by fostering indigenous African scholarship. The 4th International Conference on Islamic Civilisation in Southern Africa will run from 12 to 14 September at the Kirstenbosch Gardens Conference Centre.
Organised by Awqaf SA, the event coincides with the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal and celebrates the prophetic legacy. According to Awqaf SA co-founder Zeinoul Abedien Cajee, a central goal is to counter the dominance of Western and Orientalist narratives in historical and religious studies.
“You can call this also a decolonisation project, because what we find is that a lot of our history, a lot of our readings come from the West, come from Orientalists, come from Islamophobic sectors,” Cajee stated in an interview with Salaamedia.
He emphasised the need for African scholars to shift from being consumers to producers of knowledge. “What we need to do is to create and encourage our own indigenous knowledge systems… We become producers of knowledge rather than consumers of knowledge.”
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Exploring a rich African legacy
The conference will feature approximately 30 speakers from across Africa and beyond, including Nigeria and Turkey, who have undergone a “rigorous process” of selection by academics and ulama. They will present papers on a wide array of themes, exploring the impact of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the continent.
Topics include: governance and leadership, political legacy, business and economics, oral tradition, songs, and poetry.
Cajee highlighted that the event seeks to move beyond the study of rituals to the practical implementation of Islamic principles in all facets of life, from social justice to cultural expression. “That is the model of the Prophet… who actually was the epitome of that legacy and of that Tawhidi culture that he promoted,” he said, referencing African leaders like Imam Harun and Usman dan Fodio as figures who followed this prophetic model “in opposing colonialism, in opposing domination, in seeking self-determination.”
This focus on creating local scholarship is a core part of the decolonisation project. The event is described as a “very, very unique event” that may not happen again for another 1500 years.
The conference is open to the public, with registration costing R900 per person. Cajee noted this fee is to cover basic costs, as there is “no profit motive in this whole venture.” This initiative represents a significant step in what organisers hope will be a long-term decolonisation project for Islamic thought in Africa.
Image: Courtyard at Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, built in the 13th century. [BBC]
