This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1971.

Islam in Africa South of the Sahara: Essays in Gender Relations and Political Reform draws together contributions from scholars that focus on changes taking place in the practice of the religion and their effects on the political terrain and civil society. Contributors explore the dramatic changes in gender relations within Islam on the continent, occasioned in part by the events of 9/11 and the response of various Islamic states to growing negative media coverage. These explorations of the dynamics of religious change, reconfigured gender relations, and political reform consider not only the role of state authorities but the impact of ordinary Muslim women who have taken to challenging the surbodinate role assigned to them in Islam. Essays are far-ranging in their scope as the future of Islam in sub-Saharan Africa falls under the microscope, with contributing addressing such topics as the Islamic view of the historic Arab enslavement of Africans and colonialist ventures; studies of gender politics in Gambia, northern Nigeria, and Ghana; surveys of the impact of Sharia law in Nigeria and Sudan; the political role of Islam in Somalia, South Africa, and African diaspora communities. Islam in Africa South of the Sahara is an ideal reader for students and scholars of international politics, comparative theology, race and ethnicity, comparative sociology, African and Islamic studies.

This authoritative, widely adopted text provides a broad introduction to the geography of Africa south of the Sahara. The book analyzes the political, economic, social, and environmental processes that shape resource use and development in this large, diverse region. Students gain a context for understanding current development debates and addressing questions about the nature and sustainability of contemporary changes. Timely topics include the rise of foreign investment in Africa, the evolving geographies of rural-urban linkages, the birth of the Republic of South Sudan, and advances in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. New to This Edition: *Fully updated to reflect the latest data and trends in development. *Chapters on development theory, cultural and societal diversity, the political geography of postindependence Africa, economic integration, and the geography of poverty. *Substantially revised coverage of gender dynamics, urban living environments, mineral and energy resources, and many other topics. Pedagogical Features *Vignettes in every chapter that provide detailed case studies from a variety of countries and elaborate on key concepts. *Recommendations for further reading on each topic, including print and online sources. *Companion website with downloadable PowerPoint slides of all original figures, photos, and tables. *An extensive glossary.

Concerned with the history of scholarly production, book markets and trans-Saharan exchanges in Muslim African (primarily western and northern Africa), as well as the creation of manuscript libraries, this book consists of a collection of twelve essays that examine these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.