Muslim Higher Education in the Southern African Region: From Secular Tertiary Institutions to Darul ‘Ulums 1 MUHAMMED HARON UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA/ UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED ISLAMIC STUDIES: KUALA LUMPUR 29OCTOBER 2014 Paper delivered @ African Muslim Institutions of Higher Learning Duke University Oct 2013 African Continent Countries Regional Zones Muslim Higher Education AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS: FROM MOSQUES TO ISLAMIC UNIVERSITIES Agents of (Religious) Social Change FORMATION OF INSTITUTIONS Mosques: East Africa Nairobi Mosque Kampala Mosque Social Change: Theoretical Frame An all-embracing phenomenon; Generally the focus of sociological, historical, economic and political studies; and Reflects upon a set of positive dimensions that ‘social change’ generates within the educational environment (Arjomand 1986; McGuire 1997; Moosa 2009) Arjomand on Social Change Argued that educational institutions such as the Darul ul-‘Ulums (Deoband, India est. 1866) – also referred to as Muslim Theological Seminaries [MTS] and Islamic Universities (in Niger, Malaysia and Pakistan) not only asserted their Muslim identity (and generally flourished since their formation); but they also Revitalized their religious activities to such an extent that they extended their global reach beyond the imagination of the founding fathers of these institutions Also: Agents of Shari’ah Special the focus on theological and jurisprudential dimensions; and Reflects upon the role that MTS play as ‘agents’ of positive change in the socio-legal and theological arenas: ‘act’ as Muslim community’s representatives Southern Africa Statistics and Location MUSLIM HIGHER EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA CONTEXT Muslim Minorities: Southern Africa Muslims in (Parts of) Southern Africa: Numerical Strengths 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Kenya Angola Malawi Burundi Zambia Zimbabwe Tanzania Madagascar Zaire/Congo Muslim Theological Institutions: Challenges Processes @ Work Construction of Identity Ethnicity Secularization Diaspora Modernization & Religious National Migrants Globalization Culture Muslim Higher Education Institutions: Agent of Socio-Religious Change Structures: entrenching their National vis-a-vis Religious identity Identity Established mosques & madaris (i.e. Regional & Muslim schools); National: South Dissemination of basic African, Muslim education Zimbabwean, Cultivating ‘good citizenship’ for Malawian vis-à-vis common good [?] Southern African Muslim identity Problems Nation-States: Question of Freedom of Religion Skilled personnel: Lack Financial Support: Endowments & Middle Eastern funds South Asian migrant shaykhs who use Urdu and Arabic; and not willing to learn local languages Historical Context SOUTH( ERN ) AFRICAN MUSLIM HE: FROM SECULAR INSTITUTIONS TO DARUL - ULUMS (I.E. THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES) Southern African Universities and ‘Islam’ courses University Department/School Courses South Africa Religious Studies and Under and Arabic postgraduate courses Johannesburg Religion Studies Under and postgraduate courses Cape Town Religious Studies Under and postgraduate courses KwaZulu Natal Theology and Religion Undergraduate and postgraduate Botswana Theology and Under and Religious Studies postgraduate courses Swaziland Theology and Undergraduate Religious Studies courses Zimbabwe Open Theology and Undergraduate University Religious Studies courses 13 South African Universities (1960 -2014): Arabic & Islamic Studies Department of Semitics - Centre for Department of Islamic Arabic & Islamic Studies: University of Studies (1996-2004 Free State’ New ceased). In Initiative 2014 Department of Religious Studies & Arabic at UNISA Departments of Department of Arabic, Urdu & Persian Semitics + Centre for (1960-1998) Islamic Studies (1980- + Islamic Studies 2000) Rand Afrikaans (1974-1998) University - From 2010 UDW (now UKZN) in DRS at UJ. DRS Islamic Studies Program (1989) + Department of Arabic Arabic Studies (2004) Studies (1984-1998). in Department of Now in DFL - UWC Foreign Languages (DFL) at UCT Case Studies: Darul-’ulums MUSLIM THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES [OR MUSLIM EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS] MTS: Darul ‘Ulum Zakariyyah – Deobandi Institutiond Darul-‘Ulums: Their Rationale Questioned the teaching of Arabic and Islamic Studies in a ‘secular’ environment Secular trained graduates – challenged to some degree the ‘authority’ of theological leadership Counter-measure from within the theological sector: set up Darul-’Ulums patterned along models from South Asia (Deoband & Barelvi) Southern Africa’s Dar ul-‘Ulum Name E-mail Address Country Darul-ulum Jamiya [email protected] Av. Samora Machel, Nampual, Mozambique Abdullah Ibne Abbas Madrassah Arabiyah Av: Eduardo Mondlane, Sofala Mozambique [email protected] / Islamiyah: Academia de Beira,1632 [email protected] Estudos Islámicos Al-Markaz Maqsood-ul- almarkaz.maputo@hotma Av Guerrra Populat, Maputo, Mozambique Uloom il.com / Maputo Plaza, almarkaz.maputo@gmail. com Jamia Anass Bin Malik [email protected] Av.ungunhana ave Matola, Mozambique nº734, Maputo Madrassah Mahdul Ilm Avenida Amilcar Cabral Maputo, Mozambique [email protected] 1442, Maputo Darul Uloom Mahadur Chipata Zambia Rasheed Bilal Darul Uloom bilaltrustmalawi@gmail Limbe Malawi .com Chipoka Darul Uloom Lilongwe Darul-’Ulums: Different Strands within Sunni School Indian Darul-’Ulum Deoband Brelvi United Ulama Council – ‘Supervising’ Muslim Education circa 1960-2014 The Theological Bodies have generally been supervising Islamic Education in different Muslim Judicial Council parts of South Africa MJC in Cape Town, the JU in Gauteng and Jamiat ul-Ulama Majlis ul-Ulama KwaZulu Natal and the Guateng & KwaZulu Natal Port Elizabeth MUPE in the Eastern Cape MTS: View of the Bigger Picture Newcastle (KZN) Islamic College Darul Ulum Of Strand Southern Africa (Western Cape) Darul Arqam Darul Ulum College Pretoria (Western Cape) Qasimiyyah Azaadville Cape Town (Gauteng) Muslim Theological Seminaries & Colleges Dallas College Zakariyyah (Western Cape) (Gauteng) Sunni Darul Darul Ulum Ulum (KZN) Chatsworth Darul Ulum Darul Ulum Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape) Benoni Darul Ulum Springs MTS: Brelvi Darul ‘Ulum NAME PRINCIPAL DATE & PLACE Darul Uloom Newcastle Ml Qasim Sema 1973 Newcastle, KZN Madrassah Arabia Islamia Ml Abdul Hamid Ishaq 1982 Azaadville, Gauteng Darul Uloom Zakariyya Ml. Shabbir Ahmed Saloojee 1983 Lenasia, Gauteng Madrasah Taleemuddeen Mufti Ebrahim Saloojee 1984 Isipingo Beach ,KZN Madrasah Ziya-Ul-Uloom Ml Iftikhar Raji Mohamed 1992 Phoenix, KZN Ashrafiyah Kalimaatul Islamia Ml Mohammad Farhaad 1992 Chatsworth, KZN Darul Uloom Jameah Mufti Ismail Abdul Rahim 1993 Springs, Gauteng Mahmoodiya Darul Uloom Madrasah Mufti Ebrahim Desai 1996 Camperdown, KZN In’aamiyyah Darul Uloom Qadria Gharib Ml Sayed Mohammad 1996 Ladysmith, KZN Nawaaz Alimudien Darul Uloom Ashrafiyah Aleemia Ml. Farhad Islmail Ebrahim 2000 Chatsworth, KZN Razvia Darul Ulum Abu Bakr Mufti Siraj Desai 2002 Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Qasimul Ulum Ml. Anwar ibn Suleiman 2003 Mitchell’s Plain, WC Peters Muslim Institutions of Higher Learning: Cape Town Institute Website Principal Date of Establishment Madina Institute www.madinainstit Shaykh 2013 ute.org.za Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Ninowy Islamic Peace www.ipsa-edu.org Shaykh Igsaan 1990/1993/2004 College of South Taliep Africa Dallas College: www.dallascollege Dr. Hajj 2004 Leadership for ct.com Abdalbaseer young Muslims Ojembarrena Darun Na’im: An www.darun- Maulana Allie 2002 Institute of Higher naim.co.za Goder Learning Institute of Dr. Shaykh Abdul 1973 Shariah Studies Kariem Toffar Muslim Colleges Merge [2004-2014]: The Case of IPSA (www.ipsa-edu.org) Darul Arqam (1993-2004) & ICSA (1990-2004) at the Cape Merger of merged to form a university Muslim Institutions: International Peace University Applied for registration of through SAQWA & other South Africa national bodies Struck agreements with international institutions: International Islamic University joint Islamic Law program Islamic College Darul Arqam of Accreditation by Ministry of (Muslim Judicial Council) Southern Africa Higher Education in 2013 International Exploratory Academic Relations Internationalization of IIUM programs •Exploratory academic Joint MA in programs Comparative •Area: Islamic Law Islamic Law Financial commitments program Staff exchanges and joint teaching loads IPSA Short duration Muslim Educational Developments: in South Africa’s Post-Apartheid Era (circa 1994-2014) Factors: SA’s Liberal Constitution 1996: Muslim Educational Muslim Pre- Secular State but Respect & Colleges Schools Tolerance towards everyone DARUL NURSERY Environment: Bill of Rights ULUMS Freedom of Religion, Belief + Opinion & Freedom of Expression & Freedom of Association & Freedom of Movement + Residence Muslim High Muslim Schools Primary Quo Vadis? (STAR Schools International) AL-AZHAR.