Diversity and Tolerance in the Islam of West Africa


This digital library contains archival and research materials that explore Islamic practices in the West African countries of Senegal and Ghana. Presented in six galleries of audio and video interviews, transcripts, photographs, maps, documents, and multimedia presentations, these resources shed much-needed light on how Muslims in West Africa accept religious difference and create productive interactions among Christians, Muslims, and practitioners of other faiths.

Ghana Galleries

Everyday Islam in Kumasi
Everyday Islam in Kumasi
Photographs and video interviews with Muslim men and women who live and work in Kumasi illustrate how their faith influences their behavior at home, with their neighbors and at work.
Northern Factors in Asante History
Northern Factors in Asante History
Audio interviews, transcripts, photographs, and 4 brief essays explicate the northern factor in Asante history and the importance of Islam and trade on this history.
Transformations in Islamic Education in Ghana
Transformations in Islamic Education in Ghana
Images, audio interviews, and transcripts explore both contemporary and historical Muslim responses to secular education in Ghana.

Senegal Galleries

Ajami in the Senegambia
Ajami in the Senegambia
Handwritten 'ajami manuscripts produced and recited by West African scholars. The texts, written in 4 African languages and translated into English, contain insightful discussions on mutual understanding between people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds in the Senegambia.
The Qadiri Community of Buh Kunta
The Qadiri Community of Buh Kunta
Interviews, photos, documents and newspaper articles focusing on the Buh Kunta branch of the Qadiriya sufi order. Short essays in English and French outline the history and contemporary dynamics of this religious community.
Saint-Louis: Religious Pluralism in the Heart of Senegal
Saint-Louis: Religious Pluralism in the Heart of Senegal
Documents, maps, images and audio interviews dealing with the interactions of Saint Louis's French Catholic communities, Muslim majority, the French administration, and Freemasons in the late 19th and 20th centuries.