Historia
‘ARAB’ OR ‘ISLAMIC’ SLAVERY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN ?
I have been asked to make an intervention in this conference based on my long period of study of the slave trade and slavery in Zanzibar and the Indian Ocean (IO). I would like to use the opportunity to provoke a requestioning of some of our assumptions so as to better understand the phenomenon in this region. This conference has focused entirely on African slaves and on the African heritage of these slaves, but is such a narrow focus justified when dealing with the slave trade and slavery in the IO over its long history and wide expanse? Slave trade and slavery in the IO is routinely labelled as ‘Arab’ or ‘Islamic’ in the textbooks, but have we ever asked why the more famous phenomenon in the Atlantic is not called ‘European’ or ‘Christian’? Is there an ideological agenda? What is ‘Islamic’ about slavery in the Indian Ocean? Read more of Prof. Abdul Sheriff’s paper on the East African Slave Trade
BABU, A COMMITTED ZANZIBARI COMMUNIST?
Abdurahman Babu (right) talking with Malcom X, an Afro-American activist in 1960s
Seeing Babu as a threat to continuing post-independence neo-colonial domination, and a source of ‘Chinese influence’ in the region, the British, with the collaboration of reactionary elements within the ZNP itself, had Babu imprisoned for two years on charges of `sedition’. The independence which was negotiated in 1962 led to the formation of a right-wing coalition government still controlled by the British, which intensified repression against trade unionists, youth leaders and other progressive elements. By 1963 it was clear that the left could no longer play an effective role within the ZNP and under the leadership of Babu, a mass revolutionary party, the Umma (People’s) Party, was launched, galvanising working class and peasant youth across racial groupings into action. Read more…
HATA BABU ALITUMILIWA KUFANIKISHA MALENGO YA MAHASIDI WA ZANZIBAR
Babu alilirukia rikwama la mapinduzi ambalo nahodha wake hakutaka kuwa karibu na Janab wa “Kiarabu.” Masikini Babu akavalishwa blanketi la kuwa yeye ndo mpinduzi mkubwa kwa kutarajia kuwa atakuja kupata nafasi ya kuja kuyafanya mapinduzi yake na kuinusuru Zanzibar lakini ilikuwa tayari haiwezekani mwisho kwa sababu haikuwezekana mwanzo. Atakuja kuhukumiwa vingeni na wako watakaokuja kumsameh na wako wachache watakaokuja kuendelea kumuonea huruma. Soma tafakuri hii…
SHEIKH HASSAN B. AMEIR ASH-SHIRAZI (1880-1979): HIS CONTRIBUTION TO ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN EAST AFRICA
In the last decades, the ‘Alawi tradition of Islamic learning in East Africa has attracted the bulk of academic attention (see el-Zein 1994, ALA III, Bang 2000, Pouwels 1987 etc.). By contrast, non ‘Alawi traditions of learning have been rather neglected, at least by western academia. Still, these traditions of learning, often connected with the Sufi brotherhoods of the Qadiriya and Shadhiliya exist and have also considerably contributed to the development of Islamic learning in East Africa. Read this history about one of the great Zanzibari scholars…
How many versions of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution do you have? That of Abdrahman Babu as the planner, or that of Abeid Karume as the leader, or that of John Okello as the saviour or that of Julius Nyerere as the invader? In this article from the former CIA agent, there is yet more even new hypothesis. Read it…
ZANZIBAR OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS: HISTORICAL EVENTS 1900S-2000S
1901 January: The first packet of tea made in East Africa was packed in Dunga. The leaves were the first products of the garden that was laid out there in 1899. It was manufactured with such appliances as were to hand, rolled on the deal table, sun-dried, and fired with ordinary charcoal stove. Read more…
HISTORIA YA ZANZIBAR KUTOKA ZANZIBARHISTORY.ORG
Hakuna mengi ninayoweza kusema kuhusu historia ambayo ina mchanganyiko wa kutukuka na kuchafuliwa ya nchi yangu ya Zanzibar zaidi ya yale ambayo utayapata katika zanzibarhistory.org. Jionee na jielimishe mwenyewe.
People have lived in Zanzibar for 20 000 years; history proper starts when the islands became a base for traders voyaging between Arabia, India, and Africa. Unguja offered a protected and defensible harbour, so although the archipelago had few products of value, Arabs settled at what became Zanzibar City (Stone Town) as a convenient point from which to trade with East African coastal towns. They established garrisons on the islands and built the first mosque in the Southern hemisphere…. Read more
ZANZIBAR HISTORY FROM ZANZINET FORUM
Contrary to some scholars, who allege coercion as being the norm of the time, Arabic travellers of those days had no political ambitions. They were living in harmony and some of them inter-married with their hosts hence consolidating the bonds even further. The arrival of Islam in the 8th century strengthened the relationship and brought East Africa much closer to Arabia… Read more
TAFADHALI BONYEZA HAPA KUCHANGIA MAONI YAKO. UNASHAURIWA KUANDIKA MADA YA KILE UNACHOKICHANGIA.
(c) Mohammed Khelef Ghassani, 2008
Mohammed Khelef Ghassani
