Harvard professor’s new book illuminates the roots and influence of Islam in Africa
Ousmane Kane, the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Professor of Contemporary Islamic Religion and Society and professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, will discuss his book, “Beyond Timbuktu: An Intellectual History of Muslim West Africa,” at the Center for the Study of World Religions on April 3 at 5:15 p.m. The talk is co-sponsored by the Islam in Africa Speaker Series. Kane delivered the keynote address in February at the Divinity School conference “Text, Knowledge, and Practice: The Meaning of Scholarship in Muslim Africa.” The Gazette interviewed Kane to illuminate the roots and influence of Islam in Africa, which is home to nearly 30 percent of the world’s Muslims. GAZETTE: What is the most common misconception the West has about African Muslims? KANE: Black Africa has been represented in academia as well as in popular representations as a continent of warring tribes. Look at the coverage of...