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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Some remarks on contemporary religious trends in North Africa |
Author: | Szyma'nski, Edward |
Year: | 1991 |
Periodical: | Africana Bulletin |
Issue: | 39 |
Pages: | 53-62 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Maghreb |
Subjects: | Islam politics |
Abstract: | Islam in North Africa is illustrative of the processes by which religious symbols and institutions are reinterpreted and modified to accommodate new and evolving social and historical realities and the way in which religious ideologies themselves shape the social order. Thus the past twenty years have seen a transformation in Islam's political role. For example, in Tunisia, when Bourguiba came to power at independence, he embarked on an unprecedented programme to modernize the State religion, introducing many reforms offensive to traditional puritans. In the late 1970s there was a revival of religious fervour and fundamentalist Islamic groups resurfaced as a militant and powerful sociopolitical force. The most visible manifestation was the appearance of increasing numbers of veiled or semi-veiled women. But while the traditional veil was elitist and served as a symbol of oppression, the new veil was symbolically and sociologically egalitarian. There are many reasons for the revival of Islamic traditions and codes of conduct. In Tunisia, Islam has increasingly become the language of protest against the established order. In Morocco, the popular prestige of the monarchy remains largely intact because it is implicitly perceived in part in religious terms. Notes, ref. |