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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Religion and U.A.R. African policy
Author:Ismael, Tareq Y.ISNI
Year:1968
Periodical:Journal of Modern African Studies
Volume:6
Issue:1
Pages:49-57
Language:English
Geographic terms:Egypt
United Arab Republic
Subjects:foreign policy
Islam
Arab-African relations
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/158676
Abstract:The emergence of the new states of Africa into world politics created a response among the older-African states to restore the equilibrium of order maintained on the continent. Henceforth, the search of Egypt for influence had to take an ideological overtone. Since the mid-fifties, her African policy has aimed at creating a sense of community, cultural loyalty, and political integration. An attempt was made to reinforce the existing culture created by Islam. Thus, Egypt turned gradually toward the employment of religion as an instrument of its foreign policy, Between 1953 and 1955 Egypt undertook to create an Islamic ideological front at the governmental level that could serve its political doctrines. By 1956 this attempt had failed. Subsequent to this failure Egypt's interest in a pan-Islamic movement diminished, but religion continued to be an important instrument in local and regional affairs. In the rest of the article particularly the role of al-Azhar, the Muslim university in Egypt, as the spiritual centre of Islam, its political functions and its activities are described. Map concerning the distribution of Muslims in Africa.
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