A Moslem Igbo Village

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	A Moslem Igbo Village
Author:	Ottenberg, Simon
Year:	1971
Periodical:	Cahiers d'études africaines
Volume:	11
Issue:	42
Pages:	231-260
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Nigeria
Subjects:	Islamization rural society Religion and Witchcraft Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) conversion
External link:	https://doi.org/10.3406/cea.1971.2802
Abstract:	During the late fifties most of those who belonged to the related group of patrilineages in Anohia village, had converted to Islam, a very unusual event among the Igbo. The author gives a survey of the developments of the conversion and of the conflicts which arose from the side of the traditional villagers and the neighbouring villagers, who saw the Moslems as a threat to traditional custom. Finally he discusses several factors, which might have contributed to the successful conversion: the influence of the powerful leader of the movement, the villagers' desire for increasing status, the willingness of all age-groups and both sexes of the patrilineal group to change, the lack of a high degree of centralization of government, by which any strong action on the part of the village-group was prohibited. Ref.