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Islam in Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique
| In this paper I examine the different ways Islam entered the future independent nations of Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique, before, during, and after their independence from Portugal, occurred in 1973 (officially recognized on August 3, 1974), and June 25, 1975, respectively. Using as a springboard the different time frames and the obviously different ports of entry of Islam into these two geographically distinct areas, my analysis will focus on the way Islam adapted itself to the local milieu, thus creating a Muslim society within a traditional African context. I often pause to consider the way in which Muslims from Asia, particularly Arabs and Persians, perceived and dealt with their African coreligionists. The coming of the Portuguese to these areas will then be the last part of my analysis; in other words, I evaluate how the Portuguese dealt with the “Muslim” question in both Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique. I often ask myself if the differences in approach and outcomes could have been influenced by the ways with which the Portuguese considered and valued each geographic area/colony, particularly their socioeconomic and historic contributions to society, from which they benefited significantly.
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