Knowledge, Renewal and Religion
Knowledge, Renewal and Religion
The papers in this book reveal that the Swahili are experiencing worsening economic, political and social conditions. Within these circumstances, Islam is invoked as a source of knowledge that not only explains the current state of life and living, but also gives direc-tions on how to cope with and to change the situation for the better. Islam is both what reinforces Swahili identity and a particular way of life, and at the same time, given the current international climate, further marginalizes Swahili society and culture.
Kjersti Larsen is Associate Professor at the Department of Ethno- graphy at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. She has conducted research in Muslim sociteties in East Africa.