1. In what ways were enslaved Muslims able to continue practicing their religion, culture and customs upon arriving in the Americas? What practices continued, and how were they able to live their religious lives in the face of extremely difficult circumstances?
One of the remarkable features of enslaved Muslims in the Americas is their high rate of literacy. Indeed, Diouf even contends that the literacy levels among the enslaved Muslim populations is even higher that that among their masters. Their proficiency in Arabic, possession of a few valuable copies of the Holy Koran and an ethos of communitarian solidarity ensured that Muslim slaves continued to maintain their religious identity. The threat of Islam was perceived differently in the North and South American colonies. Seeing Islam as a more potent threat, the colonialists in South American colonies imposed overt and covert prohibitions upon its continued practice. In the North, the ruling elite were . . . Read More