Islamist militancy in Sierra Leone

This article examines the contemporary Islamic trends in post-conflict Sierra Leone (through 2009) against the background of international concerns that the country might become a haven for religiously-inspired violence. It argues that there is some evidence that prolonged economic impoverishment and foreign religious influences, especially from Saudi Arabia and Iran, have led to a reinvigoration of Islam in post-war Sierra Leone. Though this reinvigoration has resulted in the visibility of more purist strains of the religion, there are no indications that the Sierra Leonean Muslim groups are actively participating in any worldwide jihadist network or will engage in large-scale religiously-inspired extremism and violence. The recent history of the country indicates that attempts to mobilise religious sympathies for political ends in Sierra Leone have been short-lived and largely unsuccessful Notes Ismail Rashid, a Sierra Leonean, is a Professor of History at Vassar College. He received his PhD in African History from McGill University. He is currently completing an anthology (with Sylvia Macaulay) tentatively titled, The 'Province of Freedom' at Fifty: Paradoxes of History and Memory in Post-colonial Sierra Leone (forthcoming 2013). Kevin A. O'Brien, previously a Visiting Fellow in War Studies (King's College London) and Deputy Director at RAND Europe, has published extensively on security challenges in Western and African countries. He is currently a senior analyst with the Canadian Government; this article was completed prior to this employment and reflects Dr O'Brien's personal views only. 1. CitationRichards, 'New Political Violence in Africa', 439. 2. CitationPenfold, 'Faith in Resolving Sierra Leone Conflict', 549. 3. CitationAbdullah, 'Bush Path to Destruction'; Richards, 'New Political Violence in Africa'. 4. Penfold, 'Faith in Resolving Sierra Leone Conflict', 551. 5. CitationRice, 'Africa and the War on Global Terrorism', 12. 6. Douglas Farah, 'Report Says Africans Harbored Al-Qaeda: Terror Assets Hidden In Gem-Buying Spree'. Washington Post, 29 December 2002. 7. CitationWannenburg, 'Links Between Organised Crime and al-Qaeda'; CitationRabasa et al., 'Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah in Africa'. 8. CitationJalloh and Skinner, Islam and Trade, 3; CitationBah, 'Status of Muslims'. 9. CitationNorthrup, 'Becoming African', 8. 10. Jalloh and Skinner, Islam and Trade, 23. 11. CitationKandeh and Kamachandran, Analytical Report, 1. 12. Jalloh and Skinner, Islam and Trade, 139. 13. CitationSanneh, Crown and the Turban, 167. 14. CitationFisher, Ahmadiyyah, 121–123. 15. Sanneh, Crown and the Turban, 163. 16. CitationEsedebe, 'Independence Movement', 21. 17. CitationSillah, 'Islam in Sierra Leone'; Jalloh and Skinner, Islam and Trade, 144–145. 18. Interview with Gibrill Sesay, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Fourah College, Lakkah, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2009. 19. CitationSesay, 'Contributions of Sierra Leonean Muslim Personalities'. 20. Sierra Leonean Muslims usually congregate, share food and offer prayers on the third, seventh and fortieth days after the death of a person. 21. Sesay, 'Contributions of Sierra Leonean Muslim Personalities'. 22. Sesay, 'Contributions of Sierra Leonean Muslim Personalities' 23. Interview with Gibrill Sesay, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Fourah College, Lakkah, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2009. 24. Interview with Gibrill Sesay, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Fourah College, Lakkah, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2009 25. CIA World Factbook: Sierra Leone. Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html [Accessed 19 October 2008]. 26. Interview with Macksood Sesay, Freetown, 18 October 2008. This point was also emphasised in the Focus Group Discussion held in Freetown, Kambia and Bo, 18–23 October 2008. 27. CitationUS Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report for 2011. 28. Focus Group Discussion, Bo, Sierra Leone, 22 October 2008. 29. CitationUS Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report for 2007. 30. CitationKandeh, 'Transition without Rupture', 100. 31. Interview with Shiekh Lamin Sesay, Chairman, Nation of Islam, 22 November 2008. 32. Interviews with Kadiatu Kubra, Chairlady, Hezbullah, 22 October 2008; Imam Sheikh Mohamed Teslim Thomas, Resident Iman Haq Mosque, Fourah Bay, 19 October 2008; Sheikh Alieu Zaghir, Imam Masjid Imam Hassan, Rokupr, 21 October 2008. 33. Focus Group Discussion, Imam Hassan Mosque, Rokupr, Kambia, 21 October 2008. 34. Interview with Imam Alie Abdallah Kallon, Chief Imam Masjid Salaba, Freetown, 20 October 2008. 35. Focus Group Discussion, Islamic College, Wilkinson Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2008. 36. Focus Group Discussion, Islamic College, Wilkinson Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2008 37. For the aims and activities of AIM see: http://www.aimislam.com/index.php/about/our-objectives.html [Accessed 14 February 2009]. 38. Focus Group Discussion, Masjid Ridwan in Portee, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2008; Focus Group Discussion, Masjid Aman, New Site, Bo, Sierra Leone, 22 October 2008. 39. Focus Group Discussion (All female), Masjid Al-Hassanian, Bo, Sierra Leone, 23 October 2008. 40. Focus Group Discussion (All female), Masjid Al-Hassanian, Bo, Sierra Leone, 23 October 2008 41. Interview with Shiekh Imam Alie Abdallah Kallon, Chief Imam, Masjid Salaba, and member, Sierra Leone Muslim Missionary Union, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 20 October 2008. 42. Focus Group Discussion, Masjid Imam Hassan, Rokupr, Kambia District, Sierra Leone, 21 October 2008. 43. Focus Group Discussion, Masjid Jamuil Jaleel, Old Field Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2008. 44. Focus Group Discussion, Masjid Ridwan, Portee, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 18 October 2008. 45. Focus Group Discussion, Masjid Aman, Bo, Sierra Leone, 22 October 2008. 46. Ibrahim Tarawallie, 'Sierra Leone: Gaza Fever Grips Country'. Concord Times (Freetown), 15 January 2009. 47. Independent Media Commission of Sierra Leone, 2007. See: www.imc-sl.org/facts/2007%20Facts%20and%20figures.pdf. [Accessed 19 October 2008]. 48. 'Muslims Host Donor Delegates in Sierra Leone'. Awareness Times, 7 May 2008; 'Sierra Leone President Lectures Journalists at Islam Radio Launch'. Awareness Times, 23 July 2007. 49. 'How Fair is the Voice of Islam? Reaction'. Sierra Express Media, 2 May 2008. 50. 'Sierra Leone'. BBC Monitoring WORLD MEDIA, 19 October 2006. 51. There are an estimated 48,500 internet users in Sierra Leone as of 2012. See Internet World States: Usage and Population Statistics: http://www.internetworldstats.com/africa.htm [Accessed 4 March 2012]. 52. CitationUS Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2005. 53. See 'Violence between Muslim and Secret Society Members'. The Independent (Freetown), 2 May 2005; CitationUS Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2006. 54. CitationUNIOSIL, 'Review of Sierra Leone Media Reports'. 55. See 'Violence between Muslim and Secret Society Members'. The Independent (Freetown), 2 May 2005; Umaru Fofana, 'Think Tank: The Crescent and the Cross'. Awoko Newspaper, 18 September 2008. 56. CitationArab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Annual Report; CitationOIC & Islamic Development Bank Initiatives in Sierra Leone, 'Work of the Organization'. 57. Jalloh and Skinner, Trade and Islam, 150. 58. Jalloh and Skinner, Trade and Islam, 149. 59. Abdullah, 'Bushpath to Destruction'. 60. 'Gaddafi to Pour Money into Sierra Leone as Ernest Koroma wows the Libyans'. Awareness Times, 19 February 2008. 61. 'IRI Cultural Consul Donates Books to Military in Sierra Leone'. Awareness Times, 5 May 2007. 62. 'Sierra Leone: Citizens Show Solidarity with Palestinians'. Africa News, 5 October 2007; 'Sierra Leone: Imams Trained on Sustainable Development'. The Independent (Freetown), 15 December 2007. 63. Focus Group Discussions, Masjid Ridwan, Central Portee, 18 October 2008; Masjid Aman, Bo, 22 October 2008. 64. 'In Sierra Leone: Over 125 Muslim Groups Battle for Supremacy'. Awareness Times, 17 October 2006

Political science · Sierra leone · Socioeconomics · Sociology · African Studies and Geopolitics · Political Conflict and Governance · Religion, Society, and Development

• Coastal Sierra Leone

  Open Access•Jennifer Diggins•Coastal Sierra Leone•2018

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• New political violence in Africa – Secular sectarianism in Sierra Leone

  Open Access•P Richards•GeoJournal•1999

  Incluir item

• The status of Muslims in Sierra Leone and Liberia

  Mohammad Alpha Bah•Institute of Muslim Minority…•1991

  Incluir item

• Islam in Sierra Leone

  Mohammed‐bassiru Sillah•Institute of Muslim Minority…•1994

  Incluir item

• Faith in resolving Sierra Leone's bloody conflict

  Peter Penfold•The Round Table•2005

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• The Crown and the Turban

  Gail M Gerhart, Lamin Sanneh•Foreign Affairs•1998

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• Becoming African

  David Northrup•Slavery and Abolition•2006

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• Links between organised crime and Al-Qaeda

  Gail Wannenburg•South African Journal of…•2003

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• Bush path to destruction

  Open Access•Ibrahim Abdullah•The Journal of Modern African…•1998

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• Transition without Rupture

  Jimmy D Kandeh•African Studies Review•1998

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