African jihad

By David McCormack

The unfolding of events in Sudan in recent months – to say nothing of years – has provided conspicuous evidence of the brutality that is inevitably unleashed by Islamist regimes. Long engaged in a bloody drive to impose the dictates of radical Islam on Christians and animists in the southern part of the country, Khartoum has more recently turned on its co-religionists in the Darfur region in a genocidal campaign.

Despite the attention being paid to Sudan, the West has yet to recognize that jihad is being waged for the whole of Africa. Traditionally, African Islam has been characterized by tolerance and moderation and made vital contributions to the region in education, commerce and government. But this progressive orientation has been imperiled in recent years by the introduction of Islamism – a movement intent on bringing society and state into conformity with radical interpretations of the religion. Sub-Saharan Africa has proved tremendously useful in advancing this agenda: Its Muslim population of about 250 million provides a massive base from which Islamists can draw support.

Weak and corrupt governments and economies allow Islamist ideologies to become alluring to African Muslims. And porous borders, a steady flow of illicit arms and obscure financial systems contribute to an ideal operating environment for Islamists with militant appetites.The usual suspects, led by Saudi Arabia and including Iran and Libya, have been almost solely responsible for the introduction of Islamism to the region. Billions of dollars have been invested in Africa by these states, funding mosques and madrassas that one Ethiopian journalist termed "jihad factories," training African clerics in radicalism and even financing terrorism.

Islamist successes in Africa are manifest. Since 1999, 12 predominantly Muslim states in northern Nigeria have begun to codify sharia – Muslim law based on the Quran – sparking Christian-Muslim violence in which thousands have died and threatening the viability of Nigeria. In Kenya, where Muslims make up only 10 percent of the population, a separate Islamic legal system is likely to be enshrined in the constitution following a threat by one of the country’s most influential Islamists, Sheik Ali Bin Mayaka, to "fight up to the end with all ways … even if it means to seek help from our fellows around the globe." These are just two examples of many.

Islamism’s successes foreshadow the terrible implications of its continued expansion. It jeopardizes steps toward social progress by legally marginalizing women and non-Muslims, inhibiting democratic government and violating accepted standards of human rights. It hinders economic development by creating an unstable environment for investment and growth, and it facilitates inter-communal strife that leads to violence on a massive scale.

African Islamism also poses a direct threat to Western security and economic interests. An unstable environment permeated with radical Islamic thought has, not surprisingly, begun to create a hospitable environment for terrorists with an international agenda.Already, prominent international terror groups such as al-Qaida and Hamas operate extensively in Africa, while lesser-known but nevertheless dangerous groups have emerged to wage jihad south of the Sahara. Additionally, the rise of Islamism threatens to disrupt the flow of oil and natural gas from the region – a significant share of the world market – while discouraging investment in untapped reserves that could lessen dependence on Middle East supplies.

The United States has already deployed troops in several African countries, including Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Niger, to hunt terrorists and train African forces to combat terrorism. But with other priorities, the United States can scarcely afford a stronger military presence in the region.

Efforts must focus on choking radical Islamism of its authority and popularity, an imperative for long-term security. Pressure must be applied on exporters of Islamism to stop funding radicalism, and greater consideration must be given to alleviating local conditions that make Islamism alluring. Terrible as the situation is, Sudan only hints at African Islamism’s potential for destruction.

This article originally appeared in the Baltimore Sun.