Muslims in Seychelles - A Historical Appraisal of their Legacy

20 Feb 2017

Muslims in Seychelles is a fascinating account of the history of Seychelles, taking the reader back in time when the Arabs and pirates used to frequent the islands, the French established a settlement, the British annexed the islands, the road to independence, the period during independence, the coup d'état, introduction of a one-party state and re-introduction of a multi-party democracy.

Author Professor Abul Fadl Mohsin Ebrahim

Throughout its history, Seychelles received several prominent Muslim leaders who arrived for a life in exile – the Sultan of Perak and his family from Malaysia, the Sultan of Zanzibar, the former Prime Minister of Egypt, Sa`d Zaghlul, as well as Abdullah Afif Didi and his family from the Maldives, and others.

In so far as the Seychellois Muslims are concerned, they have been apolitical and a few of them were detained post the coup d’état. The book has succeeded in recording their harrowing stories for posterity. The book also succinctly portrays the consolidation of Islam in Seychelles and how Islam has managed to become vibrant in a country which is predominantly Christian.

The Foreword to this book is written by the late Sir James Mancham, the founding President of the Republic of Seychelles.

Abul Fadl Mohsin Ebrahim hails from Seychelles. After completing his studies in Islam at the Aleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies (1975) in Karachi, Pakistan, he went on to complete a Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) degree at the Al-Azhar University (1977) in Cairo, Egypt. He then obtained M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Temple University (1983 & 1986), Philadelphia, USA. He is currently Professor Emeritus in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; a Senior Professor and Researcher at the Regent Business School, Durban, South Africa.

Signed copies of Professor Ebrahims’ book will be on sale at the launch at Regent Business School Main Auditorium, Institute of Entrepreneurship Building, 35 Samora Machel Street, Durban on 8 March 2017.