As I have pointed out many times, jihadists gain adherents by appealing to the Qur’an and Sunnah: the great vulnerability of the more moderate form of Islam that has prevailed for some time in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and parts of Africa is that it was never based on Qur’anic literalism, and has no theological response to the jihadist interpretation of Islamic texts. From AP, with thanks to Twostellas:
ZANZIBAR, Tanzania – Zanzibar’s mosques are fuller on Fridays, more women are wearing head scarves and more Muslim men are showing calluses created by frequently touching their foreheads to the ground in prayer. A growing number of Zanzibaris are turning toward a stricter form of Islam and possibly away from democracy ahead of this fall’s elections, expected to be a volatile affair.
Multiparty politics “has brought nothing but tragedy,” said Abdallah Mohammed Suleiman, 42, who sells imported clothes. “The best solution (is) to uphold our religious values, that is Islamic values, or revert to single party rule.
“After all, Islam is the sole unifying factor in Zanzibar.”
Fundamentalist clerics see an opportunity, offering Islamic law as an alternative to democracy, arguing that would bring discipline and moral values to political leadership.
“We clearly see a vacuum that could be filled by the Islamist system that could show people that democracy “” which they hoped would enable them to elect leaders they want, people with integrity “” has failed,” said Abdallah Said Ali, secretary of Society for Islamic Awareness and Preaching in Zanzibar.