The Arabic Script in Africa

Abstract

The Arabic script’s flexible and adaptive nature has made it a significantcontributor to Africa’s rich and vibrant socio-linguistic landscape. This hasbeen noted by major scholars in the field, among them John Hunwick(director-general, Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa,Northwestern University, USA) and Helmi Sharawi (Centre for Arabo-African Studies, Egypt). Meikal Mumin, a young German-Somali scholarwho completed his M.A. at the University of Cologne’s Institute for AfricanStudies on the use of the Arabic script in Africa, solicited funds from theFritz Thyssen Stiftung, as well as the necessary moral support from theabove-mentioned institute, to host a workshop on this topic. Entitled “ArabicScript in Africa,” it was held at the University of Koln’s Institute for AfricanStudies during 6-7 April 2010. Mumin regarded this event as the first of itskind on German soil to dealt with the “linguistic aspects of the usage and diffusionof the Arabic script in Africa for the writing of African languages, aphenomenon also known as Ajami.” The assembled scholars investigated,among other concerns, linguistic, sociolinguistic, and historical processes aswell as applied language policy for certain African languages ...