African Christians and Muslims Generally Get Along - April 16, 2010

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a US based organization, has just released the results of a major survey of religion in Africa.  More than 25,000 face-to-face interviews were conducted in more than 60 languages or dialects in 19 sub-Saharan African nations from December 2008 to April 2009.

Unlike Western nations, the vast majority of Africans are deeply committed to one of the world’s two largest religions, Christianity and Islam.  The executive summary of the report states that “Christianity and Islam coexist with each other. Many Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa describe members of the other faith as tolerant and honest. In most countries, relatively few see evidence of widespread anti-Muslim or anti-Christian hostility, and on the whole they give their governments high marks for treating both religious groups fairly.”

Both Christians and Muslims in Africa admit that they know very little about the other religion.  While Muslims generally have a positive perception of Christians, in a dozen African nations roughly 40% of Christians consider Muslims to be violent.

The study also focused on the role of traditional African religion. The poll shows that traditional religious practices continue to coexist with the two major religions.  The reality is that large numbers of Africans participate in either Christianity or Islam but also believe in witchcraft, evil spirits, sacrifices to ancestors, traditional religious healers, reincarnation and other elements of traditional African religions. Approximately 25 percent of  sub-Sahara Christians believe that sacrifices to spirits or ancestors can protect them from bad things happening.   

According to the Pew study, “sizable percentages of both Christians and Muslims - a quarter or more in many countries - say they believe in the protective power of juju (charms or amulets).”  Many of these who adhere to traditional beliefs and practices are active in their local church or mosque.  Most people also say they attend worship services at least once a week, pray every day (in the case of Muslims, generally five times a day), fast during the holy periods of Ramadan or Lent, and give religious alms (tithing for Christians, zakat for Muslims.)

In Tanzania and South Africa – where 60 per cent and 87 per cent of respondents respectively claimed to be Christian – more than half the people surveyed (60 per cent and 56 per cent respectively) said they believed that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits could protect them from harm.

“Many people also say they consult traditional religious healers when someone in their household is sick, and sizable minorities in several countries keep sacred objects such as animal skins and skulls in their homes and participate in ceremonies to honor their ancestors,” the Pew Forum added.

Share on

Latest Articles

• Bringing the World to Israel - September 2, 2010
• Group Traveling to Israel Explores Joppa - September 1, 2010
• UK Study Finds Decisions by Non-Religious Doctors May Hasten Death - August 31, 2010