Ibadi Muslim schools in post-revolutionary Zanzibar

Abstract

AbstractThis article examines how the schools of the Ibadi-Omani diaspora have had an impact on religious education and Afro-Arab relations in post-revolutionary Zanzibar. Much of the existing literature about Ibadism and the Omani diaspora in Zanzibar centres on the island’s economic history, stories of Arab elites under sultanate rule and the politics of the 1964 revolution. Little work explores how Ibadis in Zanzibar today distinguish themselves from other Muslims by marrying within the Omani community, running religious charities, wearing Omani clothing, attending Ibadi mosques, and enrolling their children in Ibadi schools. This research offers a fresh perspective on Ibadism and Oman–Zanzibar relations under neoliberalism through an examination of the lived experiences of Ibadis and non-Ibadis affiliated with the schools of the Istiqama Muslim community and organization.