BENJAMIN SOARES is a Researcher in the African Studies Centre, at the University of Leiden, a social science research institute in The Netherlands. RENE OTAYEK is the Head of Research at the Centre d'Etude d'Afrique Noire, Bordeaux, France.

'The timely interest of Islam in politics and in the international arena needs no emphasis in the context of the post 9/11 world. While much attention has been focused on these issues by academics and policymakers, sub-Saharan African has been largely ignored. This volume is thus a very welcome addition to the literature, filling a real need in terms of close, research-based accounts of the dynamics of Islam in a wide range of countries.' - Leonardo Villalon, Director, Center for African Studies, University of Florida 'The general subject of Islam and sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of an interdisciplinary and comparative study like this. This volume makes a significant contribution in this direction, and will be particularly valuable for scholars and students of African studies and Islamic studies, and policymakers in the region and beyond.' - Abdullahi An-Na'im, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law, Emory Law School 'This excellent collection of case studies fills an important gap in our understanding of African Muslims' engagement with political life in an era of globalization and political and economic liberalization. They present a fascinating picture of the range of African Muslim participation in the political arena, while challenging conventional assumptions about Islam in Africa. These essays will enable a wider audience to appreciate the diversity and complexity of Islam and political practice among one-fifth of the world's Muslims.' - Richard Joseph, Professor of Political Science and African Studies, Northwestern University

• Introduction: Islam and Muslim Politics in Africa; R.Otayek & B.F.Soares PART I: BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL Islam in Mauritania between Political Expansion and Globalization: Elites, Institutions, Knowledge, and Networks; Z.O.A.Salem Global Concerns, Local Realities: Islam and Islamism in a Somali State under Construction; M.Renders Transformations of Islam and Communal Relations in Wallo, Ethiopia; J.Abbink Aid, Umma, and Politics: Transnational Islamic NGOs in Chad; M.Kaag New Religious Actors in South Africa: The Example of Islamic Humanitarianism; S.Sadouni PART II: THE QUESTION OF THE STATE Muslim Reformists and the State in Benin; D.Brégand Perceptions of Marginalization: Muslims in Contemporary Tanzania; R.Loimeier Kenyan Muslims, the Aftermath of 9/11, and the "War on Terror"; R.Seesemann Politics and Sharia in Northern Nigeria; S.L.Sanusi Political Islam in Sudan: Islamists and the Challenge of State Power (1989-2004); E.Ahmed PART III: NEW WAYS OF BEING MUSLIM Islam in Mali in the Neoliberal Era; B.F.Soares Islamic Associations in Cameroon: Between the Umma and the State; H.Adama Negotiating Futures: Islam, Youth, and the State in Niger; A.Masquelier