Library Programs Build Bridges in Muslim Africa

The U. S. embassy in Dakar conducted a series of workshops with speaker David Hirsch, a bibliographer from UCLA, on resources for Islamic libraries on September 23-25, 2008.   The first workshop held in Dakar was co-sponsored by IFAN and the Islamic Institute and attended by librarians and Islamic scholars from Senegal, Niger, Mali and Guinea.  On September 29, a second workshop conducted in Arabic was held in Touba in cooperation with the library of the Grand Mosque and Al Azhar University.   These programs are having a positive impact on Islamic libraries and traditional Quranic schools (“maderssas”) in the region, which have been largely isolated from mainstream scholarship and American internet resources.  The workshops introduced the Library of Congress classification system for Islam and Sharia law as well as American electronic journals and other online publications in French and Arabic.  The librarians, teachers and students who attended the workshops also learned about the free online Islamic resources that are available from the United States.  The participants including many who were attending an Embassy event for the very first time – said these workshops showed them that Americans respect Islam and Islamic learning.  Also as a result of the workshop, the Great Mosque of Touba has agreed to exhibit American Embassy exhibitions and programs as well as include Embassy publications in their library.  This series of programs is building lasting – and much needed bridges – in Muslim Africa.