a precise on the springs of the violence committed in the name of God in Africa

Prophets in arms! “Religious violence” in Africa

Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos

Maisonneuve & Larose – edition hemispheres, 312 p., 24 €

Fill the gaps and analyze the springs of so -called religious violence, justified in the name of Islam or the Christian faith, in Africa: in this new work Prophets in arms! “Religious violence” in AfricaMarc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos attacks an Everest. Or rather a Kilimandjaro, on a continent that records record growth rates of the communities of the two main abrahamic religions and where the confessional sets are difficult to identify, for lack of statistics.

Far “Mono-causal analyzes focused on fanaticism and religious indoctrination”the research director at the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) offers readers of levers of historical, ideological, local or social understanding to understand prophetic or fanatic movements.

“The rebels who say they are fighting in the name of Jesus or Allah (are) often led by more prosaic motivations (settle community accounts, seize land, claim justice) ”, Note the one who is already the author of several books on jihad in Africa. Thus, in the Sahel, the villagers know how to distinguish the combatants of Al-Qaida from the Malian army because “They attack in the name of Allah and generally capture more cattle”he explains.

Messianisms millenatists and self -proclaimed prophets

Thus competing in the notion of “Religious violence”Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos explores the relationship of Christians and Muslims to politics and rebellion, demolishing any determinism of the instrumentalized texts, as much for “Justify the most brutal repression” that for “Provide ethical tools (…) which make it possible to negotiate peace ”.

Besides, he says, “Interreligious violence is rare”. The insurrections carried out in the name of Allah or Jesus essentially target believers of the same confession, considered heretics, apostates or hypocrites. For example, current jihadist groups “Act mainly in already Islamized areas” And the vast majority of their victims are Muslims.

Through this very complete lexicon, the political scientist makes it possible to seize in filigree the substantive trends in Africa, namely the salafization of part of Islam and the rise of Pentecostalism which earns many countries. A sign of syncretism at work on the continent, liberal Muslims of Lagos have been inspired by the theology of prosperity to boast the merits of a merchant Islam.

The boom of millennials and self -proclaimed prophets gives rise to its share of sectarian aberrations, accentuated by the rejection of the State and science. Latest example, in Kenya, Pastor Paul Mackenzie, ex-taxi heater, founder of the international church of good news, obscure Pentecostal church, who pushed nearly 400 of his faithful to death by inciting them to fast until “Last day”.

If he opens a fascinating window on the complexity of reality and the strength of the spiritual, it lists with examples, from almost all of the 49 African countries located south of the Sahara. Multiple Sufi brotherhoods, jihadist movements, evangelical sects, armed groups claiming to be Christianity … We sometimes get lost in the multitude of denominations and we would like them to be more in -depth and deciphered. However, the work has the merit of offering a salutary decenter and allowing Cartesian spirits to grasp the magnitude and the power of the spiritual.