Customer Reviews

The Africans: A Triple Heritage

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Ali A Mazrui's book is a good start at redressing the balance - for too long, we have had to make do with European analyses of the African heritage, its place in the world today and the prospects for the future.

Whilst Mazrui has done Africa some service with this book and the accompanying TV series, the book is tainted by a bias. The author uses the geographical link at Suez to suggest that Islam is a "home" grown phenomenon. In doing this, the colonial and cultural homogenisation principles of Islam are downplayed. Equally, the indigenous nature of Ethiopian Christianity are somewhat sidelined. However, Mazrui's analysis of "state" and "stateless" societies is the most profound I have come across. Excellent!

The author is clearly passionate about the roots of some of Africa's present ills within European colonialism and in this, he is consistent with all of his fellows from Africa, myself included. He blames "Western culture" of destroying the native African culture and traditions whilst ignoring the fact that Islam has done as much if not more to create some of the tensions in modern Africa.

Nevertheless, this is a good introduction to a vibrant continent.

Hopefully the author can write a revised version in the light of events in South Africa (majority rule), Nigeria (squandered resources amid poor governance), Sudan (religiously motivated genocide), Uganda (a resurrection after the bloodletting of the Amin era), Tanzania (political stability within a single party state) etc..

The Africans, both the documentary and books are an amazing timeless collection. Its starts a critical conversation that every child of Africa in the diaspora should engage in, if mother Africa is to ever regain her glory.
Africa is a deep and complex continent, a challenge that Ali Mazrui had was to try to consolidate the issues in page limits, and airtime limits which he did impeccably. He picked Islam, Christianity and Traditional African Religions as pivotal points for his discussion. And this pivot served its purpose perfectly but any mature reader should take it as such.

I first watched the documentary series in 1986 when I was only 16 years old, in my native country Malawi at my parent's insistence. I was young, impressionable and just like any African youth caught up in the so-called glitter wonders of the West. So I understood some parts of it, but now that I am older, living in the West, watching them again was a centering experience.

Its a great intellectual piece of work but most of all, for an African growing and search for answers, its a treasure. He is truly an admirable son of Africa.

ITS A TRUE PICTURE OF WHAT AFRICA IS ALL ABOUT. AT THE TIME OF MAKING THE BBC SERIES IT SHOWED HOW AFRICANS WERE BEING EXPLOITED BY THEIR FORMER COLONIAL MASTERS. A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING TO ALL THOSE THAT HAVE A NAIVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AFRICA.
ALI AL AMIN MAZRUI IS JUST NOW BEING ACKNOWLEDGE BY HIS MOTHER LAND KENYA. MOI FEARED HIM KIBAKI ADMIRES HIM.

The Africans: A Triple Heritage by Renowned African Scholar Mwalimu Ali A. Mazrui is a must have book for all those who care about Africa. This book is a companion to documentary film. I highly recommend both find a place in your permanent library!

An excellent resource for anyone studying African-American culture. I also recommend the VHS video series, The African aired sometime ago by PBS. You may be able to find copies at your local library or online.