Mariam Elzeiny
DARE Project: Pages of Resistance: An Educational KMb approach on the history of Islam and African Diasporas
Program(s) of Study: Political Science and Cognitive Science
Project Supervisor: David Trotman
DARE taught me that resistance does not come in one form. Slave resistance is not limited to revolts and protests but that the continuation of knowledge transmission and circles of religious learning are also forms of resistance.
Project Description:
On January 25th, 1835 the enslaved Muslim Africans in Bahia organized one of the most important uprisings in the history of the Atlantic slavery. It resulted in killing many of the members of the rebellion and the latter execution and deportation of many West Africans in Brazil. In this project we will be looking at a manuscript that was taken off the dead bodies in the aftermath of the revolt. Enslaved West Africans in Brazil did not only seek physical resistance to slavery but also spiritual one. Our study of previous manuscripts from the aftermath of Malê revolt shows that the enslaved West Africans carried amulets in which they wrote Quranic scripture from memory, learning of the Arabic language and their devotional prayers. By examining those documents, we can produce new insights into their resistance, their aspirations and their devotional practices. This research will further contribute to the scholarship on the history of the Muslim Africans in the Americas, and the history of collective and spiritual resistance. The aim is to seek an understanding of the development of the Muslim resistance in Bahia, tracing their origins and ways of resistance. The methodology involves translation, transcription and critical analysis of the manuscript in collaboration with international scholars based in Nigeria, Brazil and KSA. This project also aims to produce a creative educational travelling exhibition as one its main outcomes.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) – Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.