<p>South Africa has the largest percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. However, the response against the further spread of HIV/AIDS in the country is being hindered by stigma and discrimination. In order to develop effective intervention programmes to control and reduce the further spread of the disease, it is first important to understand the nature of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and especially how people construct it. In the present study, the social construction of HIV/AIDS-related stigma among Muslims was investigated because high levels of stigma were found in this group. This was fuelled partly by the belief that HIV/AIDS was not a serious problem amongst Muslims. Two focus groups were conducted, one among Muslim women only and the second among Muslim men only. The main aim of the study was to examine the perceptions of HIV/AIDS-related stigma among Muslims. The transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis to determine the themes that emerged from the research material. The main findings of the study included that Muslims&rsquo / religious identity/positioning was the most salient discourse that informed how they understood, made meaning of, and responded to HIV/AIDS. They engaged in various forms of stigma such as &lsquo / othering&rsquo / , and mediating factors of stigma included religious positioning. Stigma also served as a social barrier to VCT and disclosure of HIV status. However, supportive attitudes and behaviours were also evident. The findings yielded useful insights into possible elements of intervention programmes, both to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma, and also to encourage behavioural change in order to control and reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in this community.</p>

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of principles and ethics that dominate four schools with a Muslim profile, two in Sweden and two in England. The specific objectives of the study are:  to examine educational policies with regard to primary schools with a confessional orientation in Sweden and England; to compare two primary schools with a Muslim profile in Sweden with two such schools in England; and in these four schools to describe and examine the manner in which school heads, teachers and other staff deal with the encounters between the values found in the national curriculum of Sweden and England respectively and the principles and ethics embodied in their private philosophy of life; to describe and examine the views of school heads, teachers and other staff on school leadership and any educational, ideological or personal role model they emulate; to describe and examine the expectations and views of parents with regard to the school with a Muslim profile; and describe the views of the pupils regarding their schools and the norms and values in school and; finally, to examine the attitudes of some local authority politicians in Sweden to MP schools. The findings indicate great difference between the two schools with a Muslim profile in Sweden, on the one hand, and the two schools in England, on the other. The fundamental reason for that lies in the parameters which had been established in these countries as the conditions for being permitted to establish and run a school with a confessional orientation. Since the schools in both countries had conformed to the relevant legislation and framework in their respective countries with regard to such schools, they had therefore consequently developed in different directions. / Partly financed by Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council)

This thesis is a translation of a chapter that examines the role of Muslim women in politics during the early Islamic period and their engagement with religious and political discourses. This subject raises a combination of provocative challenges for Islamic discourse as Muslim women have had a complex relationship with their religious tradition dating back to the very inception of Islam. Despite Qur’ānic injunctions and Prophetic affirmations of the egalitarian status of Muslim women, social inequality and injustice directed at women remains a persistent problem in Muslim society. In the translated text Abū Shaqqah goes about re-invoking the normative tradition in order to affirm the role of Muslim women in politics. Furthermore the translation is prefaced by a critical introduction outlining the contours of the 20th century landscape, which attempts to describe the struggle of Muslim women in Abū Shaqqah’s time. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Arabic)

The issue of a Muslim woman‟s dress code has been debated for centuries. This is of great importance as it is widely used as a criterion to measure the extent of a woman‟s piety or devotion to Allah. A study of the religious texts on the issue is essential. Therefore, Qur‟anic text, Prophetic Traditions and Qur‟anic exegesis of both classical and modern scholars would have been used in determining the correct dress code for Muslim women. While all research indicates that women dress conservatively, in order not to attract the attention of the opposite sex. The extent to which a woman must be covered has not been agreed upon. Even if what has to be covered is established by scholars, the manner in which this is to be done and the type of colours and fabric to be used needs further clarification. The issue of the female dress code needs to be presented from a female perspective. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Islamic Studies)

Text in English / The Muslim population in South Africa has its origins in the 17th Century when they were initially brought in as slaves or political exiles by the Dutch colonisers. Christian-Muslim relations have not always been good and especially the topic of 'conversion' has often caused conflict between the members of the two faiths. Additional problems such as the apartheid era has caused many Christians, especially Africans, to question their faith and turn their back on Christianity by converting to Islam. There are other areas which have caused conflict in the relations such as mistrust, misinformation and discrimination. In South Africa's religiously pluralistic society people convert from Christianity to Islam, and vice versa, from a variety of motives. This study first discusses various Christian missiological debates on understandings of conversion and then surveys psychological approaches to the motivational structures of 'decision-making'. The heart of the study is the presentation and analysis of the conversion narratives of 20 converts (10 from Islam to Christianity and 10 from Christianity to Islam). These narratives are analysed in terms of five key conversion motives, as a result of which various patterns of conversion motives emerge. In church practice and missiology, conversion is often understood only in one direction (towards Christianity) and with only one valid motive, namely a strictly religious one. This study reveals, however, that such a view is inadequate. Conversion should rather be understood as a two-way movement and based on combinations of various motives. This study concludes with the presentation of a holistic missiological understanding of conversion which applies more adequately to the South African context. This new understanding of conversion may help to promote better understanding and respect between faith communities. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

‘A da’wah movement in Mauritius: A study of the Jamaat-Ul-Muslimeen’ is based on qualitative research and its objective is to examine the socio-cultural factors that may hinder the processes of da’wah in Mauritius. The study is placed in the context of a well-known national Islamic organisation, the Jamaat-Ul-Muslimeen whose founder is Mr. Muhammad Cehl Fakeemeeah, a Member of the National Parliament. The movement is also associated with a political party, the FSM (Front Solidarité Mauricien) or the Mauritian Solidarity Front. The Jamaat-Ul-Muslimeen seeks to propose an alternative da’wah program in order to promote understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims and to accelerate the progression of conversion in Mauritius. The movement is involved in politics and mass media in order to reach the maximum number of people in the island. Emphasis is put on the urgent need for each individual to understand the concept of God as well as reading the Qur’an in order to avoid falling into the traps of traditional da’wah which has prevailed in Mauritius for decades.The present thesis analyses data provided in face to face interviews with a number of Mauritian converts as well as observation and discussions with other born Muslim members, all adherents of the said organisation. The Mauritian society is well-known for its multi-religious and multi-cultural background, influenced mainly by the majority, the Hindu community which consists of more than 50 % of the whole population. According to Soonita Kistamah 1, the percentage of Muslims is only 17, 3 % of the whole Mauritian population and this demonstrates a large gap concerning the work of da’wah in the island. Therefore the thesis will investigate factors that hinder da’wah by focusing on one particular movement – the Jamaat Ul Muslimeen. After having scanned the available literature, no specific study on da’wah in Mauritius was found. There is therefore a gap in the knowledge of da’wah especially issues such as socio-cultural factors that may affect da’wah progression within the Mauritian context. This thesis is a contribution to filling this gap. Since the thesis wishes to understand the socio-cultural factors which hinder the progress of da‘wah in Mauritius a qualitative approach was deemed most appropriate to explore this issue. The thesis begins providing my motivation for writing on the topic of da‘wah, a statement of the problem, research objectives, significance of the study, and the theory and methodology applied. Chapter II provides an overview of Mauritius and its history. Emphasis is given to the events of the 12th March 1968, that is, the civil war which occurred between Christians and Muslims which led to ethnic tensions. Another communal crisis which occurred in February1999 between Black Creole and the Hindu community is also examined. Chapter III will provide a biography of Cehl Meeah, the founder of Jamaat-Ul-Muslimeen, his broader religious and political outlook and the history and da‘wah methodology of his organization. Chapter IV examines this methodology in the light of certain theoretical considerations with regard to da‘wah. Chapter V discusses and interprets the results and findings that emerge from interviews and discussions with converts belonging to the Jamaat-Ul-Muslimeen. Chapter VI concludes the dissertation and lists recommendations with regard to da‘wah methodology in Mauritius. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Islamic Studies)

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The application of Qur'ān and Hadith in the teaching of life skills in Muslim schools in South Africa. This study explores the application of Qur‟ān and Hadith in the teaching of life skills, as part of the Islamic Studies curriculum, at Muslim schools. The study further discusses the need to equip learners at Muslim schools with the necessary skills, values, attitudes and orientations that are conducive to greater participation in adulthood. The study is aimed at examining the potential of an Islamic perspective to meet these needs. The discussion focuses on five areas: health development, personal development, social development, physical development and orientation to the world of work. The research reveals that the Islamic Studies curriculum can be holistically integrated with life skills development, and the Qur‟ān and Hadith can make a significant contribution for the optimal implementation of this learning area. Muslim schools are urged to implement the recommendations made in this study. The sustained training of educators and the continuous development of learning support materials is needed to ensure that this learning area achieves its objectives. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Islamic Studies)

French text / Si nous pouvons constater, d’une part, que l’univers carcéral occupe une place très importante dans les textes de Tahar Ben Jelloun, nous ne pouvons cependant ignorer, de l’autre, les efforts des personnages de la diégèse ben jellounienne pour trouver une libération quelconque. De ce fait, la libération constitue l’objet de notre étude par excellence. Nous avons choisi cinq textes de l’écrivain marocain : Moha le fou Moha le sage (1978), L’enfant de sable (1985), La nuit sacrée (1987), Cette aveuglante absence de lumière (2001) et Amours sorcières (2003). Après un survol rapide de l’incarcération sous ses différentes formes, allant des plus concrètes aux plus abstraites, nous étudions les paradigmes les plus communs vers lesquels l’homme maghrébin moderne se tourne dans le but de se libérer des carcans qui l’entravent et nous en relevons tour à tour les limitations ou lacunes. Ainsi, nous remettons en question le modèle matérialiste qui échoue pour ce qui de la libération de l’individu en raison de ses excès. Puis, nous étudions le modèle psychologique mettant l’accent sur ses limites dans la mesure où il comprend un mouvement vertical vers le bas. Or, sans un mouvement vers le haut, aucune libération n’est possible. Très particulière à la société maghrébine est la praxis islamique moderne qui, loin de libérer l’individu, ne fait que l’étouffer davantage. Ensuite, nous soulevons des questions au sujet de la sorcellerie et des dangers qu’elle comprend. Loin d’être un élément libérateur, elle constitue un piège. Nous arrivons éventuellement à la seule clé capable d’apporter la libération intérieure au Maghrébin : la métaphysique et, dans le contexte de la civilisation arabo-islamique, il s’agit de l’ésotérisme islamique ou le soufisme. Ce mémoire requiert une approche très scientifique telle que l’exige la nature même de notre problématique. Nous avons opté pour une approche métaphysique pour conduire notre étude à bon port. / If we cannot deny the fact that the realm of incarceration holds an important place in the texts of Tahar Ben Jelloun, we also have to acknowledge the endeavours of the characters to find liberation in some way or another. Therefore, above all else, liberation constitutes the object of our study. We have chosen five texts of the Moroccan author: Moha le fou Moha le sage (1978), L’enfant de sable (1985), La nuit sacrée (1987), Cette aveuglante absence de lumière (2001) and Amours sorcières (2003). After a quick glance at the different forms of incarceration, starting from the most tangible and moving to the most abstract ones, we study the most common paradigms to which the Moroccan turns to in order to free himself from the shackles that imprison him and we study simultaneously their shortcomings. Hence, we call into question the materialistic model that fails in liberating the individual on account of its excesses. Then, we study the psychological model laying emphasis on its limitations in that it comprises a vertical downward movement while no liberation is possible without an upward movement. Quite specific of the Moroccan society is the modern Islamic praxis that, in lieu of freeing the individual, only stifles him more. Afterwards, we raise questions concerning sorcery and dangers that it represents. Far from being a liberating agent, it constitutes a trap. Ultimately we come to the only key capable of bringing internal liberation to the Moroccan: metaphysics and, in the arabo-islamic context, it is Islamic esotericism or Sufism. This thesis requires a most scientific approach as demands the very nature of our problematic. We have thus chosen a metaphysical approach that best suits our study. / Classics and World Languages / M.A. (French)