7342: Re: 7317: Re: 7294: Probable Islamic influence in Vodoun practices by Bebe (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Yacine Khelladi <yacine@yacine.net>

Hello

This is mail on the same subject I sent 12/January/99

I learned since then that the slaves that started several of the the
"maniels" (morrons, liberated communities) where leaded by muslim
Mandigas, and that 

wrote 12/01/99 
> I m aware of 2 muslim prayer rooms in PAP (or temples but not real
> mosques) one is in ruelle Vincent (lalue) managed by Br. Loukman Bilal
> (he is haitian and I think he is one of the people who started claiming
> Bookman was muslim) and another in delmas 18 that was opened by those UN
> muslim soldiers,
> pakistanis I was told but i never been there.
> 
> Indeed some africans slaves were muslim but how many? Islam entered
> africa 700 hundred years before Columbus and many muslim
> kingdoms/dynasties lasted until 18 century in subsharan africa. Some
> muslims may have been slave traders and other made slaves them self's
> and transferred in new world. I'll be very happy to find references or
> studies on this particular aspect (islam/slaves). An argument that is
> often used to convert is that the very first muezzin (the guy who call
> for prayer) in islam, was a just liberated slave and a black man called
> BILAL (in the times of the prophet Mohammed (SAW) 7th century in what is
> now saudi arabia). In some dominican book on maroons (i guess writen by
> Carlos Esteban
> Devis) i have read references on that muslim-origin slaves started
> several revolts in hispaniola. Also  I always read that Makandal was a
> muslim but how do we know that? was he also a "sorcier"? Were those
> muslim descendents particulary rebels?
> 
> In what voodoo concerns, i have heard/read in a CD called "fond des
> blancs fonds des negres" a recording and its writen comment on a
> "mandinga" ceremony  (mandingue are muslim group in african sahel
> region) that seems to de devoted to "Allah" (God in arabic). I was told
> by boukman's singer Lolo that this ceremony takes place near Balant near
> Cap Haitien in December. Last week i was at Lakou Badjo for this
> Nago ceremonies on kings day, and those rhythms sound very similar to
> the Gnawa north african rhythm.  Gnawa are some kind of "sosyete" who
> practice rituals that could be compared to voodoo but with islam
> refernces/synchretism, with Islamized "loas" (7 families), trances,
> dances, animal sacrifice, etc., in my home country that is Algeria... (I
> actually live in Port Au Prince). Indeed Metraux give reference on this
> senega loas that are saluted with "salam". also I wonder  what is
> "salamasala" that i hear in many
> non-ritual songs?
> 

Also Bob wrote on 13 January 1999: 
> 
> I am currently reading the 1951 novel of Cuban author Alejo Carpentier.
> One of his characters is telling the story of the history of slave
> uprisings and rebellions in the Caribbean.
> 
> In the midst of this one reads:
> 
> "Only 7 years ago, just when it seems that White Supremacy had been
> re-establish on the continent, another black Mohammedan, Bouckman, (sic)
> had risen in the Bosque Caimain in San Domingo, burning houses and
> devastating the countryside"
> 
> Obviously, since this is a novel, Carpentier does not cite any source,
> but he seems to have held this view by at least 1950.
> 
> Bob Corbett





Bob Corbett wrote:
> 
> From: Moibibi@aol.com
> 
> "Are they many Islamic influences in Vodou today?" asks Jim.
> 
> I am going to advance eight points to show Islamic presence in Vodou and let