Muharram in Africa: East and West of Africa

Tanzania

Tanzania accepted Islam in the year 72 A.H. Therefore, Shia has a long history in this country. There are mourning houses in Tanzania for each of the ‘fourteen innocents’, the most important one of which is called “Al-Matam”‌. The Shiites of Tanzania are very committed to the religious practitioners, and they make food for the public till the fortieth day after the anniversary of Imam Hussein’s death.

Kenya

The Shiites get into the streets with black clothes in the first few days of Muharram and they march with the aid of the police. Then they stop and the information about Ashura is recited for them in English and in their native language. The mourning songs are only performed in native language. Then the reportage of this ceremony is printed in the newspapers.

Zimbabwe

The ceremonies begin after the afternoon prayers in the first ten days of Muharram. The prayer of ‘Ziarat-e-Ashura’ is recited, there are lessons about Islam and Imam Hussein’s battle, and then mourning ceremony is carried out.

Comoros

In the last few years, religion has come to power in this country. There are not many Shiites in this country, but it is being propagated as well as Christianity and Wahhabism.

Somalia and Burundi

After the immigration of people from Shiraz to Somalia in the third century A.H., and the immigration of Indian and Pakistani traders to Burundi after World War I, the population of Muslims and Shiites increased in these countries. They hold mourning ceremonies in religious places in Muharram.

Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi