Language, identity, modernity - The Arabic Study Circle of Durban, South Africa

“Through the minute, seemingly marginal, ‘unfashionable’ groups and small movements, we very often find an exceptional route into unknown worlds and neglected, yet important, social processes.” – Shamil Jeppie, Language, Identity, Modernity: The Arabic Study Circle of Durban, South AfricaAs author Shamil Jeppie wryly points out, a short study of a group of Gujarati-speaking men with an obsession to promote Arabic may appear a rather peculiar exercise. However, he continues, to take this view can impoverish historical writing in post-apartheid South Africa. As the new democracy develops, there is less urgency to look purely at politics and more space to explore the multi-textured events and movements that have been an important part of South African social history.Language, Identity, Modernity: The Arabic Study Circle of Durban, South Africa (HSRC Press) is an accessible and refreshing example of such research. The publication focuses on an organisation over half-a-century old, whose significance and contributions have left a lasting legacy not only locally but nationally and, to a certain extent, internationally.The Arabic Study Circle was formed in Durban in 1950, and consisted of an association of Gujerati-speaking Muslim men, mostly middle-class and professional, who wished to promote a contemporary approach to the study of the Arabic language and the study of religion and cultural history of Islam. They met regularly, usually in one another’s homes, and their bond was both intellectual and social. The Circle, as it became known, had clearly defined goals which, taken the socio-political circumstances as well as the complexity of language and religious issues of the time, were not always easy to achieve. However, its enduring impact has been the way in which Arabic studies have become integrated at all levels of the education system in South Africa – formal and informal, secular and religious. And it also introduced a tradition of dialogue, debate and dissent which it saw as integral to the growth of Muslim communities.Founded by the late Dr Daoud Saleh Mall, who remained the Circle’s leader until his death in 2003, the dozen or so men who made up the organisation were by no means conventional, often taking a controversial stance in terms of their modernist approach to religion. However, their commitment to unfolding their projects in civil society was never disruptive nor noisy – rather, they encouraged a level of sophisticated, intellectual conversation. Through public lectures, study groups, discussion forums and even, on one occasion, a theatre production, the Circle steadfastly pursued its programme of action concerning language and religion. Detractors – and of course they existed – criticised the Circle for a number of faults, elitism being one of them. But the group quietly persisted. The Circle is still going, but only just, its operation limited because its membership never grew and leadership was never renewed. Its reputation, however, remains strong.The publication provides a micro-history of a middle-class community, through the study of an ‘Indian’ Muslim association; it also exposes something of the ethos and practices of civil society among South Africa’s communities. Of course, context plays an important part. The Arabic Study Circle was started just after the rise of the National Party and operated during the height of the apartheid years, and while not an overtly political group, the mere fact of its existence was a challenge to the authorities. The Circle’s focus on language, identity and modernity takes on a particular edge against this backdrop.In putting together Language, Identity, Modernity: The Arabic Study Circle of Durban, South Africa, Jeppie made extensive use of interviews with surviving members of the Circle, as well as their friends and families. He also accessed what remains of the Circle archives (papers, limited correspondence, minutes of meetings). In addition, he spoke to opponents of the Circle, including some political activists. The project relied heavily on methods of oral history, with feedback from Circle members playing an important part.The result is an accessible, intriguing publication which documents a watershed in the twentieth-century history of South African Muslims. While it is an intimate and detailed account, it is also situated within a broad socio-historical context. The result is a narrative which focuses very specifically on a particular grouping of people, without ever losing sight of the larger landscape. A worthy example of fresh historical scholarship that sets a benchmark for further studies of this nature.The publication should be of interest to a wide range of readers including religious studies scholars and researchers, those working in the field of language and identity, and those who enjoy discovering new aspects of South African history.Language, Identity and Modernity: The Arabic Study Circle of Durban, South Africa is by Shamil Jeppie and is published by the HSRC Press.Copies of all of HSRC Press published titles are available from leading booksellers nationally, and from the online bookshop at www.hsrcpress.ac.za.For a review copy of the book, or to make contact with the author, contact:Karen BrunsMarketing ManagerHSRC Press Contact DetailsKaren BrunsHSRC Press+27 21 466 8022kbruns@hsrc.ac.zawww.hsrcpress.ac.za