Of all the Islamic universities in Sudan, none has a more controversial, and complicated history than the country's International University of Africa. The university traces its political roots to a 1989 military coup that brought to power an Islamist regime with ideological ambitions for the region. The institution began as the International…

This article reports on new universities for Muslims, many supported by groups in the Middle East, which are spreading through the sub-Saharan region. The Islamic University in Uganda is a prime example of a new kind of institution that has slowly been spreading its way across the continent. Embracing both conservative Muslim values and modern…