Close Encounters of the Muslim Kind: The CMS and Islam on the East African Coast,1874-1911

Abstract

When the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) started work on the East African coast in 1874 it had no intention of working among Muslims, nor did it mention Islam as a motivation for its desire to work with the people of the interior. This was due largely to the fact that members of the mission thought Islam in the region was stagnant and posed no threat to their work. As the organisation expanded inland, and as missionaries observed the Muslims of the region, its attitudes and strategies towards Islam started to change. This article explores the reasons for these changes and discusses the early relations between missionaries and Muslims.