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In the twentieth century, Muslim leaders in North Africa and South Asia faced multiple issues in defining their

nationalism because of the constant European involvement. India was a territory that was controlled by the British before 1947. It encountered many religious and cultural divisions which North Africans also experienced. The main issue faced by most African Muslim leaders was whether or not they should embrace more Western philosophies. Both North Africa and South Asia faced issues that helped the two regions define nationalism, but in South Asia the problems had to deal with religious disputes between Hindus and Muslims, as to where in North Africa the problems had to deal with whether to embrace or reject other cultures. The most important political issues that Muslim leaders in India faced during this time period dealt with their own internal divisions of religions. In India, Muslims and Hindus often had disputes. However, in 1947 Pakistan was separated from the more religiously tolerant section of India in order to create peace. Before this partition, Muslims and Hindus not only argued over religion, but also whether or not to practice British standards of living. Syed Ahmad Khan, a committed Muslim, was one of the few Muslims at the time who advocated acceptance of the British system of education in India. Khan actually encouraged Muslims to recognize the advantages of the British education system and thought it was impossible to "remain true Muslims or serve Islam if we sink into ignorance (Doc 1)." He believed it would make children smarter and better prepare them for the world. Abul Kalam Azad, an Indian Muslim leader and political activist, criticized both stubborn traditional Muslims who close mindedly rejected Western ideas, and modernists who completely distanced themselves from their Muslim roots in order to endorse Western ideas. Azad implied that Indian Muslims needed to find a balance between both tradition and innovational thoughts (Doc 3).

Muslim leaders in Northern Africa dealt less with internal divisions regarding religion and with more issues about cultural distinctions. Not only British, but also French, German, and Dutch powers were present in Africa at the time, and many Muslim leaders demonstrated nationalism by opposing adoptions of their foreign customs. Ahmad Lutfi as-Sayyid, founder of the Egyptian People Party in 1907, demanded loyalty from all Egyptians in order to oppose British influences (Doc 2). In addition, Moufdi Zakaria, an Algerian nationalist, made a speech to the Fourth Congress of the North African Student Association in 1935 that encouraged Algerians to recognize Islam as their religion, North Africa as their homeland, and Arabic as their true language (Doc 5). Therefore, many African Muslims felt like embracing Western culture would interfere with their faith. However, many Muslim Africans wanted to embrace Western practices. Ahmed Ben Bella, the first prime minister of Algeria, gave a speech to the Islamic Council in Switzerland in 1985, encouraging nationalism, and explaining the great impact bringing together Eastern and Western customs could have (Doc 6). Taha Husayn, a Muslim literary figure from Egypt, also believed that Western influence would be a good adaptation for Africa because it could improve the African economy (Doc 4). Therefore, many Muslims wanted to embrace the Western culture in order to strengthen their country. Religious divisions and the question of whether or not to adopt European practices ravaged South Asia, but in North Africa, nationalism was always clearly the answer to Muslim leaders. For purposes of comparison, the point of view from an Indian Hindu regarding their perspective on the Muslim's behavior during this period would be beneficial for a more effective comparison.

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