ALI MAZRUI (1933 - 2014)

South African Minister Mthethwa on the passing of World Renowned African Scholar, Ali Mazrui:

“It is with sadness that we have learned of the passing on world renowned and
leading African academic, scholar, writer, intellectual and, above all, critical thinker Ali Mazrui who died at 81 following illness.

Professor Mazrui was one of the most authentic, brilliant, wise and analytical voice to emerge from the African continent in the post-colonial period. The debate and discourse on the African condition and its fate following independence and freedom would be incomplete without him.

As scholar, intellectual, critical thinker and intellectual Ali Mazrui has, over half-a-century, build a solid reputation as one of the most insightful and eloquent voices in the African continent and global scene on the meaning of independence and freedom.

But it was his special attention to the power of culture that Professor Mazrui challenged and transformed the domination of politico-military perspective in world affairs to turn to culture.

He first ignited the South African nation to think about the complex issue of national identity and fusion of Western and African heritage in the continent through his television series, The Africans in the late 1980s that provoked a lot of discussion and debate in the country.

The subject matter of his writings ranged from politics, sociology, philosophy, languages, literature, history, heritage, religion, spirituality and demanded that people from all walks of life participate and contribute to discourse and dialogue.

He never hesitated to promote Pan-Africanist insight and perspective to
inspire self-worth and pride among indigenous people of the continent. He
was bold in his articulation of the thought and view that Africans must draw
inspiration from their own indigenous knowledge systems, languages, history
and culture to reclaim and assert their role and position in global affairs.

Significantly, in his illuminating and compelling writings of over 20 books - including Cultural Forces in World Politics - and countless speaking engagements he remained an African scholar and intellectual who chose sides to be among his people in the battle against the legacy of colonialism.

Indeed, Ali Mazrui was a unique scholar and intellectual in post-colonial African politics, more in the mold of revolutionary modernizer of globalization than embracing developments without critical thoughts.

He was unwavering in his commitment to use his scholarship, knowledge and
insights for the development of Africa and her people.

Indeed, we offer our condolences to his family, the academic fraternity and all critical thinkers who derive their inspiration from towering African thinker and philosopher.

His spirit will live among us as we move forward with the African Agenda
2063…”

Publications:

• 2008: Islam in Africa's Experience [editor: Ali Mazrui, Patrick Dikirr, Robert Ostergard Jr., Michael Toler and Paul Macharia] (New Delhi: Sterling Paperbacks).
• 2008: Euro-Jews and Afro-Arabs: The Great Semitic Divergence in History [editor: Seifudein Adem], (Washington DC: University of America Press).
• 2008: The Politics of War and Culture of Violence [editor: Seifudein Adem and Abdul Bemath], (New Jersey: Africa world Press).
• 2008: Globalization and Civilization: Are they Forces in Conflict? [editor: Ali Mazrui, Patrick Dikirr, Shalahudin Kafrawi], (New York: Global Academic Publications).
• 2006: A Tale of two Africas: Nigeria and South Africa as contrasting Visions [editor: James N. Karioki] (London: Adonis & Abbey).
• 2006: Islam: Between Globalization & Counter-Terrorism [editors: Shalahudin Kafrawi, Alamin M. Mazrui and Ruzima Sebuharara] (Trenton, NJ and Asmara, Eritrea: Africa World Press).
• 2004: The African Predicament and the American Experience: a Tale of two Edens (Westport, CT and London: Praeger).
• 2004: Almin M. Mazrui and Willy M. Mutunga (eds). Race, Gender, and Culture Conflict: Mazrui and His Critics (Trenton, New Jersey: African World Press).
• 2003: Almin M. Mazrui and Willy M. Mutunga (eds). Governance and Leadership:Debating the African Condition (Trenton, New Jersey: African World Press).
• 2002: Black Reparations in the era of Globalization [with Alamin Mazrui] (Binghamton: The Institute of Global Cultural Studies).
• 2002: The Titan of Tanzania: Julius K. Nyerere's Legacy (Binghamton: The Institute of Global Cultural Studies).
• 2002: Africa and other Civilizations: Conquest and Counter-Conquest, The Collected Essays of Ali A. Mazrui, Vol. 2 [series editor: Toyin Falola; editors: Ricardo Rene Laremont & Fouad Kalouche] (Trenton, NJ and Asmara, Eritrea: Africa World Press)
• 2002: Africanity Redefined, The Collected Essays of Ali A. Mazrui, Vol. 1 [Series Editor: Toyin Falola; Editors: Ricardo Rene Laremont & Tracia Leacock Seghatolislami] (Trenton, NJ, and Asmara,Eritrea: Africa World Press).
• 1999: Political Culture of Language: Swahili, Society and the State [with Alamin M. Mazrui] (Binghamton: The Institute of Global Cultural Studies).
• 1999: The African Diaspora: African Origins and New World Identities [co-editors Isidore Okpewho and Carole Boyce Davies] 
• 1998: The Power of Babel: Language and Governance in the African Experience [with Alamin M. Mazrui] 
• 1995: Swahili, State and Society: The Political Economy of an African Language [with Alamin M. Mazrui] (Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers).
• 1993: Africa since 1935: VOL. VIII of  UNESCO General History of Africa [editor; asst. ed. C. Wondji] 1993).
• 1990: Cultural Forces in World Politics (London and Portsmouth, N.H: James Currey and Heinemann).
• 1986: The Africans: A Triple Heritage (New York: Little Brown and Co., and London: BBC).
• 1986: The Africans: A Reader Senior Editor [with T.K. Levine] (New York: Praeger).
• 1984: Nationalism and New States in Africa: From about 1935 to the Present [with Michael Tidy] (Heinemann Educational Books, London).
• 1980: The African Condition: A Political Diagnosis [The Reith Lectures] (London, Heinemann Educational Books and New York, Cambridge University Press).
• 1978: The Warrior Tradition in Modern Africa [editor] 
• 1978: Political Values and the Educated Class in Africa (London: Heinemann Educational Books and Berkeley, CA: University of California Press).
• 1977: State of the Globe Report, 1977 (edited and co-authored for World Order Models Project)
• 1977: Africa's International Relations: The Diplomacy of Dependency and Change (London: Heinemann Educational Books and Boulder: Westview Press).
• 1976: A World Federation of Cultures: An African Perspective (New York: Free Press).
• 1975: Soldiers and Kinsmen in Uganda: The Making of a Military Ethnocracy (Beverly Hills: Sage Publication and London).
• 1975: The Political Sociology of the English Language: An African Perspective: (The Hague: Mouton Co.).
• 1973: World Culture and the Black Experience (Seattle).
• 1973: Africa in World Affairs: The Next Thirty Years [co-edited with Hasu Patel] (New York and London: The Third Press).
• 1971: The Trial of Christopher Okigbo [novel] (London: Heinemann Educational Books and New York: The Third Press).
• 1971: Cultural Engineering and Nation-Building in East Africa (Evanston, Illinois).
• 1970: Protest and Power in Black Africa [co-edited with Robert I. Rotberg] 
• 1969: Violence and Thought: Essays on Social Tentions in Africa (London and Harlow: Longman).
• 1967: Towards a Pax Africana: A Study of Ideology and Ambition (London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, and University of Chicago Press).
• 1967: On Heroes and Uhuru-Worship: Essays on Independent Africa (London: Longman).
• 1967: The Anglo-African Commonwealth: Political Friction and Cultural Fusion (Oxford: Pergamon Press).