Religion and political structure: The Berber-Ibāḍi Perspective in North Africa between diversity and pluralism

This paper focuses on the reconstruction of some aspects of political and social identity in which Berber Ibāḍism has been engaged. The Ibāḍi Berbers have lived in a context in which neighbouring tribes and surrounding actors represented different religions (Sunnism, Christianity, Hebraism) with different customs, traditions and lifestyles. This process of identity is linked to the acceptance of pluralism as an important feature of the socio-cultural reality of this context. The acceptance of a pluralist world brought Ibāḍi Berbers to a tolerance of diversity. This paper starts with an outline survey of some aspects of the Berber Ibāḍi as a people and culture, and of their aspiration for autonomy and their spirit of independence. This will be followed by a brief overview concerning the importance of language and traditional customs as vehicles for the diffusion of Islam. This contribution will then examine some of the key features of the first Imamate of North Africa (that of Abū al-Khaṭṭāb, 740-744) and of the social institutions which were established in Tāhart, an urban area located in North Africa between the 8th -11th.