Long before Boko Haram, dissenters were driven to the brink in Northern Nigeria

As Boko Haram continues its deadly campaign in Nigeria, Shobana Shankar explores parallels between Boko Haram and other marginalised groups in the history of the northern part of the country

Singing and Sensing the Unknown: An Embodied History of Hindu Practice in Ghana

Hinduism fits well into the “sound-filled” West African religious soundscape, which is a scene of competition and conflict. This article explores the soundscape of devotional singing, mantras, and prayers as a central part of the embodiment and embedment of Hinduism among Africans in Ghana, where the Indian diaspora has been relatively small and the indigenous movement of Hinduism entirely through African initiative. Using ethnographic and written sources to examine the Hindu Monastery of Africa, founded by the Ghanaian monk Swami Ghanananda in 1975, I examine how the oral and aural popular devotions crafted by the swami have shifted attention away from worship through idols toward sensory exploration of the unmanifest form of the divine. Such practices have made irrelevant the issues of translatability and conversion found in other religions. The Hindu Monastery’s sound-production as a communal calling—without respect to language or school of Hindu teaching—has created unexpected new directions in public piety, including the celebration in Ghana of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage to a sexually ambiguous deity that has in India been the scene of protest over gender and caste discrimination. The Monastery has transformed into a sanctuary for singers and seekers of all religions, including many Indian migrants and gurus, as well as an Indian woman swami, giving Hinduism a new life in Ghana following the death of Swami Ghanananda in 2016

Jean Boyd and Beverly B. Mack, eds. Collected Works of Nana Asma'u, Daughter of Usman 'dan Fodiyo

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Graduate Students: Our Professions and Places in African Studies

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Foetal surgery: Anaesthetic implications and strategic management

Intrauterine surgery is being performed with increasing frequency. Correction of foetal anomalies in utero can result in normal growth of foetus and a healthier baby at delivery. Intrauterine surgery can also improve the survival of babies who would have otherwise died at delivery, or in the neonatal period. There are three commonly used approaches to correct foetal anomalies: open surgery, where the foetus is exposed through hysterotomy; percutaneous approach, where needle or foetoscope is inserted through the abdominal wall and the uterine wall; finally, ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) surgery, where the intervention is performed on the baby before terminating the maternal umbilical support to the baby. Anaesthetic management of the mother and the foetus requires good understanding of maternal physiology, foetal physiology, and pharmacological and surgical implications to the foetus. Uterine relaxation is a critical requisite for open foetal procedures and EXIT procedures. General anaesthesia and/or regional anaesthesia can be used successfully depending on the nature of foetal intervention. Foetal surgery poses complications not only to the foetus but also to the mother. Therefore, the decision for undertaking foetal surgery should always consider the risk to the mother versus benefit to the foetus