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The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency
This dissertation explores two Muslim philanthropy organisations in Cape Town, the Mustadafin Foundation and the Africa Muslims Agency (AMA). The aim of the thesis is twofold: one is to unpack the plurality of ethics that motivate their philanthropy, and the second is to explore the ways and extent...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Religious Studies
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613186582118400 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Asemota, Osarumwense |
| author2 | Alhourani, Ala |
| author_browse | Alhourani, Ala Asemota, Osarumwense |
| author_facet | Alhourani, Ala Asemota, Osarumwense |
| author_sort | Asemota, Osarumwense |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This dissertation explores two Muslim philanthropy organisations in Cape Town, the Mustadafin Foundation and the Africa Muslims Agency (AMA). The aim of the thesis is twofold: one is to unpack the plurality of ethics that motivate their philanthropy, and the second is to explore the ways and extent to which they constitute a moral economy of donation and distribution. Established in 1986, the Mustadafin Foundation is a homegrown South African organisation with a legacy of community building and political activism driven by an Islamic social justice ethos. On the other hand, AMA was founded in 1981 as a transnational humanitarian organisation operating across Africa and Asia. Both organisations play a critical role in township development by providing food, water, education (secular and religious), disaster relief, and other essential services. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and theoretical analysis, this study illuminates the vast tapestry of engagement woven by faith, ethics of care, and community building in a post- apartheid dispensation. It argues that the motivations for giving are diverse, encompassing religious obligation, social solidarity, and community welfare. Anchored in Alhourani's (2024) conception of Islamic giving as constitutive of moral economy and Mona Atia's (2013) concept of pious neoliberalism, the dissertation examines the strategic objectives of Islamic philanthropy and its contributions to the social and economic growth of township communities in Cape Town. This dissertation contributes to the nascent field of Islamic philanthropy studies in Cape Town by providing a comparative account between local and transnational Muslim philanthropic organisations. The thesis argues that a plurality of ethics inspires both organisations and that they constitute a moral economy. It offers critical insights into its role in fostering social cohesion, social solidarity, conviviality, and Islamisation. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42142 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:08.355Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Religious Studies |
| publisherStr | Department of Religious Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42142 The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency Asemota, Osarumwense Alhourani, Ala Porcu, Elisabetta Islamic Philanthropy Cape Town Muslims Agency This dissertation explores two Muslim philanthropy organisations in Cape Town, the Mustadafin Foundation and the Africa Muslims Agency (AMA). The aim of the thesis is twofold: one is to unpack the plurality of ethics that motivate their philanthropy, and the second is to explore the ways and extent to which they constitute a moral economy of donation and distribution. Established in 1986, the Mustadafin Foundation is a homegrown South African organisation with a legacy of community building and political activism driven by an Islamic social justice ethos. On the other hand, AMA was founded in 1981 as a transnational humanitarian organisation operating across Africa and Asia. Both organisations play a critical role in township development by providing food, water, education (secular and religious), disaster relief, and other essential services. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and theoretical analysis, this study illuminates the vast tapestry of engagement woven by faith, ethics of care, and community building in a post- apartheid dispensation. It argues that the motivations for giving are diverse, encompassing religious obligation, social solidarity, and community welfare. Anchored in Alhourani's (2024) conception of Islamic giving as constitutive of moral economy and Mona Atia's (2013) concept of pious neoliberalism, the dissertation examines the strategic objectives of Islamic philanthropy and its contributions to the social and economic growth of township communities in Cape Town. This dissertation contributes to the nascent field of Islamic philanthropy studies in Cape Town by providing a comparative account between local and transnational Muslim philanthropic organisations. The thesis argues that a plurality of ethics inspires both organisations and that they constitute a moral economy. It offers critical insights into its role in fostering social cohesion, social solidarity, conviviality, and Islamisation. 2025-11-07T08:15:52Z 2025-11-07T08:15:52Z 2025 2025-11-07T08:09:58Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42142 en eng application/pdf Department of Religious Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Islamic Philanthropy Cape Town Muslims Agency Asemota, Osarumwense The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency |
| title_full | The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency |
| title_fullStr | The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency |
| title_full_unstemmed | The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency |
| title_short | The moral economy of Islamic philanthropy in Cape Town: the case of Mustadafin Foundation and the African Muslims Agency |
| title_sort | moral economy of islamic philanthropy in cape town the case of mustadafin foundation and the african muslims agency |
| topic | Islamic Philanthropy Cape Town Muslims Agency |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42142 |
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