Public Islam in Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso: a comparative overview of the use of media by Muslims since the 1970s

This paper examines the use of media by Muslims in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso over the last fifty years. The comparative historical overview of Islamic print media, radio stations, and digital media in the two countries challenges the tendency to assume a linear and evolutionary progression—'technological determinism' (Becker and Cabrita 2018)—between the so-called 'old' and 'new' media. Islamic newspapers and radio stations have contributed to new forms of public Islam just as much as digital media; no teleological narrative could adequately explain how these media are transforming religious authority and practices. As soon as the early 1970s and 80s, Francophone Muslims have used both mainstream and Islamic press to challenge stereotypes of Islam. Even if most Islamic print media has been ephemeral, young Muslims have regularly used it to air their grievances about the leadership of the 'official' representatives of their community and take part in political debates, especially in Côte d’Ivoire. The creation of Islamic radio stations in the 2000s, closely monitored by the state, has rather resulted in a sort of generic Islamic discourse, avoiding political debates and confrontations with divergent religious tendencies. The capacity of digital media to subvert established religious organizations and elites should not be exaggerated. While the growing use of the Internet has opened opportunities for new religious actors, digital media in both countries have tended to preserve or even strengthen the position of well-known figures who studied in prestigious universities in the Arab world.