African Christianity in the Jewish State: Adaptation, Accommodation and Legitimization of Migrant Workers' Churches, 1990-2003

Abstract

This paper examines the role of African Initiated Churches (AICs) in the lives of African migrant laborers in Israel. Its aim is to attain a deeper understanding of religion and church affiliation among African migrant laborers in Israel from the perspective of the Africans themselves. It traces the creation and development of the AICs in Israel, including the various services and activities that the churches provided for their members in the social, economic and political arenas. It argues that the African churches in Israel occupied a particularly large and central place in their members' lives compared to migrant churches in other western diasporas, taking on roles of other traditional social, economic, political and civil actors in Africa. The paper examines the AICs' multiple adaptations to unique conditions in Israel and to the needs of their membership. Though many of the patterns identified are similar to those found in other diaspora communities, certain features of Israel and its society, mainly those connected to the Jewish identity of the State of Israel and the limited civic horizon open to non-Jews, made for substantial differences. These features forced Africans to create their own Afro-Christian space to fulfill their needs and became the key anchors in the spiritual, emotional and practical lives of the African migrants in Israel. Finally this article argues that the churches became the main space for the production of a sense of belonging within the Israeli civic context, in spite of the fact that the migrants' religious identities and institutions were not used as vehicles for recognition or channels for gaining legitimacy in Israel's public sphere.

Zimbabwean Diaspora politics in Britain: insights from the Cathedral moment 2009

“…Cathedral moment as subaltern counter-politics Sabar (2004) observed that due to lack of citizenship, cultural alienation and hostility from host society and government, African immigrants in Israel, keep a low profile and desist from overt politics. It is different for Zimbabweans in Britain where even asylum seekers and those without stationary try to 242 B. Mbiba engage through organisations such as Zimbabwe Association, Zimbabwe Vigil and churches and take part in public demonstrations turning themselves from objects of politics into subjects of politics (Pero, 2006).…”

“…Associated with this are two further lines of inquiry. One is to understand the roles played by different types of churches (Sabar, 2004), the determinants of how they engage with Zimbabweans and the outcomes thereof. The other has to do with the way churches have given voice to the voiceless; using their moral authority to fight for justice for marginalised immigrants.…”

Social Responsibility with Respect to Religion and Migration in South Africa

“…Between Sabar (2004) says that it drew attention to 'the paucity of attention to religion and leaves a major gap in our understanding of African migrants'. argued that the Central Methodist Church emerged as a site of exception, which ultimately disrupted the churches' understanding of self.…”

Olumba Olumba in Israel: struggling on all fronts1

“…Recent research on sub-Saharan African migrant labourers in Israel has focused on several themes, namely their well-organized communities (Kemp et al 2000, 2003, Sabar 2004a, the central role African Initiated Churches played in the lives of most migrants (Sabar 2004b, Kanari 2005, and on issues concerning their struggle against state-organized deportation (Rozenhek 1999, Kemp 2004, Wurgaft 2006, Willen 2007.…”

“…This lacuna in the research on BCS in general and the diaspora in particular is surprising when one considers the growing interest in various manifestations of African Christianities in the diaspora (Van Dijk 1997, 2002, Adogame 2001, Adogame and Weisskoppel 2005, Sabar 2004a, 2004b. As mentioned before, to the best of our knowledge only Essien has briefly studied BCS in the US while Mbon only succinctly mentions other branches worldwide (Mbon 1984(Mbon , 1985.…”