Christianity, the influence of missionaries in rural areas
Nearly 60% of the population is Christian today. Among this Christian majority are Indians from Goa, a former Portuguese trading post that is now English-speaking. Christians are divided between Lutherans, Anglicans and members of other Protestant churches, mainly Pentecostals, Adventists and Baptists. The role of the churches in the development of Christianity in the country is considerable. Isolated Christian missions in the most remote and arid parts of Tanzania organize flying doctor tours (supported or organized by these churches) and run bush hospitals. Many villages or groups of nomadic pastoralists would have no material or medical support at all, particularly during periods of drought, without their invaluable help. Some missions carry out remarkable work in training for manual trades or agricultural work, education and support for women. But they are also improving plants and species, perfecting agricultural techniques, developing irrigation, training in hygiene and medical care, especially for children. In the towns too, the congregations were very active, taking care of numerous schools, founding and running hospitals, and looking after the poorest of the poor. In particular, Mother Teresa's sisters and brothers are present in several major cities. Pope John Paul II was warmly and massively welcomed to the country in 1990. In addition, missionaries, often of European origin, are now working to preserve the cultural heritage of certain ethnic groups.
Islam, Arab influence on the coast and in Zanzibar
Muslims are concentrated in Zanzibar, Pemba (99% Muslim), Mafia and the Swahili coast. Between 80% and 90% of Tanzanian Muslims are Sunni. This is the legacy of two centuries of colonization by the Sultanate of Oman. Apart from a few very localized and short-lived events (including the attack on the American embassy in Dar es Salaam in 1998), Muslim fundamentalism does not seem to have found an echo. Customs in Zanzibar follow the principles of traditional Islam: prayers five times a day, mainly at the busy mosque, and fervently awaited religious festivals celebrated with the family. Every day in Stone Town, as in the villages, you can hear the muezzins call for prayer in the town's mosques, including one very early in the morning. Compulsory marriage, dowry for the family, widespread polygamy and large families (an average of five children per woman) are the norm. Most girls wear the veil from the age of 5 or 6. Despite this, cohabitation with tourists is harmonious, and Zanzibar's inhabitants are welcoming, provided visitors dress decently when strolling through the towns and villages.
Bantu animism present through syncretism
Animism refers to a set of cults, myths and natural and supernatural rituals based on the belief that a people of spirits, representing the forces of nature and the dead, have the power to influence the lives of present-day mankind. Officially, exclusively animist beliefs are now shared by only a few ethnic groups, such as the Khoisans and Cushites. In reality, although religion occupies a fundamental place in the life of African societies, it is intertwined, for many, with beliefs in evil spirits, due to remnants of animism, a belated return to certain beliefs or insufficient anchorage in a religious group.
Beliefs populate the animist Bantu universe in any case, since things are animated, the world itself, its objects and its animals are sacred: spirits are present everywhere. In principle, therefore, the Bantu should not fear death, since everything is spirit and there is life beyond, but he must first fear any injury to vital power, and seek cosmic balance. However, he lives in a world of anxiety and fear, that of more or less benevolent ancestors, genies, spirits and natural forces, all of which manifest themselves in dreams, natural signs and symbols that only the sorcerer is supposed to understand. In this system, only magic can conciliate the surrounding world, and the sorcerer can provide the means and explanations to neutralize occult powers.
Healers (called djudju in Tanzania) are also said to be skilled at casting evil spells, and the sacrifice of an animal is necessary to appease the spirits. They don't just heal with herbs and plants, but transform themselves into sorcerers by attributing magical powers to themselves, which they use for a hefty fee.
The Maasai, between animism and Christianity
Educated by Christian missionaries, but imbued with a powerful animist religion, the Christianized Maasai are a good example of the syncretism that can exist between the two religions. The Maasai have retained their traditions, clan organization, warrior education and rites of passage to adulthood. But the liturgy incorporates many local dances and symbols. These missionaries often help populations in material difficulty or otherwise. But in reality, the Maasai are very religious, believing in a monotheistic religion, but not in a post-mortem life. Their god is the god of both good and evil, the giver of life but also the giver of death. They pray to him under sacred fig trees(Ficus sycomorus or fig trees), or other sacred places, notably on the mountain of God, Ol Doinyo Lengaï, an active volcano where they sometimes carry out animal sacrifices. Some of their values bear a striking resemblance to Christian ones: the importance of sharing with those in need, forgiveness at the time of major feasts (notably the eunoto, when the warrior must forget all offences committed against him), frankness, honesty... The laibons, priests and sorcerers, lead the clan prayer and distribute amulets.
