Dr. Alexander Shepard

Independent Scholar

Bio

Alexander Shepard, PhD, is a scholar of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies specializing in Shiʿism, Iran, and Sunni-Shiʿi relations. He received his PhD from Indiana University Bloomington, where his dissertation examined struggles over political and religious authority in Shiʿi intellectual history. His research explores sectarianism, religious authority, and the relationship between theology and politics in Islam. He has presented his research at numerous academic conferences on Islamic history and thought.

Sunni–Shia Sectarianism in Africa: The Case of Muhammad al-Tijani

Abstract

Muhammad al-Tījānī, a Tunisian convert from Sunni to Twelver Shiʿism, became a prominent Shiʿi apologist through works including Then I Was Guided and Black Thursday. This paper examines al-Tījānī’s biography, conversion, and polemical writings to explore Sunni–Shiʿi sectarianism. It argues that his experiences illuminate modern sectarian tensions, while his reliance on longstanding Shiʿi theological arguments demonstrates important continuities between contemporary Sunni–Shiʿi polemics and sectarian debates deeply rooted in Islamic intellectual history.