Abdulhakim Abdalla Nsobya is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa, where he has been serving as researcher and teaching assistant since 2016. He received his BA and MA in mass communication from Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) in 2011 and University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) in 2015 respectively. In 2016, he joined University of Cape Town for an MA in religious studies which he completed in 2017, before enrolling in the PhD program in the same department in 2018.
His research interests span in both media and religious studies. He is currently researching on Muslim electronic media (particularly radio and television) and how they shape the identity of Ugandan Muslims in relation to national unity. He has previously explored the interplay of religion and politics in the rise and development of the least known but oldest Islamist Militant group in Sub-Sahara Africa known as Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). His journal articles and research projects are readily available on Academia.edu and ResearchGate pages. Besides academics, he enjoys soccer/football and hiking.
Award Information
This study investigates on one hand the framing of issues and presentation of socio-religious discourses in Ugandan broadcasting media (radio and television), and the meanings constructed by audiences of these media outlets. Specifically, this study focuses on the content of Ugandan Muslim television; Salaam TV and the four Muslim radio stations (i.e. Bilal FM, Voice of Africa FM, Pearl FM, and IUIU FM), and the meaning audiences construct in relation to national unity. Three strategic questions guide this study; 1) What informs the framing and packaging of Muslim Radio and Television Stations in Uganda? 2) How do Muslim Radio and Television Stations deal with social religious discourse prevailing in Uganda? 3) What kind of meaning audiences construct from broadcasted content by Ugandan Muslim radio and television stations? The study intends first to bridge the academic gap as for as the interdisciplinary study of religion and media is concerned in East Africa and Uganda, but most importantly, to examine Muslim electronic media and their role in shaping Muslim identity along religious lines. I want to show that religious media using religious language in religious contexts is an effective process to control others and directing them to a common cause.
