Mack Reynolds’s The Blackman’s Burden

This 1961 novel depicts Muslims as authoritarian rulers of Africa, whose rigidity and inability to adapt to change worsens the condition of the African people rather than improving their lives. Blackman’s Burden tells the story of a group of Caribbean and African American intelligence agents and their mission to rid Africa, in particular, North Africa, of Islamic influence, corrupt their leaders, and destroy their cultural and religious practices. One central aspect of this plan is to undermine the wearing of the veil by Muslim women.  If the women will remove their veils the aid organization promises to provide her with an education and health care.  The other interesting aspect of this story is the setting amongst the Taureg tribes, where the men traditionally veil their faces.