Zanzibar and the eastern coast of Kenya have both become fashionable destinations for tourists, most of them from Europe. Authorities and local inhabitants welcome these visitors because their hard currency contributes to the economy. Western mores brought by the same tourists are less welcome, although they are tolerated : bikinis on the beach are a common sight.
Both countries are also showing a resurgence in a traditionalist form of Islam, as a resistance to western culture. The nigab, the full veil has become a common sight, mosques abound and most children are sent to madrassa, Koranic schools.
Abbas...