Why isn't Christianity and Islam considered an African religion?

Answer 1

From an etymological perspective, because both Islam and Christianity are Abrahamic religions. All Abrahamic religions can trace their roots/origins to the area now know as the Middle East (which does include North Africa in a cultural sense). Abrahamic meaning practiced by the decendants of Abraham who was a Jew or identifying with whatever spiritual traditions are associated with Abraham, as such, Judaism is the original Abrahamic religion and both Christianity and Islam are offshoots of Judaism. Traditional African religins (sans North Africa) tend to be animist or ancestor worship. Where animistic religions (such as Voudoun, Candomble, Santeria etc) may contain polytheistic belief systems based on worship of ancestors, animals and various other spirit forms, the Abrahamic religions stress monotheism as the basic tenet of the faith. However, in a real world sense, Christianity and Islam are African religions due to colonialism and later missionaries. Islam is practiced almost exclusively in the North African countries of Morroco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan and Western Sahara. Below the Sahara Christianity is almost exclusively practiced, with about 15% of the entire African population practicing something else.