The Ethiopian government came out lately with full resource and forces to impose a rejected Ahbash ideology on its Muslim populace. Under the disguise of fighting religious extremism,the government brought into the country proselytizing crew from Lebanon. Even if the negotiation between Ethiopian government and the Ahbash group goes back to several years,the execution of the project was formally started during what is know to us as the “Harar Ahbash Indoctrination Conference”in July,2011. For this conference the government is reported to have allocated 6 million birr and brought in 15 senior Ahbash leaders from Lebanon. The group indoctrinated nearly 800 people with its ideology.
The ideology of Ahbash is by far and large align to Muslims and for this it is declared deviant by Muslim scholars and institutions worldwide. The group promotes among others discord and schism among Muslims and declares all those who do not belong to its ideology disbelievers,Kafir. It is not surprising thus that the very first training in Harar was devoted to instill in the hearts and minds of those in attendance this evil thought. Ever since,the group is calling upon Ethiopian Muslims to re-testify their testimony of Belief as if they had lived this long in disbelief. Senior officials of the EPRDF government appeared in each and every event and expressed their unreserved determination to see the project succeed.
Despite an intensive engagement of the Ethiopian government and its Office for the Terrorization of Ethiopian Muslims,Majlis,the resistance of Ethiopian Muslims to the ideology is unparalleled. It was said that Ethiopian Muslims give due respect and thus bow down to people who speak Arabic. From there it was assumed that when these Arabs from Lebanon and Syria got on to the stage and utter their mantra,people would line up to give their pledge. If at all there is to be resistence,it would be from few Wahabis for whom a procedure to silence them had already been put in place. The reality seen in all the events,from local to national stages,was however a firm resistance. Even the ordinary believers could not but see the whole endeavor of the gevornment with great suspesion. Even if they lack the fundamental knowledge to present a theological argument to Ahbash ideology,their national pride and trust in their religious leaders compelled them to follow every move with extra attention.
Islam in Ethiopia preceeds its public declation in the city of Mekka. With such a long history in the country,Islam produced unique individuals who raised high and implant the true messages of Islam in the hearts of the faithful. As is true to its history,contemporary Ethiopia is reach with people of caliber who not olny can easily quanch the spiritual trust of their people but can also play indespensibe role at the global stage. It has thus came as a wonder to many for why the government of Ethiopia decided to bring in foreigners who don’t have a clue about the Muslim community and its history,and what moral right would these people have to tell Ethiopian Muslims "to become Muslims.”
Realizing this unexpected reality,government summoned a meeting of its high level officials (Ministers) right after the completion of the second round of the Ahbash indoctrination conferences and to deliberate on the situation. Sources close to this particular meeting have told Negashi OJ that the Ministers agreed with one voice in that it was a MISTAKE to bring a crew from Lebanon. In no logic,it was said,can Lebanon be a model for religiosity,peace or anything close to these. Lebanon is known for its internal division and infighting among the different political and religious groups. The name of the EPRDF’s peace Champion,Ahbash, actually stands at the forefront of instability,killings and profanity in Lebanese and far beyond. Far from being an icon and herald of peace,the teachings and actions of the group in fact have been the cause of rift among Muslims themselves,the Muslim community and their governments and the Muslims and non-Muslim community.
Despite the government’s acknowledgement of the impending difficulty in its effort to indoctrinate Ethiopian Muslims with the alien Ahbash ideology,the above mentioned Ministerial meeting expressed the government’s determination to get the project through. Participants were then demanded to come up with alternatives. It was at this point that one participant who proposed to down scale the involvement of the Lebanese and shift eye on to Turkey. He indicated that there is a group in Turkey*,with similar ideology as Ahbash and EPRDF would write the same goal if it invites this group to involve in the project. This particular individual argued that Turkey would be a boost for the success of the whole project. For one thing Turkey lies in Europe,well developed economically and is a democracy. These images of Turkey would be a huge public relation asset and guarante its success. Further it was mentioned that Turkey has a far deeper and strong historical and cultural link with Ethiopian Muslims and it is now well represented both in development and business activities in the country. After a passionate discussion,the meeting was concluded by agreeing to set up a special working group with prime task of preparing a formal document as to how the government would exploit this avenue. It was agreed during the same seating on the need for the Lebanese Ahbashi’s involvement at all stages of the whole process.
Since that meeting there are indications that the government has taken the proposal seriously and have taken already measures to that effect.
The president of the EPRDF Office for the Terrorization of Ethiopian Muslims Majlis,is to attend a meeting in Turkey this coming week. He is scheduled to hold a sideline meeting with the said group and discuss on the proposal. Upon his return,the government will dispatch a high level delegation to Turkey and discuss with the political leadership on the proposal and creat understanding for evental ‘cooperation’in the project. Most Turkish recent Arabs specially the government of Saudi Arabia for the disintegration of the Khalifa system and the Ethiopian government is to play that card in getting concession from the Turkey’sh leadership –not opposing the idea is by itself good enough for EPRDF to invite the group to Ethiopia and push the project to its final end.
In the meantime our sources have indicated that Dr. Samir Kadi of Ahbash Lebanon has moved to Addis Ababa and the government has offered him house,security guard and other financial and technical support to secure his comfort. It is said that he will be coordinating the project. The Ahbash Lebanon is in no good terms with Muslim organisations including the various known Sufi orders,the group it claims to represent. Yet it seems to have no problem with this Turkish group. It is typical of Ahbash to cooperate with any individual or group that would speed up the success of their worldwide activities. One issue that we hope to resolve soon is if this said group is an independant group or just a branch of the worldwide Ahbash network.
Dr. Samir Kadi,a peace icon of the Ethiopian government,was implicated by a US District Court in Boston for being behind a conspiracy to commit Extortion. The crime dated back to March 1997.
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* Our sources named this Turkish group as Waqif al Ehsan. However we could not retrieve information on the teachings and ideology of the group from the cyber world. Our search with the name of the group did not return any relevant link. It is not clear also if this group is a separate entity with its own teaching and ideology or just a branch of the worldwide Ahbash Network. Ahbash is known also as Association of Islamic Charitable Projects.
Bismillah,Alhamdulillah,
The Media does not seem o care about the extremist nature of the Ahbash. Here is an origional story about Ahbash violence in Boston, dated March 26,1997|By Ralph Cipriano,INQUIRER STAFF WRITER:
Local Islamic Leader Accused In A Beating Mass. Police Say Riad Nachef Participated In An Assault On The Head Of Another Islamic Group.
March 26,1997|By Ralph Cipriano,INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Riad Nachef is a man of peace,say his fellow Muslims.
He's the president of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects,a religious leader at a University City mosque,and a lecturer and radio commentator on his Islamic faith. He has led prayer meetings in Ridley Park,and has cowritten a pamphlet about the correct direction for Muslims to face when they're praying.
But police in Chelsea,Mass.,say Nachef is one of nine men who invaded the home of Muhammed Al-Arab,the president of the Islamic Association of Massachusetts,this weekend and beat and pistol-whipped Al-Arab and association director Ahmed El-Arab.
Police in Chelsea said they have asked the FBI to investigate the case because it was an interstate incident between Muslim groups.
An FBI spokesman said yesterday that the agency was conducting a preliminary inquiry.
Police were called to an apartment complex in Chelsea,which borders Boston,about 6 p.m. Saturday after receiving a 911 call from a woman identified by police as president Al-Arab's wife.
When police arrived,they found several people standing in a lobby. The two bloodied victims emerged from a hallway and identified nine men as their attackers,including Nachef,43,of Media. Other defendants are from Montreal;Ottawa;Brooklyn,N.Y.;and College Park,Md. Two are from Philadelphia:Omar Mateen,42,and Bobby Hawthorne,42.
Law enforcement officials said the victims and attackers knew each other and belonged to different Islamic groups.
“I think it's reasonable to assume that it was more than a discussion of the finer points of theology,''Chelsea Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said. “There was blood all over the apartments. These guys took a beating.
“The ostensible reason for their visit was that they are claiming to have a financial interest or a controlling interest in a local mosque in Everett,Mass.,''Flynn said,“that's being developed by this local group''–the Islamic Association of Massachusetts.
The nine were being held in a Boston jail. Bail was set at $750,000 each. They were held on charges of armed assault in a dwelling,conspiracy,violation of civil rights with severe bodily injury,attempted extortion,armed burglary and assault on an occupant,home invasion,and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Nachef,according to a law enforcement source,is accused of taking part in the assault.
That didn't seem possible to Nachef's fellow Muslims.
“He's a generous,kind man. He is overconcerned about his community,and all the people that know him will describe him as such,''said Wissam Chatilla,a member of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects,which has offices,a school and a mosque at 4431 Walnut St.
Chatilla said Nachef has a reputation for being a man of peace.
“This reputation is certainly true,''he said. “We have no doubt about that.''
He did not want to comment on the charges against Nachef.
“Our statement at the moment is there is no comment or nothing to be said,''Chatilla said. “Our imam is coming up with a statement to express our concern.''
The Islamic Association of Massachusetts released a statement Sunday that blamed the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects for the attacks. Tauheedah Mateen,the wife of one of the suspects,said the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects does not commit violent acts.
“This is not something we would do,''Mateen told the Associated Press. “We are dedicated to showing the world that violence is not what Islam is all about.''
Other local Arab leaders said they were surprised by the incident.
“For this to happen,it was a shock,''said Sam Kuttab,the president of the Arab-American Business Association in Philadelphia.
“I don't know them personally,but I know the mosque is emphatically against this kind of stuff,''said Kuttab,a Christian. “They have zero unemployment. They're all hardworking. . . . They're very,very peaceful.''
The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects,or Ahbash,has been described by the media as a nonviolent,religious and philanthropic association that has mosques in Anaheim,Calif.;Miami;Vancouver;Quebec;Ottawa;and other cities,including Philadelphia.
The association is a force in Lebanese Sunni politics that was founded in the late 1970s with Syrian support. In 1995,its leader,Sheik Nizar Al-Halabi,was shot dead by three gunmen who pumped 23 bullets into his car in Beirut.
The media needs to do a serious investigation about this violent and extremist group that is is trying to spread its influence by presenting itself as anti-violence and -extremeism. Little do most people know that the the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects (a.k.a. Ahbash) is a pro syrian entity with strong conection to Syria's notorious secret service. Do peope know that theyr deceased SHeikh Abdullah Al-Habashi gave a religious fatwa to his followers allowing them to steal from their non-Muslim Neibours –I have a copy of the Audio recording that I got from one of the group's former students.
Ibn Aba Kochem
FIRST WE DON'T CARE WHAT MELES DOES AS WE LOST ANY FAITH IN HIM AS INPARTIAL LEADER. SECOND,CHOOSING A RELIGION FOR ETHIOPIAN MUSLIMS IS A BAD DISRESPECT AND PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FORGIVE HIM FOR THAT. THIRD,WE HAVE TO PLAN A PRACTICAL SOLUTION. MELES SHOULD KNOW THAT HE CAN NOT FORCE PEOPLE. LOCAL PEOPLE SHOULD START PROTECTING THEIR MOSQUES BY ACTING AS POLICEMENT THEMSELVES. ALSO THEY NEED TO DEVELOP A WARNING SYSTEM IN WHICH PEOPLE OF THE AREA CAN EASILY BE MOBILIZED IN CASE POLICE COME TO ABUSE MOSQUES OR BURN THEM DOWN. FINALLY,THERE SHOULD BE A PLAN IN WHICH IF THE CONSTITUTION IS NOT RESPECTED PEOPLE CAN USE THEIR OWN HANDS INCLUDING ANY DEFENSE MEASURES.
AS FAR AS TURKEY IS CONCERNED,I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. SUFI IS IN OUR BACK YARD. WHY WE LOOK FOR TURKEY? SUFISM VARIES IN PLACES. SOME ARE EXTREMELY SHIRK BASED BUT OTHERS ARE A BIT OF BIDAA. NOW,IF YOU FOLLOWED THE NEW YORK MOSQUE IN GROUND ZERO CONTROVERSY,YOU WILL KNOW THAT ONE OF THE PROMOTORS IS A SUFI SON OF RUMI THE FOUNDER OF SUFI IN TURKEY. NOW THIS GUY ALTHOUGH WAS FUNDED BY MIDDLE EASTERN KINGS IS NOT ANY MORE ACCEPTABLE AS HE FACED OPPOSITION FROM OTHER MUSLIMS. HE BASICALLY TALKS ABOUT MEDITATION AS HEALING THE SOUL BUT NEVER MENTIONES ANY THING ON OUR PROPHETS WAY OF PRAYER. IN OUR OWN EXPERIENCE OR SHIEKH USED TO TELL US NOT MUCH ABOUT HADITH. THE TABLIG DONT MENTION ABOUT THE HADIS EITHER. I KNOW TABLIGUE HAVE A VERY GOOD WAY OF PREACHING DOOR FROM DOOR "HURUJ"BUT NEVER TALK ABOUT HADIS.
NOW,THE ISSUE IS HOW TO IMPLEMENT ISLAM. AS ONE OF THE COMMENTATORS SAID THE QUESTION IN ISLAM THESE DAYS IS:HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE WAY OF ISLAM. READ THIS LINK:
http://insideislam.wisc.edu/index.php/archives/6619
ON THE ISSUE OF DERVISHES,THEY ARE REGARDED AS NON VIOLENT WHICH IS A MISTAKE IN THE WEST. IT IS OUR DUTY TO EXPLAIN TO WEST THAT ISLAM IS NOT VIOLENT AND THERE IS NOT NAMING ISLAM IN DIFFRENT WAYS. SECOND,SUFISM AS PRACTICED IN TURKEY IS VERY DEVIANT FROM ISLAM LIKE AH BASH AND USE MONASTRY LIFE LIKE MONKS. ALSO THE DERVISHES ARE THE PREFERRED IN MANY OF AMERICAN PRISON PREACHING LIKE THE LOIUS FARAKAN IS. THE SECOND PREFERRED IS QADRIYAA THE MOST LOVED FAKE ISLAM IN AMERICA. AH BASH IS THE THIRD ESPECIALLY IN NEW YORK. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS RELATED TO FBI.
THE WEST SHOULD NOT VIEW ISLAM IN TERMS OF VIOLENT NON VIOLENT. ALSO IT SHOULD BE KNOW THAT ISLAM IS ONE. ESPECIALLY ONE SHOULD ASK "IS MY ISLAM CLOSE TO THE PROPHET'S PRACTICE OR NOT?"DO I NEED A CERTAIN SHIEK TO BE MY EXAMPLE WHEN ALL THE WORKS OUR PROPHET,SAW,DID IS AVAILABLE TO US? WHY WE DEVIATE FROM THAT PATH? DOES DANCING GIVE US A BETTER PREACHING LEVEL? SPIRITUALLY???
http://www.hermetics.org/bektashi.html
http://insideislam.wisc.edu/index.php/archives/6619
I CONCLUDE BY SAYING:
Poverty is my pride”
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
IT IS GOOD IF WE HAVE DISCUSSION ON ISLAM BUT TO CHOOSE ONE OVER ANOTHER IS A TERIBLE MISTAKE.
WHETHER MELES CORRECTS HIS MISTAKE HE IS NO MORE OUR FREIND.