N E G A S H I - OJ

The holy month of Ramadhan is upon us once again. This a great blessing to all those of us who are witnessing it; it offers us a unique opportunity to re-energise one’s imaan (faith). Brothers and sisters in Islam, may I then congratulate you on the arrival of the Holy Month: the month of Quran, Worship, Peace, Forgiveness, Tewba, Success, Guidance, Unity, Charity, … May I wish you all for a happy Ramadhan, a month that brings us more close to Allah. As the fruits of Ramadhan are infinite, lets then use all the available opportunity to make the maximum benefit out of it. Ramadhan Mubarak.

Somali Ramadan…No Iftar, No Mosques

MOGADISHU (IslamOnline.net) - With no prospect of food aid and with most mosques closed or seized by Ethiopian troops, what is left of Mogadishu population is bracing for a difficult holy fasting month of Ramadan.

“There is no sign of the fast-approaching Ramadan here,” Ahmed Haji, a Mogadishu resident, told IslamOnline.net.

Somalis will observe the holy fasting month of Ramadan with closed mosques and the fleeing of well-offs. (IOL photo)

“Hundreds of people are now starving in Mogadishu’s southern outskirts.”

Somalia has been ravaged by violence since Ethiopian and interim government troops ousted the Islamic Courts, which briefly ruled large parts of the Horn of Africa country in 2006.

A deadly vicious cycle of violence has since claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced thousands.

Most philanthropists, who used to organize iftar banquets and provide food packages for the underprivileged, have fled the near-daily clashes between Ethiopian forces and fighters loyal to the Islamic Courts.

“Generous people are gone,” laments Abdullah Khalif, a young man from the northeastern district of Huro.

According to astronomical calculations, the first day of Ramadan will fall on September 1.

During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

It’s customary for wealthy Muslims and charities to organize iftar banquets of the have-nots during the holy month.

Closed Mosques

Ramadan will be less joyous for the people of Mogadishu because most of their main mosques have either been closed or seized by the Ethiopians.

“Only two mosques in eastern Mogadishu will open up for worshippers who have returned after relative calm in the district,” said Haji.

In the southern district of Wartijili, several mosques have been deserted over the escalating violence.

In Haryali district, the main Hadvoli mosque has been closed as Ethiopian forces took positions close-by.

In Ali Kamen district, Ethiopian forces are using the backyard of the Sheikh Abdi mosque as a detention camp.

A recent report by a local rights group said that 48 mosques have been closed over the ongoing violence in the capital Mogadishu.

“Ali Sofi mosque was a model of Mogadishu mosques,” Abdullah Salad, who lives by the mosque in the southern Mogadishu district of Haden, told IOL.

“The mosque was a destination for the poor, especially during Ramadan, offering them food and assistance,” he recalls bitterly.

“People will have nothing of that this Ramadan.”

Badr International Ethiopian Muslims Federation held its annual convention in Toronto from July 24 to 27, 2008.  People travelled apparently from all over the world to attend this annual event, the only of its type, composition and hugeness for Ethiopians in Diaspora. All those who attended it have made a unique experience. They have also developed reflection on how it was organised, what lesson to be learnt, what to improve, what to keep, …. It is in fact an obligation on every of us who aspire for the strength of the organisation and the advancement of the cause of Ethiopians Muslims that we express our observations of various events and suggest possible ways to go forward. Here are samples from among comments left by visitors of Negashi OJ on their experience of the 8th conference and their expectation for the organisation.

By starting this entry, I hope many brothers and sisters would follow this example of these commentaries and share us their experience as it is in this way that the organisers and those in the leadership may meet out expectations … My own to come soon, insha Allah.

For your reading and ease of access, the comments are linked. Click on the names of users to go directly to their comment. Be then the one whose comments are to be the next.

Abdo: 

In my opinions the Toronto Ethiopian Muslims had a great job to serve there gust as much as they could JOB WELL DONE MAY ALLH GIVES YOU JENNAH! But the number of attendants from Toronto was unacceptable …. The program was unsatisfactory due to repeating the same idea over and over again and little progress on them for instance the Axum case and Hijab. … I will never forget about fundraising that was a great computation for our organization BADER and local community I tank you DC and Seattle and all other individuals.

Selam Osema

” About the Toronto group who hosted the conference: I saw from the time I met them till I left a very hard working and dedicated to succeed. Very friendly and helpful people. What was missing was experience in managing such a conference smoothly. …… The program for presentation of speeches and supporting vedios and slides was cheotic. About one fourth of what was planned could have been sufficient if properly presented. … It was inspiring to have Mufti Omer. ….. All these conferences need to work hard in giving the muslims of Ethiopia in giving us a common cause and identity to lead us to freely practice or religious freedom and participate in the life of the socienty as Ethiopians in the development of our country towords equiality and justice according to the conventional human right declaration. …

He added: 

Two things are my conern about Muslims in Ethiopia.  The first one is our Islamic identity. The second part is the creation of leadership in the soceity … The man from Addis who presented his brief research should be encouraged to make detailed studies and also encourage others like him to join him and I hope within the next ten months they will come up with some important draft for Badr members to debate and go to work on what they agree. Insha Allah. … It was a great privilage for us to discuss this. And that is because of some brothers who had vision to organize Bader. I say keep it up. I ask Allah to bless your efforts and guide you to fruitul direction that will up-lift the Muslim Ummah.

The Ethiopian Canadian Muslim Community has organized farewell ceremony at its location for Mufit Haji Omer an d all attendees expressed their gratitude and appreciation for Mufti Haji Omer for his continuous contribution toward the Ethiopian Muslims’ affairs. On his side, Mufti Haji Omer was pleased to see such a vibrant community and appealed that the Muslim Community to remain engaged in development affairs of the country in general and the Muslim society in particular.  Mufti Haji Omer left for Ethiopia on Friday, August 1st, 2008 and community leaders saw him off at the airport. Read the full statement of the host community.

Next year’s conference will be in Seattle, Washington in Sha’Allah.