N E G A S H I - OJ

Br. Tofiq Degu of Radio Negashi met the general secretary of Federal Ethiopian Islamic Affair Supreme Council (Mejlisel A’ila), Ato Mohammad Siraj, on his HARD TALK program of the 22 June 2009 broadcast. The meeting was so interesting that you dear visitors of Negashi OJ should not miss listening to it. You may need to scrol a little further to start with the interview - but the other two follow-up programs (Dawa and Tarik Amd) that came before it are equaly important. Enjoy!

Insha Allah once the second part is broadcasted next week, we will assemble them together for ease of following the full program. Let’s applaud for our brother Tofiq and the Radio Negashi team for bringing us such progam and for their increasingly objective and critical approach in getting to the depth of facts. Thank you and keep it up! Please visit their webpage and tell them how you get the service they offer.

[Reporter] Lower birth rate and high death rate especially from HIV/AIDS are the factors causing lower population increase rate in the Amhara regional state, a controversial study by the Population Census Commission revealed this week. The head of the census office, Samia Zekaria, told parliament on Thursday that her office had been re-examing the data collected during the 2007 census for the past several months and found out that there was no visible mistake made by data collectors.

She said that experts at the office have tried to identify the reasons why the population growth in the Amhara region only was lower than the others.

Due to HIV/AIDS and other reasons, life expectancy in Amhara region is lower than in other regions.

In addition, Amhara region witnessed a lower birth rate - the second lowest next to Tigray - which according to Samia, contributed to lower population growth rate in the region.

• Read more: Census inquiry report raises controversy

Radio Negashi Special Coverage on the life and career of the late Prof. Hussein Ahmed. To start with the coverage directly scrol to 22′

In the Name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate

STATEMENT OF CONDOLENCE

[NEME] It is with great shock that I learnt about the sudden death of the renowned Professor of Ethiopian History, the late Professor Hussein Ahmed. On behalf of the Network of Ethiopian Muslims in Europe (NEME), I would like to express my grief on the loss our indispensible brother, Prof. Hussein, and my deepest sympathy and sincere condolence to his wife, children and member of his whole family, friends and the nation at large.

• Read more: Statement of Condolence - Network of Ethiopian Muslims

????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ??/? ???? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? 12 ?? 1945 ?.? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ???? ??????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ???????? ?????? ???? ?/? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??? 11? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?1969 ?.? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ???????

?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? 1970 ?????? ??????? ???? 30 ?? 2001 ?.? ??? ?31 ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ????????

???? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ?1974 ?.? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ?? 1978 ?.? ?????? ??????? ???????

????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ?35 ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????? (????) ?? ???? ??? ?1995 ?.?. ????? Islam in the 19th Century Wallo - Revival, Reform and Reaction ???? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? 1995 ??? ??????? ???? ???????

??????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ???????? ????? ???????? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????????

????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ?? ???? ?? 2000 ?.? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???????

????? ??? ??/? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???????

????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? 56 ????? ???? 30 ?? 2001 ?.? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?? 01 2001 ???? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ????????? ?? ??????? ????????? ??? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ????????

Allah (swt) tells us in his Quran that every soul will test death and no one can skip it. However some remain alive though they are no more with us physically. The nation is morning the loss of a unique person who devoted his every thing for for the service of his country and its people. Professor Hussien will be remembered and remain alive thanks to his unique accomplishments.

Against the odds of the system he was operting and the biased tradition and style of scholarship he brought up in, he successfully made his way to be the ONLY man is the study area which for long was left out and buried deep. The late professon published a book: Islam in the 19th century Wollo: Revival, Reform and Reaction that shatterred centuries old biasness towards the study of Islam in Ethiopia and Ethiopian Muslims. As per the info we could retrieve from the AAU deparment of History and Heritage Management, the late Professor published several articles covering diverse subjects. He wrote on Historical and contemporary Islam in Ethiopia, Islamic literatures, the Yemeni community, Slave trade, Mysticism, Addis Ababa University and Muslim-Christian Relations, History in Africa, about the life history and career of Several Muslim Religious Scholars and Resistence Fighters, …. and was working on several projects. These of his works makes him eternal in what is otherwise transitory world. Below are some sample materials from his works.

• The Existing Literature on Islam: A Review of Some Features and Trends

• ISLAM IN WALLO (1850 - 1890): CONTAINMENT AND REACTION

• THE LIFE AND CAREER OF SHAYKH TALHA B. JAFAR

Other of his works include:

• Faith and Trade: The market stalls around the Anwar Mosque in Addis Abeba during Ramadan

• Islamic literature and religious revival in Ethiopia (1991-1994)

• Islamic literature in Ethiopia: A short overview

• Recent Islamic periodicals in Ethiopia (1996-1998)

• Islam and Islamic discourse in Ethiopia (1973-1993)

• Trends and issues in the history of Islam in Ethiopia

• The cross and the crescent: State and culture in Ethiopian history

• The historiography of Islam in Ethiopia

• Two Muslim shrines in South Wallo

Insha Allah, Negashi OJ will soon bring to you a detailed info. on his life history and his accoplishments. stay tunned!

The late Prof. Hussien Ahmed, Authority of Islam in Ethiopia and Northeast Africa. He died on Saturday night, June 06, 2009.

?? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?????????!! ???? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ????????? ????????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ????? 4 ?? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ????????

?? ??? ??? ???? ????!!!

?????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? …??? ??? ??? ??? ??…?? ??? ?? ??? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??????????? ????????? ????????!!! ???!

 by Ahmed Ibrahim

Recently, we have witnessed seemingly long forgotten slogan posted in big fonts in the streets of Addis Ababa and some public institutions as well as in T-shirts. True Ethiopians whatever their religious affinity were shocked. “Ethiopia is an Island of Christianity“, was one of the most disgusting slogans. Well, if the statement is true, then what? Islam is not afraid of Christianity. It has talked a lot about Christianity in its basic sources. It advices Christians to follow the way of all Prophets, including Jesus, peace be upon him, that is: ISLAM.

Neither are the Ethiopian Muslims afraid of Christianity. They have survived centuries of religious coercion under so called Solomonic monarchs. But slogans without context always create confusion, mistrust and anarchy. Ethiopia as a political entity had been able to establish an old and long tradition of Christian monarchy until it finally collapsed by its own people in 1974. This does not mean that the country as a whole was a majority Christian nation. Even alien minorities can lead a majority. What is important is to show the legacy of thousand years of Christian rule for the country in all spheres of life, cuturally, politically and economically. Hollow slogans cannot change the reality in the ground. If we are proud to be Christians, we have to respect our neighbours, stop antagonizing our compatriots. Otherwise, to claim being a Christian without following the Master’s way is ridiculous.

Now to the slogan: Ethiopia is an Island of Christianity. I just let you read a citation from a prominent Ethiopian nationalist scholar, Professor Getachew Haile, to show us the context of this slogan. It reads:

” ??? ?????” (?????? ???) ???? “?? ???” ??????? ????? ????? (???) ???? ?? ????? (????) ??????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ” ??? ?????” ???? ” ??? ???” ????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????….” ??? ?????” …. ?????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???? (”?????”) ???????…. ???? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??????? “????? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ” ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? “??? ?????/ ???” ????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? (?/? ???? ??? - ??? ???? ????? 1997 E.C., pp. 106-107, footnote no. 8 ) [empasis mine]”

Some historians ascribe to Emperor Minilik II to have declared, “Ethiopia is an island of Christianity in the sea of pagans” The writer, a European, comments that by “pagan” he meant the Muslims and others….

Thus, there is no way to claim the present day Ethiopia or the ancient Ethiopia (which is predominantly Cushitic) as an island of Christianity if we are not ready to designate the word Ethiopia to a very few pockets of the central government power houses. Look, the insensibility and ignorance after the recent slogan: “Ethiopia is an island of Christianity” from the perspective of history and true Ethiopian nationalism.

Ethiopia is a proud host of Christianity as it is to Islam. Both religions have immense potential for developing mutual respect unless hijacked by pseudo-religious people nd interest groups like the ‘Mahbera Qudusan’ and Majlis, the… Supreme Affairs…