N E G A S H I - OJ

We promised last time to provide you with a detailed picture on the last part of the latest drama within the Muslim institution.

To recapitulate what was already reported:

October 08, 2009: Seven members of the AA Majlis went to federal Majlis and complained that they could not work effectively. They also requested for witnesses as they were to hold meetings to evaluate the working of the office and its officers.

On October 10, 2009: AA Majlis members set to discuss their matters in the presence of the general secretary of Federal Majlis and the chair of regional affairs. The general Secretary chaired the meeting. The meeting was concluded by imposing a ban on three of its senior members: the President Hajji Bahir Abdella, the vice- president Ato Aman Ibrahim and the head of Development activities, Ato Khadir Rahmeto. They were blamed for being inefficient and thus incompetent for the type of responsibility their positions requires.T he three are the only members who have academic diploma.

October 12, 2009: the general Secretary of AA Majlis wrote the three and demanded that they submit on the same day all the material and file in their position.

October 14, 2009: Federal Majlis held a press conference and denied of any interference. It told journalists that the General Assembly of AA Majlis would meet within 15 days to discuss and decide on the matter which way it found appropriate.

October 15, 2009: The three held a press conference at Ghion Hotel and denied of the charges made against them and told journalists that they are victims of conspiracy against their fighting corruption, work towards rule of law and effectiveness.

October 17, 2009: A memo was circulated calling selected members of the GA to attend a meeting the next morning, Sunday October 18, 2009 at 8:30.

October 18, 2009: Seventy seven (77) of the 196 member GA of Addis Ababa Majlis responded to the less than 24-hour call for meeting and set to take part in it

• Read more: The Addis Ababa Majlis Drama

A Mosque in the Capital went on fire on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009.  The Moque known after the name of the area it is found in as Shiro Meda Mosque was totally distroyed after a fire brock out at around midday.  The emergency fire unite of the city failed to respond immediately which as a result the whole structure and property of the Mosque was turned to ash. The Mosque had a power generator to back up its electctricity which contributed to the and it is though to have contributed to the huge fire that consumed the Mosque. It is not immediately known what caused the fire.

Shiro Meda Mosque was built in 1997 (Ethiopian calander) and furnished with very expensive provisions. The total loss is esimated to be well over one million birr.

Negashi OJ contacted a multitude of people in the capital in an attempt to get more information. Every one we talked is shocked knowing well the sacrifice Muslims had to pay to get  it erected. From the very beginning fanatic Christians exploited all opportunities to prevent a Mosque from being constructed in the area. An apparent attempt to set it on fire in 1998 (EC), shortly after its the completion of the construction, was aborted. Taking into account this sad history of the Mosque and failure of the emergency unit to respond immediatly, some think of a possible conspiracy behind the fire. Yet others think that, despite the tension at the beginning, the position of the Mosque is now well recognised and the fire could just be one of such unfortunate accidents to happen.

In the mean time police is reported to have started investigatation and working with experts to determine the cause.

Negashi OJ calls up on brothers and sisters who have by chance pictures of the Mosque (taken before and after the incident )to forward them to us.

Negashi OJ is alerted about the three AA Majlis officials who were suspended from their position on Oct. 10, 2009. The decision to suspend them was approved by the General Assembly and dismissed them finally from the council. Three other people were brought in their place. The General Assambly was met yesterday - Sunday Oct. 18, 2009. Insha Allah we will bring later on the detail on the drama.

Negashi OJ.

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[Read the full text in Pdf]. Radio Negashi has also a detailed analysis of the reportings of the Voice of America - Amharic Service. on the PEW Report on the number and distribution of the global Muslim population. Please Click here to listen to the Radio. Forget not to drop them your feedback.

Each of the the three Muslim Newsletter (Al-Quds, Iqra’a, and Salafiya)  devoted a segnificant portion of their reportting on the crisis that had unfolded in the Addis Ababa Majlis. Please click on the Icons below to read what each of them wrote.

Since we were alerted about the suspension from their position of AA Majlis senior officials, Negashi OJ has been out for details and we have presented below what we could fetch. We would like however to remind our readers that the info. we could compile and present here below can not be taken as CONCLUSIVE as we hope for more information and clarification to come to the surface in the coming days and weeks.

We would like confirm that the number of senior officials of AA Majlis suspended from their position are three (not two as was reported earlier): the President Hajji Bahar Abdullah, the Vice-President Ato Aman Ibrahim and Head of the department of Development (Limat Kifil) Ato Khadir Rahmato. The three were suspended after unannounced internal evaluation held on Saturday Oct. 10, 2009 (Meskerem 30, 2002) in the presence of two witnesses from the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Suprime Council (EIASC), alias Federal Majlis: the General Secretary Ato Al-Muhammad Siraj and the head of Regional Affairs (ye kilil gudayoch).

As was mentioned on our Tuesday’s posting where we broke the news about this latest development, the Federal Majlis held a press conference on Wednesday 14 Oct. 2009 (Tikimit 04, 2002). There was much anticipation that the press conference would go over the situation in the Addis Ababa Majlis. The theme was however about the upcoming Hajj and all the attention was given to it and very little to the Addis Ababa Majlis. The officials nevertheless spoke in brief about it after they were confronted with questions from the journalists who attended the conference.

• Read more: Addis Ababa Majlis: Update

The President and Vice President of Addis Ababa Majlis are reported to have been suspended from their position indefinately and ordered to submit all material in their possession. The information Negashi OJ received indicated that the suspension was passed on Saturday (October 10, 2009)  after a session arranged to evaluate the working of the officials. It is however unclear what the misdeeds of these officials were and from where exactly the decision to suspend them came. Since the federal Majlis decided to put the Anwar Mosque under its control, there has been wranglings between the two institutions. Earlier, a decision passed by the federal majlis but communicated to the public as if it came from Addis Ababa Majlis suspended the first and second Imama of the newly re-built Bani Masjid, Nur Masjid.

In the mean time, Federal Majlis has invited journalists for tomorrow (October 14, 2009) to attend a briefing. It is not immediatly known what the content of this briefing will be. It is however believed that the suspension of the two officials will at least make a part of what the Majlis officials might want be covered. Our sources will also be there and we will insha Allah bring you update as the information reaches our news desk.

The Federal Majlis, which by large lacks recognition from the Muslim community, is working hard to assert its authority, much of the time by intimidation.