N E G A S H I - OJ

Aqibaw Yimer
Part I

In Ethiopia, state and religion has been two faces of a coin. For centuries the Church shaped the type of system that had come to exist. It is often said that political rulers used religion to advance their selfish agenda. In Ethiopian case, however, the reverse seems to hold truth. The Church has been instrumental in bringing to and sustaining power of that it believed would advance its agenda. As a result it has positioned itself as a sole guardian of the country and maker of its history.

Ever since the coming to existence of what is known as the Solomonic dynasty in the late 13th century, Islam and Muslims have been the prime targets of the leaders of the Christian North. Their southward expansion resulted in total annihilation of the various Islamic civilizations that flourished in large parts of the present day Ethiopia. The subjugation of Muslims by successive regimes continued until the fall of the regime of emperor Haile Silassie in 1974. Until that time, Christianity was the state religion where all policies of the regime were directed towards strengthening the values and traditions of that religion while at the same time all other religions were suppressed. It is said that during the Imperial era and by the time the Dergue nationalized private properties, the Church owned one-third of the countries economy. During these times, the Muslims, as a religious community, were even not allowed to have an institution that represents them, or own property of any meaningful proportion.

Unlike the Dergue regime that suppressed organized religions and tried to replace them all with its own religion, Communism, the EPRDF government acknowledged in the constitutions the equality and freedom of religion (Article 27 of the Ethiopian Constitution). The constitution further stipulates that religion and state be kept separated (Article 11) and by this article it is understood that the state may not interfere in the affairs of religion and religion may not meddle in the affairs of the state. Nevertheless, despite these and other fundamental articles that grant religious freedom and equality to citizens and despite redressing the historic injustices is stated as the essence of the constitution, the measures taken by the government to this date are against the very sprite of the constitution.

One of the immediate measures the government took as it came to power early in 1990’s was to reinstate the properties of the Church that were nationalized by the Dergue. There was no any arrangement to compensate others at whose expense the institution managed to accumulate the huge wealth. This practically made it an economic giant with the power to exert influence of various magnitudes. Experience so far showed us that the Church plays a determining role on the way politicians act and decide while effectively suppressing the aspiration of other religious groups, especially Muslims.

Among the fundamental rights Muslims denied of for centuries is the right to organize and establish institutions. One of the 13 demands raised during the 1966 Muslims demonstration was this basic right. To this date this demand is awaiting proper response. Worse, the sole institution that claims to represent Muslims and operates in their name has so far proved to rather working against Muslims themselves. It is now understood that the so called Islamic affairs councils from federal level down to Woreda are serving as peripherals of the security with the mission to suppress all forms of right claims by Muslims and pre-empt any such future aspirations.

Various regulations put in place at different times have removed the very sense of having equality of religion and the freedom to belief in the country. The directive that is aimed at governing religious practices in educational institutions is one such measure the government has taken and one that effectively put this basic service out from the reach of Muslim. Lately a document that details the annual security plan of the government leaked and reached the public domain. The plan is meant to contain religious motivated conflicts and thwart the acts of terrorism (ሀይማኖት ነክ ግጭትና አክራሪነትን ለመመከት የሚሰራ አመታዊ እቅድ (የካቲት 2001 - መጋቢት 2002)). However a close look at the detail clearly reveals that the prime targets of the planned measure are Muslims and their organizations.

The document asserts groups with links to local and foreign groups are engaged in “terrorist activities and in spreading the extremist’s ideology”. It mentioned three “terriorist” groups: Wahabiyya (ወሀቢያ), Khawarijiya (ከዋርጅያ) and Harkatun Ansarula Mewahdan (ሀርካቱን አንሳሩላ መዋህዳን). “Wahabiyya” is a derogatory name used to refer diverse groups - known as Salfis - who trace their teachings back to the first three Muslim generations. No group this writer know calls itself with this name. Khawarijiya is another name not well understood by Muslims but used to refer an offshoot of the main stream Muslim, Takfir. The great majority of Ethiopian Muslims have long refuted their thoughts and their existence in the country today is so insignificant and totally undeserved to get that attention and a high level security plan (Br. Hassen Taju published a book entitled Takfir and exposed the evil of the group. Since then, the group lost all the support it has received in the beginning from some disillusioned segment of the community. All the people I talk to assert that the government practice has contributed for their rise in the country and some even went on saying that they are purposely promoted by the security so that its various measures of weakening Muslims and Islam in the country can be justified). No one I talked to could identify which Muslims are referred to the group Harkatun Ansarula Mewahdan. We can only guess why the government opted to use such ambiguous terms and labels - a cover to take up all! The only way to know for sure who those groups are is to read in the document the manifestations of their activities. It is said that their activities are student-centered and Muslim intellectuals are involved. As we summarize the outlined manifestations, we can safely conclude that Muslims’ demand for the respect of their right to freedom of belief, its practice and freedom of education is paramount to “act of terror”. Muslims students’ assertive position not to accept draconian regulations that discriminate and force them to choose between their religion and education is perceived as extremist ideology.

One important item we see reflected in the document is the return to the old-day propaganda used effectively by various war-lords to oppress Muslims - linking citizen’s legitimate demands for equality, justice, freedom to foreign ideology and interests. For centuries Muslims were treated not as citizens with legitimate right to demand respect for their identity, belief, culture and traditions. They were rather treated as agents of foreigners who plot for the demise of the country as a nation. Tewodros (reign from 1855 - 1868) and Yohannis IV (reign from 1872 - 1889) shaped this ideology into a concrete policy that left Muslims of the regions with three options: either convert to Christianity, leave their area or pay the ultimate price with their lives. Successive regimes saw Muslims and their religion through similar prism. For instance, the last Emperor, Emperior Haile Selassie, the man praised for such beautiful saying as “Hager Yegara … Hayimanot Yegil” could not tolerate the fact that Islam and Muslims should exist in his kingdom. He had to setup a secrete mission tasked to eliminate Islam and Muslims from the country. Today, at a time where the constitution of the country states equality of religions and freedom of belief and where the government is supposed to implement them, we are sensing the return to old the status quo, making thereby the constitution and its provisions null and void.

The security document implicates a more than ten Muslim religious organizations, without stating which ones, for having hidden “extremist” agenda. Since there are no that many active Muslims organizations in the country, it is not difficult to figure out which organizations are to be targeted. Muslims organizations were denied of working license to engage themselves in developmental and relief works because they are suspected of having hidden agenda. Yet Western Christian Evangelical Missionaries were given free ride to do whatever they wish. The ground has been made smooth for them and Muslims are left to the mercy of their brutal and ruthless measures. Every attempt by Muslims to help their people and/or teach their religion was aborted. We don’t need to go far to prove this assertion. The Diaspora Ethiopian Muslims who extended their goodwill under the umbrella of the then BADR International Ethiopian Muslims Federation (its official name is now changed to BADR Ethiopia!) were victim of this double standard. It might also be worth presenting some data on the existing organizations as I believe it would help appreciate the result of this double standard of the government.

According to the information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, there are 1,119 NGOs (978 local and 141 international) operating in the country. The Christian Relief and Development Association (established in 1973) alone counts 321 member organizations (230 local and 91 International). Forty four organizations (29 local and 15 international) operate under Evangelical Church Fellowship of Ethiopia (its history in the country does not go beyond the 1970s). The Ethiopian Orthodox on its part counts more than 600 organizations, most operating under the umbrella of Mahbre Qidusan. The number of Muslim organizations (local + international) through out the country are numbered in tens. The only well known relief organization, Ethiopian Muslims Relief and Development Association, had to operate under CRDA. Yet the government is now targeting the very few and very weak organizations which already operate under extreme challenges and close surveillance - leaving the more than 40 million Ethiopian Muslims effectively without any organization! Would it be difficult for any one to see here the parallel with the secrete mission set up by the late Emperor Haile Sellasse, the policy followed by his predecessors and the present Meles-led government of Ethiopia, as far as Ethiopian Muslims are concerned?

The already mentioned the security plan of the government details actions to be taken. Despite it mentions here and there Christian Fundamentalists, when we look at the details to be taken, we understand that the focus is rather on Muslims. Enforcing the directive for religious practices in educational institutions, imprisoning known figures, breaking organizations suspected of “extremist activities” and have links to the ideology are some of the many actions to be taken.

As of writing this article, the directive drafted last year by the Ministry of Education and provoked a wide spread opposition by students and staff of all faith is being implemented in its extreme form, by various higher education institutions. Kotebe University Collage issued a letter forbidding students from dressing as per their religious obligations. Similar measures are taken by Tappi University, Mizan University and Wollo University forcing, as a result, hundreds of Muslims students to leave the campuses and take shelter in nearby Mosques. With regard to second planned action, there were rumors that a number of Muslim intellectuals, preachers, students, publishers, and merchants were to be arrested. The implementation of the plan was temporarily postponed, according to latest info. the writer could access, because of unexpected opposition to the plan by a certain offial. Muslims organizations and their leaders are, however, waiting for possible actions at any time in the immediate future.

In the mean time, the so called Muslim representatives are working in full swing to implement one or the other action outlined. The document stated that the Addis Ababa Islamic Affairs Council was one of the regional councils that is mentioned in the document to have problem of leadership. The outgoing Majlis was particularly blamed for helping established the Ulema Unity Forum and its resistance to the rulings of Ato Elias Rediman. The first measure taken by the newly formed Councils (Federal and AA), a success story the security plan proudly mentioned (insha Allah we will uncover the process how the new members of the AA and Federal Majlis were selected) was to abolish the forum and harass its signatories. In fact dismantling any attempt to unite Muslims is a long sustained strategic policy of Ethiopian rulers. Unity of Muslims means strength, a phenomenon that should in no way be tolerated.

On the other front, mosques are given a week time to register and give detail report of the number of worshippers, their source of income, names of teachers, imams, their daily programs (see attached documents: letter 1, letteer 2, registration form), …. Engineers are also being sent to each Mosque to determine their size of the Mosques and their compound and collect other related information (by the time I am writing this article, two Moques - Kara Qore Mosque and another in the nearby - were visited by experts). All these are being directed by direct order of no other than the security chief in the office of the Prime Minister, Ato Abay Tsehaye (more coming on the hidden campaign he directs to weaken Islam and Muslims in Ethiopia) .

None of the above measures and attacks of various degree are not new to Muslims. For some time now, they have come to be part of their daily life. Often times, politicians put the blame on low level bureaucracy which they are determined to reform. Muslim leaders and activists seemed to have accepted that rhetoric at face value and pushed aside all other possible links. They gave blind eyes and deaf ears to the well documented right abuse, killings, abductions and rape of their brothers/sisters all over the country. With the leak of the government security plan, however, every action seems to have gotten its meaning and the real driving force behind has come now to the surface. What should then be the position of Muslims? What excuse will sympathizers of the regime (both at home and in the Diaspora) will come up to divert the attention of Muslims? How ready are existing Muslim organizations to meet the challenge? How about their leaders? These will be the items we will assess in the remaining part of the article, with the full title then  - Part II will Continue.