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By now most of you have most probably heard of the peaceful questions that we Ethiopian Muslims are raising. In simple terms we are asking for independent religious representatives (known us Mejlis) to be elect by us in the mosques . The seventeen committee members elected as representatives in this quest have tried to persuade the government to solve this easy problem. In the process, we have strongly supported them by signing petitions from cities and villages from all over Ethiopia and abroad.
The committee and the protestors have made it clear that our questions are religious and religious only. We never asked anything that can threaten or even can be in the disadvantage of the Ethiopian non-Muslims. In fact, our wise committee members and the protestors at large have made sure that even in the very outrageous situation, we keep peaceful methods as our only means of struggle. Like any other citizens, we are citizens, hence no other group, including the government itself has a basis to claim that they are better concerned about our country’s peace and stability.
Despite this, the protestors had to endure deliberate false accusations from the unelected Mejlis and the government. They call the protestors “a few terrorist individuals who want to overthrow the constitution by force”. The imaginary “terrorist” word does not need explanation, we have recently witnessed journalists being called “terrorists”. As you might have seen the videos of last Friday, the more than a million protestors cannot be considered “a few”. And at this moment who is unconstitutional: the people who are going to the mosque and showing their disapproval of the Mejlis in a peaceful manner or the people in power who authorize brutal means including using teargas and lethal weapons against innocent citizens in the mosque? How do you feel if your young child, helpless old mother or father was a victim of such an attack?
No political party taught us Ethiopian Muslims and Christians how to be tolerant amongst one another. Our parents and grand parents did not have ETV and Federal police as a peace-keeping force. What they had was the beautiful culture that we inherited, exercise today and proudly talk about.
The divide and rule method is an old strategy that colonial powers applied against the citizens of their colonies. Sadly, we see this method being applied by people who claim to protect the constitution against their people. There is no need to explain the damage of the divide and rule strategy if we were not the people we are. But they seem relentless and they keep on trying.
No one is immune from being part of history, it is only a matter of how good or bad. The question is: are we going to persist in our unity, or fall for the lies of politicians and disintegrate. We have the opportunity to make a shiny history, to join hands and root out dictatorship once and for all.
Dear Christian Ethiopians,
I would like to call upon you to independently seek for information on the matter. It is my strong belief that you will easily understand our peaceful question and can contribute to change it from an Ethiopian Muslims only question to an Ethiopian question. After all, we are part of the motherland who share its joy and pain.
At this historic moment, please let us discuss the manners and the means to express support. An example is to create awareness to strengthen unity, influence relatives who are part of security forces not to cooperate in illegal and brutal suppression, spread the word so that the outside world hears it.
The Woyanne junta security forces on Saturday savagely attacked unarmed peaceful Ethiopian Muslims who were protesting the regime’s intervention in their religion. Watch the video below:
(Reuters) – Ethiopian Woyanne junta police clashed on Saturday with scores of Muslims protesters complaining that the state is interfering in their religion, witnesses and officials said.
The protesters, some wearing masks, blocked the entrance of the Anwar Mosque in the west of the capital Addis Ababa and hurled stones at riot police who had surrounded the compound after noon prayers.
“Police broke inside the mosque and arrested many people, including several members of the (protest organising) committee. They also fired teargas at protesters outside,” said an activist who declined to be named for fear of reprisals.
Another witness said he had seen empty tear gas canisters strewn on the ground. It was not immediately possible to verify these reports.
Thousands of Muslims have staged sporadic street protests in the capital since late last year, arguing that the government is promoting an alien branch of Islam, the Al Ahbash sect, which is avowedly apolitical and has numerous adherents in the United States.
The government denies promoting Al Ahbash, but is determined to prevent Islamic militancy spilling over from neighbouring Sudan or lawless Somalia.
Around 60 percent of Ethiopians are Christian and 30 percent Muslim, mostly of the moderate, pragmatic Sufi tradition.
Diplomats and analysts say there could be potential for any militant groups to exploit sectarian divisions and trigger violence.
The government accuses “extremist elements” of sparking violence at the protests.
Government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said police had arrested ‘several’ people on Saturday but denied that police had used teargas.
“These were masked assailants from extremist groups that prevented mosque attendants from leaving the compound after the completion of noon prayers,” he said.
“They tried to incite violence, they threw stones and damaged property.”
Activists have reported several deaths during previous clashes, but no casualties were reported on Saturday.
Al Ahbash, also known as the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, was founded in the early 1980s by Sheikh Abdullah al Harrari, an Ethiopian cleric who was forced to leave his country for Lebanon in 1950.
The protesters say the government is promoting the ideas of the group through Ethiopia’s highest Muslim body, the Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs, and preventing overdue elections that could bring alternative views onto the Council.
Shimeles denied that the government was trying to influence Muslim affairs. “Our constitution bans any government interference in religion,” he said.
An eyewitness tells Ethiopian Review about the savage beatings of Ethiopian Muslims in Addis Ababa today.
July 21, 10 AM PM EST
The Woyanne junta security forces are savagely beating and rounding up young Muslims in the streets of Addis Ababa. Muslim leaders are also being rounded up. Anwar Mosque is under siege. Shops are being closed… [read more]
July 20, 8:00 PM EST
The Woyanne junta has charged Ethiopian Muslim leaders with terrorism today in court… [read more]
July 20, 6:00 PM EST
At the Anwar Mosque in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa today over 1.5 million Ethiopian Muslims protested silently and peacefully against the Woyanne junta’s intervention in their religion. The regime has arrested several Mulsim leaders, but its action caused even more anger from Muslim Ethiopians… follow updates here
Ethiopian Review has received information that Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi’s wife, Azeb Mesfin, went to Rome, Italy, last night. Two days ago, we had reported that she received an Italian visa.
It is believed that Azeb left the country to escape from Sebhat Nega whom she forced out of the ruling party’s top leadership in 2009 [read here]. She also kicked him out of his chairmanship of the multibillion-dollar conglomerate named Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT) around the same time.
Ever since Meles Zenawi’s absence in the past two weeks, Sebhat Nega has been trying to come back as the TPLF kingmaker. It was Sebhat who engineered Meles Zenawi’s rise to power and he was the second most powerful figure in the ruling party until he was humiliated and kicked out by Azeb.
Sebhat is said to have the support of key TPLF leaders, including Tsegaye Berhe, Abay Woldu, Gen. Se’are Mekonnen, and Getachew Assefa, among others.
Sebhat Nega has no interest to replace Meles Zenawi, according to observers, but he wants to restore his honor and reclaim his status as the kingmaker.
Although Meles’s choice as the next TPLF chief is Berhane Gebrekiristos, Sebhat is vehemently against it, our sources said.
In the midst of all this power struggle inside the ruling party, the regime currently has no leader. The so-called “deputy prime minister,” Hailemariam Desallegn, is a puppet with no power. He is currently in China to attend some meeting. That could be an excuse for him NOT to get caught in the middle of a potentially bloody power struggle among his TPLF masters.
The protesters, some wearing masks, blocked the entrance of the Anwar Mosque in the west of the capital Addis Ababa and hurled stones at riot police who had surrounded the compound after noon prayers.
Ethiopian Review has received information that Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi’s wife, Azeb Mesfin, went to Rome, Italy, last night. Two days ago, we had