By Ubah Abdusalam Seid
Introduction
Since the mid of July 2011, the Ethiopian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (in short called “Majlis”) is trying its best to mold all of the Muslim citizens of Ethiopia according to the beliefs and doctrines of a newly arriving politico-religious faction called “Association of Islamic Charitable Projects”, but whom the public know as “Ahbash” (the “Abyssinians”, a term denoting Ethiopia where Sheikh Abdullah Al-Harari, the founder of the faction, was born). The campaign of enforcing the new belief on Muslims, called “Ahbashism” by the citizens, is supported by the government of Ethiopia. Both parties (the Majlis and the government) claim openlty “The new campaign is undertaken to eradicate religious extremism from the country which a radical Islamist movement called ‘Wahhabiyya’ was sowing in every direction for more than two decades”.
The wide majority (over 85%) of the Ethiopian
Muslims believe the Ahbsashism campaign to be unconstitutional and illegal blow
aimed at suppressing their religious rights. Since they see the beliefs of
Al-Ahbash as a deviant and heretical one which can never fit the thoughts of
the true beliefs of Sunni Islam, they were resisting it in all possible ways.
In this short essay, I deal with the backgrounds
of the Ahbashism campaign taking place in the country, the features of the
campaign, and the resistance of the Muslim population. In my presentation, I
tried to be free of bias and subjectivity. However, in any case, all of the
thoughts and descriptions discussed here express my view only.
Backgrounds of the Campaign
The Ahbashism campaign is an extension
of the works carried out by the past “Majlis” leadership. Most of the Muslims
are aware that the Majlis lead by persons like Elias Redman (a wealthy man in
Ethiopia) was performing to its maximum to revive the ritual activity of shrine
visiting which was highly prevalent in Ethiopia before two decades but
diminished by the awakening efforts of young Muslim preachers who taught such
act was a “shirk” (polytheistic). To this end, the old “Majlis” undertook many
projects aimed at rehabilitation of infamous shrines (eg. that of Sheikh Hussen
in Bale Province). The Majlis believed those projects could empower the old
Islamic cult and it would expose and silence opponents like the “Wahhabi” sect
(the derogatory term to meaning “ the followers of Muhammad ibn Abdulwahhab”, a
Saudi scholar said to had laid the foundations of the sect. but obviously, it
is a term in which the proponents of old Islamic cult call any Muslim who
opposes their non-Islamic actions like shrine veneration). A recently exposed
letter written by Elias Redman’s to the USA embassy in Addis Ababa (the
financer of the rehabilitation project of the shrines) shows that the Majlis
was going to wipe up those who were “Wahhabi” and the Wahhabi ideology itself. Accordingly,
the Majlis is one of the main parties who collaborated in designing the current
Ahbashism campaign.
On the other hand, the USA was so
concerned about the changes in the Muslims attitude and practice of Islam. And
it thought that the source of this change is a growing influence of “Wahhabism”.
According to the analysis of one US cable released by “wikilieaks”, the source
of the growing wave of “Wahhabism” was the Gulf Region. It further stated that
the finance to construct new “Wahhabi” mosques and madrasa was coming from the
oil rich “Wahhabi” dominated gulf countries. The reason US linked all of the awakening
efforts in the Muslim society to external influence (in her words “Wahhabism”)
is unclear. But the way she analyzed her claim was very poor. For example, in
the same cable released by wikileaks, US diplomats thought that all Muslim
women who wear “niqab” (face-veil) are influenced by the “Wahhabism” of the
gulf region. But this is very far from being the truth since all schools of
Sunni Islam support wearing of face-veil by a Muslim woman if not they order it
as an obligatory practice. (click the following links to get access to the
wikileaks cables http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/07/09ADDISABABA1674.html
Why USA was so concerned is evident.
We know that since the tragic incident of September 11/2001, USA has been
saying the source of extremism in the Muslim world is the “Wahhabi” version of
Islam which is emanating from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States (It justifies
this claim by pointing that 15 of the 19 hijackers of September 11/2001 were
Saudi national who were influenced by “Wahhabism”). So it’s pressuring all Arab
and Islamic governments, clerics, groups etc to suppress the movements,
teaching sessions and institutions thought to be influenced by the so called “Wahhabiyya”.
One way of doing this is cultivating, reinforcing and institutionalizing groups
like Ahbash who have fierce enmity with the “Wahhabi” sect. So according to my
thought, USA is another force which has big role in designing and financing the
“Ahbashism campaign: currently being implemented in Ethiopia.
The third big collaborator is the
Ethiopian government. Why the government involved in designing and
implementation of the campaign can be viewed in five ways. First, it might be
carrying out the order it received from USA which asserts “Wahhabism should be
reduced at everywhere”. Second, it may have feared that the growing share of
Muslims in schools, local administrations and the business and commerce would
lead them to demand equal share in all aspects and the total de-marginalization
of the Muslim society. Third, the priestly oriented and radical orthodox
authorities in the government might had thought that “Wahhabism” is influencing
the Ethiopian Muslims to resist the supremacy of Christianity, something that
hadn’t been a case in the so called “Christian Island” for many centuries.
Fourth, certain personalities who are taken as the distinguished experts of the
geo-politics of the horn of Africa may have warned the Ethiopian government
about the threat it faced by the so called “Wahhabism” and the importance of
silencing its wave by importing energetic opponent like Al-Ahbash which claims
the same faith as the “Wahhabiyya” itself. Fifth, the Majlis leadership, which
officially introduces itself as “Anti-Wahhabi”, may have rushed to some
influential government authorities and described about the “abilities of
Al-Ahbash to eradicate the evils caused by Wahhabi” and convinced them to launch
on a campaign which can diminish the growth of “Wahhabism”.
To summarize, the “Ahbashism” campaign
was designed, approved and launched by a group of many collaborators who see
the mythological movement called “Wahhabism” as a threat to each one of them.
The Campaign in Action
The Ahbashism campaign was officially
launched when the government and the Majlis prepared a training program in July
2011. Here are the main features of the campaign.
1.
Trainings
a. The first training was undertaken at two
campuses of Haramaya University (Harar Campus and the Main Campus at Haramaya,
East Ethiopia) where 600 people had participated. The training was given by the
Ahbash clerics who came from Beirut. Even though the training was named “Training
on Religious Tolerance”, the courses taught had almost no relation to this title.
Most of the session was occupied by a course titled “Radd Alal Wahhabiyya”
(Refuting Wahhabism). The books distributed to the trainees were prepared by
Ahbash in Beirut. From among them, a book titled “Fadihatul Wahabiyya” (“the
Evils Caused by Wahhabiyya”) was the top ranked. (The cover page says the book
was written by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Harari, the founder of Al-Ahbash).
b. Similar trainings were undertaken in September
and October in the major cities (like Addis Ababa, Harar, Bahirdar, etc…) and
other trainings are on progress. From these trainings, some are kept very secret
(However, the public could know about it easily).
c. The Majlis planned to train all “masjid” (mosque)
imams and Majlis representatives at different levels (sub-district, district,
zone and region); and it is feared by the public that the “Majlis” may extend
the training session to all Muslims.
d. The training session was not smooth. In all
sessions, the participants challenged the Ahbash trainers on many of their
stances. For example, many participants boldly denounced the Ahbash clerics
when they ordered them to take an Islamic oath of faith in a new manner. On the
other hand, when the Ahbash trainers were trying to do many mischief in the
name of exhibiting the relics of the Prophet (such as their claim to exhibit
the hair of the Prophet- s.a.w), the trainees had challenged them in great
emotions.
2.
Brainstorming and “Silencing” Activities
Some
of the brainstorming activities undertaken by the collaborators (the Majlis and
the government authorities) are
a. Conferences for University students where high
government authorities (like Juniedi Sado, Minister of the Civil Service)
briefed the upcoming government stance on what they called “extreme Islamism”
and the government’s strategy of handling intolerance. These authorities were
telling the university students that it is forbidden to pray in a group in a
university compound. The authorities even went to an extent of saying “What is
the use of a big beard for a university student? What is the use of wearing
face-veil (niqab) for girls?”. (By this, they were not asking a mere question.
They were saying “Males can’t have a big bearded and girls can’t wear “niqab”
any more”).
b. Many universities are applying the new
regulation drafted for the higher educational institutions (which isn’t yet ratified
by the house of the ministers). The university administrators took silencing
actions on the students whom they call “non-respectful for the institution’s
directives”. But most of these students were punished only because of their
trial to practice their religious rights. (Even in some universities, students
were prohibited from praying in the campus in any case, be it individually or
in groups).
3.
Terrorizing Media Campaign
To
deepen the root of Ahabsh in the society, some government authorities and the
Majlis leadership were undertaking a very terrorizing media campaign. Here are
some examples.
a. On a half day workshop conducted in the mid of
October at the Addis Ababa Police Commission assembly hall, the Minister of
Federal Affairs briefed the participants by saying “From now onwards, the government
officially denounces the ‘Wahhabiyya’ as ‘an extremist and unlawful
organization which seeks to demolish the government and establish an Islamic
state in illegal and unconstitutional way”. The statement of the
Minister was published on the Amharic weekly called “Reporter”. (Click the
following link to read the statement from “Reporter Newspaper”.
http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/news/293-news/3680-2011-10-12-06-18-47.html )
http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/news/293-news/3680-2011-10-12-06-18-47.html )
b. The Ethiopian Television broadcasted a documentary
blaming an unnamed Islamic group (but believed to be the so called
“Wahhabiyya”) where it said “Members of this extremist group uses Islam
as a shelter to achieve their hidden political target”. All people were
shocked by the way the documentary was addressing the Muslims. The wide mass of
the Muslim society believe that the instigator and co-producer of the
documentary was the Majlis itself.
c. The Majlis on its behalf used all pages of the
October’s issue of its quarterly organ called “Hijra” (a magazine) to
attack the group it calls “Wahhabiya”. The magazine presented a detail
biography of Sheikh Abdulah Al-Harari (founder of Ahbash) in which the sheikh
was depicted as a champion of Islam whom Allah sent to save His religion from
the “heresy of Wahhabiyya”. (The cover page of the magazine said “Kawarija
is a military wing of the Wahhabiyya movement”).
d. In the news session and other programs of
Ethiopian Radio, Ethiopian Television and some private newspapers the Majlis repeatedly
accused the “Wahhabiyya” as extremist and un-Islamic group which strives to take
the country to violence. It also defended its Ahbashism policy by words like “Ahbash
is the same as our Sufi version of Islam. We didn’t bring a new belief. We
brought the Lebanese teachers only to assist us in eradicating the Wahhabiyya
and teaching religious tolerance”.
The Resistance of Ethiopian Muslims to the Ahbashism Campaign
At the beginning, most of the
Ethiopian Muslims were not aware of the Ahbashism campaign. This is because
both the Majlis and the government authorities were deceiving the public in
their press conferences. They were saying “The government is working in close
contact with the Majlis to teach about religious tolerance”. However, when
local Muslim presses and foreign based Ethiopian Muslim radio stations (like
Radio Bilal) have brought the issue to the forefront, “Ahbash” became a
discussion agenda in the whole of the country. Since then, every group of the
Muslim Society (men, women, youth, students, scholars, journalists and many
others) are taking part in the resistance movement. I will discuss only the
main features of this resistance.
A.
Awakening Activities
1.
The press and Radio broadcasts
As I said
above, the Muslim oriented free press was the first to alert the Ethiopian
Muslims about the upcoming Ahbashism campaign. Starting from the first half of
the month of Ramadan, newspapers like “Salafiyya”, “Al-Quds”, “Al-Islam” etc
were discussing about Ahbash and the Mjlis orchestrated Ahbashism campaign. The
Radio Bilal (based in Minnesota, USA) has also warned the public about the
campaign at its early stage. However, the agenda had reached the climax
instantly when the August edition of the monthly magazine called “Ye Muslimoch
Guday” (the Muslims’ Affair) was suspended by intervention of the Majlis and
government authorities. Meanwhile, an Islamic internet site called “Nejashi”
was reportedly blocked in Ethiopia during the same time. (“Ye Muslimoch Guday”
magazine was later published and it had turned to be the best sold issue since
its foundation).
At the
start, with the exception of a pro-Majlis newspaper called “Ethio Muslim”, all Muslim
oriented press had the same stance against Ahbash, Majlis and the Ahbashism
campaign. However, from the month of December onwards, the newspaper called
“Al-Quds” (the oldest one but filled mostly by untrustworthy stories,
non-literary mythologies and self-exaggerations) has distanced itself from the
majority and started talking in favor of Majlis. Unconfirmed reports say that
the Majlis had bribed the editors of Al-Quds Newspaper. The rest of the presses
have continued denouncing the Ahbashism campaign until now.
Some Muslim
writers even extended their anti-Majlis and anti-Ahbash articles to the wider
private media. For example, many articles were published on “Awramba Times” and
“Fitih” newspapers and “Enquu” magazine.
The Majlis
has done its best to silence the press. For example, three journalists of “Ye
Muslimoch Guday” magazine were detained on false accusations of the Majlis.
However, they were released after four days without being charged for unknown
reason. The wide section of the public believes that they were released in
relatively short time because the government had feared the escalating anger of
the Muslim society.
Radio
broadcasts of foreign based Ethiopian Muslim community organizations have also
took their part in awakening the public against the Ahbashism campaign. These
include Bilal Radio, BBN (Badr Broadcasting Network) and Nejashi Radio.
2.
The Internet
Since the
time the Ahbashism campaign was launched, the Ethiopian Muslims are using
internet as a big weapon to move the public against Majlis and its plan to
enforce the Ahbash ideology on the mass. To this end, internet sites like www.badrethiopia.com , www.ethioislamicart.com , www.nejashionline.com etc… are shouting loudly for the rights of
Ethiopian Muslims. Blogs like www.notoahbashinethiopia.wordpress.com and www.ethiomuslims.blogs.com have been opened for the same purpose.
Non-Muslim owned networks like Addis Neger Online (www.addisnegeronline.com ) are reporting the Ahbashism campaign and
the resistance of the Muslims continuously.
3.
The Facebook
The most
effective and efficient cyber based activities of combating the Ahbashism
campaign have been executed on the leading social networking site called “facebook”
where many of the Ethiopian Muslims familiar with internet are expressing their
views and commitments to save Islam and Muslims in their country. Here, the
Muslims established groups (forums) and discuss each and every Ahbash related
moves of the Majlis and the government authorities. They share with their group
members news on any illegal activity aimed at empowering Ahbash that is happening
in their locality. They teach each other about the heresies and deviances of
the Ahbash cult. They undertake fierce arguments with the Ahbash members on
many topics. They even expose strange conspiracies circulating around the
Ahbash organization which is officially called “Association of Islamic
Charitable Projects”. For example, the young Muslims who founded a
facebook group called “Anti-Ahbash”- the United Voice of Ethiopian
Muslims on Hertic Groups” have exposed that Ahbash is a member of a
coalition formed by a huge Jewish Organization called “Anti-Defamation Leage”. The
list of the coalition members shows that “Al-Ahbash” is the only organization
calling itself “Islamic” but registered with many Jewish organizations (who
formed the coalition). Further, there are also gay and lesbian rights groups in
the coalition. (You can get access to the list on this link http://www.adl.org/philadelphia/coalition.asp)
The youth of
the facebook groups have exposed the crimes done by Majlis leadership against
the interest of the wide mass (example: they exposed an amazing letter written
to US embassy in Addis Ababa by Sheikh Elias Redman, the former Deputy President
of the Majlis). Further, due to their active attendances of the facebook
forums, they could turn the demonstrations of “Aweliya” students into a strong
mass movement of expressing opposition in a peaceful and legal way.
4.
Books and Audio Videos
Another
front of counter Ahbashism campaign was opened through literary works and
audio-visual productions. A book called “አሕባሽ ከየት ወደየት” (“Ahbash From where up to where”) was written by Ahmed Mohammed Sherif in
November. A documentary film called “Conspiracy Against Ethiopian Muslims”
was produced by an unnamed scholars and distributed free of charge. (Reports show that the documentary had
reached as far as Ilubabor in the western tip of Oromia region, Jijjiga in
Somali Region, and Asaita in Afar region).
On the other
hand, some audio productions were produced on the subject and distributed to
the society. And the video and audios are uploaded on internet networks like www.youtube.com, www.diretube.com, www.bilaltube.com etc…
5.
Da’wa Programs
Muslim
scholars and preachers arranged and undertook many Da’wa programs on the
deviances and heresies of Al-Ahbash and the constitutional rights of Ethiopian
Muslims. The Da’wa programs are still going on throughout the country.
6.
Social Clubs
The
aftermath of launching of Ahbashism campaign made many Muslims to group
themselves in small social clubs and held discussion on Ahbash, the rights of
Ethiopian Muslims, and the way to resist the Ahbashism campaign. Students use
their social group to produce and distribute different pamphlets to warn the
society against the beliefs and bad habits of Ahbash cult.
B.
Joint Counter Reactions
The Majlis
was able to impose its campaign in most of the regional states. However, the
Somali and Afar regional states didn’t recognize its stance as legal and
authoritative. The authorities of the Somali region event went to an extent of
detaining the regional Majlis leaders for corruption cases while the latter
were trying to undertake the Ahbashism campaign. Reports from the two regions
indicate that despite the instability of the areas, the authorities never
tolerated the attack on Islam and Muslims (the authorities themselves are
Muslims who share the feeling of the wider public in many ways if not all in
all). They have been resisting the Ahbashism campaign jointly with the Muslim
society. And still now, Majlis has no full control over its two unites of
Somali and Afar.
C.
On Spot Resistances
In the last
six months, whenever the Majlis and its adherents try to take possessions of
mosques and madrasa and install its Ahbash branded people in those
institutions, the local Muslim communities haven’t allowed them. They quickly
run out to the spots and protect the Majlis from snatching away their
properties. Reports show that the Majlis adherents couldn’t take the leadership
of any mosque and madrasa except those they had before the new Ahbashism campaign.
However, this had never happened without a cost. Many imams, scholars,
preachers and community leaders have been detained. Some of them are still
imprisoned at different places.
D.
Public Demonstrations
In the last
six months, Ethiopian Muslims living in different places had demonstrated
against the unjust actions of the government and Majlis. Some of them are
mentioned here
1. The
Demonstrations held in Washington DC in November: It was a very successful though the number
of participants was small.
2. The
Demonstrations of Aweliya Student:
When the Majlis had deposed the teachers and students of Aweliya Islamic
Institution, the students were very angry. They gathered themselves at once and
demanded the Majlis to allow their teachers and spiritual leaders back. They
demonstrated continuously for about a week. But thereafter, they decided not to
leave the compound of the institute unless they got satisfactory solution.
They passed three nights in the compound. On
the third day, which was a Friday, they were joined by a large mass of the
Muslim people. The Majlis, fearing the public rage, allowed the imam of the
mosque and the teachers back on their usual service. However, the incident had
laid a base for the biggest movement of the Muslims that had never been seen in
the last two decades. (Discussed below)
3. The
Demonstration of Dessie Muslims:
In the afternoon of January 23/2012, the Federal Majlis sent its delegates to
take control of the Zonal Majlis offices of Dessie and the “Shewa Ber Madrasa”.
Hearing that, the Muslim population gathered at once in the zonal Majlis and
shouted against the actions of the delegates. They clearly stated that they
won’t allow an imposition of any new ideology or unelected leadership on their
faith.
On the next day, they gathered in large mass
at the zonal Majlis office and then marched for a big demonstration in the
streets of the city against the Ahbashism campaign. Seeing this, the zonal
government authorities requested the Majlis delegates to lift up their demands
and return to where they came from.
E.
The Aweliya Movement
The
strongest of all anti-Ahbashism resistance movement is the peaceful public
demonstration being held weekly at Aweliya Islamic Institute . The start of the
movement was the small demonstration undertaken by Aweliya students about a
month ago. Now, it became a movement where about 100,000 Muslims pray the
mandatory Friday Prayer (Salatul Jum’a) together and speak against the
Ahbashism campaign in one voice. The participants come from every corner of the
city of Addis Ababa. And both genders (males and females) attend it in large
masses. The calls for the meetings have been done mostly on the aforementioned
facebook groups, the cell-phone sms services and social clubs.
In the last
three weeks, the public had exerted considerable effort to save their religious
right. Among the main activities conducted are
1. The petitioning against Majlis and its Ahbashism
policy (records show that over 40,000 people have petitioned until now).
2. The establishment of a provisional committee
of 16 people that will speak on the behalf of the Muslim public.
The committee had taken appointments from
different government authorities in the last week. But when it tried to present
the demand of the public on Wednesday, February 1/2012 (on the day of the
appointment), the Majlis had played a malicious game and delayed the meeting.
And it is postponed for 13/ 2012. (It was said that the Majlis leaders came to
the meeting place and said “It is wee who can represent the Ethiopian
Muslims so that we must be present on the meeting”).
Ubah Abdusalam, February 6/2012
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