October 1, 2021: How is Ethiopia able to Maintain Its History of Tolerance and Acceptance While Other Nations with Similar Histories and Demographics Do Not?, by Andrew Strahan
Introduction
Ethiopia is one of the most interesting cases of religious tolerance and coexistence between religious groups. There are three main religious groups in Ethiopia and each group is coalesced around different legends that congeal support and offer a sort of “divine influence” mentality; meaning that each group believes it is destined to be there by their god’s will. In particular, the Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, governs in this manner. The groups, however, have a long history of working together and offering refuge and support for one another. They respect one another because of their mutual systems of faith, despite their differences.
Main Religious Groups
There are three groups that make up the overwhelming majority of religions in Ethiopia. There are the Orthodox Christians, the Muslims, and the Protestant Christians. The Orthodox are one of the strictest sects in the world. They are extremely conservative and devout. They are one of the only Orthodox countries that reside outside of Eastern Europe. The Muslims are the second largest group. In contrast to the Christians, their numbers have stayed relatively the same over time. They are largely tolerant and well immersed into society. The Protestant Christians are the fastest growing however, still the smallest group. They have found kinship within the government of Abiy Ahmed and have used that relationship to advance their ministry.
Legends/Lore of the Groups
Muslims: It is believed that the prophet Muhammad sent refugees to the horn of Africa. Depending on who you ask, the exact location is either Sudan or Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Muslims strongly argue for the latter. The refugees were followers of Muhammad and were fleeing the governing tribe of Mecca sometime in the 6th/7th century. They were fleeing due to the persecution of Muhammad’s followers. The King, Negus, took them in and protected them from the tribe. This idea pushes the theory that Ethiopia is a land of acceptance and renewal. In addition, Harar, the Ethiopian Holy Muslim City, is actually the 4th most holy place in all Islam. It’s known in Africa as “Africa’s Mecca.”
Orthodox Christians: According to legend, the Ark of the Covenant (which is home to the ten commandments, given by God to Moses) is actually under guard in Aksum, a city in northern Ethiopia. The ark is believed by Christians to have been brought to Aksum by Menelik, the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon of Israel. This was after Jerusalem was sacked and Solomon’s temple destroyed in 586/587 BCE. It has since been guarded by a succession of monks who are forbidden until death to leave the church grounds. Aksum is a holy city of sorts to the Orthodox.
Protestant Christians: The Protestants believe that Martin Luther actually built the Protestant Reformation from the shoulders of the Christian Ethiopian Church. It is believed that he took inspiration from, what he considered, to be the first, true Christian Church. He thought that Ethiopia represented a nation where non-Europeans could engage in faith, without fear. He saw the nation as an example. Reports do show that Luther did meet with Ethiopian clerics but not necessarily that the meetings resulted into what we now know as the Reformation.
Conflicts
The three groups do not have a history of intense conflict with one another. Rather, they have conflict within their own sects and they have conflicts with small, independent groups.
Muslims: Extremist Islamic groups are trying to gain influence. The leaders align more closely with moderate forces. This has begun to create a loss of legitimacy in Muslim youth as they see their leaders take weak stances on big issues. The greatest threat comes from outlying nations such as Somalia and Eritrea that host strong terrorist groups. Despite a large Christian population and Protestant president, Muslims are not really marginalized. Recently, attacks on Mosques have stoked some intense backlash. In 2019, 4 attacks destroyed mosques in the Amhara region and included intense damage to Muslim-owned business. Abiy Ahmed came out strongly against these attacks and quickly rounded up the perpetrators saying that the attacks were, “attempts by extremists to break down our rich history of religious tolerance and coexistence”. Some reports argue that religion was a small factor in the attacks but almost everyone agrees it was more a dispute over ethnicity and territory.
Protestants: The protestants have gained power rapidly over the past few years, largely attributed to the protestant Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. His own religious belief as well as the close knit cadre of advisors have quickly built up institutions that favor the protestant church. In effect, as the protestant church gets bigger, the orthodox church gets smaller.
Orthodox: The orthodox, on the other hand, still outnumber all other religions. They account for the second largest orthodox population within a state, second only to Russia. They are highly conservative, even more so than their counterparts in Eastern Europe. The Orthodox faith was once the national identity of Ethiopia. Conflict has arisen recently regarding the building of a mosque in the city of Aksum. Only about 10% of the people there are Muslim, 85% orthodox. Aksum is also the site of a controversy right now while Muslims push mosques to be built and the orthodox oppose them.
Today
If Africa has been seen in the news recently, it has been more than likely a discussion of the crisis in Tigray. This crisis is ongoing, complicated, and no one knows exactly what’s going on. The humanitarian crisis in the Northeast, Tigray region, is not necessarily a conflict of religion. If anything, it shows the solidarity that different groups have. The president has invested a great deal to support the Amhara people who are mostly Orthodox despite his strong protestant background. In addition, 99% of Tigrayans are Orthodox Christians. His decisions addressing the conflict have been largely influenced by his faith but not discriminatory towards a religion. While it may be disappointing to not have a clear answer on this crisis, it is reassuring to know that religion isn’t always the reason for conflict.
Andrew Strahan, MA Security Policy Studies at The George Washington University
