This essay, in particular, is inspired by the tragic murder of sheik nur imam in wollo, ethiopia. Ethiopia has a long history of religious tolerance and its constitution protects freedom of religion or belief and provides for separation of religion and state. Language ethiopia is a multiethnic state with a great variety of languages spoken. Ethiopian orthodox church eoc, headed by patriarch abune merkorios, returned to the. Aug 28, 20 august 27, 20 addis ababa a national conference aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence and tolerance among religious groups in ethiopia kicked off on tuesday in the capital, addis ababa. The interreligious council of ethiopia was established in 2010. International religious freedom report 2009 the constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. Ethnic, linguistic, and regional identities often turned out. Potentials and challenges of religious tourism development.
They also met with the president of the ethiopian islamic affairs supreme council eiasc, the head of the catholic church in ethiopia, the chairperson of the inter religious council of ethiopia irce, and the head of external relations for. This past weekend a major religious clash took place in nigeria. Ethiopias problems do not originate from differences in theology. The ethiopian constitu tion protects freedom of religion or belief and provides for. Amharic is the working language of the federal government. Lalibela, a town in ethiopia, is one of the countrys leading tourism sites.
In the selfdescription of most ethiopians as well as in ethiopian studies, ethiopia is represented as a model of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in. Embassy officials attended some of the tria ls of muslims and met with. This study is about religious tolerance in south wollo. Potentials and challenges of religious tourism development in. Religion and social cohesion in ethiopia academic journals. Request pdf on may 15, 2017, mohammed dejen assen and others published religious tolerance in ethiopia. Before the introduction of any modern form of religions. And the times on line has also reported all the details here. Embassy representatives also met with the leaders from the eiasc, catholic church in ethiopia, irce, the jewish community, and eoc to discuss how these. Pluralism and religious diversity, social cohesion and. They also met with the president of the ethiopian islamic affairs supreme council eiasc, the head of the catholic church in ethiopia, the chairperson of the inter religious council of ethiopia irce, and the head of external relations for the ethiopian orthodox church eoc. Among these mainly abrahamic religions, the most numerous is christianity ethiopian orthodoxy, pentay, roman catholic totaling at 62. The church has long enjoyed a dominant role in the culture and politics of ethiopia, having served as the official religion of the ruling elite until the demise of the monarchy in.
Law and religion in ethiopia the evolution of a complex. It was certified by the ministry of federal affairs of ethiopia, and is represented at the federal, regional and district levels. The government generally respected religious freedom in practice. Religious demography the country has an area of 472,000 square miles and a population of 77 million. Inter religious council of ethiopia irce has been established by full consensus and collaboration of various religious institutions in 2010. Pdf critical discourse analysis on religious tolerance. Religious change and tension in ethiopia geocurrents.
Thus, ethiopia was known since ancient times as a land of peace and religious tolerance. Inter religious marriage and conversion are socially acceptable and there is an established tradition of religious organizations working together. The median is the middle number in a list of numbers sorted from highest to lowest. Ethiopia has a long history of religious tolerance and interreligious cooperation. Interreligious council of ethiopia irce has been established by full consensus and collaboration of various religious institutions in 2010. Managing religious conflict under the federal sysstem of ethiopia.
There is also a longstanding but small jewish community. Pdf the 20112014 controversies between the ethiopian government and. It discusses the ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity, which are significant distinguishing features of the. Most people in subsaharan africa now identify with either christianity or islam. The prime minister tries to pacify religious anger, yet again. All religions in the country intend to serve the spiritual and material needs of their followers and of the entire peoples of ethiopia. Religious leaders in ethiopia enjoy great trust and command the respect of the people. Mar 27, 20 the prime minister tries to pacify religious anger, yet again. Ethiopia united states commission on international.
In the urgency of the matter with respect to political stability in ethiopia, it is time for me to once again address the issue of religious and political tolerance in ethiopia. Sharia law has been adopted in various forms by many countries, ranging from a strict interpretation in saudi arabia and northern states of nigeria, to a relatively liberal interpretation in much of malaysia. Despite ethiopias wellknown religious tolerance, culture related acceptance issues and the growth of some evangelical churches have also led to some violence, especially as nonorthodox christians and muslims seek to gain equal economic and social status as. The two separate but concurrent incidents that had unfolded themselves in recent weeks in makalle and addis ababa are causes for concern with regard to religious tolerance and the meddling by the. The revolution inherent in ethiopias redefinition is too young to be assessed. Previous studies have invariably explained this widely known and written about problem in terms of religious differences. Ethiopias religious tolerance is a combination of peaceful. Holy trinity cathedral, an ethiopian orthodox church building in addis ababa. Their goal is to join hands and hearts around common interests at the national and sovereign level.
Therefore, this work is,to my belief,a valuable one in the contemporary world where conflicts and terrorism are being undertaken under the guise of religion. For many questions in this report, medians are shown to help readers see differences between muslim and christian subpopulations and general populations, or to highlight differences between subsaharan africa and other parts of the world. Conference on religious tolerance kicks off in ethiopian. Hundreds of christians were killed by muslims on a broad day light in the city of jos. The fourth section presents the principal policyrelevant recommendations emanating from the research. The country has also a long historical tradition of inter religious tolerance in which all religions live in peace and love. The federal democratic republic of ethiopia with a. August 27, 20 addis ababa a national conference aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence and tolerance among religious groups in ethiopia kicked.
Despite ethiopia s wellknown religious tolerance, culture related acceptance issues and the growth of some evangelical churches have also led to some violence, especially as nonorthodox christians and muslims seek to gain equal economic and social status as the traditionally privileged orthodox christians. One can derive comfort from the countryslong tradition of relative religious tolerance. Where entrenched political interests promote religious antagonism, it is up to the religious leaders to preach and teach tolerance. Inter religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in. Strengthen interculturalreligious dialogue to foster mutual understanding of heritage and the sharing of common values with a view to contributing towards social progress and social cohesion develop and implement policies and legal frameworks for the protection and safeguarding of ethiopias natural and cultural heritage.
Religious tolerance, tensions between orthodox christians and. The focus of this paper is on the political challenges of diversity in ethiopia. He is also recorded as having been severely intolerant of the religious beliefs and practices of pharisees and sadducees. A bibliography on christianity in ethiopia jon abbink introduction this bibliography intends to meet the need of researchers and students of christianity in ethiopia and africa to have a survey of the most important published materials on the subject in recent years. To the degree that traditionally the political outlook. Ethiopia is religious tolerance that exists among different religious groups. Over the centuries, the ethiopian common denominator has often proved stronger than her religious differences. Christianity was introduced to ethiopia in the 4th century, and the ethiopian orthodox church called tewahdo in ethiopia is one of the oldest organized christian bodies in the world. Development affairs, throughout the year for continued discussions on religious tolerance, radicalization, and ongoing reforms led by prime minister abiy. In this sense, religion makes man tolerant by promising the illusory compensation of heaven. Coming to our current time, adding to the longstanding heritage of peaceful coexistence, the question of religious freedom and equality has been further guaranteed by 1995 constitution of the the democratic federal republic of. Mar 11, 2010 ethiopia a role model country for religious tolerance.
This cluster synopsis focuses on pluralism and religious diversity, social cohesion and integration in europe, featuring projects funded under the 6th and 7th framework programmes for research. Jun 21, 20 ethiopia is currently undergoing a religious transformation that could be of major significance for the rapidly growing country of 91 million people. In my stay at addis ababa university, he was a memorable person for. Ethiopian mosque site offers model for religious tolerance. Inter religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in ethiopia.
The ethiopian religious site of teru sina, which features unique architectural characteristics, provides a successful model of religious tolerance with its opportunities for religious learning and socializing. Embassy representatives also met with the leaders from the eiasc, catholic church in ethiopia, inter religious council of ethiopia irce, and ethiopia orthodox church eoc to discuss how these groups could contribute to religious tolerance. In this conference, i will address how diversity of religion and beliefs were treated in the past governments and the new perspectivenew chapter about freedom of religion, equality and religious tolerance and coexistence in todays ethiopia. He even committed aggravated assault in the temple against people with whom he disagreed.
Interreligious marriage and conversion are socially acceptable and there is an established tradition of religious organizations working together. For centuries the territory that now constitutes the federal democratic republic of ethiopia was divided between an ethiopian orthodox christian core with a jewish minority, a sunni muslim zone in the east, and an animistindigenousfaith area. Ethiopia s religious tolerance is a combination of peaceful. The history of working together and tolerance among various religious institutions go back to the time of the first muslim refugees from mecca to ethiopia. Apr 15, 2010 most people in subsaharan africa now identify with either christianity or islam. The cluster addresses themes of central importance to europe, par. However, in 2011 the gov ernment made efforts to impose a particular islamic interpretation on. Ethiopia has a long history of religious tolerance and interreligious cooperation, and its constitution pro tects freedom of religion or belief and provides for sep aration of religion and state. Situated in the horn of africa, ethiopia is bordered by eritrea to the north, sudan to the west, kenya to the south, somalia to the east and djibouti to the northeast. The period 1434 1974 the period before 1434 the era of modern codified laws 19311974 written imperial constitutions the civil code of 1960 and other laws ii. However, in 2011 the gov ernment made efforts to impose a particular islamic interpretation on the countrys muslim community. Politics and religion in ethiopia a thesis presented to.
Ethiopia is a predominantly christian country and the majority of christians are orthodox tewahedo christians, who belong to the ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church. Ethiopian islam and the challenge of diversity core. Jesus sometimes promoted religious tolerance of nonjews by his words and actions. Ethiopia a role model country for religious tolerance. Plurality and religious tolerance in islam pdf paperity. Ethiopia is a country where all the ancient religions, christianity, islam, judaism, and animism are represented. Religions in ethiopia pewgrf global religious futures. Sharia law is intended to be only applicable to muslims. European scientific journal november 2016 edition vol. It is also well known on diversity of religion and beliefs. The exigency of religious and political toleration in. Government promotes religious pluralism through a variety of outreach efforts.
Explore the latest news and statistics on religion in ethiopia, including demographics, restrictions and more. The inter religious council of ethiopia was established in 2010. The main religions in ethiopia are christianity, islam, judaism and paganism. The federal democratic republic of ethiopia with a population. It covers various fields such as philology, religious studies. This book depicts how religious tolerance and tension gets worth in countries like ethiopia where its people have been renown for worshiping judaism, christianity, and islam since the remote past in harmony. Promoting peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance through supplementary reading materials simon barron 1998, is of the view that literacy plays a significant role in shaping our world in the religious and non religious worldviews and in influencing the relations between people and culture. Most ethiopians are christian, and the country has one of the oldest christian histories on earth, though islam predominates among certain ethnic groups along the sudanese and somalian borders.
Promoting peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance. Promoting peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance through supplementary reading materials simon barron 1998, is of the view that literacy plays a significant role in shaping our world in the religious and nonreligious worldviews and in influencing the relations between people and culture. Pdf critical discourse analysis on religious tolerance in. Religion in ethiopia consists of a number of faiths. Ethiopia is known for beliefs based on objective matters i.
The country has also a long historical tradition of interreligious tolerance in which all religions live in peace and love. Ethiopian government is working to maintain tolerance among christians. But everyday structures of coexistence and toleration i. Strengthen interculturalreligious dialogue to foster mutual understanding of heritage and the sharing of common values with a view to contributing towards social progress and social cohesion develop and implement policies and legal frameworks for the protection and. Government discusses religious freedom with the government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. The study were conducted in kutaber, alasha, sulula, haik, dessie, and kombolcha in south wollo zone. In may 2003, the ministry of federal affairs of ethiopia and the german development agency, giz then gtz invited religious scholars and leaders alike to attend for three days a conference on federalism, conflict and peace building in ethiopia. Mali, cameroon, tanzania, nigeria, and also ethio pia. Ethiopia international religious freedom report for 2015 united states department of state bureau of democracy, human rights, and labor ministry of federal and pastoralist affairs on religious tolerance and peace and security.
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