Impacts of the Indoctrination campaign of al-ahbash group on the Ethiopian muslims A Study of Creed

Abstract

Impacts of the Indoctrination campaign of al-ahbash group on the Ethiopian muslims The Ethiopian Muslim community continuously protested, particularly between 2011 and 2013, a training program run jointly by the government and the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (EIASC) aimed at introducing ‘al-Ahbash’ religious philosophy. Protesters alleged that the government, concerned about religious-based violence and a rise of Salafism and Wahhabism in Ethiopia, brought in al-Ahbash clerics from Lebanon to train all Ethiopian clerics. The government’s decision in 2011 to close the Awolia College, the only Islamic College in the country also attracted protests. Following the protests, the government arrested several Muslims including the 17 EMAC members and the training continued. This study was conducted to assess the impacts of the government supported indoctrination campaign of al-Ahbash ideology. The findings indicated that Al-Ahbash had used support of the government and EIASC through forced training to the Ethiopian clerics, as well as in taking over mosques and Islamic schools from the Salafis. As a result, they have established themselves and introduced their creed as a separate sect in the country. Few people followed them in several areas of the country, including Oromia, Sourthern, and Somali Regions, as well as in Addis Ababa, Harar and Dire Dawa. Th majority of those who accepted their cread were the people who have limited knowledge about Islam and the young children who attended their education in Lebanon and in the country. They have also built some mosquest and some schools in several locations. However, they rarely preach their creed opendly and their followers do not identify themselves as al-Ahbash in many areas because of fear of descrimation as a retaliation to their forced indoctrination campaign since 2011. On the other hand, coercion and forced training of al-Ahbash has prompted resistance reactions and wired the Ethiopian Muslims in terms of preaching the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah wa Al-Jamaa’ah rather than acquiescing to the unfamiliar creed. They alleged the ideology of al-Ahbash as tremendously unorthodox which lessened its acceptance. LIST OF ACRONYMS C.E.: Christian Era EIASC: Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council EMAC: Ethiopian Muslims Arbitration Committee EPRDF: Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front h.no.: Hadith number IFLO: Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia MAPH: May Allah be Pleased with Him/Her MAPT: May Allah be Pleased with Them PBUH: Peace and Blessing be Upon Him SW: Subhanahuu wa ta’aalaa (Glorified and Exalted)