Tigray State Religious Institutions Decision Political or Offensive?

 Tigray State Religious Institutions Decision Political or Offensive?

Many have been displaced by fighting in the north of the country for the past 16 months. Millions of dollars worth of property was destroyed. Hundreds of thousands are exposed to food and medicine shortages.

Patriarch Abune Mathias of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

In addition to the human and material damage caused by the war, it is casting its shadow over religious institutions. A few weeks ago, Christian and Islamic leaders in the Tigray region announced their separation from the center's religious institutions.

Separation decision

Three weeks ago, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) announced that it had terminated its administrative relationship with the Archdiocese of Tigray and established a new church.

Following this, the Tigray Islamic Affairs Council, for its part, said it had severed ties with the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Council.

However, Haji Mohammed Siraj, a member of the Ulema Council and head of the Peace and Reconciliation Council of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Council, said it was inappropriate to say "we are divided."

"We are people of one country," he said. "They know the problem in Tigray is not a problem in the rest of Ethiopia," he told the BBC.

Dr. Tekalign Nega, a theology teacher at Addis Ababa University and the Ethiopian Postgraduate School of Theology and co-founder of the 'Partner' movement ', said the Tigray Council is continuing as it is organized at the regional level.

However, they argue that the structure of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church cannot be said to be primarily regional.

They argue that the actions of religious institutions are "politically motivated."

"In such a division, I think it is a very politically motivated decision because it is not limited to sitting through their representatives and openly discussing their differences with each other."

Patriarch Abune Mathias of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said in March 2021 that there were problems in various parts of the country.

The message was recorded by Professor Dennis Woodley of St. Fremantos College in the United States.

Neither the Holy Synod nor the Ethiopian Archdiocese has commented on the casualties, the loss of religious institutions and the laity.

Following the decision of the Tigrayan Patriarchs, the BBC repeatedly tried to get a response from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, but to no avail.

Complaint

The reason for the split between the Islamic and Orthodox Churches in Tigray is that federal religious institutions have not condemned the violence against the people and places of worship in Tigray.

"Peaceful Muslims, imams and ulama were killed during the war," Sheikh Adam Abdul Qadir, president of the Tigray Islamic Affairs Council, told VOA.

"Religious leaders do not fight with weapons. However, large numbers of Muslims have been killed. The Al-Najashi Mosque has been deliberately damaged. All this is known when there is a problem. We have told them our problem. But they do not understand."

As a result, relations with the Federal Council for Islamic Affairs have been severed.

Haji Mohammed Siraj, for his part, recalled that more than 110 mosques in Afar and North Wollo were damaged as a result of the fighting.

"This problem is hurting everyone. Many clerics and Qur'anic teachers have died. We say this is our own conflict. We do not support the militants here or there. We are talking about bloodshed, property destruction and religious institutions."

Kemal Mohammed Yassin, a devout Muslim in the United Arab Emirates, said he believed the council's action was "correct but not justified."

"It is enough to read the reports to find out the damage done to the region as a result of the war.

Haji Mohammed Siraj, however, has repeatedly stated that there is no need for war.

".... We don't know why they say that. "

Dr. Tekalign, for his part, argues that the implications of these decisions are contradictory, citing the lack of a new article of faith [Articles of Faith] created by these faith-loving families.

"When you go through the crisis, you have to stand with the person who is hurting us in a direct or indirect way. I think we have resentment in this matter. "I think their grievances are expressed."

Politics and religion

In November 2021, Mohammed Girma, author of Understanding Religion and Society in Ethiopia and a professor at Rohampton University, said: "Religion once saved Ethiopia; What will it do to save the country from collapse? ' He argues that Ethiopia's social and political crisis stems from the moral collapse of religious institutions.

The article, published by the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace and World Relations, criticizes "religious groups are responsible for the loss of moral compass in society because they cannot be a source of peace and reconciliation."

He said the church government was hurting civilians and that other priests were supporting the government.

"This indicates that religious institutions are in a state of crisis," he said.

For his part, Dr. Tekalign Nega said, "It is a time when we are all in pain. At this time, we all want the voice to be heard.

Abba Sereke-Berhan Woldesamuel, a former head of education and training at the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, now a minister at St. Mary's Church in Melbourne, Australia, said the decision was "a betrayal" of the people of Tigray.

"The leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Holy Synod, who is in charge of protecting my sheep, should have condemned and opposed what was happening in Tigray. But the people are sad and the priests are sad," he said.

For his part, Haji Mohammed, a member of the Ulama Council of the Islamic Affairs of Ethiopia and head of the Peace and Reconciliation Sector, said:

According to Kemal, a follower of Islam, the Tigray Islamic Affairs Council and Ethiopia have been criticized for "making it a political tool" due to political mistakes.

However, he said that in the face of persecution in Islam, there are three things to be expected of the believer and the institution.

He said he felt "standing with the victim, exposing the abuse, and disgusting what is being done if not possible. But our federal leaders are on the opposite side."

"Sooner or later, our people will disappear. But sooner or later, racism is spreading, we are losing our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. People are dying from all directions;

"We believe that Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Oromia are our brothers and sisters who are being displaced and suffering. We need to condemn this," said Haji Mohammed.

According to Dr. Tekalign, there is no condemnation of the abuse of religious families and the failure to provide the necessary support. "It is not a religious process," he said.

"It is not clear why the accused party did not respond. We hear the blame is coming from all [federal and state] levels. They add.

Upcoming Concerns

Girma Mohammed said there was a need for change in religious institutions, adding that they needed to be united and free from political pressure.

Dr. Tekalign said political stability must first be found to resolve the differences between the state and federal religious institutions. "If future politics create peace, trust and coexistence, it will not be difficult to reconcile those who are divided," he said.

"If the policy is correct, religious institutions will cry out to each other, say we have done wrong, and I think it will be corrected because they can fall under the other foot and apologize," he said.