Addis Ababa -

The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Ethiopia succeeded in holding its general conference after frictions and conflicts between the Islamic currents in the country, especially the two main Salafi and Sufi currents, for nearly 3 years.

Last Monday, Addis Ababa witnessed the convening of the Second General Conference of Ethiopian Muslims, with the participation of 261 members out of 300 personalities who were accredited as representatives of the sectarian and intellectual currents in the country.

Islam is the second religion after Christianity in Ethiopia, and some estimates say that the proportion of Muslims constitute at least 33% of the country's population of about 115 million people.

But other estimates indicate that Muslims occupy a much higher population area.

They constitute a majority in the regions of Ethiopian Somalia and Afar, while they are present in small proportions in the regions of Amhara and Tigray.

The new leadership of the Islamic Council in Ethiopia came as a representative of the Salafi and Sufi movement together (Al-Jazeera)

Waiting step

Observers consider the election of a new leadership to the council an important step for the Muslims of Ethiopia, who rely on this institution to solve their issues at the local and foreign levels, as it is the official body that handles their affairs in light of security and political challenges in the Ethiopian arena.

The Ethiopian writer and political analyst in the affairs of the Horn of Africa, Abd al-Shakur Abd al-Samad, says that the election of a new leadership for the Islamic Council of Ethiopia is an expected step, albeit delayed, but in the right direction, and responds to the aspirations of the Muslim community in Ethiopia, even at a minimum.

Abdul Samad believes - in an interview with Al Jazeera Net - that the role of the new leadership of the Council will at this stage be constitutive and stabilizing for the Council as an institution that is expected to implement the internal documents and regulations that were agreed upon among the components of the Muslim community more than 3 years ago.

While Sheikh Abdul Karim Sheikh Badr Dan - Vice President of the Supreme Council of Muslims in Ethiopia within the new leadership - described the elections held by the Council as a historic and important step in achieving the interests of Muslims.

Badr Dan explained, in statements to Al-Jazeera Net, that the Council has the task of achieving the interests of Muslims and serving their issues, and many tasks and development projects, foremost of which is the construction of religious centers and institutions, mosques and the completion of previous projects.

The Council is expected to supervise the construction of the "Negash Mosque" near the headquarters of the African Union as the largest project in the Ethiopian capital, in addition to the establishment of an Islamic university.

Badr Dan added that strengthening the unity of the Muslim community and protecting its interests is one of the council's top priorities, stressing that the new leadership will be at the same distance from everyone.


Representation of different currents

For his part, the member of the General Assembly of the Council, Sheikh Abdul Hadi Ahmed Burhan, touched on the elections that the conference witnessed, and said that they were held in a peaceful and democratic atmosphere, and preserved the right of everyone in terms of representing regions, religious sects and currents.

Burhan explained to Al Jazeera Net that the council elections took place with the participation of 261 members out of 300 personalities who were approved as representatives of the Ethiopian regions - taking into account the sectarian and intellectual currents in the country - in the "National Conference on Institutional Reform and Unity for Ethiopian Muslims" held in 2019.

Thirty members were elected, and they were entrusted with the task of electing an Executive Committee of 14 members from among the 30 members of the General Assembly, for a term of 3 years.

The new council is headed by Sheikh Haji Ibrahim Tova (of the Salafi movement) as the head of the council's executive committee.

Sheikh Abdul Karim Sheikh Badrdan (from the Sufi movement) and Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abdul Wali were elected as Vice-Presidents, and Sheikh Hamid Musa as Secretary-General.

Muslims perform prayers in a mosque in the capital, Addis Ababa (Anatolia Agency)

After an important achievement

The elections for the new council came two years after the Ethiopian parliament ratified a decree granting the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Ethiopia a legal status, according to which it was transformed from a civil institution into a sovereign national body representing Muslims, which was considered an unprecedented achievement of demands that lasted about 6 decades.

The decision came in response to the demands of Muslims for the legislative adoption of a religious institution that organizes their lives, implements Islamic legislation, and guarantees their right to establish relations with various religious institutions and other societies.

However, writer Abdel Shakour Abdel Samad believes that the elections of the Council took on a greater impetus than the tasks awaiting his new leadership.

He said that it was given more than its normal size as if Muslims had no other issues with regard to politics, economics and administration.

According to Abdul-Samad, the council's role will be of service with regard to the Muslim community, organizing its affairs, and supervising the educational, cultural and educational field, and other organizational matters.

However, he "must have an audible voice regarding the political and security treatments and the country's main issues."

The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Ethiopia worked under the umbrella of independent bodies and organizations, and through it took care of Muslim affairs, before it was legalized by Parliament 2020, under which it became a sovereign Islamic religious institution, enacting laws and establishing institutions for Ethiopian Muslims.


Fears

The recent elections of the Council were preceded by quarrels between the various Islamic currents, but the member of the General Assembly of the new Council, Abdul Hadi Burhan, ruled out that they would have any impact on the work of the new leadership, and said that the Council would focus at this stage on bringing together the views of all Islamic sects and currents through A conciliation committee was recently established for this purpose.

However, writer Abdel Samad linked the harmony and consistency of the new leadership with its ability to dispel and address tensions between currents and other religious sects, "otherwise fears will remain," he said.

He explained that it is important to avoid sectarian ideological or ideological differences and partisanships, and for the council's leaders to be representative of all, speak on behalf of all, and address differences in their correct scientific and organizational framework.

Abdul Samad believes that the council's success in achieving this vision depends on the country's political conditions, the role of the authorities, and their non-interference in its affairs.

Ethiopian Muslims hold their first conference under official sponsorship in 2019 (Al-Jazeera)

Between Sufis and Salafis

The new leadership of the Council comes in light of complex security and political conditions in Ethiopia, where Muslims were not far from its influence.

The conference, which brought the new leadership, was held after rounds of polarization during the past months between the Sufi and Salafi currents, in their competition to take over the leadership of the Council, which represents the highest body of Muslims.

The Salafi movement movements demanded the election of a new leadership for the council after the previous leadership failed to achieve institutional reform, according to them.

While the Sufi movement accused her of seeking to control and neutralize the council through elections.