Abiy Ahmed hopes that his country will gain membership in the Arab League (French)
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on his country's citizens to learn the Arabic language, which he said he would demand to be taught in Ethiopian government schools, expressing his hope that Ethiopia would enter the League of Arab States "because it will benefit it."
During his meeting with the leaders of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Prime Minister said, “Categorizing Ethiopian Muslims as second-class citizens is an outdated matter,” stressing that his government “considers all Ethiopians as citizens with equal rights and duties, regardless of their religion.”
He said that his government “is proceeding on its reform path as a secular government, standing at the same distance from all religions, and granting them their due rights,” pointing to his government’s recognition of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and allowing the opening of Islamic banks, considering this “acquired rights of the Muslim community in Ethiopia, and it should not be To be thanked for it.”
Abiy Ahmed said, “Islam honored Ethiopia, beginning with the Messenger’s (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him) ordering his companions to emigrate to Abyssinia, secondly performing the first absentee prayer for the dead over the Negus king, thirdly making Umm Ayman the Abyssinian the Prophet’s custodian and nanny, and fourthly making Bilal al-Habashi the Messenger’s muezzin.” .
Abiy Ahmed continued that his government “granted the Muslim community more than 120 plots of land to build mosques, but this matter was not done in the desired manner,” referring to the large mosque that was built in Algeria. He said that this calls for joy, and added, “Oh Muslims, save money. And use it in building mosques, and build a large mosque that speaks about your numbers and the ancient history of Muslims.”
Abiy Ahmed called on the Muslims of Ethiopia to “contribute to the renaissance of society, achieve peace, and move away from religious fanaticism and overcome divisions.” He also appealed to the leaders of the Muslim community to raise awareness “to get rid of the scourge of abuse of the khat plant, because it has nothing to do with Islam or culture, and is destructive to their health and damaging.” "For money."
Arabic is a comprehensive language
Abiy Ahmed called on all Ethiopians to learn and master the Arabic language, and said, “The Arabic language has lost its right in Ethiopia, and it was considered the language of Muslims only, while Christians in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine speak it.” He expressed his regret for the Ethiopians not learning Arabic, and added, “This was It is like the harm we have suffered as a result of not learning the Arabic language.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister said, "Learning and teaching Arabic is a very important issue, and the best example of this is Negus, who spoke the Ge'ez and Arabic languages fluently," indicating that he will ask the Ministry of Education to make Arabic one of the languages taught in government schools.
He also urged all Ethiopians of all religions to learn the Arabic language “to expand their awareness and horizons, as it will bring many benefits to Ethiopia, and strengthen its cultural and social connection with the Arab world,” stressing that “what unites Ethiopia with the Arab world is more than what divides it, and that had it not been for the tectonic separation of the Red Sea, Ethiopia would have been Part of the Arab world.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister also expressed his hope that his country would gain membership in the Arab League, and said, "If Ethiopia were a member of the Arab League, or an observer member, it would be able to speak for itself, and not for others to speak on our behalf."
Ahmed called on “Muslims and Christians to take this matter into consideration because it restricts us from making others aware of us, and conveying our situations ourselves to others, and this raises the status of Ethiopia within the corridors of the Arab League.”
Source: Al Jazeera