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9. Religion in Ethiopia

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9. Religion in Ethiopia GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia) 9. Religion in Ethiopia Summary Curriculum Links-A level Religion Ethiopia today is a predominantly Christian country, despite statistics Tourism being unclear on the exact numbers. According to the 2007 census, over The impact of development 32 million people or 43.5% were reported to be Ethiopian Orthodox Cultural diffusion and erosion Christians, over 25 million or 33.9% were reported to be Muslim, just Managing cultural issues under 18 million, or 20.6%, were Protestant, and just under two million The role of FBOs and IGOs or 2.6% adhered to traditional beliefs. Ethiopia has close historical ties to Development aid and the record of all three of the world's major Abrahamic religions and apart from one success period in the first part of the 15th century, relations between Christianity, Islam and Judaism have been good. Key Words The influence and role of religion on development is evident from the changing role of Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) in Ethiopia. The four Abrahamic religions main FBOs currently working in the country are the Ethiopian Evangelical Ethiopian Orthodox Church Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC), Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat (ECS) and the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (ELASC). Other FBOs such as the UK based Tear Fund add to this array of development NGOs. Questions to consider It has been argued that religious tourism is the oldest form of tourism in 1. Examine the opportunities and costs the world. It is probably also Ethiopia’s most underdeveloped tourism of developing Gishan Mariam as a major sector. Very few international tourists visit the many religious sites for tourist site. religious reasons; most visit to wonder at the architectural beauty of the buildings or to gaze at the religious ceremonies without actually taking 2. How important are Faith Based part. The bulk of religious tourists are, therefore, domestic and the sites Organisations (FBOs) to Ethiopia’s remain undeveloped. development. 3. Carry out an internet search to find a UK Faith Based Organisation such as Tear Fund that works in Ethiopia. What are its main aims and what kinds of development work does it carry out? 4. Should the Ethiopian government relax the 2009 regulations governing what NGOs can do in the country? 1 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia) Figure 1. A funeral taking place at the Lalibela Rock Temples. The priest is sheltering under the blue umbrella and prayers are being read. [August 2013] ©Dr Kevin Cook Background information provided by Study Tour participant Laura Jane Ward Religion and Ethiopia: Background Information Religion is an important key to understanding the structure of present-day Ethiopian society. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have all influenced the development of Ethiopia and all have been involved in development ‘agendas’ in the 20th and 21st centuries; Christianity in particular. Most Ethiopians accept a version of their history that starts with Noah’s great-grandson, Ethiopic, settling in what is now Ethiopia. His son founded a dynasty of rulers that lasted between 52 and 97 generations; the last being Queen Makeda in the 10th/11th centuries BC. Known to Westerners as the Queen of Sheba, she had a son with King Solomon called Menelik who converted to Judaism at the age of 22 on a visit to Jerusalem. On his return to Ethiopia, his mother abdicated and Menelik took the throne and this Solomonic dynasty ruled Ethiopia almost continuously until 1974 when Haile Selassie was overthrown. While historians disagree with the accuracy of this account, there are over 30 references to Ethiopia in the Old Testament and Jewish influences can be seen in aspects of different cultures in Ethiopia. Indeed, Ethiopia still has an indigenous Judaic community today. The official religion of the Ethiopian empire became Christianity in AD 337-340 with Axum becoming, and still retaining, its position as the centre of Ethiopian Christianity. The increasing isolation of Ethiopia between AD 750 and 1270 allowed the Ethiopian Church to become the cohesive institution it is today. A physical manifestation of this is the 30 rock-hewn churches that Ethiopia is famous for as most date from this period. For several centuries following AD 615, when several of Muhhammad’s followers fled to Axum for protection, there was an uneasy peace 2 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia) between the Islamic world and Christian Ethiopia. The Muslim faith quickly spread throughout the Somali and Afar territories and the southern highlands and until the 16th century, the relationship between Muslims and Christians in Ethiopia remained amiable. However, in 1528, the Muslim leader, Gragn took control of Harar in the eastern highlands and began annual raids on the Christian highlands during the Lent fast. In 1543, with the assistance of the Portuguese, Emperor Galawdewo killed Gragn and defeated his army. The long period of fighting had drained the resources of both Christians and Muslims and the resulting mix of followers of Judaism, Islam and Christianity has since characterised Ethiopia. The damage in terms of towns, churches and monasteries destroyed by Ahmad Gragn has never been forgotten and children are still being informed of this period of Ethiopian religious history. Ethiopia is, however, today a predominantly Christian country, despite statistics being unclear on the exact numbers. The influence and role of the religion on development is evident in its recent history. Christianity had retained close relations with the ruling imperial leaders after the Christian-Muslim wars and, by the period 1889 to 1974, the Ethiopian Empire and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church had become virtually inseparable. The politics and ideologies of modern Ethiopia have been shaped by Orthodox Christianity. Development and the Role of Religion The close links between religion and the state have led to a clear role within Ethiopia’s development for Christian faith-based organisations (FBOs). Emperor Haile Selassie I, who came to power in 1916, embarked on a modernisation process with education as a major priority. FBOs were highly valued by the Emperor and played a pivotal role in education and health services. In 1944, the role of mission organisations was acknowledged in an official decree and this, together with the strengthening relationship with the international community, led to NGOs (with Christian links) such as the Ethiopian Red Cross, the Boy Scouts Association and the Womens’ Welfare Association appearing in Ethiopia between 1950 and 1960. Such organisations were, however, limited in scope and were confined to the cities. The fall of the Imperial regime as a result of the 1974 Revolution changed the political, social and economic environment in Ethiopia. Religious institutions and faith based organisations faced oppression and persecution including imprisonment and the killing of religious leaders. This limited the involvement of FBOs until the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front came to power in 1994. The reform measures and liberalisation policies brought in by this government opened up opportunities for a wide range of NGOs, including FBOs, to work in Ethiopia. Important changes took place in 2009 when legislation relating to the Figure 2. The 13th century church of St Registration and Regulation of Charities and Societies (CSP) was George at Lalibela. introduced. This has severely restricted the work of NGOs and FBOs throughout the country. Many observers have argued that the law An idea of the scale can be obtained from violates international standards relating to the freedom of association. the person at ground level. It also restricts NGOs that receive more than 10% of their financing [August 2013] ©Dr Kevin Cook from foreign sources and prohibits them from engaging in essentially all human rights and advocacy activities; areas seen as the core work of many FBOs. 3 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia) Faith-based organisations (FBOs) and development projects in Ethiopia today Faith Based Organisations are considered to have high potential for reaching out to large numbers at a grassroots level because the Ethiopian population is a largely religious people. Religious leaders often have a credibility and legitimacy within local communities far greater than that of government officials and this enables them to facilitate development successes. Collaboration between religious leaders and FBOs is regarded as important for achieving development successes and this collaboration has taken place in various forms. Religious leaders have been involved as community educators, as a voice in peace building processes, as messengers and as facilitators of community dialogues. The four main FBOs currently working in Ethiopia are the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC), the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat (ECS) and the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (ELASC). The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) is currently involved in integrated rural development projects connected to HIV awareness, improving food security, supporting community self-help efforts and environmental protection. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has been a major contributor in the education sector, serving the Ministry of Education. Other areas include rural water supply, access road construction, prevention of HIV and sanitation and health. Established in 1965, the Ethiopian Catholic
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