Tigray Muslims Sever Ties with Ethiopia Islamic Body

On Feb 15, 2022

The Tigray region’s top Islamic council has severed ties with the country’s umbrella body – the Ethiopia’s Islamic Affairs Council.

This comes days after Tigray’s Orthodox religious leaders “announced they had cut ties with the Ethiopian Orthodox church to establish their own synod.”

Muslim leaders say they took the decision due to the failure of the country’s Islamic body to denounce the war that’s been raging on since 2020.

The council cited the attacks on one of its holiest sites, Al Nejashi mosque, which was shelled and damaged in the early months of the conflict.

The mosque is believed to have been built in the 7th Century by the ‘first Muslims to migrate to Africa’ during the time of Prophet Muhammad.

Analysts say “the religious splinters mark a significant chapter in the conflict in a country where more than 40% of the population identify as belonging to the Orthodox faith, while Muslims account for about 34%.”

The Orthodox Tewahodo Church has the largest following in Ethiopia and has massive influence in both the social and political spheres of the country.

BBC /Shakirat Sadiq