By Helen Epstein
Today, Western nations give $3.5 billion a year in aid to Ethiopia, most of it for health care projects, food aid, and other development programs. Of this, the US alone provides roughly $700 million—an amount that has quintupled in the past decade, even as the nation’s human rights record has deteriorated to the point that Freedom House now designates it one of the least free countries in the world. The Ethiopian government has rigged elections, taken control of the economy, and outlawed virtually all independent media and human rights activity in the country—including work related to women and children’s rights, good governance, and conflict resolution. Thousands of political prisoners languish behind bars and dozens of editors, journalists, judges, lawyers, and academics have been forced into exile.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Hailemariam Desalegn and Birhane Gebrekrstos, in Addis Ababa, June 14, 2011 (Photo Reuters)
But when Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died last summer, then-US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice praised him as a personal friend and a “talented and vital leader.” When she remarked that “he had little patience for fools, or ‘idiots,’ as he liked to call them,” some in the opposition believed she was referring to them—and approving Meles’s sentiments. Rice’s support for authoritarian leaders in Africa was highlighted by critics who opposed—and ultimately derailed—her nomination to be secretary of state. Click here to read more
Helen Epstein, born from Jewish people. Jews are the famous assassins of muslim people. What is she going to tell us her Jew families regarding Islam ?
She forgot to mention her Jewish people non stop killing of Muslims. Her trash report will not help to show the world the Jewish innocence.
Abdullah al-Harari happened to be an Ethiopian muslim scholar who founded the teaching & leading of al-ahbash in the 1980s inside lebanon. Eventough, Abdullah al-Harari is born in Ethiopia & founded al-ahbash, there is nothing to do with al-ahbash & Ethiopia.
Ethiopia can’t deny the al-ahbash way or other sect of Islam teaching/belief to be practiced/worshiped as long as it is safe for the people of Ethiopia.
You are saying the Ethiopia government is Christian Government who restrict the practice of Islam, on the other hand you said this government is importing, forcing muslims in ethiopia to follow AHBASH!
Is it Ethiopia who import/force/divide/teach Islamic religion as Sufi,Salafi,ahbash,shiaa,…….declaring Jihad, suicide bombing,…………………………….
Of course, Ethiopia is not like other Islamic states where muslim people kill each other based on their islamic religious views differences or force/kill other religion followers & this kind of thing will never be practiced, entertained inside Ethiopia.
Ethiopia said No for all kinds of bad religious practices:
No Extremism !
No Terrorism !
No Jihad !
No Suicide Bombing !
you are smart enough only to understand writers last name is jewish, but the rest of your comment don’t have any subustance. jewish killing Muslims, alhabash scholar who is born in ethiopia, ethiopia imported sufi, salafi…, no to extrimisem, terrorisem… what a non-sense!!!
Morons like you are forcing the country into a major unrest and unstablity. it might be helpful if re-read the article and comment on it again.
DEDEB!!!Dave
Ethiopia review put the same post with the title Obama’s militarist policy toward Africa (New York Book Review)
and you put it as it feet you.
this i call twisted journalism
Reality about Ethiopia:
The right western alley on terrorism. You can get people inside & abroad, islamic states, enemies of ethiopia who didn’t like this anti-terrorism alliance & they can’t stop it.
Ethiopia isn’t a country who suppressed Islam, anti-terrorism alley because of the mentioned amount of Aid flowing from westerners
Ethiopia is a country where One sect of Islam Salafi, Sufi, Shiaa, Ahbash, Sunni based religious view imported from source/sponsored by islamic states & forced to practice by favouring sh aria law, using religious based government…
Ethiopia isn’t like other islamic state/country where people based on their world wide islamic religion issue can make protest, burn anything in front of USA,Israel or any Western Embassy
A country free from:
Religious Extremism
Religious Terrorism
Religious based Suicide Bombing/killing/burning
If what you want isn’t accepted, entertained by the government or people of ethiopia, DIE Hard !
Ethiopia’s culture, tradition, ethics of religion, and religious social value have been gone way farther than it’s docterne.It is not only in Islamic religion,this experience also contaminating the entire Mahibere Qidusan of Orthodox who are calling themselves the people who are engaged for marriage with God. Islams calling themselves as true believers and the others as infidels. So, what is the difference between ALQAEDA group and our Muslims and Orthodox. After long term religious plan, are they going to fight in the land of Ethiopia when they won this government? Are they worshiping their God or are they preaching politics to take over power? The way Islam in Ethiopia was very nice and coolly. Today what made them stupid jerk? Don’t worry we are not sleeping.”Anbesa tegnito fiyel zelelchiw; Awuqo beyasalifat mogn aregechiw?”
In London England the trained and oriented little diaqonat who had cross on their front head who are tribally motivated and agitated by their fake priest to insult the entire Tigrian wonderful people(who respect everybody’s believes) in the church. They already ready to capture them on video which almost all diaqonat are carring video camera and exposed their own ignorance and their rant mentality to the world. What kind of government going to come in the future? Before all, we have to get rid of all fanatics whether Christian or Islam from the country.
I am neutral humanbeing religiouswise but respect all religions in as much as they take care of their follower’s spiritual welfare.
By the way, is not this religion being labeled as imported in fact an indigeneos Ethiopian religion from the eastern part of Ethiopia, the city of Harar? Can the two accomodate each other and live together in unity within diversity?
I never really paid attention to the so called oppposition until Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s passing . I am always for an alternate leadership if needed as long the other side have a better agenda than the modern day oppositions who are hell bent on HATE . after reading the likes of Ethiopian Review , Ethiomedia , Almayehu gebre mariam Abbebe Gelaw and etc …
I have come to the conclussion to agree with the late prime Minister not all but majority of the opposition are really a bunch of ” FOOLS & IDIOTS “.
As for Awramba , I am begining to sense that it is on the right track , don’t be afraid to tell the truth and be POSSITIVE regardless ..
good luck .
Comedy, Republican Senator John McCain couldn’t care less about Black Africa…He derailed Secretary Susan Rice’s nomination for his own anti-Obama agenda.
Deported Imams were Wahhabi clerics, alien to Ethiopia’s moderate Islam…If you miss them, follow them to Yemen & Saudi Arabia.
Now hurry up and delete this post.
Helen, are you American? who are you? we do not mess in your countries affaires and why are you meddling in our affaires? I said to you get lost. If you are concerned about the alms you give us, then never give us and go away with it. Go to Somalia and respect human right. Go to Saudi Arabia and respect human right and religions right. you barbaric racist. I tell you get lose. Mind your business.I do not under why this whitish thing they have tell us what to do. We must address our problems ourselves. We do not need your rights and activism. Get lost, racist
Helen Epstein
I am sorry to read such narratives from a journalist of your caliber. As a credible journalist You failed to exhaustively examine the case.
I would say, there are no facts, only interpretations
Helen Epstein, are you talking about Islam in Ethiopia? you blood sucker ! you need to solve your problems between you & the muslims in the middle east!
Tell your people to return the stolen Land of the palestine! we know you you are all about money!
Fucker stay away from our affairs!
(copy paste from my comment on the original paper)
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I demand Helen Epstein to read the extensive scientific paper published by Cambridge University Press, Mustafa Kabha and Haggai Erlich, “Al-Ahbash and Wahhabiyya: Interpretations of Islam”, Source: International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 38, No. 4 (Nov., 2006), pp. 519-538. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41…
The Al-Ahbash philosophy is not an imported Islamic version to Ethiopia. The story of the contemporary rivalry between al-Ahbash and the Wahhabiyya has its roots in the Ethiopian town of Harar, the old capital of Islam in the horn of Africa. It was started centuries ago in Ethiopia by Ethiopian scholar. It has been part of us ever since, its a story we should be proud of and protect it. Its this ideology that kept the great people of Ethiopia together – both Muslims and Christians. Through time the dynamics has changed a lot with the deliberate effort made by oil rich Saudi Arabia who couldn’t stand Ethiopian great contribution to the philosophy of Islam. This is a century old burning friction between Al-Ahbash and Wahhabiyya.
I don’t think a lot of my Muslim brothers and sisters are aware about this facts. I really request all interested on the subject to read this important piece of academic paper, based on well researched historic facts. Its just painful to see a public health expert and a self proclaimed religious historian named Helen, trashing the facts – they say ‘yalawaqi sami nift yileqeliqal’.
Disclaimer – I do not support any government involvement in any religious matters. It should be kept to the individual.
Anti Ethiopia entities trying hijack Islam in Ethiopia to their own use , power hungry , zero sum politician , Christian extremist tried to use Islam to satisfy their power hunger as well! But remember! This is Ethiopia , therefore it uses its own way to go forward!
Abebual, these individuals who bark everywhere didn’t dare to face the truth you wrote, because they don’t have any truth except hate politics!
Abebual, thank you for the lesson you gave! I read the link & I got the truth about al Ahbash! The sheikh who organized the Al Ahbash is amounted to the great king Al Negashi !
Thank you very much for the lesson once again!