recent islamic periodicals in ethiopia (1996-1998)

Recent Islamic Periodicals in Ethiopia (1996-1998)Author(s): Hussein AhmedSource: Northeast African Studies, New Series, Vol. 5, No. 2 (1998), pp. 7-21Published by: Michigan State University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41931160 .

Accessed: 18/06/2014 02:33

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

Michigan State University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toNortheast African Studies.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 188.72.126.55 on Wed, 18 Jun 2014 02:33:49 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=msupress

http://www.jstor.org/stable/41931160?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


Recent Islamic Periodicals in Ethiopia

(1996-1998) Hussein Ahmed Addis Ababa University/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

On 21 February 1995, in and around the Anwar Mosque in Addis Ababa, a vio- lent clash between the police and supporters of the then second vice-chairman of the Ethiopian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs,1 on the one hand, and those of a newly formed reorganizing committee, on the other, led to a number of deaths and the arrest of some 40 members of the Muslim elite.2 The incident

produced a sense of trauma and shock among the Muslim residents of the city, and a number of Islamic periodicals that had been circulating since 1991 ceased

publication for nearly a year.3 However, beginning from late 1995 and early 1996, there appeared about eight private tabloids and a magazine, all published in Amharic and covering a wide range of religious subjects and secular issues relevant to Islam in the country. It is the contention of this paper that the pro- duction and circulation of these publications was not only an indication of the further growth and development of a distinctly Islamic press in Amharic, but also an integral part of a wider phenomenon: the religious and cultural revival of Islam led by Ethiopian Muslim intellectuals and followed by the larger com-

munity, an event responding both to the post-1991 social and political transfor- mation unfolding in the country and to developments taking shape in the contemporary Muslim world. One of the most significant themes addressed by the periodicals has been the necessity of enhancing religious consciousness and deepening understanding of and knowledge about Islam through the discussion and analysis of matters related to faith and practice.

The principal aim of this study is to demonstrate and document the close relation between the periodicals' output and Islam's religious/cultural revival in

® Northeast African Studies (ISSN 0740-9133) Vol. 5, No. 2 (New Series) 1998, pp. 7-21



8 Hussein Ahmed

Ethiopia through a discussion of the major themes and issues covered by two Islamic newspapers and a magazine circulating in Addis Ababa: Hikma (Wisdom), al -Hijâb (the Veil) and Hijra (Emigration). While Hayát (Life), Hilál (Crescent) and Ikhlás (Sincere Devotion) still appear, the publication of

al-Hijáb has, at the time of writing, discontinued temporarily, and the other weeklies such as al-Kawthar (the Abúndance), Ihsán (Beneficence) and Baraka (Benediction) have ceased publication altogether.4 A review of books published in the period with which this paper is concerned, although significant in its own right and quite relevant to the topic under discussion, has not been

attempted here owing to space and time limitations.5 The present study is based on a summary and short analysis of the contents of selected issues of the two

newspapers and the magazine, and on interviews with the newspapers' editors.

The Background : The Revival of Islam and Islamic

Literature 6

In the aftermath of the fall of Ethiopia's military regime in May 1991, favor- able conditions were created for the implementation of the principle of press freedom and the exercise of the right of unrestricted expression of ideas in the media. The Ethiopian Muslim community benefited from the situation by participating in peaceful demonstrations calling for the redress of past wrongs. They demanded the right to organize, full equality before the law, freedom of

assembly and expression, and an end to censorship. The government duly rec-

ognized these legitimate rights and lifted several restrictions that had been

imposed on the Muslim community by the previous imperial and military regimes, such as the ban on the import of Islamic publications, including the

Qur'án, and a severe reduction in the number of pilgrims traveling to the holy places of Islam.

The establishment of a number of private printing firms, which not only imported and distributed Islamic literature but also produced and marketed their own productions, was a direct outcome of the liberal policy of the new government. The revival of Islam manifested itself in the intensification of religious fer- vor; rising awareness of Islamic identity and solidarity; increased construction of mosques and schools; higher attendance of prayers in mosques, especially on

Fridays and during the principal Islamic festivals; more active participation in



Recent Islamic Periodicals in Ethiopia (1 996-1998 ) 9

public discussions, lectures and seminars; and a sharp and unprecedented rise in the number of pilgrims travelling to Mecca and Medina.

From 1991 onwards, for the first time in the history of the country, new Islamic periodicals began to be published. Many books in Arabic were either translated or adapted into Amharic. Among the monthly magazines, the earliest and most widely-read was Bilál7 published by the Najáshí private enter-

prise. It appeared regularly for most of the period of its existence. Its contributors included leading scholars well-versed in the Islamic sciences, prominent members of the Ethiopian Muslim community, and representatives of the modern-educated elite who had lived and studied for many years at insti- tutions of higher learning in neighboring Muslim countries such as Egypt, the

Sudan, the Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Bilál published articles and commentaries both in Amharic and Arabic on sundry historical and contemporary topics; a series of short pieces on the early contacts between Islam and Ethiopia; reports on the election to the Ethiopia Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs; Muslim

demonstrations; biographical sketches and obituaries of distinguished Muslim

scholars; and articles in defense of Islamic dogma and practices in response to unfavorable and hostile views on Islam and Muslims expressed by non-Muslims in other Ethiopian publications.

The translation of a number of Arabic printed texts marked a major mile- stone in the development of Islamic literature. The selections included: al- Násih al-amín IVl-banát wa'l-banín (The Trustworthy Counselor for Girls and

Boys) by the Saudi scholar, Muhammad al-Sáyim; ma' a al-Hijra ilá al-habasha

(With the Hijra to Abyssinia) by an Egyptian writer, Mahmud Shákir; 'allimú awládakum muhabba al-Bayt al-Nabiyy (Educate Your Children: Love for the

Family of the House of the Prophet), by Muhammad Abduh Yamání; a biography of Khadija (d. 619), the Prophet Muhammad's first wife, entitled al-Sayida Khadija: Umm al-Mu'minin (Lady Khadija: Mother of the Believers), by Abd al-Hámid Mahmud Tahmáz; the second volume of the Amharic translation of the treatise of Imám Muhyí Din al-Nawawí.8 Riyád al-Sálihín (The Meadow of the Worthy Ancestors); and al-mustaqbal li hadhá 'l-din (The Future of this

Religion) by Sayyid Qutb Ibráhím Husayn al-Shádhilí (1906-1966), "literary critic, poet, Islamic thinker, and Egypt's most famous activist of the twentieth

century."9 The Islamic Dďwa (Call) and Cultural Organization sponsored the



1 0 Hussein Ahmed

publication of a treatise of the Saudi grand mufti, Shaykh Abd al- 'Aziz b. Abdalláh b. Báz (d. 13 May 1999), al-durús al-muhimma li'amma al-umma

(Important Lessons for the Generality of the Community), while Abd al- Rahmán Rafat al-Báshá's Hayát al-Sahâba (Life of the [Prophet Muhammad's] Companions) was translated and published by the Najáshí printing firm in 1995/96. 10

Hikma

Hikma, the first Islamic newspaper in Ethiopia,11 has been published by the 'Izz al-Din private enterprise since January 1996 under the editorship of its pro- prietor, Tzz al-Din Muhammad Abd al-Rahmán.

The first ten issues of Hikma came out fortnightly. Beginning from the eleventh issue, however, it became a weekly newspaper. So far, nearly 60 issues have appeared, covering the period from January 1996 to April 1998.

According to 'Izz al-Din12 the choice of the title was inspired by verse 25 of Súrat al-Nahl of the Qur'án: "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord, with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best . . ,"13 The

objectives of Hikma are to:

resolve differences and promote unity and solidarity among Muslims; combat anti-Islamic propaganda as reflected in a number of booklets written recently by Christian polemicists; enhance Muslim and non-Muslim

understanding of the tenets and practices of Islam; demonstrate that Islam is a religion of peace, and not of confrontation; enable Muslims to defend Islam and their rights; and reveal and analyze the root causes of the weak- nesses and shortcomings of Islamic organizations.14

The first issue of Hikma f24 Terr 1989 Ethiopian Calendar = 1 February 1997) covered the following subjects: the recovery from illness of the renowned Indian/South African dá'í , Shaykh Ahmed Deedat;15 the dismissal of the vice- chairman of Region 14 (Addis Ababa) Supreme Council; Ramadán; the right of Muslim women to affection and love; and a critical report on the activities of the national Supreme Council. The second number (30 Terr = 7 February) included a report on the expulsion of three members of the national pilgrimage committee on charges of having solicited and received bribes; the departure of



Recent Islamic Periodicals in Ethiopia (1996-1998 ) 11

8,000 Muslims for Saudi Arabia to perform the ' umra (the lesser pilgrimage); the impending reorganization of the council of Ethiopian

' ulamá Islam in China; and the observance of 'Í d al-Fitr (the festival marking the end of the Islamic fasting month).

The third issue of the newspaper (14 Yakkátit = 21 February) carried an article by Hikma 'Ali, a regular contributor, on a plan to convert a group of Muslims to Christianity based on a recent book; and a call for the release of the

Ethiopian Muslims who had been arrested and jailed after the February 1995 incident at the central mosque in Addis Ababa. In the fourth number (28 Yakkátit = 7 March), there appeared a commentary on a seminar held on marriage, certification of childhood and the transfer of collective property of spouses, which had failed to take into account the position of the Sharťa on these issues; a piece on the problems encountered in the election of a deputy imám for the Anwar Mosque; and another on pilgrimage. The principal issues treated in the fifth issue (12 Maggábit = 21 March) were the role that the former Supreme Council allegedly played in denying Shaykh Ahmed Deedat an

entry permit for Ethiopia, and a note by Shaykh Muhammad Abd al-Núr, a judge of the Sharťa court, on the obligation to comply with the Sharťa in matters relating to private and social behavior and actions of Muslims.

The sixth issue (26 Maggábit = 4 April) carried the second part of the report on the controversy surrounding the election of the deputy imám of the Anwar Mosque, while the seventh special number (8 Miyázyá =16 April) included a discussion of 'id al-Adha (the Sacrificial Festival). In issue No. 8 (17 Miyázyá = 25 April), an author called on the Ethiopian Women Lawyers' Association to take the Sharťa into consideration in its seminar deliberations, while another writer challenged the validity of the assumption that Muslims who do not drink alcohol are fundamentalists. The ninth issue (1 Genbot = 9 May) covered the protest of Ethiopian Muslim women against those who proposed a revision of the Sharťa and carried a report on the reaction to the outcome of the election for the post of the deputy imám. No. 10 (16 Genbot = 24 May) reported on the election of a new president in the Islamic Republic of Iran and its repercussions there, the ban on observing the daily Muslim ritual prayers by Muslim students of a high school in Addis Ababa; the fear expressed by Ethiopian Muslim female students over the introduction of school uniforms



12 Hussein Ahmed

which might interfere with the wearing of the hijáb; and the decline of religious devotion among the Muslim residents of the town of Kombolchá in the South Wallo administrative zone, based on a contribution by Sayf Alláh Muhammad.

Issue No. 11 (22 Genbot = 30 May) published a statement made by the Kombolchá chapter of the Islamic Council in response to Sayf Alláh's report, while No. 12 (29 Genbot = 6 June) carried an interview with, and a biographical note on, al-Hájj 'Umar Idris, a contemporary religious scholar from Wallo. The same issue also included a short biographical account of Imám Khomeini, and a list of his 24 major published treatises appeared in the 13th issue (6 Sané = 13 June). In No. 15 (20 Sané = 27 June) the main subjects treated were the

deep concern expressed by Ethiopian Muslim students and civil servants over the incongruence between the Friday prayer tune and government office hours, and the holding of an Islamic exhibition under the auspices of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Addis Ababa. No. 18 (11 Hamlé = 18 July) reported on the Mawlid (celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad), which was observed at the Makánisá Mosque in the presence of the Iranian cultural counselor. The interview with Supreme Council chairman, Shaykh Abd al-Rahmán Husayn, and secretary-general, 'Abd al-Razzáq Muhammad

appeared in the 19th (2 Nahasé = 8 August) and 20th (9 Nahasé =15 August) issues respectively.

In No. 29 (2 Maskaram 1990 E.C. = 12 September 1997), a report on the oldest mosque of Addis Ababa, named after Walé Muhammad Abd al-Karim, an Indian Muslim, was published. In No. 37 (19 Hedor = 28 November), the

following topics were covered: the importance of reciting the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'án during prayers; the problems of the Awwaliyya Islamic School; the contribution of Islamic art to da'wa (written by Dáwud 'Uthmán, resident in Saudi Arabia); the Muslim community of Gondar; un-Islamic practices such as the mixing of young boys and girls observed during Mawlid cele- brations in the Gurágé zone; traditional sorcerers; and an interview with Dáwúd. In No. 38 (26 Hedár = 5 December) the merits of keeping the fast during Ramadán, the impact of Iran's qualifying for the World Cup football tour- nament on discrediting the world-wide anti-Islamic forces, and the seventh-century migration of a group of the Prophet Muhammad's followers to Aksum were discussed in some detail.



Recent Islamic Periodicals in Ethiopia ( 1996-1998 ) 13

The first of a series of short accounts on the life and career of Shaykh 'ísá Hamza of Qatbaré, a renowned Gurágé religious leader, appeared in the 40th issue (10 Tâhsás = 19 December), while the second and third parts were published in the issues of 17 Táhsás (=26 December) and 1 Terr (= 9 January 1998). Articles on Najásh (ruler of Aksum at the time of the Prophet) appeared in the issues of 24 and 28 Táhsás (=2 and 6 January) and those of 1, 5, 11, 22 and 29 Terr ( = 9, 13, 19, 30 January and 6 February). In the issue dated 15 Terr ( = 23 January) the first of several letters appeared, with others published sub- sequently, on the conflict over the question of the invocation of the names of deceased saints as a means of securing divine favor and succor ( tawassul [fer- vent plea], istighátha [appeal for aid], shifá'a [intercession] and tawajjuh [patronage].) There was also an article on zakát (alms, tax) written by al-Hájj Muhammad Walé Ahmad, a contemporary Ethiopian 'álim (scholar).

A report on an exhibition organized by the Iranian Embassy in which a com- puter display of translations of the Qur'án in six languages was the most important feature appeared in the 29 Terr ( = 6 February) issue, and the first part of Hikma Alfs translation of Sayyid Qutb's commentary on the three verses of Súrat al-Asr was also published in the same issue.

No. 52 (13 Yakkátit = 20 February) covered a wide range of topics: an account of Bilál b. Rabáh and other prominent Muslims of Ethiopian ancestry; the disavowal of the Talibans' policy by a number of Muslim countries (based on a report published in al-Balágha, a South African Islamic newspaper); Clinton's recent intransigence towards Iraq designed to divert attention from a domestic scandal; and a comment on the concept of Islamic fundamentalism. In the next issue (20 Yakkátit = 27 February), a note on Shaykh Abd al-Majid al- Zandání, news of the arrest of three Ethiopians in Jeddah accused of brewing alcoholic drinks, and the renewal of the fatwá (formal legal opinion) against Salmán Rushdí by the Iranian parliament were reported.

In issue No. 53 (27 Yakkátit - 6 March), a statement from the Muslim youths of Gondar concerning the distinction between tawhid (monotheism) and shirk (polytheism) noted that one form of the latter was seeking the intercession of dead persons. The second part, published in the issue of 4 Maggabit = 13 March), asserted that visits to the shrines of saints constitute a reprehensible innovation. In a letter published in the same number, Khadir Husayn, an



14 Hussein Ahmed

Ethiopian student at the University of San'á' in Yemen, called upon his co-reli-

gionists back home to settle their differences through free discussion and in a

spirit of brotherhood. The 55th issue (11 Maggâbit = 20 March) contained the first part of a crit-

ical commentary on an anti-Islamic tract published by one Masmara Salamon, a member of a non-Orthodox Christian denomination.16 The second and third

parts appeared in subsequent issues (Nos. 56 and 57). In No. 58 (2 Migázgá =

10 April), articles dealing with the hájj (pilgrimage) and the reasons for the

change of the qibla (the direction of the ritual prayers) to the Ka'ba in Mecca were published. An Amharic translation of the text of the Iranian spiritual leader, Áyátulláh al-'Uzmá Sayid Ali al-Husayní Khamenei's message of good- will to pilgrims on the occasion of the year's 'íd al-Adhá which he delivered on 3 Dhú ' l-Hijja al-Haram (=9 May 1997), was also printed.

Al-Hijab

Al-Hijáb, the first Islamic fortnightly (and later weekly) newspaper exclu-

sively concerned with feminist issues, has been published since October 1997

by the Máriya private publishing firm. Its editor is Máriya Qadi Abbá Fitá, according to whom al-HijáV s objectives are to:

address Muslim feminist issues, refute the assertion that Islam oppresses women and publicize and condemn the ban on the wearing of the hijab imposed by some government and private schools, and to demonstrate that women in Islam are treated with more deference than men; and to disseminate religious knowledge among and through women.17

The first number (6 Teqemt 1990 E.C. = 16 October 1997) carried a statement made by a female Muslim law graduate on the obligation of wearing the

veil; the resolution of a Muslim women's association, founded on 17 Maskaram

( = 27 September), upholding the Sharťa and its recognition of women's rights; an article on Khadija (Prophet Muhammad's first wife) and Sumayya (maid- servant of Abú Hudhayfa al-Makhzúmí. son of 'Utba, who fell at the Battle of Badr in 624); and the status of the waqf (pious endowment) of Abbá Jifár II

(r. 1875-1934) in Mecca. In the second issue (20 Teqemt = 30 October) there

appeared a strongly-worded article which condemned the prohibition of the



Recent Islamic Periodicals in Ethiopia (1996-1998) 15

hijâb; another on Abd al-Qádir al-Jilání;18 an interview with Asmá' Khadir, the author of the article on the veil cited earlier; and the second part of the account on Khadija. No. 3 (4 Hedár = 13 November) printed a further protestation against the ban on female students' wearing the hijâb in Addis Ababa, Walliso and Jimmá; a report on charges of corruption against the staff of the Saudi

Embassy's visa section; and the third part of the biography of Khadija. The fourth number (18 Hedár = 27 November) carried a note on the Mťráj

(the Prophet's Ascension to Heaven); a report about Muhammad Badru, a

prodigious five-year-old Ethiopian who mastered the Qur'án; an article on

Asmá', the mother of Abdalláh b. al-Zubayr.19 The fifth issue (2 Tâhsás = 11 December) published a report on the Najáshí symposium held at Maqalé to commemorate the first hijra to Aksum; an article by Hikma 'Ali on the pre- Islamic custom by which women, upon the deaths of their husbands, were inherited by their brother-in-laws; and a piece on 'Aisha.20 An account of

Zaynab (d. 640), the second favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammad was

printed in the sixth issue (16 Tâhsás = 25 December). The seventh number (23 Tâhsás = 1 January 1998) carried a headline story calling upon Muslim

girls not to loiter around the city, but rather to head straight home after the late

evening prayers. ( al-taráwíh ) during Ramadán . In No. 8 (30 Tâhsás = 8

January), Ethiopian Muslim scholars were urged to rise from their long slum- ber and to undertake research on the history and culture of their correligion- ists. There were also short pieces on Umm Salama (wife of the Prophet Muhammad and daughter of Abú Umayya b. al-Mughira), and fasting in Islam. In No. 9 (14 Terr = 22 January), there was an article on Umm Ayman (nurse of the Prophet), while the tenth issue (26 Terr = 3 February) carried a strong statement condemning the national television program on the occasion of the

year's 'id al-Fitr, a screening that was dominated by a musical show and a danc-

ing performance. The last issue, the 11th (3 Yakkátit = 10 February) printed an article on the life of Rábi'a al-'Adawiyya (ca. 717-801), a famous mystic and saint from Basra.21

Hijra Published under the auspices of the Ethiopian Supreme Council for Islamic

Affairs since July/ August 1997, Hijra has filled the gap left by the discontinuation



1 6 Hussein Ahmed

of Bilál, the private monthly magazine. In fact there is a striking similarity in

format, layout and type of topics covered by the two periodicals. The first three issues of Hijra were edited by Awwal Rattá Hamza.22 A new editor, Abdalláh Muhammad Ali, was appointed with the fourth issue, although the name of the first editor is wrongly mentioned in the Arabic section. Since the inception of the magazine, there has been no change in the membership of the editorial

board, one of whose members is Abd al-Razzáq Muhammad, Secretary-General of the recently-reorganized Supreme Council. Although Hijra was intended as a

monthly publication, in the nine months since July/ August 1997 only four issues have appeared.

In the maiden issue, the first piece was, appropriately enough, an Amharic translation of and commentary on Súrat al-Fátiha of the Qur'án. Under the

heading "The Prophetic Sunna the merits of benevolence and generosity towards one's neighbor based on the standard works of Hadtih, were expounded. A column entitled If tá' (deliverance of formal legal opinions) included questions and answers on the necessity of ablution prior to du'á' (invocation of God), the

prohibition against dyeing gray hair, the obligation of a deceased person's family to settle his debts, and divorce in Islam. In the section on the family, the advice

given by the prophet Luqman to his son was discussed. There is also an interview with Abd al-Razzáq concerning the background to the formation of the current Supreme Council, its activities, and manpower and material resources. Ádam Muhammad Abbá Mechu's translation of Ahmad Bahjat's piece on the sons of Ádam and the crow was published in this issue. There is also a brief account on the conversation between Heraclius the Byzantine emperor, and Abú

Sufyán,23 written by Ali Dhú 'l-Faqar (apparently a pen-name). Then comes Ahmad Muhammad's article on the Ka'ba based on Lings' work on the

Prophet.24 A significant innovation is a glossary of 17 Arabic terms ( ikhlás , istiqama [uprightness], taqwa [piety], wali [saint], mujiza [Prophetic mira-

cle], etc.) and their meanings in Amharic. There are items of local and for-

eign news, and a discussion of the value of sabr (patience) based on Qur'ánic quotations.

In issue No. 2 of Hijra, the merits of regular recitation of the Qur'án are

explained. Also included are a section of letters from readers; Sálim Rajabí's article on faith; questions and answers dealing with religious themes; Faruq



Recent Islamic Periodicals in Ethiopia (1996-1998) 1 7

Samar al-Dín's discussion on motherhood in Islam; the second part of the interview with Abd al-Razzáq; Ádam Muhammad's piece on the camel of Sálih (a prophet sent to the Arab Banú Thamúd); a biographical note on Khadija; Zubayr SaYá' s account on the Muslim emigration to Aksum; the second part of Ahmad Muhammad's study of the Ka'ba ; a glossary of Islamic words; a report on the July 1997 symposium organized by the Supreme Council; news items; and an Arabic version of the interview with 'Abd al-Razzáq.

In the third issue, verse 185 of Súrat al-Baqara , concerned with Ramadán , was analyzed, while another section described, based on the Hadith, the conditions which compel a Muslim to break his fast. Sálim Rajabí explained the merits of reading the Qur'án during the fasting month, and questions about Ramadán were answered in the Iftá' section. There was also a short piece on Islam and science contributed by Abú Bakr Ridwán and an interview with al-

Hájj Nur Músá, the current chairman of Region 14's Supreme Council. Násir Muhammad wrote an interesting article on non-economic factors for underde-

velopment: illiteracy, lack of public initiative, and the economic and social conditions in the country, characterized by low agricultural productivity, a small per capita income and high unemployment. He noted that Ethiopian Muslims, who constitute a third [sic] of the total population, were long prevented from owning land and participating in national affairs. The former Supreme Council had failed to solve the most outstanding problems faced by Muslims because of the weakness of its organizational structure and incompetent and corrupt leader-

ship. It was also used by political leaders and some of its own members for their own selfish private gains. Islamic relief organizations had not been active in

assisting the Muslim community in education, health and other sectors of devel-

opment, while non-Muslim organizations had missionary motives and tended to use relief as an instrument for converting local Muslims to Christianity.

Husayn 'Ali wrote on Islam and medical ethics, and a biographical account of Hind bint 'Utba, wife of the Umayyad Abú Sufyán, also appeared in the third issue. Ahmad Muhammad's third piece on the Ka'ba was published, as was a report on the Najáshí symposium which was jointly organized by the Islamic Supreme Council of the Tegráy regional state and the national

Supreme Council and attended by religious scholars and the ambassadors of

Libya, Nigeria, Iran, Gabon, Djibouti and Turkey. According to the report, the



18 Hussein Ahmed

ambassadors emphasized the fact that they were familiar with the tradition about al-Najáshí Ashama.25 The Iranian ambassador, in particular, noted that he had learned about the tradition in a high school course on Islamic history.

News items included a meeting between the Supreme Council representatives and twelve Muslim ambassadors based in Addis Ababa; a visit of a

Supreme Council delegation to the Gulf states; participation of the Council in a local conference on AIDS; its donation to Ethiopian Somali victims of a severe

flood; a competition on the recitation and commentary of the Quťán; the

departure of Muslim scholarship students to Egypt and Saudi Arabia; and the visit of Louis Farrakhan to Ethiopia. There was also a brief description of the six canonical collections of Hadith.

The fourth and latest issue of Hijra included a detailed discussion of the

Hájj; Sa'áda Shuqayťs piece on the rituals performed before and during pilgrimage; questions about prayers and sacrifices offered at festivals; an interview with the chairman of the Addis Ababa Muslim Youth Association; and an article on war and peace in Islam by Abdalláh Muhammad Ali that was adapted from a World Muslim League journal. Another contribution, by Husayn Ali, dealt with war and marriage in Islam, based on a translation of Hámid ťAbd al-

Hayy' s work. In the same issue the following pieces were also published: the fourth part of Ahmad Muhammad's account of the Ka'ba ; a short poem on

Furqán (the Quťán) by Awwal Rattá; the second part of the Amharic text of a

speech delivered by the Supreme Council chairman, Shaykh Abd al-Rahmán

Husayn; the Muslim emigration to Aksum (a full Arabic translation was

included);26 and local news items on the formation of a national association of Muslim scholars, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the beginning of the renovation work on the Anwar Mosque.

Conclusion

The present study has argued that the beginning of Islamic periodicals, which

published the views, commentaries and articles of primarily urban-based

Ethiopian Muslims, was a manifestation of the general reawakening and revival of Islam in the country. This was reflected in the diversity and breadth of the issues that were addressed by the contributors and were of timely and contemporary relevance to the Muslim community at large. Out of the 75 pieces published




in Hïkma , a third dealt with matters relating to religious faith and practices, while the remaining two-thirds were concerned with the activities of the

Supreme Council, history, foreign news, social practices and biographies. It is worth noting that the articles on Islamic organizations were highly critical of the

leadership, especially that of the Supreme Council and its organs. They also raised broader national issues such as the release of Jailed Ethiopian Muslims.

Al-Hijáb's focus was on biographical accounts of prominent and pious women in Islam and on the protection of Muslim women's rights such as the wearing of the Islamic veil, and the maintenance of Islamic morality. Hijra covered issues of faith and practice: divorce, fasting and pilgrimage. It also published articles on the Supreme Council which were in tune with the official line and biographical sketches of and interviews with local Muslim leaders. Hence the three periodicals show some divergence in terms of the constituency of their readership, the- matic focus and approaches, with Hïkma appealing to the wider public and critical in its analysis of both local and national issues and events, el-Hijáb addressing women and defending their rights, and Hijra seeking the attention of the elite and adopting an official stance. The first two periodicals also shared four features in common: the enhancement of religious knowledge about Islam and its history in Ethiopia; criticism of existing religious organizations (e.g., the Supreme Council, the pilgrimage committee, mosque administration) and the leadership; a call for a thorough reform of their institutional structures, objectives and working practices; and the defense of Islam against internally gener- ated and inspired polemics.

Collectively, the contributions published in the three Islamic periodicals reviewed in the present study are both enlightening and revealing. Most are restatements of what is already known, but some do throw new light on rela- tively little-known aspects and issues. Above all they attempted to go into the roots of current problems affecting the Muslim community and suggested new interpretations and solutions in light of contemporary developments. They also demonstrate the growing participation of sections of the Muslim community in discussions of important local and national issues, and serve as outlets for the articulation of grievances and discontent; in short, they reflect the broad awak- ening of religious and communal consciousness and the sense of national and cultural identity.



20 Hussein Ahmed

Notes An earlier version of this paper was read at the Second International Congress on Imám Khomeini and the Revival of Religious Thought which was held in Tehran from 1 to 3 June 1998.

1. The Ethiopian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs al-Majlis al-A'la li'l-shu'ún ai- Islámica) is the highest organization of the country's Muslim community. Its gen- esis and tortuous history deserve a separate study.

2. This was extensively reported and commented upon by the local media at the time. All but a handful of those arrested and jailed for more than two years were released in late 1997.

3. It is only fair to say here that these publications went out of circulation not by a force majeure but because of the perceived apprehension of a government crack- down and a seemingly declining market.

4. Informant: 'Izz al-Din Muhammad, editor of Hikma (15 March 1998 J . 5. For the earlier period, see my "Islamic Literature and Religious Revival in Ethiopia

(1991-1994)," Islam et Sociétés au Sud du Sahara 12 (1998): 89-109. For a contextu- alized analysis, see Tim Carmichael, "Contemporary Ethiopian Discourse on Islamic History: the Politics of Historical Representation," Islam et Sociétés au Sud du Sahara 10 (1996): 169-86.

6. For a brief survey of Muslim literature, see Hussein Ahmed's "Islamic Literature in Ethiopia: A Brief Overview," Ethiopian Journal of Languages and Literature 8 (1998): 25-37.

7. Named after Bilal b. Rabah, an Ethiopian born m Mecca who became the muezzin of the Prophet Muhammad and died in 640. See E. van Donzel comp., Islamic Desk Reference (Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill, 1994), 53.

8. (1233-1277), a Sháfi'i jurist and compiler of Prophetic Traditions. 9. John L. Esposito, ed., The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, vol. 3

(New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), 400. 10. For a fuller and more detailed review of the literature of the period, see Hussein

Ahmed, "Current Trends in Islamic Literature in Ethiopia (1995-96)," paper pre- sented at the Fourth International Conference on the History of Ethiopian Art, Trieste (Italy), 24-27 September 1996; forthcoming in the conference proceedings.

11. A claim made by the publisher in all the issues of Hikma . However, there were a couple of newspapers which had flourished since 1993, such as Najãshí and al- Manár.

12. Informant: 'Izz al-Din Muhammad (12 April 1998). 13. "ad'u ilá sabüi rahhika hi'l-hikma wa'l-maw'iza hasana wajádilhum bïllatihiya

ahsan ..." 14. Informant: 'Izz al-Dín 15. For the most recent study of the life and career of the man, see Samadla Sadouni,

"Le minoritaire sud-africain Ahmed Deedat, une figure originale de la da'wa " Islam et Sociétés au Sud du Sahara 12 (1998): 149-70.




16. Entitled Yedras Lamuslim Waganoché [May it reach my Muslim compatriots] (Addis- Ababa, 1998). At about the same time, a one-time university lecturer, Alamáyyahu Mogas, published a polemical work under the title Lamen Alsallamhum? [Why I did not convert to Islam] (Addis Ababa, Maßßäbit 1990 = March/ April 1998).

17. Informant: Máriya Qádí Abbá Fitá (16 April 1998). 18. [1076-1166), a Hanbali theologian and preacher, and founder of the earliest mysti-

cal order named after him: the Qádiriyya. 19. (624-692). A leader of a revolt, together with Husayn, the Prophet's grandson,

against, the Umayyad caliph, Yazid (r. 680-683). In al-Zubayr died in the course of the siege of Mecca during the reign of AJbd al-Malik b. Marwán (r. 685-705).

20. (ca 614-678). A daughter of Caliph Abú Bakr al-Siddiq (r. 632-634) and the favorite wife of the Prophet.

21. For a brief account of her life, see Philip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs , 10th ed. (London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press Ltd, 1970), 439.

22. A prolific translator of Arabic works into Amharic, then working for the Hirá' publishing house.

23. Died ca. 653. A prominent Meccan merchant and chief of the Quraysh tribe, Abú Sufyán was the father of Mu'áwiya, the first ruler and founder of the Umayyad dynasty.

24. Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (London: George Allen & Unwin and the Islamic Texts Society, 1983).

25. According to Arabic sources, the Aksumite king who protected the Muslim refugees from Mecca.

26. For a detailed study, see Hussein Ahmed, "Aksum in Muslim Historical Traditions," Journal of Ethiopian Studies 29, no. 2 (1997): 47-66.



recent islamic periodicals in ethiopia (1996-1998)

Documents