ETHIOPIA: TRADITIONAL ISLAM UNDER THREAT ACCORDING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 002352

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL ET SA
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: TRADITIONAL ISLAM UNDER THREAT ACCORDING
TO SHEIKH

REF: ADDIS ABABA 02133

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Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Janet Wilgus for reasons 1.4 (b)&(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with Charge Huddleston,
prominent Ethiopian Muslim leader Sheikh Elias Redman
expressed grave concern about the growing Wahhabist influence
in Ethiopia, which he said threatens to undermine the
moderate Muslim stance of peaceful coexistence with
Christians. The Sheikh provided a number of examples
suggesting that hard-line voices supported by Saudi Arabia
are making inroads within the large Muslim population in
Ethiopia. He also shed light on the source of recent
protests in Addis Ababa by Muslims, which he blamed on
Wahhabist groups in the capital. Redman further noted that
the Saudi government had recently ended a special travel
arrangement for Hajj pilgrims which he said will undermine
the moderate Islamic Council leadership. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) On August 15, 2006, Charge, together with DCM,
Pol/Econ Counselor and Poloff, met with Sheikh Elias Redman,
the deputy chairman of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme
Council (EIASC). The EIASC was created in 1993 to
strengthen cooperation among Muslim leaders throughout
Ethiopia. It includes elected representatives on a woreda,
kebele, zonal, regional and federal level. The federal EIASC
approves all imams nominated to serve in any mosque in
Ethiopia. The current leadership was installed in 2002 with
support from the ruling party to better stem the tide of
growing Wahhabist influence and to preserve Ethiopian
Muslims' traditional tolerance.

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WAHHABIST INFLUENCE GROWING AMONG ETHIOPIAN MUSLIMS
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3. (C) Sheikh Elias said that the EIASC leadership is in
crisis due to a lack of funding. The EIASC normally gets a
large part of its operational budget from fees collected by
issuing special travel documents for Ethiopian pilgrims who
participate in the annual Hajj. Sheikh Elias recounted, that
this year, the EIASC planned to issue 18,000 travel documents
to Ethiopian pilgrims. However, the government of Saudi
Arabia decided that all Ethiopian visitors must have
passports. He said that many pilgrims, if required to file
for a passport on short notice, will not be able to make the
Hajj. Also, the EIASC will not collect fees and will run out
of money within a few months.


4. (C) The Sheikh stated that the complications with Saudi
travel documents are a part of a larger challenge that the
EIASC has in fending off the influence of extremist Wahhabist
views, which he stated are being propagated through the
cultural office of the Saudi Arabian embassy ("all roads lead
back to the Saudi cultural office"). He explained that
hardliners from Saudi Arabia are seeking to project their
religious beliefs on the traditionally moderate Ethiopian
Muslim population, and their efforts have increased
significantly during last few years. Ethiopian attempts to
stave off this influence have occasionally irritated Saudi
extremists. As an example, the Sheikh recalled that the
Saudi cultural office recently attempted to import a number
of conservative religious books for distribution to religious
schools throughout Ethiopia. The Ethiopian customs service
is required to review any imported religious material, and
these books were found to be "hardline" and prohibited from
entry. However, the Sheikh stated that this simply
aggravated the situation and other, more subtle means of
influence are still taking place. He said a number of
recently opened Saudi travel agencies are simply fronts for
Wahhabist &faith-based8 groups that are engaged in an
information offensive in an attempt to radicalize moderate
Muslims in Ethiopia.


5. (C) Redman also informed Charge that Muktar Kedir, the
Vice President of the Oromiya region (which has the largest
population of Muslims in Ethiopia),is colluding with Saudi
Wahhabists in this information campaign. Numerous Islamic
seminars taught by Wahhabist extremists from Saudi Arabia are
taking place throughout the region. Normally, the EIASC in
Oromiya would have to approve such gatherings, which the

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Sheikh said has not happened in this case. Rather, Muktar
has undermined the EIASC and has granted these groups
approval to organize gatherings. The Sheikh also reported
there is an armed extremist Muslim group that has attacked a
number of traditional mosques and imams in Western Oromiya.
However, he feels the GoE is keeping the situation under
wraps, so as to prevent "spreading a bad image."


6. (C) The Sheikh said that moderates like himself are
struggling to fend off the influence of extremists, partially
due to a lack of resources (particularly compared to that of
the Saudi backers of this campaign) as well as a lack of
support from the GoE. He charged that the influential
director of Middle East and Asia bureau at the MoFA, Mahdi
Ahmed Gadid, a former Ethiopian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia,
is pressing senior GoE officials to replace him and other
moderate EIASC leaders. This has led the Sheikh to seek (and
was granted) a meeting with Prime Minister Meles to ask for
assistance. He also requested that the USG use its good
relations with the Government of Saudi Arabia to request
officials to look into the matter of Wahhabist interference
in Ethiopia.

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WAHHABIST BEHIND ARAT KILO INCIDENTS
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7. (C) Sheikh Elias discussed the recent unrest in Addis
Ababa sparked by the destruction of a mosque in the central
area of Arat Kilo (reftel),saying what was reported in
newspapers was only partially correct. He explained the
property on which the mosque was to be constructed was
purchased by an individual who received money from a Saudi
NGO (an NGO is not legally able to purchase property) at Arat
Kilo. The property had contained a residence and a building
permit was granted to renovate the house. Regardless, the
new owner proceeded to illegally build a mosque and fence
around the original structure, which led to city officials
demolishing the newly built mosque. This resulted in large
scale demonstrations in Addis Ababa on three consecutive
Fridays. The largest clash took place on August 11, for
which police were called, resulting in a clash between
rock-throwing Muslim protestors and police. (NOTE: Only minor
injuries and no deaths were reported in this demonstration.
END NOTE) The Sheikh reported that, prior to the break-up of
the demonstration, some protestors were calling for PM Meles
Zenawi to step down and for the establishment of an Islamic
government.


8. (C) Sheikh Elias met with Addis Ababa Mayor Berhanu
Deressa to diffuse the issue. The mayor agreed to grant the
EIASC a larger tract of empty land on which to build a mosque
near Addis Ababa University, not far from the original site.
The Sheikh called for the community to relinquish the
property at Arat Kilo and to focus efforts towards building a
new mosque. The Sheikh reported that hardliners criticized
and blamed the EIASC for the destruction of the mosque.
Nevertheless, the Sheikh said that the wider Muslim community
was satisfied with the new grant of land and there have been
no reports of demonstrations since.

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COMMENT: BULWARK AGAINST EXTREMISM UNDER THREAT
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9. (C) Ethiopian Muslims have traditionally valued peaceful
coexistence with Orthodox Christians. The Sheikh fears that
if the movement by Wahhabists in Ethiopia were to gather
strength, it may disrupt the peaceful balance between the two
religions that has existed for several centuries. The EIASC
plays a significant role in preserving this commitment to
peaceful relations and avoidance of religious-based conflict
through its promotion of a moderate Islam to followers. Now
the EIASC finds itself under siege by well-funded hardliners
spreading fundamental Wahhabist messages in Ethiopia. It
will be difficult for poorly-funded local leaders to compete
for influence with the Saudi Arabian cultural affairs office
in Addis Ababa without more decisive GoE action to thwart
Wahhabists. It is also apparent that those intent on
discrediting the EIASC leadership are using an existing
fissure between the public and the Council as a result of the

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EIASC's close ties with the GoE.
WILGUS