ADDIS ABABA: A new United States report on religious freedom in Ethiopia has heightened tension between the country's Muslim population and the government, even as Islamic Council elections were had in recent weeks that put hope forward for change in the status quo antagonism between the government and Islam in the East African country. For days, the fall-out from the report has left many Ethiopians frustrated over the current state of affairs, politically and socially, in the country. According to the report, the US said that the Ethiopian government is attempting to control the Muslim population, its leadership and cracking down on protests that risks stability in the East African region. Ethiopia, which has long been seen by the West as a stalwart ally against Muslim rebels in neighboring Somalia, says it fears militant Islam is taking root in the country as a result of government interference in local council development. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) argued that the government is arresting peaceful Muslim protesters, noting that 29 of them had been charged last month with what the authorities said was “planning to commit terrorist acts." “The arrests, terrorism charges and takeover of EIASC signify a troubling escalation in the government's attempts to control Ethiopia's Muslim community and provide further evidence of a decline in religious freedom in Ethiopia," the Commission said in a statement issued on Thursday. Commission Chairwoman Katrina Lantos Swett called on the US government to raise the issue with Addis Ababa. “USCIRF has found that repressing religious communities in the name of countering extremism leads to more extremism, greater instability, and possibly violence," she said. “Given Ethiopia's strategic importance in the Horn of Africa ... it is vital that the Ethiopian government end its religious freedom abuses and allow Muslims to practice peacefully their faith as they see fit," she added. “Otherwise the government's current policies and practices will lead to greater destabilization of an already volatile region." Muslims told Bikyamasr.com as they gathered following noon prayers earlier this month that they were “fed up" with how the government was attempting to “control" their internal beliefs and policies. “It is very frustrating that the government is continuing a policy that creates tension and then blames us for protesting," said Mohamed, a 24-year-old Muslim, who told Bikyamasr.com that “we want to always maintain peaceful demonstrations and hope the government does not instigate any action against us." It was yet another Friday where Muslims took to protest mode after prayers. They are demanding the government end its attempts to control the country's Islamic Council. Protesters and security forces have clashed over the past few months, in a sign that has many fearing that tensions with the country's Muslim population could continue to escalate. But there are voices calling for unity. In late October, a group of concerned students told Bikyamasr.com that the ongoing tension between the government and Muslims should be ended and they called on the government here in Addis Ababa to do more to ensure that violence does not erupt again. “We believe that the government is creating this tension and fear of sectarian conflict in the country by not allowing the Muslim population to have their will in their own affairs," said the group meeting at a cafe. They added that the youth of the country should be consulted more “because we have connections with one another that goes beyond religious lines." “We have for so long been a fragmented country in many ways, with Muslims and Christians battling for their power," said Teresa, a 21-year-old marketing student and Christian. “Now, as we have the opportunity to really make a change in how the country is run, we have to move quickly or face the same dictatorship that tore us apart for decades," she told Bikyamasr.com, referring to the iron grip of late PM Zenawi. Her Muslim counterparts agree that the time is now for change, but how that will happen is anyone's guess. They remain skeptically optimistic that the country can gather around what Hassan Mahammad said was the country's most important resource, “the people." He argued that “Ethiopia is a large country and we are a diverse people, but that is what makes us special. We can debate and create a new foundation for all people, Muslim, Christian and other for the bettering of our society." For these young people, who represent their respective youth communities, they believe that togetherness is the only solution to creating a new Ethiopia with solid foundation in understanding and forward-thinking. Earlier this month, leading Ethiopian political thinker and professor Alemayehu G. Mariam said the time is now for Ethiopia to have “radical improvements" in its social and political climate following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. “I say today is the perfect time for all Ethiopians to bury the hatchet of ethnic division, religious sectarianism, regional conflict and human rights violations," Mariam wrote in an opinion article. “It is the perfect time to shake hands, embrace each other and get our noses to the grindstone to build a new democratic Ethiopia where the rule of law is upheld and human rights and democratic institutions respected." He argued that the situation facing Ethiopia does not need to be a painful process of change and that the new leadership should learn from the past two decades and its impact on the people. “Today, not tomorrow, is the best time to put an end to historic hatreds and resentments and open a new chapter in Ethiopia's history. Today is the best time to unchain ourselves from the burdens of the past, close the wounds that have festered for generations and declare to future generations that we will no longer be prisoners of resentments of the past," the professor argued. There is a tentative hope that democracy and human rights can be part of the transition away from authoritarian rule. Still, many experts have pointed to the reality that Ethiopia is unlikely to see democracy or a change in the status quo, despite the two decades rule of Zenawi coming to an end. For the university student group made up of Christians and Muslims, they are hopeful that the change can be made for the better. “We have long face this kind of attack from the government if we speak out, so we really want to see democratic change in Ethiopia because it will mean a better country for all," the group told Bikyamasr.com. “Ethiopia deserves a country that is not ruled by one person, but a place where citizens and the people have a say in our future."
