Ethiopia is said to be unique in many features. One of its specialties comes from religious tolerance. In this world of unending religious conflicts and wars, Ethiopia has continued throughout its history to stay peaceful, where people of highly diversified culture are still residing in harmony. To be deadly sure about this reality, one needs to read the thousands of literature written about Ethiopia or better visit the land and live with the people for a while.
We (Ethiopians) think we are very much lucky people; we also think that we have a beautiful country. Of course, we have a proud history. Our unity in diversity can be an exemplary to the world. It has helped us to vanquish our enemies; protected our sovereignty. In doing so, our golden history has triggered African countries to struggle for their independence.
Our identity is built in such a way that it is inseparable; it is threaded in a manner that cannot be untangled. We are able to listen to each other despite our differences in identity, religion and outlook. We prefer to engage in principled discourse so that our differences return as dividends in the form of blessings. We have proven that when we team up, we become stronger. We understood that there is no problem that unity cannot resolve.
That is being our integrity throughout history, these-days, we are maneuvering to magnify our love, togetherness and forgiveness among one another. We are now striving to further strengthen interconnected with the unbreakable chord of humanity and brotherhood. And, no doubt, this dream of ours will soon become a reality.
Take the longstanding coexistence between Ethiopian Christians and Muslims. The two religions have been transcending centuries with mutual respect. Christians have been expressing their intimacy by constructing mosques and Muslims have been immensely involved in constructing Churches for their fellow Ethiopians.
In other social-economic aspects such as ‘Idir’, ‘Iquib’ and so on, they have continued to support one another. Fasting periods, in particular, give Ethiopians special occasions for unmatched integrations. As has been observed during the Holy Month of Ramadan this year, Christian employers were bestowing Muslim employees with unconditional love through easing their work burden; Christian farmers by ploughing the farm lands of Muslims in their neighborhood; by cleaning prayers’ places of each other. What else, this is Ethiopia!
These days, even the generation appears to have been more committed to repeat the deeds of its ancestors. Cleansing their thoughts from hatred, they have begun to observe religious celebrations with love, respect and togetherness as our ancestors did in the old days, as if renewing their longstanding coexistence.
That is why, for the first time in recent history, we saw Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed together with Ethiopian Orthodox Sunday School students cleaning the ‘Eid al-Fitr’ celebration area to show solidarity between the two religions. What is more, Christian volunteer doctors have attended fellow Muslim patients within the compounds of some Mosques in Addis Ababa and provided them with medical treatment free of charge.
Ethiopians are now refocusing to make love and respect their moral compass. They believe that this is their eternal job that cannot be completed and a work that needs to be always performed. In doing so, the nation will continue to share its indigenous cultural values to the rest of the world.
The Ethiopian Herald June 6/2019
