Ethiopia government urged to release Muslim detainees

The Ethiopia government was urged by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday to free Muslim protesters arrested during a crackdown in the country against demonstrations.

The rights group said the country “should immediately release 17 prominent Muslim leaders arrested as part of a brutal crackdown on peaceful Muslim protesters in Addis Ababa.”

A court is expected to rule this week on whether to bring charges against the detainees, who have been held for almost three weeks in a “notorious prison without access to lawyers.”

Since July 13, Ethiopian police and security services have harassed, assaulted, and arbitrarily arrested hundreds of Muslims at Addis Ababa’s Awalia and Anwar mosques who were protesting government interference in religious affairs, HRW said.

Many have been released, but activists say at least 17 prominent members of the community arrested between July 19 and 21 remain in detention.

A number of protesters who have been released told Human Rights Watch that they were “mistreated” while in custody.

“The Ethiopian government should address the grievances of its Muslim community through dialogue, not violence,” said Ben Rawlence, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The security forces should be upholding the law, not breaking it.”

According to official figures, Muslims make up approximately 30 percent of Ethiopia’s population, the second largest religion in this historically Christian country.

The crackdown followed months of widespread peaceful protests, petitions, and appeals by the Muslim community in response to what they considered to be unconstitutional government interference in Muslim affairs. This included government attempts to determine the makeup of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs by imposing members of and the teachings of an Islamic sect known as al Ahbash on the community, and seeking to control the operations of Awalia mosque.

The Muslim community created a committee in January to represent it in discussions with the government. The 17 prominent Muslims currently detained include seven of the committee members, along with nine other religious leaders and activists, and at least one journalist. An additional six people, all members of the Awalia Student Council, were arrested the previous week.

Despite the government crackdown, young Muslims have said they have no issue with the country’s Christian population, maintaining people are amiable towards one another.

A group of Muslim university students in Ethiopia told Bikyamasr.com in July that “the only turmoil between Christians and Muslims is what the media is making out of the events here.”

They said that recent crackdowns on Muslims in the country are the result of “ongoing government oppression and should not be seen as a sign of sectarian divides in the country.”

One of the Christians, Maria, argued that “the media want to show our Muslim sisters and brothers as antagonistic toward Christians, but the reality is that we are all battling the government and its violence against all Ethiopians.”

Tensions reached their peak on July 13, when the government raided a gathering at the Awalia Mosque in Addis Ababa, where government officials said Muslim leaders were planning further protests.

Ethiopian authorities said more than 70 people were arrested in the operation, including the members of the mosque’s central organizing committee.

A week later, thousands of Muslims gathered at the Anwar Mosque to protest the arrests. More activists were detained following police attacks.

The media coverage has been a focal point of anger from the Muslim students, who have repeatedly told Bikyamasr.com they are frustrated over how Islam is being portrayed in the country.

They said that they were not radical Islamists and that “we are not against Christians” in the country, have said they would like to see coverage of the situation in their country more “moderate and in touch with the reality on the ground.”

While they admitted that “tensions are high” in the country, especially with the recent police attacks against Muslims at mosques, “we are not on the verge of an Islamic backlash or conflict as some reports are suggesting.

“Muslims in Ethiopia respect our Christian brothers and sisters and are hopeful that the recent fights and violence will not lead to a larger conflict between Muslims and Christians. We have other more important issues to deal with now in Ethiopia,” the group, which called themselves “concerned Muslim Ethiopians,” added.