Terje Østebø

Islam and Christianity in the Horn of Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan (review)

Muslims and Christians in the Horn of Africa: Interactions Across the Centuries. From Disastrous Confrontation to Pragmatic Friendship: Ethiopia and Sudan, 1884-1898. Radicalism, War, and Pragmatism: Ethiopia and the Somalis, 1899-1920. Africanism, Arabism, Marxism: Ethiopia and Sudan, 1930-1991. The Return of Political Islam: Ethiopia and Sudan, 1991-2009. Nationalism and Conflict: Ethiopia and Somalia, 1943-1991. Religion Returns to the Forefront: Ethiopia and Somalia, 1991-2009. Religion and Politics in the Horn: Options and Choices.

Muslim Ethiopia: the Christian legacy, identity politics and Islamic reformism

In March 2011, news about the forced flight of Christians from western Ethiopia stirred a highly charged controversy—both within and beyond Ethiopia—about the role of Islam in the Horn of Africa. According to a Fox News report,1 Ethiopian Muslims set ablaze about 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes. This incident was a consequence of the desecration of the Qur’an by an Ethiopian Christian earlier that month. The violence escalated but was quickly controlled by federal police. Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi blamed an obscure religious group called Kawarij2 for inciting the violence by preaching religious intolerance in the region. The events in the Jimma region seem not to be an isolated case, as indicated by similar incidents mentioned at the end of the news report.

African Salafism: Religious Purity and the Politicization of Purity

There is much ambiguity in terms of how Salafism is understood as an empirical phenomenon and how it is used as an analytical concept. This is partly because it often occurs rather uncritically in the media and in public discourses, but also due to the fact that Salafism represents a phenomenon encompassing a broad range of issues. This paper gives an overview over features and trends inherent in what I call African Salafism, focusing on issues such as the role of African agency, quests for religious purity, and processes of politicization of purity. The concept of African Salafism is obviously not unproblematic, as it may give the impression that we are dealing with a phenomenon that can neatly be delineated, and that it is characterized by a certain set of features making it distinct from other forms. It is important to recognize that African Salafism signifies the representation of Salafism on the African continent, as something shaped by African realities, and which obviously would contain significant local varieties.