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Tigray is home to peaceful religious coexistence + acceptance of all regardless of faith.
Islam within Tigray has existed for centuries, and in the ongoing genocidal war, the Al-Nejashi mosque, one of the first in the world, was bombed & 80+ Tigrayans were killed protecting it.
Islam within Tigray has existed for centuries, and in the ongoing genocidal war, the Al-Nejashi mosque, one of the first in the world, was bombed & 80+ Tigrayans were killed protecting it.
Islam first arrived in the northern region of Tigray in 615 A.D., when the Prophet Muhammad sent his companions (the Sahaba) from Mecca to Aksum, where “a righteous Christian King,” known as “Nejashi” would provide protection from religious persecution.
The Queen of Sheba is a historic figure, who appears in the Quran and the Bible, as well as the centuries old Ethiopian literature known as Kebre Negast.
When the Prophet Muhammad faced religious persecution in Mecca, he advised his followers, incl. his daughter + cousins, to migrate to the capital of Aksum in present-day Tigray where a righteous Christian king would offer protection. This is known as the First Hijra (Pilgrimage).
By the 19th century, various prosperous Islamic kingdoms and states emerged in the periphery of Abyssinia: The Kingdom of Jimma (and the Oromo Gibe states) in the southwest, the sultanates of the Gurage in the south as well as the revitalized state of Harar in the east.
A dark moment in Ethiopian Muslim history is the rule of Emperor Haile Selassie who, after the Italian occupation, launched campaigns that forcefully converted almost 20,000 Muslims to Orthodox Christianity.
In 1995, Article 27 of the newly written Constitution allowed for the “establish[ment of] institutions of religious education + admin in order to propagate + organize their religion,” while requiring the separation of church + state & the prohibition of religious discrimination.
![In 1995, Article 27 of the newly written Constitution allowed for the “establish[ment of] institutions of religious education + admin in order to propagate + organize their religion,” while requiring the separation of church + state & the prohibition of religious discrimination.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0v1zhNWUAAlRfh.jpg "In 1995, Article 27 of the newly written Constitution allowed for the “establish[ment of] institutions of religious education + admin in order to propagate + organize their religion,” while requiring the separation of church + state & the prohibition of religious discrimination.")
In December 2020, the military attack on Tigray's Al-Nejashi mosque left the dome, minaret & tombs of 15 companions of Prophet Muhammad damaged. Several historical artifacts are believed to have been stolen incl. manuscripts, books & letters dating as far back as the 7th century.
The atrocities currently being committed against the people of Tigray, as well as the campaigns to destroy heritage sites + places of worship (that are dear to all Ethiopian Muslims) are hallmarks of genocide.
To preserve history + stop #TigrayGenocide, join us in our demands
To preserve history + stop #TigrayGenocide, join us in our demands
In loving memory of Tigrayan Muslim leaders who paved the way:
Ambassador Mufti Mohammed Siraj Saleh (pictured)
Sheikh Abdelwahab Kassa (pictured)
Grasmatch Nurhussien Haddush
Sheikh Hizbullah Muhammed Amin
Ambassador Mufti Mohammed Siraj Saleh (pictured)
Sheikh Abdelwahab Kassa (pictured)
Grasmatch Nurhussien Haddush
Sheikh Hizbullah Muhammed Amin
