Council rebuffs AEUP accusations

Addis Ababa, August 6 (WIC)-The Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council said that the accusation of the opposition All Ethiopian Unity Party (AEUP), projecting that the government is highly interfering in the election of the 'meglis' members is totally baseless.

In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Council Secretary General, Sheikh Ezedine Muzemin, noted the Muslim community has been and continues to vote for its religious leaders with its own consent which is totally free from government intervention.

''Unlike extremists and opposition parties that seek to use the opportunity for own political consumption, the Muslim community, as it have been doing previously, will vote for its religious leaders whom it believes in.''   


He underlined that what the party said is totally false and meant only to misguide the Muslim community by providing false information.

Sheikh Ezedine also noted that the upcoming election, to be conducted later this month, is not something different from the previous ones and groups with baseless complaints have no religious agendas.

“They want the election to be held inside mosques which is totally forbidden and has no religious base. The Prophet has forbidden even to talk louder in the mosque. How can, therefore, election be possible at this sacred place be questioned. The place is meant for worshipping not for election. Unfortunately, these people do not have any Muslim ethics at all so that they want to impose their own interest on the Muslim community.”

Council Vice President Sheikh Mohamed Amin on this part said that the only thing that makes the upcoming 'meglis' members election from the previous ones is that it begins at the kebele level unlike the latter that was limited to the woreda levels.   

In relation to the party's blame saying that people were forced to participate in the demonstrations held in support of the measure police took against extremists, Sheikh Ezemin said: “It is totally far from the reality. It is rather belettling the Muslim community. Muslims do not need to be forced to stand against extremism that is arrowed towards destroying their religious values.”    

In connection with the measure the police took on July 21, 2012 at the Anwar Mosque against extremists groups, Sheikh Ezemin said: “It is the police constitutional obligation to ensue peace and security and they did the same on the said date. Police have done nothing extra other than ensuring peace which is obviously their obligation.”