Aksum Christians in Ethiopia Oppose Mosque Construction
25 June 2019
The Muslim minority in Ethiopia's Christian holy city of Aksum is trying to build a mosque in the city, but they are met with strong opposition from local Christians, of which about 90 percent live there. This is reported by REGNUM with reference to the Air Force Africa.
Christian activists say they 'would rather die' than allow the construction of a mosque in the country's religious center. “Aksum is a holy place. This is a monastery city, ”explains Godefa, deputy head of the Church of Our Lady of Zion in Axum. His resolve is shared by other local Christian leaders. “If someone comes and builds a mosque, we will all perish. This has never been allowed, and we will not allow this to happen in our lifetime, 'says a priest from the Church of Our Virgin Mary. Meanwhile, the city's Muslim community cries out for justice. About 73 thousand local residents are Muslims; they have 13 temporary mosques for prayer - but Muslims complain that they 'have to pray in the street.' One of the local Muslims, Abdu Mohammed Ali, says: 'On Friday, if they (Christians) hear us through their loudspeakers, they say that we are slandering St. Mary.' The Aksum administration has been slow to intervene, claiming that Christians and Muslims coexist peacefully in the city.
Aksum Christians in Ethiopia Oppose Mosque ConstructionAksum Christians in Ethiopia Oppose Mosque ConstructionThe Muslim minority in Ethiopia's Christian holy city of Aksum is trying to build a mosque in the city, but they are met with strong opposition from local Christians, of which about 90 percent live there. This is reported by REGNUM with reference to the Air Force Africa. Christian activists say they 'would rather die' than allow the construction of a mosque in the country's religious center. “Aksum is a holy place. This is a monastery city, ”explains Godefa, deputy head of the Church of Our Lady of Zion in Axum. His resolve is shared by other local Christian leaders. “If someone comes and builds a mosque, we will all perish. This has never been allowed, and we will not allow this to happen in our lifetime, 'says a priest from the Church of Our Virgin Mary. Meanwhile, the city's Muslim community cries out for justice. About 73 thousand local residents are Muslims; they have 13 temporary mosques for prayer - but Muslims complain that they 'have to pray in the street.' One of the local Muslims, Abdu Mohammed Ali, says: 'On Friday, if they (Christians) hear us through their loudspeakers, they say that we are slandering St. Mary.' The Aksum administration has been slow to intervene, claiming that Christians and Muslims coexist peacefully in the city.Свеча Иерусалима -en
The Muslim minority in Ethiopia's Christian holy city of Aksum is trying to build a mosque in the city, but they are met with strong opposition from local Christians, of which about 90 percent live there. This is reported by REGNUM with reference to the Air Force Africa. Christian activists say they 'would rather die' than allow the construction of a mosque in the country's religious center. “Aksum is a holy place. This is a monastery city, ”explains Godefa, deputy head of the Church of Our Lady of Zion in Axum. His resolve is shared by other local Christian leaders. “If someone comes and builds a mosque, we will all perish. This has never been allowed, and we will not allow this to happen in our lifetime, 'says a priest from the Church of Our Virgin Mary. Meanwhile, the city's Muslim community cries out for justice. About 73 thousand local residents are Muslims; they have 13 temporary mosques for prayer - but Muslims complain that they 'have to pray in the street.' One of the local Muslims, Abdu Mohammed Ali, says: 'On Friday, if they (Christians) hear us through their loudspeakers, they say that we are slandering St. Mary.' The Aksum administration has been slow to intervene, claiming that Christians and Muslims coexist peacefully in the city.
