Ethiopian Islam and the Challenge of Diversity

Abstract

A perennial issue in the comparative study of Islam is how, as a faith and a way of life, it deals with diversity: religious, ethnic, or socio-cultural. This issue is all the more relevant in a world where globalizing discourses redefine traditional identities, including those of religious systems, both in their local (indigenous Asian and African) and universalist forms (Christianity, Islam). In many areas, complex and, in a way, exemplary patterns of mutual interaction and tolerance have developed between religious-communal groups. In Africa, such regions are found in Mali, Cameroon, Tanzania, Nigeria, and also Ethiopia. The history and current situation of Islam in Ethiopia, especially the northern part of the country, provide an interesting case study.