Ikram✨

[Habtish Gurmu (Commentary) @Habtishgreat]

Which One Is Unholy: Prostitution Vs. Mosque In Axum⁉️

The Tigray administration’s refusal to permit the construction of a mosque in Axum, justified by the claim that the city is a sacred Christian “holy site”, represents a shameful display of religious intolerance and selective piety. Axum, long celebrated for its ancient churches and historical significance to Ethiopian Orthodoxy, is being weaponized as an exclusive enclave where only one faith is allowed to flourish. This policy not only denies basic religious freedoms to the city’s Muslim residents—who have every right to a place of worship—but also exposes the administration’s hypocrisy in a region already fractured by ethnic and religious tensions. By invoking “holiness” as a shield, Tigray officials are effectively prioritizing one community’s sensitivities over the constitutional guarantees of equality and pluralism, revealing a governance style more akin to medieval theocracy than modern administration.
What renders this decision particularly absurd and indefensible is the unchecked proliferation of hundreds of hotels, liquor stores, Tej bet, Tella bet, and other alcohol-serving establishments throughout Axum. These venues operate openly, fueling a thriving trade in intoxicants that stands in direct contradiction to any authentic notion of spiritual purity or sacred preservation. If the administration is genuinely committed to safeguarding the city’s holiness, why do they not apply the same rigorous standards to businesses profiting from vice? The tolerance of such commercial activities—many of which cater to tourists and locals alike—demonstrates a blatant double standard, where economic convenience and cultural norms trump religious consistency, all while a mosque is portrayed as an existential threat to Axum’s sanctity.
Even more damning is the administration’s permissive stance toward prostitution and the broader liquor culture, which are allowed to flourish without similar claims of desecration. These practices, widely viewed as morally corrosive and antithetical to holiness in many religious traditions, are evidently not seen as “unholy” enough to warrant intervention, yet the construction of a simple mosque is framed as a corrupting force that would profane the entire city. This selective enforcement lays bare the Tigray administration’s underlying bias: a thinly veiled favoritism toward Christian dominance under the guise of heritage protection. Such inconsistency not only erodes public trust but also perpetuates division, demanding that Tigray leaders either enforce their holiness standards uniformly or abandon this discriminatory ban altogether in favor of genuine religious coexistence.

[A🫡🔫 @ThatEthiopian]

One of my favourite surahs recited by one of my favourite reciters

[Zemzem @Zemzem50468559]

A call to all Tegaru who always stand for justice.
It has been over a month Tegaru Muslim students in Axum still been banned to access school and we now calling a peaceful protest to seek for justice. We all should stand together.

[Addis Standard @addisstandard]

#Ethiopia: Muslim students in #Axum town protest hijab ban, citing violations of religious and educational rights

Muslim students in Axum, located in the Central Zone of #Tigray, are protesting a hijab ban they describe as a violation of their constitutional rights to education and religious freedom. One student explained, "The schools are denying our right to education because we wear the hijab, which is required by our religion." Efforts to compromise by matching hijab colors with uniforms were reportedly rejected.

The Islamic Affairs Office in Axum highlighted that the ban impacts four secondary schools and approximately 140 students, including those preparing for national exams. Haji Mohammed Kahsay of the Islamic Affairs Council in Tigray stated, "The hijab is a deeply significant expression of faith and identity for Muslim women. Denying students the right to wear it violates their religious freedoms." He called for stakeholders to safeguard individual freedoms and promote inclusivity.

https://t.co/2VtMa35XSO

[Addis Standard @addisstandard]

#Ethiopia: Thousands protest in #Mekelle against hijab ban in #Axum schools, demand enforcement of court ruling

Thousands of Muslims gathered at Romanat Square in Mekelle today, January 21, 2025, to protest the refusal of schools in Axum to comply with court rulings and directives from the Tigray Regional Education Bureau guaranteeing Muslim female students the right to wear hijabs in classrooms. Organized by the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, the rally was held under the slogan: “She will learn while wearing her hijab.”

“Our daughters are still being denied access to education despite clear rulings from the court and directives from the education bureau,” said Sheikh Adam Abdulkadir, President of the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, during the rally. He emphasized, “The demonstrators have voiced their opposition peacefully, and we are managing this rally in a calm and respectful manner.”

The protests come after months of unresolved grievances, including Muslim grade 12 students being excluded from registering for national exams in Axum due to their refusal to remove hijabs, . “There is no legal justification for forcing them to choose between their religious beliefs and their education,” said Mustefa Abdu, a lawyer at the rally, adding, “They have the right to attend school while wearing their hijabs.”

https://t.co/1gwEcb8Z2v

[Fifi__ @fifi___1]

For over three years now, Tigrayans and allies have been calling on the world to recognize and stop the #TigrayGenocide.

This @NewlinesInst report breaks down the genocidal intent and actions of the ENDF, EDF, ASF, and Fano against Tigrayans.

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

A report by the New Lines Institute says Ethiopia and its allies had ‘intent to destroy Tigrayans as an ethnic group’ and calls for Ethiopia to face persecution at the International Court of Justice https://t.co/ot3jsszDJI

[Moe Ali @iTsAnToOnY]

A very important update thread:

Sudanese refugees stranded in the Olala forests in Northern Ethiopia 🇪🇹 and surrounding by rain, hunger and death.

Please read, repost and interact.

Sudanses people need to be heard.

#KeepEyesOnSudan

[Munchkin @BSonblast]

Want to help these refugees? Join us in a mass emailing campaign to UNHCR Ethiopia! 🙌🏾❤️

Just copy/paste this and send it to their email (included in the screenshot). It takes 2 minutes!

Force them to take action!

#KeepEyesOnSudan
#السودانيين_العالقين_بإثيوبيا

[GNCordova @GNCordova]

Free Palestine. Free Tigray. Free Congo. Free Sudan. Free Libya.

Every day I wake up and send out love and hope to all oppressed people across the globe. And I wish for terrible things to befall their oppressors.

[Ze 🇸🇩 @KushiticGyal]

You keep excluding Africans in your activism as we go through horrific situations that can’t be spoken out of how terrifying they’re! We are the only one advocating for our people and we can’t afford to breakdown or breathe for a day as more atrocities will pile on top!

[Hoeja Cat 🟥⭐️ @T_llulah]

🚨THE DEADLIEST EVENT ON EARTH HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS IN TIGRAY🚨

Right now, the same land where I used to play & laugh with family, is under attack by the Ethiopian government who are in active pursuits of wiping out the Tigrayan people!!

Let me explain 🧵

[🍁🇵🇸 @SharminAli_]

I am touched by the saying; “If Allah didn't want to accept your dua’a, he would not have guided you to make the dua’a in the first place” - Allahumma Ameen. May ﷲ accept every dua’a my heart desires.

[k @k22rxx]

how can you not believe in this religion?

look at the order. this is not by chance.

the minute the adhaan goes off, billions of people prostrate. in the same manner with the same words.

billions.

tell me something else that has the same effect.

[🕷️ @Mustey_1]

I feel shame not to share this whenever I see it on my timeline. May Allah continue to honor him.

[Far @urwalaal]

I always wonder what secret deed he had with Allah, that Allah allows for his recitation to be circulated years after his death.

May Allah have mercy on him and us

[MAKE INJERA NOT WAR #ZewduHaftu @makeinjera]

Today is a beautiful day to sanction Ethiopia and Eritrea. #TigrayGenocide

[Amanuel Tedros @emmanuel_tag]

People in #Tigray are suffering from severe hunger. It is essential to enable the displaced to return to their homes. We must prioritize the well-being of the elders who have endured great sacrifices, including the loss of their children. 💔

[A🫡🔫 @ThatEthiopian]

I’m glad you asked, here are some of the unique recitations that blew me away:

1. The Ethiopian young qari Dr Afif Mohammed Taj