MANIPULATION OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS REGRESS DEMOCRATIZATION:ETHIOPIAN MUSLIMS CIVIL RIGHT MOVEMENT

Yıl 2015, Cilt: 2 Sayı: 3, 1 - 20, 09.04.2015

Mohammed Alı

Öz

Democratization as a multi level process is very volatile in many African countries and still in some countries democratic breakdown can happen anywhere and anytime. Religious freedom as a fundamental human right and independence of religious institutions are important social sphere where democratization can be tested. In this article how manipulation of religious institutions affect democratization in Ethiopia where religion has important role both in the society and the public sphere. Explaining the role of religion and religious institutions and models for religion and democracy relation, the article build theoretical framework to analyze how manipulation of religious institutions are challenging Ethiopian infant democratization and testing the ruling party’s commitment for principles of democracy and its political program. Detail analysis is made on the ongoing three years old Muslims’ civil right movement and the government reaction as an important indicator. As a result state intervention in religious affairs to the extent of playing prophetic role and repression of basic religious freedoms found to be risky domain of democratization in the country. Consequently the government’s failure to meet the democratic demand of citizens reflects both the decline of infant democratization process in the country and disclose the ruling party’s lack of commitment to be governed by it political program and the countries constitution

Anahtar Kelimeler

Ethiopia’s Democratization, Muslims Civil Right Movement, Manipulation of Religion

MANIPULATION OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS REGRESS DEMOCRATIZATION: ETHIOPIAN MUSLIMS CIVIL RIGHT MOVEMENT / DİNİ KURUMLARIN MANİPÜLASYONU VE DEMOKRATİKLEŞMENİN GERİLEMESİ: ETİYOPYA MÜSLÜMAN SİVİL HAKLAR HAREKETİ

Öz

Çok katmanlı bir süreç olarak demokratikleşme pek çok Afrika ülkesinde
istikrarsızlık göstermektedir ve hala bazı ülkelerde herhangi bir zamanda ve yerde
demokrasinin kesintiye uğraması söz konusudur. İnsan hakkı olarak din özgürlüğü ve
dini kurumların bağımsızlığı demokrasinin kalitesinin test edilebileceği bir alandır.
Bu makalede hem toplum hem de kamu hayatında dinin önemli bir rolünün bulunduğu
Etiyopya’da dini kurumların manipülasyonunun demokratikleşme sürecini nasıl
etkilediği ele alınmıştır. Din ve dini kurumların ve din-demokrasi ilişkisinin modellerle
izah edildiği bu çalışma, dini kurumların manipülasyonunun daha bebekliğini yaşayan
Etiyopya demokrasisini nasıl zor durumda bıraktığını ve iktidar partisinin demokratik
kurallara ve parti programına bağlılığını nasıl test ettiğini açıklayan bir kuramsal temele
dayanmaktadır. Henüz üç yıllık bir hareketi olan Müslüman Sivil Haklar Hareketi ve
önemli bir gösterge olarak hükümet tepkisi üzerine ayrıntılı çözümlemeler yapılmıştır.
Sonuç olarak, devletin din işlerine kehanete varacak düzeyde müdahalesinin ve temel
dini özgürlüklerin bastırılmasının ülkenin demokratikleşme süreci açısından riskli
olduğu düşünülmektedir. Bu nedenle, hükümetin vatandaşların demokratik taleplerini
karşılamada yetersiz kalması hem demokratikleşme sürecinin gerilemekte olduğunu hem
de iktidar partisinin siyasi programına ve anayasaya bağlı kalarak bir yönetim sergileyemediğini göstermektedir

Anahtar Kelimeler

Etiyopya’nın Demokratikleşmesi, Müslüman Sivil Haklar Hareketi, Dini Manipülasyon

Kaynakça

• Abbink Jon, Religion In Public Spaces: Emerging Muslim Christian Polemics In Ethiopia, African Affairs, 110-439, 253–274, Advance Access Publication, 2011.
• Alemayehu G. Mariam, Moral Equivalent of an Anthi Apartheid Movement in Ethiopia, Ethiopian brief, pp.5, 2013.
• Anthony H. Birch, The concepts and theories of modern democracy 3rd edition, Routledge publication, USA and Canada, 2007.
• Bahru Zewde, A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855-1991, (2nd ed.,), Ohio University, 2002.
• Berhane Zikarge, The Scope of Religious Freedom and its Limits under the FDRE Constitution: A Survey of Contemporary Problems and Challenges, Addis Ababa University Faculty of Law, 2009.
• Boothby Lee, Religious Freedom and the New Millennium, International Academy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, International Coalition for Religious Freedom Conference, Berlin, Germany, May 29-31, 1998.
• Cunningham Frank, Theories of Democracy, A critical introduction, Routledge, 2002.
• Cunningham Frank, The conflicting truth of religion and democracy, social philosophy today, volume 21, pp 65-80, 2005.
• David H. Shinn, Ethiopia: Coping with Islamic Fundamentalism Before and After September 11, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2002.
• Donati Pierpaolo, Religion and Democracy in The Post-Modern World: The Possibility Of a “Religiously Qualified” Public Sphere, Pontifical Academy Of Social Sciences, pp.310-365, 2001.
• Erlich, Haggai, Islam and Christianity in the Horn of Africa, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010.
• Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front Programme (EPRDF), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011, P.7.
• FDRE, The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 1995
• Merera Gudina , Elections and democratization in Ethiopia, 1991–2010, Journal of Eastern African Studies, 5-4, pp. 664_680, 2011.
• Hassan Hamdi, Religion, Identity and Democracy the Arab Spring: Transition to Democracy at a Crossroads, the International IDEA Democracy Forum Background note, Madrid, Spain, 28 – 29 November 2011.
• Hibbard Scott W., Religious Politics and Secular States Egypt, India, and the United States, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010.
• http://www.peterlang.com/Index.cfm?vID=36223&vLang=E
• http://www.religiousfreedom.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=275&Itemid=18
• Human Rights Watch (HRW), Ethiopia: Muslim Protesters Face Unfair Trial, Public Statment urging Open Hearings to Family, Independent Monitors, Media, 2013.
• Human Rights Watch (HRW), Public Statment-Ethiopia: Prominent Muslims Detained in Crackdown, 2012.
• Hussein Ahmed, “Coexistence and/or Confrontation: Towards a Reappraisal of Christian Muslim encounter in contemporary Ethiopia”, Journal of Religion in Africa, 36-1, pp. 4-22, 2006.
• Kurt T. Lash, Five Models of Church Autonomy: An Historical Look At Religious Liberty Under The United States Constitution.
• Linz, Juan J. & Stepan, Alfred, Toward Consolidated Democracies, Journal of Democracy 7-2, pp14-33, 1996.
• Luqman Ethiopian-Belgian Muslims Association (LEBMA), The Civil Rights Movements of Ethiopian Muslims: Contexts, Defining features and Implications, Belgium, 2013.
• Mazrui, Ali A., Who killed Democracy in Africa? Clues of the Past, Concerns of the, Development Policy Management Network Bulletin, 9-1, pp. 15-23, 2002.
• Michael D. P. Driessen, Religion, State and Democracy: Analyzing two dimensions of church-state arrangements, Politics and Religion, 3-1, 2010.
• Mike Ushe, Manipulation of Religion and Task before the Tigerian Vhristian Leaders, BEST journals, 1-2, pp.23-38, 2013.
• Oguntola-Laguda Danoye, Religion And Politics in a Pluralistic Society: The Nigerian Experience, Politics And Religion, 2-2, pp.123-133, 2008.
• Rose Richard and Chull Doh, Democratization Backwards: The Problem of Third-Wave Democracies, British Journal of Political Science, 31-2, pp. 331-354, Cambridge University Press, 2001.
• Siegfried Fausewang, Local Democracy and Human Security in Ethiopia: Structural Reasons for the Failure of Democratisation, South African Institute of International Affairs. SAIIA Report No. 45, 2004.
• Solomon Tefera, The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia: Liberal Democratic or Authoritarian Regime? African Social Science Review, 2012.
• US DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 2012. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012.
• USCIRF, A statement of concern on Emerging Religious Freedom Violations in Ethiopia, 2012.