Islam and Christianity in the Horn of Africa

No one claim Christianity and Islam more than people who live in this region called Eritrea and Ethiopia (Tigray in particular) today. Both religions were introduced through the Red Sea coast through Arab refugees. Christianity was introduced by refugees from Tyre (in Lebanon today), brothers Frumentius and Aedesius around 400 A.D. They were Copts and established relations with the Coptic Church in Egypt. The Egyptian Coptic Church used to send Egyptian Patriarchs to lead the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. They wrote and spoke in Arabic. Most of the earlier Ethiopic religious literature emanates from translations from Christian Arabic literature (mostly Coptic). This relationship continued for almost 1600 years until Haile Sellasie decided in 1959 to severe this link and make the Ethiopian Orthodox Church independent.

A friend of mine, Abdella who lives in Tromsø states that if Hindus and Muslims (where one group eats the Gods the of others) can live together so we have we done and so we will do in the future.
The book featured here, “The role of the Egyptian Coptic Church in Africa” contains chapters of the historic relations with the Ethiopian Coptic Church and with the new, independent Eritrean Coptic Church after independence.

Islam was introduced when the prophet Mohamed ordered some of his followers to take refuge in Abyssinia around 615 A.D. Islam was introduced to the region even before it was introduced to Mekka. We have also people who follow traditional beliefs in this region. Therefore, Arabic references which are often neglected by European or some Ethiopian writers form an important source of original information on the introduction of both religions in the region. Even EPLF’s and later the Government’s “Research and Information Center” – RICE, neglects Arabic sources.
It also highlights the role of Arabic language with regard to both religions since old times. Those who are allergic to the mention role of Arabic language in Eritrea, in a way want those sources to be neglected and forgotten.