This book tries to understand how Abyssinia (most of Modern-day Eritrea and Ethiopia) was favored by the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and how the Orthodox Tewahdo Church has evolved to be the source of glory and quintessential identity of the people and country. The Orthodox Tewahdo Church is the oldest and most venerated institution in Abyssinia where the simple piety of the people has remained untouched throughout its long history. It is not only a religious institution but a repository of art, music, culture, poetry, and literature which has an immense influence on the very essence of Habesha identity. It is a 'carrier of high culture' (Gebre-Medhin, 1989). To some degree, understanding the Tewahdo Church is similar to understanding the last 17 centuries of Abyssinian history and civilization. It is the unveiling of 'this distinctive conglomerate and its forms and expressions' that 'had long become the store-house of the cultural, political, and socia
Milestones in the History of Islam in Eritrea is an attempt to explore the key markers of the Eritrean Islamic history. The book surveys the impacts of the early Muslim migrants, the rise of the Dahlak Sultanate, the aftereffects of the advances of Imam Ahmed Gragn, the Ottoman conquest, the emergence of the semi-autonomous Naib dynasty and the spread of Islam among the Beja tribes. The book also discusses the pivotal roles of the religious families and Sufi orders, the effects of King Yohannes IV forced conversion edict and the colonial occupation. It concludes with a discussion on the rise of Islamic institutions and the adverse impacts of the dissolution of the UN Federal Act.
Ethiopia trounced the Italians in 1896 in the greatest African victory over Europe since Hannibal, but failed to prevent the loss of Eritrea. The event was a powerful constitutive force in the rise of modern Africa and pan-Africanism and resounds in the shared memory of Africans and Black Americans even today.
The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, The UNESCO General History of Africa reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography.
I congratulate Andebrhan Welde Giorgis on his high quality and extremely informative book that has not only the merit to be an update on the political situation in Eritrea but also asks the pertinent questions on the future of his marvelous country. He does it with tact and success, based on his long experience as freedom fighter, as senior public servant, as Ambassador and his rich experience of Africa. Each country in Africa must be able to determine its own future. Freedom, responsibility, control over its destiny, and solidarity, are the key ideas of the new vision for international cooperation that will help ensure the sustainability of the development process. The urgent need to create a democratic government resonates throughout the book. Good governance, respect for human rights, principles of democracy, and rule of law are essential universal values underpinning it. Andebrhan is one of those men, visionaries, and open to dialogue, reform and change. Eritrea at a Crossroads is key to understanding the challenges facing Eritrea and Africa. It is an eye opener on a complex and little understood crisis that is festering in Africa and holding the continent back. The book provides a solid intellectual foundation to understanding the region and will give anyone who wants to build a better future for Africa a great starting point. I congratulate him on this most valuable book which finds its place among all the lovers of Africa. Louis Michel Member of European Parliament, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid (2004-2009) and Foreign Minister of Belgium (1999-2004) Freedom fighter, scholar, central banker, diplomat, and now unhappy exile, no-one could be better placed than Andebrhan Welde Giorgis to trace Eritrea's distressing slide from triumph to tragedy. It's a harrowing story, but the author tells it comprehensively, objectively and lucidly in this excellent study. The future can be rescued, as Andebrhan makes clear, but only if the past is understood, and the present confronted -- by decent, concerned Eritreans, acting with the moral, political and economic support of the wider international community. May his voice be heard. Gareth Evans Chancellor, Australian National University; President, International Crisis Group (2000-09) and Foreign Minister of Australia (1988-96)
In our time the study of law and religion is emerging as a wide-ranging and vital academic discipline, with increasingly urgent implications for society at large. Lying at the intersection of a variety of other disciplines ? law, theology, religious studies, political science, sociology and anthropology, to name only the most obvious ? the field of law and religion is generating a burgeoning volume of interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research and study. The current volume is proof of this. The discussion of the relationship between law and religion, as seen from a variety of perspectives in Africa, underscores the critical importance of the issues involved in the everyday life of all citizens. It is accordingly vital for governments to take note of the scholarly results that are produced. We hope that this volume will contribute to this aim.
First published in 2005. Originally, the Ethiopian Church received fourteen Anaphora’s from the Church of Egypt, yet at the time of publication, only three of them could be accounted for- that of St. Cyril, St. Gregory and St. Basil. Marcos Daoud has therefore devoted this work to the English translation of the remaining three.
Two different leaders, with more contrasting characteristics. Comparing the two leaders from two countries with striking contrast in size, history and government structure may seem strange. America is a democratic republic with a constitution two hundred and thirty years old; Eritrea is a dictatorship ruled by an unelected former guerrilla leader who suppressed a ratified constitution and rules by decree. However, both leaders are dedicated to the destruction of, or at the very least, the demeaning of the primary values of the democratic epoch, namely, democracy and rule of law.
