assistant around the sas of turkey, baster and may be que wait in today to snow over the hills. rain's been a problem in mozambique flooding of this particular river. that's them, a pewter, but you'll notice the whole of bizarre beak is subject to yet more heavy rain during monday and the eastern side of south africa bits botswana as well. and zimbabwe are also effect that is during monday on tuesday. i'm afraid it's the sort of repeat performance with, from the al jazeera london, rural car center, to people in thoughtful conversation. i can be in my culture. i can still raise my voice against patriarchy with no host, and no limitations. the pandemic actually exposed to the injustice in our society's part 2 of asthma, khan and hath anake hat in hospitality. we have protected these men who are violent and bully studio b. unscripted on out his era,

ethiopia is influential. orthodox church is facing a crisis that sparked weeks of unrest. it began after rebel bishops formed their own assembly in romeo region. the government has restricted social media and band protests. but is that enough? this is inside storage. ah. hello and welcome to the program. i'm hammer, jim john, if he appears orthodox to ahead or church is one of the largest and oldest in africa. but a split within its ranks last month lead to weeks of unrest, divisions, and restrictions for social media users. and the fallout could still have ramifications for the church itself and the country. we have a lot to discuss with our guests, but 1st this report from katya lopez. what do you ah,

scenes of the united ethiopian orthodox church after weeks of tension and unrest. visuals like this one in a des, ababa or a show of strength for one of the oldest christian bodies in the world. the crisis began when a group of rebel bishops created their own assembly and or am i a region saying they faced discrimination under the church's current system. they say their culture and language has been consistently ignored by the religious hierarchy. accusations, the church leaders have denied a set of romo archbishops and bishops who broke away from the orthodox church. and then the aroma regional government was actually i'm helping those brinkley bishops, essentially i take over the dd orthodox church and, and, and put their people in in place violent protest, father between supporters on both sides and security forces. the church says at

least 30 people have been killed in a week and access the social media has been widely restricted on prime minister abbey arc med has asked his ministers to stay out of the dispute. the government issued a ban on church. let demonstrations met to oppose the break away movement. but religious leaders describe that move as a decoration to destroy the church. this is a really difficult situation for the prime minister. his political base of being in power has primarily and between the aroma, which is the ethnic group. he comes from an, an ethiopian a largest ethnic group, and the em horror. ah, ah, we, which has dominated the ethiopian orthodox church. ha, with more than 36000000 followers, the opiate orthodox church has been around for centuries, with the vast religious, cultural and political influence. for now tensions have the escalated but for their divisions may fuel more conflicts that threat to extend well beyond the church.

katia lopez, leon. now jose here as katya mentioned, the ethiopian orthodox church has been around for a long time. christianity was introduced to ethiopia in the 4th century that shortly before it arrived in england. the church has between 36 and 49000000 followers and represents about 43 percent of ethiopia as population. but many young christians have become protestants, a denomination they feel as more accommodating of ethiopia as diverse culture. ah, all right, let's go and bring in our guests in dallas, texas, father l. m a year, who desta, a priest at the holy trinity ethiopian orthodox church to a head of church in copenhagen, i reg, gitane theologians specializing in ethiopia as extensive religious groups. and in charlotte, north carolina, so it draws tier fe chairman of the i'm horace association of america,

a warm welcome to you all. and thanks so much for joining us today on inside. sorry, father ella, my yahoo! let me start with you to day these rebel bishops created their own assembly in romeo region. why did that cause such a crisis? and what was the initial response from the church? when was a thank you for having me. first, why they have done is baby can the trans grace, very basic, and most important aspect of the church cannon and one of its sacraments, which is a sacramento priesthood. by appointing bishops, without having the appropriate authority. what they have done is a precedent or to disintegrate. they changed according to the origin and stages of the church. this point was basically

to denounce it in the 1st place. and then he's wondering, is that what he quoted all the bishops within the country and from abroad to come to the country for an emergency meeting. so that's what 4 days my guess with meeting took for this for this was also important because you will find this renegade individuals to consider the role that they have done that that could lead to do he among the faithful at, based on that ethnic rhetoric that is really much made up and so they have had that only one person among the ones that they need to have appointed and apologized for their own being. but notice of a met. so that's what the church nissan response. really for additional stations

before it's excommunicated. this individual is a rigor, are there other reasons that are underlying all of this that have caused this split in the orthodox church? and if so, what are they? actually he's not on a curious can that he's not, but there are patches or a from the church, the former 3 because tried to bring their own. because and because it live and the generation for the has been a political motivation in or until the, all my projects in, if you get to the function of power by the current prime minister of a young, if you will. so this movement has been inspected into 1000 and we tried to establish on if you do not have an installation facility, administrative passcode in order to be out of there in the order. i did not

know it was to do my notice and to break up the date, you could just cuz i mean to advise we have to order more projects, which is where am i doing poorly? so for me, the me motivation for this is policy got to my group for example, the teaching of my language is not true because the check could then if it's a legal issue, for example, come on, we've got all these people must buy their own language. so there is a preaching and in figuring out, you know, in other words, even if, if you go to the south. so the language issue is not in order to mobilize, keep them behind or anything the company and bring it to

do that. i don't. so let is of, in a, to address a rig a, there was just talking about a, the language issue, which is something that's coming up a lot in, in this dispute. and there are clerics that are accusing the main church of ethnic discrimination. is this language issue at the heart of that? the language issue is really a whole black map, the the real intent of individuals, but not just these individuals. individuals have the support of prime minister, be a 100 and also the president or the president of the, the ultimate goal, really of the individuals. and many of those in the state apparatus is to establish an romeo republic. in order for them to do that, they must remove all semblance of from the region,

including the ethiopian orthodox, wider church, as were just previously stated by, by the other. the ethiopian of orthodox, why the church provide teaching in multiple languages in a hurry are leading to life dumber, including english. i myself taught sunday school a youthful and the locally. and that's why the church, the curriculum was in english, and i taught those lessons in english. so the individuals are not acting on their own. they are acting well, the support of cognitive to be a 100 independent or region should been this. after the individuals who have been excommunicated since claiming to have, or de bishops and other p on january 22nd. what followed really was the killing of over 35 followers of the ethiopian orthodox

church. the arrest a dozen of if you open orthodox followers, be a risk and will arrest the and the also exactly bishops from the diet, this the region and also with the support of the security forces. d, individuals took over churches that we looked at the you open docs church. so this is they take over the open orthodox, the why do a search property? these individuals are not acting on their own. this is not a split, this is an attack. yup. and search by the state apparatus. and one thing i would like out also, and i say that they are tied to the template of if you go from the region the, the almost special forces with joint operation of your liberation army have killed tens of thousands of mara and other non urls. busy and nicholas mintz over 1000000

miles from the earlier regions. these matters that have been ethnically says are not just christiy, but they are predominantly muslim r as well. so this is really the ultimate goal, and it is really critically important that the international community pay attention to this crisis. they condemn the actions of prime minister abby and presidential melissa. there are many tools of the international community can use to really hold the individuals responsible and i hope the international community can a regular one thing you mentioned before. and one thing the tailored roses mentioning was the word politics and political motivations. you know, prime minister i had entered into this dispute when he called for rivals to engage in dialogue and reportedly said that both sides had their own truths in this dispute. that is something that has sparked outrage. i want to ask you, why is that? primarily because miss robbie is from the aroma community is the belief that he is

supporting these rebel bishops. that speech was the main reason for the reasons to kill any because he just to compare talking to linda and the functions are individual plan is that he just got him. it's protected by the condition where the government, including the prime minister, is supporting this function. the call that all and he's not one thing, but the order. but by saying if you're on the and i think that's called and he tried to get there because from the catch point of view, they're not, you know, there is one of the one. and that's really close on the people, if you mobilize on the final. so these are going to be including the on, on, if you hear the people who are here to in touch with them all in the,

from you can you, girl, that's really what chris. so there isn't a lot of them and use these are kind of who did it by switch, excuse me, get it in order to define what i'm going before in order to divide. the few not i think is more committed quality and to know lately. he cannot hear me fix the end. you can cancel this problem. that means the problem is created by the government and know they're trying to sort them by themselves. it is very simple. the problem is i know the church before it's a problem internally. if the governor 133 to interpreting the church in the office because it has only come back can, can, can be handling back for me to because i'm living in order for it is the american

government to get what one is born in the end of the people they prepare to keep it or use it. they will be on this problem. there is no problem, not happening. my father, who the church is accused the government of interfering in its affairs. where do things stand right now between the church and between the government of prime minister robbie. at times when i was after the prime minister, i made the speak to you just for the rest, the charge fathers delegation of the shops. i have met with the prime minister on friday and the prime minister bit early, according to the statements made by the holy scene on the prime minister,

acknowledged it all the church concerns and agreed to solve the problem. but since then, masses must detentions advertise the tensions continuing. and right after the meeting between the prime minister and the delegation of bishops tremendous had this printed out of the region. he said that he's going to continue with full force while he has started to basically the same force of the church. so that's where it starts really. and to go back to the prime minister's speech, it seems that he has forgotten that if you can order that is an entity that has the additional right only got a protection against any entity that come home. either it's precipitous and it's put for existence. and one of the things that he had not mentioned 1st of all,

it took at least a week before he added his issue. and when he addressed it, not only did he make equivalency between the on this, you know, then they're gonna get groups as my colleague already mention they he also at the didn't for that to mention or as chose not to mention the math and the patience and the breaking of the church property. and so before his speech and he speaks the same thing after he has met with the at the shops, the imprisonment that arbitrary dictation actually has continued. and as we speak, even today, a street has been for, for, for night just for a bit, pedestrian social. and i don't remember in recent times

when pedestrians were restricted on passing through a certain regions. and there are some church social where the field will have not been. and now that 20 for worship and want to sunday morning is there a particular is men what day. and so they are, these are just between have a m and a to change. now in one of the church that's one day and i think that's in the center of ad is people who started willing to check for it because they were regular. i find it and so they were security guards are starting at a standing at the church and are forcing them back. so divinely tell you to wish it will be conducted without the phone and attendance and what's happening is really shameful. that's where it stands, right?

it, there are reports, the prime minister are b may meet with patriarch or do you think this is going to happen? and if so, will it, will it help to de escalate the situation? in order to get to the escalator situation, what prime minister needs to do immediately is to release all the prisoners that he has arrested. to safeguard the the bishops that had been picked out from the earlier region and allow them to return to their church diety. and now to resolve your service, to stop the restriction of movement individuals and also the internet and other social media, restricted before meeting with the pressure. there are many things prime minister, but this is not only what you know, this is not only the responsibility of the prime minister. you know,

parliament needs to understand that they have a responsibility here and they have an obligation. ringback they really need to come and understand the gravity of the situation and quickly to remove, having to abby and establish a transitional government and prepared the country to hold the election washing for all because the previous election that gave a 105 years and additional license and power was really a far selections, and if they do not do this, we were concerned that the country will continue to deteriorate. and we cannot have over 110000000 people become, you know, a failed state. this has implications not only to the horn of africa, but part of africa, middle east europe, including the united states. and that's why we're asking the international community to quickly and, and provide for a support to the, not only to the open production church, but also to all your kids. i cannot understand how serious issue is. and this issue

really is, is a creation of prime minister abbey, haven't himself a reg, as i understand it, there was a similar dispute that gripped the church in 2019. how was that solved and who was involved in mediating that? yeah, this movement was started immediately when the prime minister and when they created on the question with solid by the people who never should be the individual in order to come back to their character and their problem in time. not usually they can even, and that's one of the caps for this. one of them is by incorporating about knowing your check in and there are now become a member of the church administrative structure. when in this kind of

pricing, we either just, for example, mostly in protest in order to divide the judge has been by that if you come next monday and the prime minister so that it is a very, very amazing not just for the people by their own language support them a 3 before they never said that. for example, you can, or preaching just in are only know they made the edits. but before, in the, in the pony on all sides. mechanics. by all means, for example, i want to not, not in but i mean be one of the folks then in order, in order to get, even though that appointed be folks. you know, they never did this either, not at all. so they just used to buy it as through and in order to divide the check

to be put in that they were a member of the what they come out on a q. we want in order to protect, create other folks and even other before was able to start using it to me. so we can hear you come along with, you know, if i'm getting a good the, with the character for example, just the number is lacking for me to discuss can read. but what bridge for reading for science vision and hiking the church ceremony are not to you know, come numbers the way of the way. what's the under? so this is never been a problem for your end. there are so many books we listed to or mean. yeah. we can, we can lease and fund them to me. so this woman is supported by the government, the government in the federal government in order to get it done. this is not

always for the upgrade. you must spoken to in so much is our way or not, not pull it up. right? regardless. i'm sorry to interrupt you. we're just starting to run out of time. father, who right now the reports are that access. social media has been widely restricted . there are fears that there might be a complete internet shut down in the coming days. how concerned are you that this might happen and what the fall out from that might be i'm very much concerned because even with the word watching right now a federal government and are you know government and moving with full force with arbitrary dictations. and if there is a blackout with,

which is really an attempt to this guys are too high. what's happening in the country, i'm afraid that the destruction well i feel my life and to the property of the church is going to be seriously apostrophe. and that's what we see really every day happening by the way, that the killing stuff happened in, casually, i normally a region was not a killing one for testers. that's where persisting on the street. the shooting was, i mean i was often on the 5th floor that gathered in the church. so all of those dad is 72 because is what i have heard. i were in the church coma that opening fire on the fence industry compound that and if a government is really capable of doing this, i imagine what they would do when there's going to be

a mass protest on the streets. and so the big question is really, that is an attempt to hide what they're doing and, and the killings and the patients and the destruction is going to be catastrophic disability. really, 1st, the government intention to destroy one of the oldest and most historic sanity on era. and i don't think i should be watching talent, father, let me, let me just follow up with. we only have a couple of minutes left us. if i could ask you just just quickly, if there are more divisions going forward, i mean, we're talking about the fact that you're worried there could be a catastrophe or catastrophic consequences if there are more divisions going forward. do you believe that could fuel more conflict and could it extend beyond the church a even before before we got into this, there has been already

a lease in different parts of the country. and then what is happening in the case now, which is a crisis that is government made, it is making things worse, a race and language has never been an issue in the church. you know, one of the most important aspects of peace and stability is the preservation of institutions that had the bedrock of the one on it. and that's because you want to or to that still have to change has been and that's what they are destroying and trying to do to i have this ethnic patients that causing it. so it definitely is going to ask you outside of the orthodox church and there are many muslim and persistent rather than very much concerned about what's well. and that's a really, i guess the government. and i would like to mention here also that in this effort

to destroy the change, those that have been detained for, for the most part of the case i was in the army or region and who were preaching and conducting church service in one week. what we see from the absence of the security governments and from some testimonials or as also have been afflicted with this crisis, is that there has been an indoctrination of hey, i get the check and that's what we see and definitely going to ask you to check and make a note the horror. all right, we have run out of time, so we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thanks so much all our guests father. lemme who does just a regular guitar and to address and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com,

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