The confrontation began after activists requested the release of three Imams – Mohammed Abdalla, Abdulkadir H/Kadir and Mukhtar Safi – arrested in Wabe town earlier this week. Locals began peacefully marching early Saturday morning from the town of Wabe to Kofele to petition regional administrators for the release of the arrested imams. Federal police tried to block protesters near a small town called Totolamo and later opened fire on peaceful demonstrators killing at least six, said one protester who gave his name only as Hussein due to fear of repercussions. Hussein said the whole area looked like a war zone, describing the scene of the confrontation as “full of panic and blood” clouded with tear gas.
The clash came following a statement in the government media that said the ongoing muslim protests will no longer be tolerated. Muslims have been protesting for religious freedom for close to two years. According to various reports on social media, the killing of peaceful activists in Wabe led to spontaneous demonstrations in the other towns. It was not immediately clear if all dead were from Wabe or other towns where similar confrontations with federal police was reported. Last Friday's planned nationwide mosque sit-ins were called off by the activists at the last minute to avoid what the activists saw as government provacation and to prevent bloodshed.
Muslims make up about 34 percent of 93 million population in Africa's second-most populous nation, according to CIA estimates. Thousands of Muslims across the country have staged weekly mosque sit-ins and street protests for nearly two years. The protesters accuse the government, among other things, of interfering in the Ethiopia Islamic Affairs Supreme Council by handpicking political operatives as leaders of the country’s highest Muslim Affairs body.
WHAT EVERY GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD CONSIDERS AS TERRORISM MUSLIMS SEE IT AS FULFILLING THEIR RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION AKA JIHAD.
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