It was in 615 that Muhammed’s wife and cousin sought refuge at Axum with a number of other followers. This group was running away from Mecca’s leading tribe, the reactionary Kuraysh, who sent envoies to bring them back to Arabia, but the Negus Armah (a Christian king) protected them.

The arrival of immigrants and traders from Oman and Yemen during the following centuries enlarged the number of Muslims in Somalia, Eritrea and what is now Ethiopia.

In the boarder areas, Islamic law steadily took root, and by the 14th century it was the basis for the official juridical code of some regions. This mirrored political realities; most of the population of these eastern regions are now Muslims.

An imperial decree was issued in 1668 declaring that the Muslims and Jews of Gonder would henceforth have to live apart from Christians, but they were allowed to practice their religion freely in their own quarter.

Arguments over religious did not end there, but by the 19th century peaceful conditions were established which ultimately placed religious differences on a level secondary to peace and the popular interest.

Estimates vary, but from 25 to 32 percent of Ethiopia’s population is Muslim. Islam can no longer be measured a “minority” religion in Ethiopia.

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