When Politics and Religion Fuse: The Nature and Implications of the Meskel Square Controversy in the Ethiopian Media

Abstract

Using space as a conceptual framework, this paper analyzes the nature of a controversy that arose in Ethiopia when the government and three religious groups—the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), Protestants and Muslims—clashed over claims to Ethiopia’s most famous square, Meskel Square. Critical discourse analysis of the media content of the controversy revealed that the EOTC sees the square as inherently religious and claims to use it exclusively for worship. The controversy, on the other hand, allowed the government and the other two groups to redefine the space as a shared avenue for “everyone”. The clash became a symbol of the power struggle between religious groups in Ethiopian politics. While the conflict was overlooked by the mainstream media, individuals from different political–religious orientations debated the issue in greater depth and detail through social media. The controversy has long-term implications for EOTC-related religious spaces in Ethiopia.

Keywords

• space
• sacred space
• redefined space
• media coverage
• symbolic power
• power relationships