Ethiopia is worldwide known for its rich cultural variety. The Horn of Africa is moreover recognized as the seat of an old Christian tradition, which is expressed in the popular metaphor of an “Christian island in a sea of Muslims”.

But this one-dimensional perspective neglects the Islamic factor as an essential aspect of mutual history. Not only belligerent contacts, but also peaceful forms of interaction shaped the relation between the two World Religions which have the same Abrahamitic roots.

Therefore Islam constitutes an equally significant part of Ethiopian history. In addition antagonistic conflicts are mainly labelled religious without concerning the proper context. In most cases, disputes or wars were rooted in a complex field of economic, social or political aspirations to resources.