Distributed meaning : a critical autoethnography of Ethiopian Muslim women

Academic literature suggests there is an expansion of Salafi and Wahhabi ideology in Ethiopia and in the diaspora. Many Ethiopian Muslims who self identify as Sunni's are now being absorbed into this movement, which is evidenced by an increase of Imams preaching Wahhabi ideologies. Discourse and scholarly work on the spread of Islam in the horn of Africa is incomplete because the experiences and contributions of women are absent. This is also evidenced by the increase of Niqab (full dress) by Ethiopian Muslim women in the Horn and the diaspora. To fill in this gap, I have produced an autoethnography of my experience as an Ethiopian Muslim woman in the Madrassa (Islamic school) and in Ethiopia. I visited Ethiopia in the spring of 2009 and observed and documented how gender roles, and dress codes enable the spread of this ideology. I found that many Ethiopian Muslims, who identify as Sunni Muslims, in actuality, practice a mixed form of Sufism and Sunni Islam. This is evident by the references to Awlyia (saints of Islam) at community gatherings, and the common practice of Manzuma or Dhikr (religious discourse).