He is one of the hundreds of Syrians who have set up home in Ethiopia, a non-Arabic speaking, predominantly Christian, East African nation. Many Syrians know of Ethiopia through the Holy Quran, which mentions ancient Ethiopia as a place of refuge for the first Muslims. After undertaking a survey from August 1 to December 16, Gebremeskel said there were at least 560 Syrian refugees in Ethiopia, most of whom arrived via Sudan. "Many Syrians know of Ethiopia through the Holy Quran, which mentions ancient Ethiopia as a place of refuge for the first Muslims. "There is also a strong historic religious connection between the Ethiopian and Syrian Orthodox Churches, so Ethiopia isn't a totally foreign country to many Syrians."

Source: Ethiopian News January 22, 2019 09:30 UTC