Fayyis Oromia | July 5, 2013
On February 5, 2013, Ethiopia’s only and publicly funded Television Station, ETV, aired a controversial documentary during prime time in violation of an outstanding court injunction. Oddly subtitled “Boko Haram in Ethiopia”, Jihadawi Harekat – Arabic for “jihadi movement” – denounces leaders of Ethiopia’s year-long protest movement for alleged links to foreign terrorists. That criminalization of the Ethiopian Muslims’ legitimate question of right in excercising their religion without any interference from the government was not surprisingly the first fictious “documentary film” produced by the regime to criminalize civic or political movements in the Ethiopian empire. Similar criminalization of the Oromo national liberation movement (the OLF) was undertaken some years back.
Parallel to such malicious move of the ruling Tigrean elites, recently the nostalgic Amhara elites, who do want to impose an assimilative Ethiopia and Ethiopianism on the Oromo in particular, and on all the other nations and nationalities of the empire in general, also produced and published a “documentary film” with a title “Jawar Mohammed- A Muslim OLF Radical – Ethiopians Out From Oromia” as shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rb7Xjo4hWs . Is this Jawarawi harekat or a criminalization of the young Oromo nationalist, Jawar? What an interesting parallel between both the rival Abyssinian elites of the Amhara and Tigrai, when it comes to the criminalization of any Oromo individual nationalist or any Oromo national liberation organization in order to silence this subjugated nation.
The currently ongoing discussion regarding the controversal Oromo nationalist, Jawar Mohammed, started with the seemingly well thought restructuring of the Oromo hisory by an Ethiopianist Oromo scholar, Dr Fikre Tolassa, who wrote an appeal open letter to one of the ODF (Oromo Democratic Front) leaders, Dr Bayan Asoba ( http://www.gadaa.com/Beyana-Suba-1.pdf ). This new version of the Oromo history and the demands directed to the ODF in order to reverse the use of Qubee (Afaan Oromo alphabet), to adore the Ethiopian flag and to accept Ethiopian nationalism at the cost of Oromian nationalism ignited a series of responses and debates between the two contesting nationalists (Ethiopianists and Oromianists). One of the responses was the suggestion of fostering future common home, Great Oromia, instead of Ethiopia, which I forwarded:http://gadaa.com/oduu/20124/2013/06/06/the-common-home-great-oromia-as-a-win-win-solution-for-the-conflict-between-the-pro-independence-oromo-and-the-pro-unity-amhara/ .
Then followed a well organized campaign and discussion in the Ethiopian as well as the Oromian medias. The explicit intention of the campaign sounded “we want to promote a constructive dialogue between the Ethiopian nationalists and the Oromian nationalists, who do respectively persue two diametrically opposite politcal goals, but have one common enemy, the Woyane, which is now hindering their move”. This debate and discussion was interesting and it was very inviting at the beginning. Gradually some protagonists from the Ethiopianist camp started to put a precondition for the discussion. They started to impose Ethiopia and Ethiopiawinet on the Oromianists, who claim to have Oromia as a country and Oromiummaa as their national identity, at the same time rejecting the demand of owning Ethiopia and Ethiopiawinet.
Even some of the protagonists in the Ethiopian medias started to take side and denigerate Oromia and Oromiummaa to the extent of intimidating the Oromo nationalists, who wanted to assert Oromia as a future independent state, instead of envisioning a united Ethiopia. This conflict lead to a hot discussion in which the Oromo nationalists vehemently rejected Ethiopia as their future land and Ethiopiawinet as their identity. On the contrary they asked the Ethiopianists to arrange for the future common home, Great Oromia (naming the future democratic federal state as Oromia, instead of Ethiopia). Surprisingly this counter attack has driven the Ethiopiansts crazy; they were very angry; they asked “how dare you try to change the name of this holy land given to us from God?” These right extremist Ethiopianists even strated to ”intimidate” the Oromo nationalists in the discussion forums. The intended dialogue between the Amhara and the Oromo at the paltalk level changed into the confrontation between the two groups. Of course the Woyane agents and cadres enjoyed this conflict and as usual poured a kerosine on the fire.
It was amidst this circumstance that the journalist in Aljazira asked Jawar Mohammed a very good question: “are you Oromo first or Ethiopian first”?http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201306102025-0022818 . The answer to the question was cristal clear: “I am Oromo first; Ethiopian identity is imposed on me” This reply from Jawar made the already crazy Ethiopianists to take off their cloth and declare a cyber war against him. They decided to invite him to an interview and persuade him to apologize. They did as they planned and the answer they got in the interview was not what they expected, but the re-assertion of his firm position regarding Oromia and Oromiummaa. What a liberating stand from Jawar! Oromo nationals were proud of him; Ethiopianists were more mad at him. They started a charachter assasination, criminalization, denigeration and even went to the extent of collecting a petition against him.
Jawar, who was once seen as a young moderate intellectual and was respected by the Ethiopianists as he first started to criticize the OLF and spoke for the possible union of autonomous nations in the Ethiopian context as a better alternative to an independent republic of Oromia, is now regarded as “a naive young Oromo, who doesn’t have experinece and insight” when it comes to the deep political problems in the empire. Overnight, the Ethiopianists changed him from an angel to a devil; they talked and wrote all negative things about him; the highlight being the video clip presented as a “documentary: Jawarawi Harekat” as I mentioned above. The malicious campaign against this brilliant Oromo talent is still going on.
But, is this approach of the Ethiopianst elites regarding the Oromo nationals a new phenomen? Didn’t they, throughout their history, adore and use Oromo talents as long as the Oromo nationals served their institutions and their interest, just to discard the servants, when they think the serevants are no more working for them? Was it not like this during Minilk, H/Sillasie, Mengistu and even Meles era? Are they not still seaking Oromo talents, whom they want to use? To have a look about Oromo talents in Habesha political club, read more: http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24770 . Here we can see, how the Abyssinians got profit from the politcal game by the Oromo professionals, but played in the club of and for the interest of the ruling Habesha elites. Then, is it surprisng when they wanted to use the modern day Oromo talents like Birtukan Midhagsa, Jawar Mohammed….etc and get disappointed by facing the reality that these talents are not “their loyal servants” as they expectred?
I think the era of getting Oromo political talents playing for Habesha club is slowly, but surely, dwindling. The Oromo are getting enough insight that Abyssinian nationalism, being masked with Ethiopiawinet, is the anti-thesis of Oromian nationalism (Oromiummaa). The two nationalisms are competing to win the hearts and minds of the Oromo nationals. That is what nowadays going on in a very intensified form. The Abyssinian elites seem to have waged a coordinated campaign against Oromia and Oromiummaa. To be effective, they are using few Oromo natioanls with the Ethiopianist mentality as we hear in the following audio record: http://www.zehabesha.com/ethiopian-oromos-responded-angrily-to-jawar-mohammed-poisonous-statement/ . Is this using an Oromo against another Oromo something new? When we see at the recent history of the Oromo subjugation and the hitherto rule by Abyssinian elites, there was no regime in the empire, who could win the struggle against the Oromo without using such Oromo collaborators. The same phenomena is still going on.
What ever the Abyssinian elites do try, the Oromo national liberation struggle is slowly, but surely, getting momentum; more and more Oromo are becoming assertive and radical to push for free Oromo people and an independent Oromia. The least and minimum demand of the Oromo is self-rule of the Oromian state within a true Ethiopian union/federation; the main objective being an independent republic of core Oromia; of course the best option is an independent Great Oromia or the transformation of the Ethiopian empire towards the Oromian union. There is nothing less than converting Ethiopia into this Great Oromia, which can be a guarantee for the unity and the territorial integrity seeked by the Abyssinain elites. Now the case of Jawar is an interesting phenomen, in which the foes and the friends of the Oromo national liberation movement are clearly seen and separated. The foes are still doing their best to criminalize Jawar and the friends are united more than ever to show a solidarity to his clear position on Oromia and Oromiumma. All Oromo nationalists are now singing together the same song of ‘no compromise on Oromia and Oromiummaa’. That is why I dared to ask: Jawarawi harekat or an intentional criminalization of the Oromo nationalist? I think for the Oromo national liberation camp, it is the harekat, whereas in the Abyssinian camp the usual criminalizazion of the genuine Oromo nationalists is going on. Jawar can capitalize on the support he got and play the card smartly to lead the harekat towards a success. May Rabbi/Waaqa help us use this harekat for the intensification of the Oromo national liberation struggle.
Galatooma!
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Thank you for your intersting insight about the negative campain of Hebesha against Oromian Nationalist and our Hero Jawar Mophammed. Any compain against Jawar is against every single Oromian. Every Oromo from Oromia to Australia, Oslo and Minnesota are ready to defend our best scholar.If you praise and work for habesha the will praise you. Once the habeshas talked about Jawar as ‘the rising star’ because they thought that they will manipulate and use him as they used Birtukan Midhaksa. But now they are hopeless and turned him into evil. So this is a great lesson for all Oromo. Oromo and Oromian should completely avoid the imposed name Ethiopia on us and be proudly Oromian. Now the time for ethiopiyawinet is over! There are millions of oromian like Jawar! Jawar Mohammed, we love you and follow you!
their talents. Who were/are actually the targets of such judgement of ours? Let’s look at our history and our status quo in short for this may help us to correct our mistakes in order to achieve our desired future destiny.
and it was Poldolski who made his historic goal to make Germany a winner against Poland. After that there was a discussion among Poland’s politicians on the question: who is wrong for the fact that this talented man from Poland could play for Germany instead of for Poland? Was it the fault of the player? Was it the fault of Poland’s politicians? Was it the fault of his parents? Was it the economy that was stu*pid?…..etc. Fault finding after fault finding took place, but with no avail to correct the lose for Poland.
soccer players is the money they do earn, but what was and is the motive of the Oromo individuals who played or are still playing in wrong political club? The temporary financial gain or some other life advantage? If so, then it can be simply put as an opportunism. Otherwise who
was responsible for their choice of the club for whom to play? Was it only the political conviction and the understanding they had at that time, for some didn’t know the viability of Oromia and might have thought their only country was Ethiopia? Well the previous politicians in history might
have thought so, what about those serving Abesha today? Is it may be for they are the mentally enslaved part of Oromo national body as a result of the subjugation weendured in the last about 150 years? Or who really did the fault so that our talents could serve Abesha political club
instead of Oromo club? Mind you there were/are also a lot of Oromo talents serving Abesha club in other fields like in language, art and sport, for instance Tsegaye G/Medihin aka Debteraw, Be’alu Girma, Tilahun Gesese, Abebe Biqila, Kenenisa Bekele, Tedi Afro (Tewodros Kasahun Germaama)…etc.
and using Amharinya as a national language, neglecting or even oppressing Afaan Oromo. Why did they do that? May be was it similar to the German royal family, who used to speak french rather than german language, giving more value to foreign language in order to show their own “better quality” in comparision to the ordinary citizens? I do have my own thesis. Some Oromo groups in Shoa seem to have accepted and developed Amharinya since 1270 in relation to their acceptance of the Holy book which has been written in Ge-ez. So they fostered Amharinya as the new language out of Ge-ez and Afaan Oromo. Then it was given a moral upper hand being the
language of both clergy and royality. Elite Oromos who accepted the religion and such royality also revered Amharinya at the cost of Afaan Oromo. Minilik Caalaa of Shoa and co are the products of such process. Then being the carriers of this moral upper hand, Amharinya speaking
Oromo groups started to feel superior to others and then tried to “civilize” their Afaan Oromo speaking siblings south to them. It is historically recorded that very few soldiers from Tigrai or
Semien came to invade Oromia, but mainly the “gallant” Oromo individuals of Shoa (both Amharinya speakers and Afaan Oromo speakers) being led by Minilik Caalaa and Gobana Daacee did the invasion! They promoted Amharinya and Orthodox religion at the cost of Afaan Oromo and Waaqeffannaa. Simply put they promoted Amhara club. Amhara and Tegaru being the semetized nations of Kush peoples are then called to be Abesha (Abyssinians).
Language rather than biological heritage being the main part of national identity, this made the above mentioned Oromo individuals in history to be considered that they played in a wrong political club (played for
Abesha against Oromo).
are a lot of talented Oromo individuals playing in Abesha political club against Oromo’s national interest. Nowadays Abesha forces fighting against the right of Oromo to self-determination are devided in to two: Amhara forces and Tegaru forces. Related to this, we also see a lot of talented
Oromo politicians playing their political game in either Amhara club or Tegaru club. There are some playing for Amhara club, for e.g. people like Birtukan Midhagsaa, Fikire Tolosa, Shekspear Fayyisa, Alemayehu G/Mariyam, Assefa Seifu, Andargachew Tsige….etc. Those playing in Tegaru
club include people like the current Ethiopian president Girma, Junedin Sado, Girma Birru, Shifarra Jarso, Kedir Muktar….etc.
condemn them as persons or should we denounce their works? As far as those in history are concerned, I would like to suggest that only the professional and unbiased hitorians can look at the political life of these talented Oromo individuals who played for Abesha club and then tell us wether they were really guilty or not regarding the political life of their own people Oromo. Concerning those who are now active in Abesha club, we can currently record the crimes they may do against their people and we can bring it to judgement in due time. But as a principle we
just need to accept that in general talented Oromos who politically played their part in Abesha clubs both in history and in status quo need to be seen as innocent till proven guilty in relation to Oromo’s right and regarding Oromo liberation movement.
subconsiously enslaved mind or the deliberate betrayer of once own nation can play in others’ club. This was the fact in almost all world’s political areas, where collaboration is common and it is also true in the empire we do live in. There are a lot of enslaved Oromo minds, some Tegaru
minds, many Gurage, Wolayita, Sidama, Hadiya, Somali, Afar, Kambata, Harari…etc minds who played for and who are still playing in Amhara political club, being falsely designated as “Ethiopian cause”. There are again nowadays since 1991 a lot of people from almost all nations
who are playing for Tegaru aka Weyane club, again being coverd as “Ethiopian club”. But, not surprisingly, we find almost no Abesha or other nations who did serve or who is now serving Oromo political club, for none of the nations listed above was enslaved by Oromo.
when ever we hear and read the name Ethiopia, we have to try to discern which content it meanse. Specially we have to know that in all pro Amhara websites, the name Ethiopia nowadays can be replaced by Amhara nation and in pro Weyane websites, the name Ethiopia meanse simply Weyane regime. It is only Oromo people and our politicians who didn’t try to use
this packet, filling it with Oromo content. Whether such move is beneficial or not, it is recommendable for our politicians to consider the option of testing and using it.
We should just examine exactly whether they have done a crime against Oromo liberation movement or wether they only have been enslaved and served the other camp with out commiting concrete crime. Yet we may still ask: isn’t serving the enemy camp by its self a crime? If we mean they are Oromo talents who have been programmed since their chilhood by Abesha
soft ware and accordingly served Abesha cause, as far as I am concerned they are not necessarily criminals, but surely they were and/or are slaves. If we mean they are criminals, we need to give a convincing evidence for the fact that they did any specific crime to judge them as
such. Otherwise they are simply only innocent slaves of Abesha till they are proven guilty of any criminal act against Oromo national interest. Leaving the history for historians, regarding the future, it is up to every Oromo individual to choose between being criminal Oromo, enslaved
Oromo or free and innocent Oromo!