Monday, October 14, 2013

What is the Fuss All About?

Barii Ayano, PhD* | October 14, 2013
1. Introduction
I just finished reading the latest book of Tesfaye Gebreab, “YeSidetegnaw Mastawesha”, over the weekend. I bought his previous two books. I feel guilty to read this one for free online. After I completed reading the book, my question is this: What is the Fuss All About? Why the Ethiopianists are mad at the content of the book? Even compared to Tesfaye’s books, this is not parallel to the “YeBurqa Zimita” in raising the complex issues of the Ethiopian Empire, as it related to the Oromo people. It is very basic, with very basic stories.
I am more perplexed with the attitudes of the Diaspora Amhara elites, who cry rivers to stop the publication of the book, than the contents of the book. I have not read any dramatic issues that I have not heard before. Actually, what is embodied in the book, including the part that deals with Caaltuu, is among the very basic stories we Oromos heard zillions of times. Not only we heard; many of us endured what Chaltu endured in the Ethiopian Empire school system. Unless the narrow Ethiopianists have turned themselves to deaf and blind, the discrimination against Oromo students was news less than a year ago at Addis Ababa University, Arat Kilo. Similarly, the same problem ensued at different universities across Ethiopia. I think they are cultured to hide everything.
2. Narrow Ethiopianism: Contrary to Freedom of Speech and Expression
The paradox of Ethiopianists’ thinking is mind boggling. On the one hand, they preach 24/7 they stand for all kinds of individual rights and declare that the democracy they dream for Ethiopia will be based on all-inclusive individual-rights that parallel the world best.  On the other hand, the same individuals turn around and chase individuals to the end of the world for writing basic satires to record what ensued and ensues in Ethiopia. Their relentless wars against Jawar Mohammed and now Tesfaye Gebreab are cases in point. Simplified, Ethiopianists have created their narrow version of every tenet that humans advanced for positive human interactions and collective peaceful coexistence. Individual rights also have completely different meaning for them.
They define unity as uniformity, conformity their dictation. They define democracy as exclusive club of Amhara elites and Amharanized elite’s version of narrow Ethiopianism.  They preach individuals’ rights as the basis for peaceful coexistence and democracy. Yet, they only endorse those who talk like them, write like them, and act (think) like them. If you cross these set lines, you don’t have individuals’ freedom of speech and expression. They control the way you practice your freedom. You get your freedom if they endorse you.
I think narrow Ethiopianists, who grew up under dictatorial culture and multitudes of hierarchy in every aspect of life, are culturally challenged and disabled to understand what unity, democracy and freedom of speech and expression real mean. The dictatorial culture controls their mindset and guides their understanding of everything. They don’t have a mindset (flexible mentality) to understand and acknowledge the suffering of others either. The sickness of the Ethiopian political culture stinks to high heaven.
3. Most Oromos Endured/Endure Caaltuus’ Predicaments
Tesfaye addressed in his book the basics of what Oromo students encountered and still encountering in Ethiopia. No part of it surprising. No part of it is an exaggerated fiction. No part of it can induce rage in Oromos; it might only activate our childhood bad memories. Many of us were Caalatuu’s shoes, and we have had many Caaltuu’s among our family and relatives. We have heard much more horror stories than what Caaltuu endured.
Tesfaye eloquently narrated very basic stories on how the garrison towns treat Oromos. Changing names by Amhara teachers or Amharanized relatives is not news either. Narrow Ethiopianists just need to look around them: the Amharanized Oromos among them. I personally know more than a dozen of people, who lost both their names and father names. Some Oromo brothers and sisters, who hail from the same fathers and mothers, have different fathers’ names. Why? For some of them, their fathers’ names were changed while registering in schools. For some Oromos, the change of their names and fathers did not even go past “yeQes timhir bet”. Instead of facing the ugly historical factors, narrow Ethiopianists want to hide it from us.
They don’t have thinking capacities to contemplate that Tesfaye’s writing does not teach Oromos anything new in this front. We lived it and still living the discrimination in garrison towns. Actually, the book may teach the Amhara elites and the pseudo Amharas few facts. If they have bones in them, they face and acknowledge the historical injustices, which are zillion times more horrid than what the book explains, in order to charter a better future.
In other words, the content of the book cannot incite rage in Oromos against the perpetuators of the crimes since it presents nothing new that Oromos never heard. It’s the denial of it; it is the lack of acknowledging the historical injustice that breeds rage. I am angry at those who banned the book from publication. Even more so, who the hell will trust those who operate with the feudal warlords’ mindset and still want to lie to us about the injustice we live through in Ethiopia? Who will trust those who hide facts about Oromos?
Oromos don’t need to read books to recall the injustice in Ethiopia against Oromos and other conquered people. Actually, the best reminders of the injustice are the pigheaded narrow Ethiopianists who panic fearing some truth will come out through some book and ban its publication. More importantly, it shows us that the narrow Ethiopianists do not have the agenda to change the ugly course of the past. Yet, they dare to talk about reconciliation. Alas! I forgot! they are culturally challenged to understand reconciliation.
Caaltuu’s aunt likes are living among the Diaspora Ethiopianists. It’s a simple fact that like the Amharanized garrison town residents, Oromos in the Ethiopianist camps severe everything Oromo to join the Ethiopianist camps. These include Afaan Oromo, Oromo music, Oromo culture, etc. It’s impossible to comprehend when they claim that they are “proud Ethiopianist Oromos”. Just like Caaltuu’s aunt in the book, they are ashamed of everything about the Oromo-self. There is nothing they show case their pride in being an Oromo. Rather, they should just claim “we are proud Amharanized Ethiopians” and live with it. If they try to embody some elements of the Oromo-self into Ethiopianism, they would earn some respect. They surrender everything to wear Amharanized-self, and surrender head-first at that.
*Barii teaches Economics and Finance at the USA Universities.
Previous works of Dr. Barii on ayyaantuu.com:

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