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.

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Previous works of Dr. Barii on ayyaantuu.com:

8. Unity in Diversity vs. Disunity in Diversity in the Context of Ethiopia - Oct 11, 2013
7. Debunking the Illusions and Confusions of Narrow Ethiopianism (III) - Sept 29, 2013
6. Debunking the Illusions and Confusions of Narrow Ethiopianism (Part II) - Sept 11, 2013
5. Debunking the Illusions and Confusions of Narrow Ethiopianism (Part I) - Sept 8, 2013
4. Seife Nebelbal Radio interviews Dr. Bari Ayano - Aug 2, 2013
3. Ethiopia Ranks 121 out of 144 in Global Competitiveness - Oct 8, 2012
2. Oromia: The Role of National Identity in Nation Re-building - Mar 17, 2012
1. Ethiopia: The Futile GTP Propaganda Campaign in the Diaspora - Apr 13, 2011

=>ayyaantuu

STOP THE SUFFERING OROMO PEOPLE

By  Mekonenn Elalla Fekadu | October 14, 2013

Mekonenn Elalla

The tribal TPLF regime which spent 17 years of guerrilla fighting in jungle before coming to power in 1991 to govern the country for the last 22 years does not seem to have any concern or knowledge for the internationally accepted human right protocols leave aside to abide by the rules and regulations. By its very nature, TPLF is a jungle born tribal party which is incapable to administer Ethiopia in respect of contemporary, civilized thinking of governance. Its inadequacy to lead the country has proved itself in these 22 years when it induces the rule of jungle, force and terror to stay in power. Here after, no one expects TPLF to realize the importance of freedom and democracy to govern a sovereign country. If one thinks that the time is still early for this tribal regime to update itself and respect civilian rights, he or she must be the one who dreams the sun to rise on west and set in the east. No one is optimist to any form of positive change as long as this government is on power.

More than ever, today, the Oromo people which constitute the total population have become determined not to sustain any form of oppressions. Incarcerating and killing Oromos who ask their rights, administering severe corporal punishment on those who exercise their freedom of speech and press, exiling those who stand against any kind of partial or racist treatment, and persecuting Oromoscholars to flee the country are among the major administration policies of TPLF. In general, what the regime is committing against the Oromo people could be considered as an act of genocide. For the world surprise, those codes of crimes TPLF penalized in life or death sentence are undisputed human rights across the continents including Africa. Unfortunately, even if TPLF is not exercising it in reality, some of the charges that many Oromo people are being left in prisons are clearly stated as civil rights on the constitutional documents (papers) of the country. To TPLF shame and guilt, as if the country has two distinct constitutions and two classes of citizens, rules and regulations that deny the very rights of some are being implemented to liberate and empower others.

The tribal regime of TPLF that segregates citizens in race and language for preferential access of education, work and safe life has faced a strong reaction and opposition from Oromo people which make more than of the population count. This abundance put imminent threat to TPLF that it will be overwhelmed by number and power. This in turn brings a continuous persecution and a deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering for Oromo people regardless of sex, age and region across the country. The case of those 69 Oromo innocents who are suffering in prison not for any justified reason or crime but simply for being Oromo and asking their rights is a simple justification for TPLF’s aggression.

Since the onset of TPLF regime, the number of Oromo people put behind bars and racked at different places in Kality, Zeway, Shewarobit, and Diredawa is getting higher. Those 69 Oromo prisoners, who are collectively jailed under the command of the deceased Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, just a year and two months before his death, have faced a gruesome torture in their prison cells. These prisoners have neither been tried in front of any legal court nor have knowledge for what kind of transgression they committed to end up in prison. Recently, after being told to get a hearing on 6^th of July, suddenly they received a prolongation of date by four months on which they expressed their deep discontent and appealed to the office of the Prime Minister. However, their right to appeal for the PM office triggered the prison management’s anger and they become subjected for harsh and sever punishment from the authorities. These innocent prisoners put in a group, tied their hands and feet to endure a shocking revenge. Some of the hospital source have disclosed many of them have been left with sever physical injuries. Among those who have been tortured in inhumane manner, eight of them were critically injured and lost their conscious before taken to a hospital. According to eye witnesses, prior to their severe corporal punishment, those 69 prisoners were grouped in to three. These people have also testified that the walls and floors of those rooms where the prisoners savagely tortured were stained with blood and had been washed and cleaned for a day long.

In addition to this, Engineer Tesfahun Chemeda, who lost his life after a long time imprisonment and torture in Kality prison, is regrettable, unforgettable and unforgivable loss for us, Oromo people as a whole. This act of crime will never stop or pull back our struggle against TPLF regime; and we keep shouting to expose its offence against Oromos to the world wide nations. We will never surrender until a neutral body examines the cause of his death and we, as Oromo, and his beloved family get justice against the killers.

This crime and inhumane treatments of TPLF being administered on Oromo people is a part and parcel of a day to day gruesome acts of the regime against the nation and nationalities of Ethiopia. Therefore, the Oromo people calls every individual people of the country to feel and consider this oppression as a crime committed against his or her livelihood to stand together to pull out the already rotten government. When the Oromo people are attacked, Afar, Sidamo, Somalis, Wolitas, and other nation and nationalities should come forward reinforce the struggle since TPLF dictatorial rule and oppression is without exception. As the Oromo people committed and making life sacrifices to bring a revolutionary change, it calls other oppressed groups to join its struggle to eradicate the regime and to smash its racial and partial yoke the people have been carrying for the last 22 years.

=>ayyaantuu

Miseensotni EPRDF ji’a tokko keessatti baay’inaan 20,000 ol tahan miseensummaa fi hojii siyaasaa EPRDF keessaa bahuuf iyyannoo galfatan

Miseensotni EPRDF ji’a tokko keessatti baay’inaan 20,000 ol tahan miseensummaa fi hojii siyaasaa EPRDF keessaa bahuuf iyyannoo galchuu isaanii qabeenyi humna namaa HRM federaalaa saaxile

Mataan mootummaa wayyaanee Mallas Zeenaawwiin erga du’aan boqotee amanamtoota EPRDF kan tahan hedduumminaan ofitti amantamummaa dhabaa dhufuun isaanii beekamaa dha. Haalli kun daran jabaachaa kan dhufe hojjettootni siyaasaa EPRDF fi miseensotni EPRDF yeroo dheeraa yeroo amma miseensummaa of irraa haquu fi dirqama mootummaa wayyaaneen kennu galmaan geessisuu dhabuun jabaataa dhufee jira. Haalli kunis yeroodhaa gara yerootti dabalaa dhufuun ji’a tokko duwwaa keessatti miseensotni EPRDF kan tahan miseensummaa EPRDF of irraa haquuf Human resorce managment tti iyyannoo galchatan baay’inaan 20,000 ol tahuu HRM federaalaa saaxilee jira. Hojjettootni siyaasaa mootummaa wayyaanee baay’inaan hamma kana tahan ji’a tokko duwwaa keessatti duwwaa iyyannoo miseensummaa fi hojii siyaasaa irraa dhaabbachuuf iyyannoo galchuun isaanii hangafummaan bututa mootummaa wayyaanee fi jijjiirama walii galaa kan hubatan tahuu irraa tahuu HRM saaxilee jira. Mootummaan wayyaanee haala kanaan burkutaa’aa deemuun isaa yaaddoo miseensota EPRDF tahuu irraan qeerroon bilisummaa wareegama qaqqaalii kaffalee guutummaan bittinsuuf hojii jabaa haala yeroo kamuu ol baasuu isaa addeessa.

=>qeerroo

Tesfaye Gebreab Ye Gazetangaw Mastawashya

Dear DMV Oromo People, brothers and sisters and friends of Oromo people who are following the writer and journalist Tesfaye Gebreab situation. as you may all know, the Oromo community ofWashington DC is deeply heart broken by the sad news that is spreading across the social media for the past couple of weeks. It is very sad and heart breaking to know that one of our brother Tesfaye Gebreab has also become a victim of Oromophobia and lost the economic benefits that he should have gotten from his new book, "Ye Gazetangaw Mastawashya." He decided to share his Original copy of the book for free without any economic benefits after putting so many efforts and hard work; just to stick to his principles and to safeguard his moral integrity. 

 However, We the Qubee generation of Washington DC have managed to Organize a fundraising event at 811 Upshur St Nw, Washington, DC 20011, Oromo center on Friday October 18th 2013 at 7:00pm just to cover some of his losses. They offered him to publish his book excluding Chapter 7, and they agreed to pay him what they estimated around 35,000 to 40, 000 US dollars. However, Tesfaye refused to take the offer when they say he has to remove Chapter 7 of the book because it means bowing down to the immoral demands of the Oromophobians and advocates of practices of censorships. He could have agreed to publish the book without Chapter 7, collected his money and still released free copy of chapter 7 to his readers, but he did not want to do that because as a matter of principle it amounts to agree to the practice of censorship which is one of the oldest and ugliest means of hampering or obstructing the freedom of expression.

 They did not want to publish the story because, after all, it is the story of Oromo people, the people they have been oppressing and disrespecting since the creation of Ethiopian State. I do not have words to express my admiration to this writer and journalist. Nevertheless, by now most of you readers have understood that chapter 7 was not written to achieve some kind of grandiose evil intention as some Amharic Speaking Elites wanted to convince us. That story was narrated by one of our brother. That story was real and it really happened to one of Oromo girl named Chaltu Midhaqsa. What Tesfaye did was just write it in readable and presentable Amharic language and nothing more. That is our story. Most probably the most mitigated story because of so many social and political reasons. Where is Tesfaye’s evil intention to create conflicts in their “EmiyeEthiopia” then? Why Tesfaye has to be blamed because he simply writes what lifes look like for our people in their own cities like Horra Finfinee. However, we are not writing this post to question who should be really blamed for what happened, but rather to say thank you to Tesfaye Gebreab for making our voice heard and to Organize a fundraising that will somehow cover his lost benefits. it is mind boggling for someone to write a masterpiece and suddenly his hard work is not rewarding or even pay back the amount of money he has spent writing the book , so it is up us to let him know that his works and contribution to the Oromo society isn't easily forgotten. For those of you who couldn't make it on the listed day fundraising events you can drop by Oromo center at any time between Friday and Saturday and leave your supports with your name on it. Tesfaye made Oromo peoples voice heard, and we as a community have to return the favor...For more info contact Jafar Abafogi

All Oromo form USA, Europe, Australia  want to support Tefaye Gebreab.

=>oromoparliamentarians