It is Time for Promotion of Afaan Oromo to Main School Language of Finfinne as Well as Put the City Under Adminstration of Oromia!

It is Time for Promotion of Afaan Oromo to Main School Language of Finfinne as Well as Put the City Under Adminstration of Oromia!

When we observe Amhara elites vehmently opposing to learn Afaan Oromo in Finfinne, there should be no attempt of appeacing them and being so cautious not to hurt their feeling. Oromo politicians should take the following three radical steps: 1. put Finfinne under admnistration of Oromia, 2. promote Afaan Oromo to the primary working language of the country, replacing Amharigna and 3. forge a parlamentary law that everybody, who wants to live and work in Oromia including Finfinne, is obliged to learn Afaan Oromo in order to be integrated with Oromo society. Amhara elites and youth, who are ready to learn english when living in England, french in France and deutsch in Germany, have no moral ground to refuse learning Afaan Oromo, if they want to stay in Oromia including Finfinne.

Recently, about six pro-Amharanet (anti-Oromummaa) parties (Ezema, Baldras, Mead, Abronet, Arena & Teramaj) showed us that they are determined to struggle in unison for self-rule of Addisaba. No genuine democrat can be against such noble idea. But, there are two questions to be answered: 1) under Oromia or out of Oromia? 2) being dominated by Amharanet or led by Oromummaa? Surely, the six pro-Amharanet parties say: out of Oromia being dominated by Amharanet. Then, we  the Oromo, say: you will achieve this on our graves. No sound minded Oromo will accept this malicious mission of the pro-Amharanet forces. With this political move, the six parties declared themselves as classical enemies of the Oromo and their future survival in Oromia including Finfinne is unlikely. I personally suggest the following as good solution.

Nowadays two names solution for the capital – Finfinne/Addisaba is almost accepted by both pro-Ethiopia and pro-Oromia nationals, but why not for the country – Oromia/Ethiopia? The #OromoProtest# clearly showed us the exisitng very deep mistrust between Ethiopian lovers and Oromian promoters. Pro-Oromia citzens payed huge sacrifice of their limb and life, while pro-Ethiopia opposition groups were endlessly discussing about motive of the movement and who is behind it, instead of joining the protest and galvanizing the freedom struggle. Main fear of the Ethiopianists seemed to be about the possible civil war between the Oromo and others as well as about eventual disintegration of the empire. Even the pro-Ethiopia rhetoric of unionist Oromos in OPP and OFC couldn’t help in convincing other Ethiopianists about union politics of Oromo people, which is already labelled as “separatist movement” by Abyssinian elites. Because of this mistrust, an inclusive and efficient revolution against the dictatorial regime of EPP couldn’t yet erupt. Even there was a senseless arguement whether to call the strughle Oromo protest or Ethiopian protest. In this arguement, there was reflectioin of a conflict between two ‘citizen identities’: Ethiopiawinet (being Ethiopian) vs Oromiawinet (being Oromian). The million dollar question not yet answered is: how can pro-Ethiopia elites and pro-Oromia forces trust each other and protest in unison against the dictatorial regime in order to get rid of the system by means of revolution?

It is a known fact that Oromos are the people having dual history in state formation of the country and because of that developed dual visions for its transformation. The Oromo were both in conquered (victim) and conqueror (victor) sides of the war during nation building. Now, among the Oromo community, some identify themselves with the conquered side and fight for liberation of Gadaa Oromia or change of Ethiopia to Great Oromia; the others see themselves as parts of the conqueror and struggle for the transformation of empire Ethiopia to democratic Ethiopia, which is also by de fault Great Oromia. The first group are pro-Oromia, while the second are pro-Ethiopia. Now, the two blocs have a sort of conflict and sometimes they even see each other as enemies with “irreconcilable” conflict. I think we can have a synthetic common vision as a compromise solution for the conflict; i.e use of two names (Ethiopia and Oromia) interchangeably for the same country, just as we are calling our capital city Addisaba and Finfinne simultaneously.

Just as Ethiopianists’ Addisaba is Oromianists’ Finfinne former’s Ethiopia is later’s Oromia. Because of fact that the name Ethiopia is contaminated by meaning given from the Greeks (burnt-face, which is almost the same to the N-word used against blacks) and by the content given from Habeshas (making Ethiopia equivalent to Abyssinian empire’s system of domination, excluding and exploiting the Oromo as well as other nations), this additional name now or the possible change of the name in the future is mandatory, if we really want to live together. That is why I once asked Habesha elites: why not you accept the name Oromia, rather than trying to persuade the Oromo to join you in loving Ethiopia? Surprisingly, Abyssinian elites who once wanted to exclude the Oromo from Ethiopian ‘citizen identity’ are now doing everything under the sun in order to push us to accept this same identity.

Simply put, I want to tell those who do have similar attitude that the future of the empire will be either to be transformed in to a genuine union/true federation as ODF planned or to just face an inevitable emergence of Gadaa Oromia in a form of an independent republic as the OLF is trying to achieve. The union can be given the name Oromia if Ethiopianists agree. Both Abyssinians and Oromians know very well that Gadaa Oromia, being occupied by Abyssinia and kept within Ethiopia, will not last as long as they want. Transitional Ethiopian union to be forged on grave of the existing temporary Abyssinian empire can be used as a good prelude to either an independent Gadaa Oromia or an integrative Great Oromia. That is why we need to come to our sense and try to find a solution, in which we all do have a win-win compromise. Manipulating histories and legends is not what we have to do now. Important is a future-oriented creative thinking, which can benefit all nations in the empire.

Above all, nowadays, the narrow Ethiopianists define Ethiopiawinet (‘citizen identity’) as anti Oromia and use it as an instrument to antagonize Oromo nationalism. They know that Oromumma is now very necessary to mobilize the Oromo for freedom struggle and they want to hinder this. To tackle such move of exclusive Ethiopianists, Oromo unionists with inclusive politics like the elites in OPP and OFC better name the whole country Oromia, instead of Ethiopia, so that Oromos not necessarily should accept the imposed ‘citizen identity’, but enjoy Oromiawinet as our second identiy; the first being Oromonet (Oromummaa = Oromoness). That is why Dawite Mekonnen sang about Oromiawinet (‘citizen identity’) and Abdi Nuressa did it regarding Oromonet (ethnic identity). To realize Oromiawinet identity parallel to Ethiopiawinet, here are some reasons why that country should also be named Oromia:

– the Tigrai elites reduced both Oromia and the Oromo almost to half, just as planned by their leader Meles Zenawi to change the majority Oromo to minority; so it is better to reclaim the whole country than to accept the presently less than half Oromia ruled by OPP.

– Oromo is Cush and Cush is Oromo, implying that other Cushitic nations (including Amhara and Tigrai, who denied their Cushitic base) in the country are offshots or progenies of the Oromo, so that they can be part and parcel of Oromia.

– according to some scholars, the whole country belongs to the Oromo and all the hitherto kings and leaders were Oromo; the Amhara being only soldiers of governments.

– brain and heart of the whole country (Finfinne) is the very center of Oromo nation, so that any country adminstered from that center can be called Oromia.

– the Oromo are single majority (about 60%) and Oromo region covers more than 60% of the whole country.

– all economical, specially the export base of the country (coffee, gold, hide & skin, flower, chaat…etc) are from Oromo region.

– most of the heros and heroins, who did build and kept the country as it is now, are Oromo and most of the athlets, who contributed for the fame and image of the country, are Oromo.

– even the whole Gojjam, part of Gondar and Tigrai were Oromo and belongs to Oromia.

– the original Cushitic language in Meroe was highly related to Afaan Oromo and other Cushitic languages are branches from it; thus all peoples in the Country can claim Oromo as their common root.

– Waaqeffannaa, the indigeneous religion of Cushites, which was also Abraham’s own religion before the emergence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is still preserved among Oromo people and it needs to be revived as a unique religion of the country.

– the holy TREE (as mentioned in the Bible), under which the pre-Judaism religious peoples on earth offered to their Waaqa, is still revered in Oromo society.

– the known verse in the Holy book “Oromia stretches his hand to Waaqa” is named as Cush by the Jew and as Ethiopia by Greeks.

– Abraham Ashine of Akkasum (Axum), who was a Cushite is said to be more with Oromo characters and told to have Oromo fighters during his invasion of Asia.

– the Oromo are told to be indigeneous people on which others are grafted.

– the study of Egypt showed more Afaan Oromo character than Amharic in relation with old Egypt inscriptions.

– the present country is built at cost of the Oromo, actually with life and limb of Oromo people as well as with Oromo property.

– Oromo People are demographical majority to which all other peoples are highly related and Oromo region is geographical center in which all peoples of the country enjoy life in harmony.

– the Oromo died for building and keeping present Ethiopia and we deserve to claim the naming as Oromia and our core region can be designated as Oromo region.

–  future democratic Ethiopia will be de facto Oromia, unlike the hitherto Ethiopia which is equivalent to Abyssinia, so that the Oromo should struggle to keep territorial integrity of this Great Oromia (future Ethiopia)

— ….. etc!

Some arguemnets against naming the country as Oromia are: name of one ethnie can not be used for the whole multi-national country; it is simply imposing Oromo identity on others; it neglects identity of other nations; it looks like an expansion of Oromo territory; it shows Oromo chauvinism;…etc. But none of the arguements is as such conviencingly correct. If we really want to have union of free peoples, which can never happen when Gadaa Oromia will be independent, it is necessary to call the future union as Oromia, so that the Oromo can be part of the union whole heartedly. All nations will have their freedom and autonomy within such a union called Oromia. Designating countries after the name of their biggest ethnie is not new. For e.g, the name India is derived from Hindi people, Russia from Russki and Spain from Spaniard.

Thus, I want to suggest for all Oromo nationals to call the whole country Oromia, instead of Ethiopia just as we named Finfinne, instead of Addisaba. Other peoples can further call it Ethiopia till we can decide for one of the two per public verdict. Now, we can follow this two names principle until we decide for one of them or otherwise in the future. To avoid any confusion, the present Oromia ruled by OPP can be called Oromo region, not Oromia. Such inclusive Oromia (Ethiopia) consists of the existing Oromo, Amhara, Tigari, Southern, Ogaden, Afar, Benishangul, Gambella, Harari, etc regions. The principle of countries having two names is not some thing new; for instance, Holland/Nietherland, Great Britain/United Kingdom, Germany/Deutschland & Egypt/Misir…etc. Oromo people can call the whole country Oromia and additionally tolerate the name Ethiopia, becuase of the fact that the positive image of Ethiopia is mainly due to Oromo’s contribution and due to relation of the name with ancient Cush civilization, to which Oromo nation is the main part.

As we observed in public protests against Dr. Abiy in America recently, there are two main oppositin camps. To help these two anti-EPP camps (pro-Ethiopia and pro-Oromia elites) trust each other and cooperate in struggle, it is necessary that they agree on forging union of free peoples after freedom from the existing dictatorial system of EPP. The mentioned conflict in the ‘citizen identity’ can be solved by applying the above suggested two names solution. In that case, the Oromo should not necessarily accept Ethiopia and Ethiopiawinet as well as the non-Oromo peoples must not identify themselves with Oromia and Oromiawinet. We can use both Ethiopia and Oromia interchangeably to name our future common home (union of free peoples). If it is necessary to choose from one of the two names or to give another name, that can be decided by peoples in the country or by their representatives in the future democratically eleced parliament. Now, the Oromo better sing about only Oromia, Oromiawinet and Oromonet without confusing our youth with the rhetoric of Ethiopia and Ethiopiawinet, which are already rejected by some members of our society because of the misuse of Ethiopiawinet by Habesha elites. Thus, I again suggest that unionists in OPP and OFC call the whole country Oromia, instead of Ethiopia. The multi-national federation they want to foster after freedom from the oppressive Hybrids led by Dr Abiy can contain self rule of Oromo region within shared rule of Oromian union.

Galatooma!