Thursday, December 30, 2010

‘Cushitization’ vs ‘Semitization’ of Ethiopia: A very dangerous dichotomy

By Gumaa Guddaa


I read the article by Fayyis Oromia with some sense of disbelief. (“Read Here”)

The dichotomy between Cushitic and Sematic Ethiopia is naïve at best and malicious at worst. The enemies of the Oromo struggle have been doing their best to misrepresent the Oromo quest for independence as anti-Semitic movement and have actually succeeded to some degree. I do not think it is up to an Oromo to assist this by falsely claiming that the Oromo should struggle to re-Cushitize Ethiopia unless one has completely lost his marbles.

It is true the Oromo belong to the Cushitic speaking group. It is also true that the Tigre and Amhara belong to the Semitic speaking group. However, let it be known that this dichotomy is not the cause of the Oromo struggle. In fact, I have never read or heard this being the basis of the struggle over the past 40 years. It did not appear in our discourse because it is a taboo subject but there is no logic to it. Let us be clear that this sort of fantasy has no place in the Oromo world view. It is totally alien to our thinking the reason why we struggle that it is difficult to recognize.

The Semitic speaking Tigre and Amhara elite have rallied most western Ethiophile academia and scholars to campaign against us due to this misguided misapprehension. I am speechless that Mr Fayyis Oromia is either unaware of this fact or actively engaged in justifying the myth that already exits. To appear intellectual without being one has this sort of danger. To pretend to be a thinker without thinking is diabolical.

It appears that the Shanee ideologues are shaken to the core by the clear articulation of the objective and vision of the Oromo struggle for freedom by Mr Galassa Dilbo in his recent interview with an Oromo journalist Mr Jalil. (“Listen Here”)

Mr Fayyis Oromia suggests that the Asmara Group should struggle for re-Cushitization of Ethiopia. In the past he argued they should democratize Ethiopia. What is unclear is that whether re-Cushitization is ethnic cleansing or not. It certainly borders on racism.

Mr Fayyis also mixes dangerous cocktail of religious and racial differences in proposing the basis for his suggestion for his idea. He tries to suggest Waaqaa religion will counter Judaism and Orthodox Christianity. Waaqaa religion is the minority religion in Oromia itself let alone Ethiopia. The Oromo people are by and large followers of the two main religions of Christianity and Islam, in almost estimated equal proportion. He stated that these two religions are being liberalised by the Cushitic influence. Mr Fayyis says nothing about the Semitic version of these religions. Are they not liberal too?

In the past Mr Fayyis had forcefully argued that globalization has changed our world and no need for talking about differences. Therefore, I do not think we can take him seriously at all.

What is amazing is that Mr Fayyis claims the Abyssinian position is antithesis. However, his position is rather antithesis to the Oromo position. The Oromo rightfully lay claim to Oromia. Fayyis claims not only the whole of Ethiopia but Sudan, Egypt and Kenya. Totally absurd concept. His proposal is simply so far fetched and impractical not worthy of spending time on discussing.

Mr Fayyis Oromia’s article is difficult to follow. It is all over the place. On the one hand he suggests that the struggle should be two against one. Well, it has been two against one so far. The two Sematic speaking Tigre and Amhara against the one Cushitic speaking Oromo. He fails to understand that the former two have successfully already Semitized Ethiopia over the past 150 year. Mr Fayyis suggests that the combination of Oromo and Amhara will Cushitize Ethiopia. He did not say if he considers anyone out of power automatically turns to be Cushitic. The two Sematic speaking will benefit forming alliance rather than allowing themselves being split by the Cushitic speaking Oromo, wouldn’t they?

Like Mr. Fayyis Oromia appear to think Cushitic centric history is truth his Abyssinian counter parts also unshakably believe what he calls myth as historical and religious facts. He asserts “…getting rid of the myths like the rhetoric about the Solomonic dynasty and the fiction about ‘Ze Negede-Yihuda’ …” will be a solution. An impossible task. At any rate no business of the Oromo. People should respect the culture and history of others, be it fact or fiction, unless you are a racist.

The incontrovertible historical fact is that a country called Oromia was annexed by another country called Abyssinia. This has nothing to do with Semitization or Cushitization. The Oromo struggle is a national liberation struggle to regain the lost sovereignty of Oromia. Any self-respecting Oromo will respect people with Semitic heritage as well as those with Cushitic heritage equally.

I would like to think Mr Fayyis Oromia’s views are his. I am equally curious if the Asmara Group (A.K.A Shanee, the Daawud Ibsaa Group) will now be going to talk about re-Cushitization for the next decade. I pray not.


Have your say.

20 comments:

anonmous said...

Well said Obboo Gumaa, and thanks for your timely responses to Obboo Fayyis’s unrealistic day dreams of "‘Cushitization’ vs ‘Semitization’ of Ethiopia”.

Furthermore, I would like to remind Obbo Fayyis Oromia with the following observation by author C. C. Colton which goes like this

…”Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity than straigthforward and simple integrity in another. A knave would rather quarrel with a brother knave than with a fool, but he would rather avoid a quarrel with one honest man than with both. He can combat a fool by management and address, and he can conquer a knave by temptations. But the honest man is neither to be bamboozled nor bribed”.
By C. C. Colton.

So neither the Nation of Oromia.
Asalam aleikum,
Yaadasaa

Anonymous said...

".....We have no time for luxury to be divided and to quarell on the minor and secondary issues, like the never ending dispute on the artificially created "difference of Kaayyoo: Ethiopian democratization vs Oromian decolonization". I don't want to comment on this issue for I already wrote about it more than enough, but important to mention is just to observe how both our foes and our fools like to talk about it 24 hours a day and 7 days a week in attempting to disintegrate and divide Oromo nationalists. Let's ignore their mantra and concentrate on the constructive way of doing our liberation business. Of course there are very few genuine nationalists, who are neither a foe nor a fool, but do this same divisive job based on their resentment against the few Oromo liberation factions or liberation leaders. These are the nationalists who, as Oromo used to say: "kan gaara ol bahuu dadhabee, dalga fiiga" (the one who can't walk upward on a hill, prefers to run horizontal, but in a wrong direction away from his/her intended goal). For such individuals, any struggle against an enemy is a hard job; so they usually do have no better concept to fight against the enemy, but they tend to lament against their own friends, who do their best, the action which is not as such constructive even to lead the lamentors to their own intended goal....."

Anonymous said...

Hi Gumaa,
why are you mad at the suggestion? Actually re-Cushitization is already started as the article made you so mad and surely the Abyssinized Cushites are more crazy than you now are! The start of this thinking process or quarell over the issue by itself is the start of the re-Cushitization, which you can not stop, but will live with! Just enjoy the ongoing process!

Anonymous said...

".....Let’s learn from SPLM of South Sudan. They fought fiercely; they lost about two million of their people; and now they are only few days away from achieving their freedom, be it in a form of autonomy within a union with Sudan or in a form of independence without a union. Let’s not forget that they used to talk about both the autonomy within a united Sudan and the independence from the north part of Sudan, which had to be decided by public verdict per referendum. The same is true for Oromia; no need of the foolish quarrel now on the issue: autonomy (internal self-determination) vs. independence (external self-determination). Only our foes and our fools, who used to cry against tokkummaa qabsaa’ota Oromo and against the upcoming tumsa (all-inclusive alliance) are interested to continue such a quarrel now, just in order to divide and disintegrate Oromo nationalists. I do encourage the genuine Oromo nationalists to stop such endless “discussion,” to concentrate on the armed struggle, and then to coordinate it with a possible future civil disobedience as well as with a public uprising in Oromia....."

Anonymous said...

Here is Fayyis Oromia's reply as he posted on Gadaa.com:

"Is ‘Cushitization vs Semitization’ of Ethiopia Really a Very Dangerous Dichotomy?

First of all, I would like to thank Obbo Gumaa Guddaa for the opinion from his point of view. This opinion is a reply to his response on my article with a title: “Re-Cushitization of Ethiopia and the Triangular Struggle for Freedom”. I don’t know if he failed to read or to comprehend my hitherto opinion to misunderstand me as such. Even though most of the accusations he made are based only on his own perception (I doubt if he had read my hitherto opinions), I will try to give a reply in short, which I hope can be against all his assumptions.

Firstly, he described me as “pretender of being intellectual and thinker” on one side, and at the same time suggested as if I am one of the “Shanee ideologues”, who is “shaken to the core by the clear articulation of the objective and vision of the Oromo struggle for freedom by Mr Galassa Dilbo” on the other side. Why did he move between these two opposite views? I don’t want to give here all rounded reply, but I would like to give few short ideas and ask him back possibly many question to allow him think over his allegations. If he really wants to know my real and true position on the issues he raised, I just recommend him to read all my hitherto opinions.........

Anonymous said...

.....Actually, it would be better if he could talk about the dichotomy: “Abyssinized Ethiopia vs Cushitic Ethiopia”, about which I wrote based on the concrete operational definitions I gave in the article he tries to criticize. I didn’t talk about the general dichotomy: “Cushitic vs Semetic” in anthropological sense. Anyways, is the dichotomy between the Cushitic and Semetic Ethiopia really naïve at best and malicious at worst as he described? If it is naive, why did’nt he ignore the idea? If it is malicious, to whom? May be to his own ideology? To his version of nationalism, i.e his view of black and white without having any grey zone, which he tried to preach till now? Why didn’t he try to falsify the version of history I told and to discredit my interpretation of the history?

Sure is that his black and white approach: “Abesha are Semetic speakers and Oromo are Cushitic speakers” is shaked at its bottom. He could’nt see or didn’t want to accept that there are Semetic speaking Oromo (the Abyssnized Oromo) in the grey zone. To claim independence of Oromia, we don’t have to stick to such fictious black and white approach. Why didn’t he try to convince us that both Amhara and Tegaru as Semetic speakers are really very different from the Cushitic speakers, specially from Agew and Oromo genetically or culturally? Sure is that they do have diametrically opposite political positions (colonizer and colonized) and do speak different languages, which is the main reason for our liberation struggle.....

Anonymous said...

......The operational definition I gave was in short: “…. what does the Abyssinization process I am talking about here mean? It is the anti-thesis to the values of the Cush peoples…..Some of their (Cushites’) common positive values included their monotheistic faith system, in which they did believe in only one Supreme Being known as Waaqa by the Oromo, the faith system with no concept for Satan and Hell to punish a human being after death; their egalitarian social norm; their democratic values like the Gadaa administration of the Oromo; their tendency to cultivate harmony, love and peace as major social values; as well as their good tradition regarding peaceful transfer of power as practiced in the Gadaa democracy. In the Abyssinization process, the Cush peoples in the present Abyssinia started to accept the language, the aristocratic rule, the theocratic tradition and other values of the Middle East, including the namings in both the aristocracy and the theocracy.

Just based on this short definition, it is not hard to understand what I mean by the “ongoing Abyssinization vs re-Cushitization” dichotomy. At the end, I would like to remind Obbo Gumaa that even if I talk about the “dangerous dichotomy”, it is my God-given individual right to write what ever I can, even if not professional, but amateurish! He better try not to equate it with a policy of one decision making Oromo organization, which is the base for his fear that it can be a cause for an attack from the Semetics and their Western supporters on Oromo. I advice him just to relax and allow a free move of such ideas among our Oromo community.

Galatooma!"

Anonymous said...

....Obbo Gumaa accused me for “being a partaker” of the Oromo enemies, who have been doing their best to misrepresent the Oromo quest for independence as anti-Semitic movement and who have actually succeeded to some degree. Where did he read that I wrote Oromo struggle is anti-Semetic movement? Is talking about my version of history and telling who is from Cushitic origin, but speak Semetic language, and not necessarily from Semetic origin, the same to being anti-Semetic? Why did he try to read too much, where there is nothing to read? I would have liked if Obbo Gumaa would have tried to convince me that the two Habesha nations are not from Agew and Oromo origin of the Cushites, but only Semetic speakers from some where. I tried to understand this from Professor Megalomatis’ assertion that Abyssinians are originally Semetic people from Yemen, but I am not yet convinced. I can see that there can be a Semetic influence in their gene, culture and language, but are we sure that we, the Oromo, are free from such influence?

I don’t have problem if Obbo Gumaa and the like minded Oromo reject to assist my “false claim” that the Oromo should struggle to re-Cushitize Ethiopia. I also didn’t put this forward as a primary duty of any Oromo nationalist, but it can be part of our strategical struggle, beyond achieving independent Oromia. Interestingly, he accuses me being part of the campaign against Oromo in a sense that I am unaware of the fact that Abyssinians accuse Oromo as anti-Semetic or that I am actively engaged in justifying this myth that already exits. He denigrates me for trying to “appear intellectual without being one” and to “pretend as a thinker without thinking”.

Here comes Obbo Gumaa’s personal attack! I have never claimed to be intellectual and special thinker, but as “non-intellectual” and “non-thinker”, I do have a God-given right to say and write what comes to my mind (of course I am “not thinking”). It would have been good if he as an “intellectual and thinker” tried to convince me and teach me with reason, but he miserably failed to do so. Is this simply an arrogance based on ignorance, which is not a healthy approach of an Oromo, who considers himself as an “intellectual and thinker”?....

Anonymous said...

....Then he turns around and tries to imply that I am one of the “Shanee ideologues”. Did I ever relate myself with “Shanee” and did “Shanee” ever endorsed my views? From where is this paranoia? I know he is interested more in such diatribe of “QC vs SG”, which I do always abhor. Just for his info, my hitherto positions belong only to me as an individual, never to any Oromo political faction or group. Then he goes further and accuses me that I did suggest the “Asmara Group” to struggle for re-Cushitization of Ethiopia and that in the past I argued they should democratize Ethiopia. Only what is “unclear” for Obbo Gumaa is that whether this re-Cushitization is “ethnic cleansing or not”; but he asserts that it “certainly borders on racism.”

Interesting! Where did he get this suggestion? Where did I write that SG should cushitize or democratize Ethiopia? It would have been good if he can do me a favour and read all my hitherto opinions, before just putting me in one box, just for the sake of attacking. My position on “Ethiopian democratization vs Oromian decolonization”, on which he seems to dwell till his death is crystal clear, he just needs to refer what I wrote till now. I think making re-Cushitization equivalent to ethnic cleansing and racism is also a very far fetched accusation. I ask him to go back and study repeatedly what I wrote till he can comprehend what I mean; here I don’t want to rewrite all.

Another malicious accusation he made is that “I tried to suggest Waaqaa religion will counter Judaism and Orthodox Christianity”. Did I write that Waaqeffanna will counter Judaism and Orthodox Christianity? Is suggesting the renaissance and revival of this indigenous religion the same to countering another religions? Didn’t I write at the end of the article: “The main features of the future political community in the re-Cushitized Ethiopia (the Cush Confederation) will then be a political union of independent Cush nations; the region with freedom of religion”? Does freedom of religion mean countering some religions with the other? Why did Obbo Gumaa just wanted to twist my words and accuse me?....

Anonymous said...

.....Can he tell me where I said “we don’t have to respect people with Semetic Heritage”? Why does he consider re-Cushitization of Ethiopia be equivalent to disrespecting those, who want to identfy themselves with Semetic? Just for the sake of Accusation? He also “started to pray that the Asmara group not talk about re-Cushitization of Ethiopia for the next decade”; this is of course the same attempt of puting me in the box of this faction of OLF. Certain positions of mine can be similar to that of “Shanee” group, but as far as I know, people in this group have never endorsed my position and they never said that my position is their position.

It would have been good if Obbo Gumaa refrain from categorizing me with certain political faction, even though his position seems to be that of one faction against the other. I never played this game and I will never do. As he said, he needs not only to “think” that my ideas are mine, but also he has to accept and respect that my opinion is only mine and not part of any other entity. Just trying to put me in one faction and accusing me with all his imagined wrong positions is not as such constructive. Again, it would have been good, if Obbo Gumaa has taken the “Abyssinization vs Cushitization” dicothomy on which I concentrated in the article as a regional problem by giving an operational definition for both, instead of accusing me for the “dangerous dichotomy: Semetization vs Cushitization”, unless otherwise he wants to accuse me for being part of such “international problem”.....

Anonymous said...

The last 6 postings can be read from Gadaa.com. Whoever posted it could simply put the link to save space ....etc.

Blogger, I suggest you delete them and put the link (http://gadaa.com/oduu/7527/2011/01/02/response-to-gumaa-guddaas-article-is-cushitization-vs-semitization-of-ethiopia-really-a-very-dangerous-dichotomy/) to the article instead.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Mr Gumaa Guddaa when I read your article, I always feel proud for having an Oromo like you who boldly articulate Oromo right to independence.

In as far as he is not spoon fed what he rights by somebody from behind, his article clearly shows who he is in terms of Independence vs Ethiopianism. Mr Fayyis Oromo people are dvery concious and they can read between the line to know the truth and the political believe and position of the writer. Mr Fayyisi should know what you wrote shows who you are. You are Ethiopianist who try to obfusicate Oromo peoples just cause to get their independence. The time of cheating Oromo people is over and over. Oromo people of this day can easily know wolves in sheeps skin.

Anonymous said...

I think talking about the Re-Cushitization of Ethiopia now is not timely, even though not a wrong strategy! By the way, Amhara are no more considered as Semetic speaking Cushites (like the Tegaru seem to be), but they are Cushitic speaking Cushites, for Amharinya is Cushitic, not Semetic, language. Now we, the Amhara and the Oromo, have to concentrate on the way how to get rid of the Tigrean fascists and racists! We are ALL now living in a slavery (sit in Djibouti according to the metaphor used by Oromo people). From Djibouti, our next move should be to Diredhawa (the liberation from the fascists by any means and foster TRUE Killil-federation, where both Ethiopian Union and Oromian Autonomy are respceted). I think all the opposition groups, including the Amhara and the Oromo, should agree with this move to Dire. If it is the will of all the stakeholders, we can agree to live together in Dire. Otherwise, we, the Oromo, can talk about the second move to Adama (Oromian Independence). Of course, here no Amhara organizatzion will be ready to move with us; they will prefer a move to another direction, i.e to Ethiopian Union with their Xeqilaigizat federation (a move to Debre Mariqos) and further to a Unitary Ethiopia (a further move to Bahir Dar). It is only after we achieve a move to Adama, that we, the Oromo, can talk about a further journy to Finfinne (we can call this final step as Re-Cushitization, Cush Confederation/Horn Confederation, Union of independent nations in the Horn, Oromo/Cush renaissance, ..etc). The same is true for Amhara, they can talk about a journy to D/Mariqos and further to B/Dar only after getting rid of the fascists and the racists in power (after first moving to Diredhawa). So, I would say, now it is a time, for both the Amhara and the Oromo, to think and talk about a move together to Diredhawa, without forgetting our journy to our respective further destinations (in case we don’t agree to live together in Dire); otherwise the alternative we do have now is to live further together in Djibouti (under slavery). May Waaqa/Igzi’er help us to choose the first alternative of freedom from the fascists, not the second one of further slavery!

Anonymous said...

The life in Djibouti is clear, both the Amhara and the Oromo are suffering under Weyane tyranny. The liberation journey from Djibouti to Diredawa (freedom from fascist Weyane) is the common route for both the Amhara and the Oromo forces. So there is nothing which hinder the Tumsa (the alliance) from happening. The smart politicians from both the Amhara and the Oromo camp should support such alliance to get rid of the slavery.

After arriving at Diredawa, they should have either a polity consensus or a public referendum to live together in Diredawa (Ethiopian Union with Oromian Autonomy). Further move to Adama-Finfinne requires that the Oromo forces be stronger and either compell or convince the Amhara. Further move to the Debremariqos-Bahirdar route needs that the Amhara forces be stronger and either compell or convince the Oromo.

Sure is that choosing the alternative of living under slavery in Djibouti for both nations (Amhara and Oromo) is a stupidity par excellence. Only the fools of both nations or the smarts of the ruling fascists do want to keep the satus quo by opposing the all-inclusive alliance (Tumsa) and saboutaging the unity of both camps (Tokkummaa in both the Amhara and the Oromo camp respectively). As far as Oromo nation is concerned, we need the Tumsa to move to Diredawa and we need the Tokkummaa to be stronger and move to Finfinne.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous January 6, 2011 8:35:00 AM EST,
why should you "read between the line" to know Fayyis Oromia's position; you can go and study his explicit position on Independent Oromia in his articles. Do you think you are smart Weyane to sow a discord between Obbo Fayyis and Obbo Gumaa? Such game is already known, don't fool yourself!!

Anonymous said...

Fayyis, If people see you in any corner (as you put it) it is because
you are on most of the comments.
Your messages, writing style and vocabularies reveal your identity. You have a habit of
insulting those who challenge your ideas.

The following are taken from your comments on this article.
"if you have brain to comprehend"
"make your mini-brains work"
"Are you scared of him and why such paranoia?"
"cry foul against the smart driver of the train"
"Is this a smart way of scare tactics"
"cry foul against the smart driver of the train"
If you search on 3 words (brain, smart, fear) you will get all fayys’s comments on this article.
This time, he forgot to use his favorite phrase - rabid dog.

Anonymous said...

Out of panic, you chose a wrong article to reply!KKKKKK

Anonymous said...

Anonymous February 18, 2011 10:45:00 AM EST,
you must be a fool! If anyone using such insulting expressions are Fayyis, then you end up making at least half of your population be Fayyis! Is there any psychic disease than this??

Anonymous said...

The last 2 comments are also yours Fayyis and adding "you must be a fool" to your favourte pharses. The list is growing.

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