By Yaadasaa Dafaa | December 30, 2014
During our limited life time on this earth, each day we go around trying to fulfill our responsibilities. Sometimes we succeed, but at times we fail. The circumstances behind the success and failure may appear so simple and ordinary at its face value. But for those who try approach the failure as a learning strategy, often go deep into the systematic analysis, comparing the dynamics of the situation versus the plain facts, including (but not limited to) reading between the lines. This is how the visionary winners led their Nation’s struggle to become victorious at the end of their journey, because they refused to accept their failures as a final destiny. Their visions remains on one goal: Final victory of their Nation despite the time, and the sacrifices it entailed. These winners did not bow down and halt their vision for obstacles that emerges at every corner, but took all the hardships, and even unintended human mistakes as learning opportunities, and chose to go ahead very aggressively searching for the corrective path and actions so as to avoid committing the same mistakes all over again. Their endurances of hardships and temptations of whatever the struggle brings on while on the long path of the struggle strengthened their perseverance to stay the course. All the winners, as well as the losers, do share the same predicaments in their own separate, but vivid ways. Losers are only losers when they totally give up and make their decisions to abandon their vision. The winners are always winners nothing in between.
In the ideal world, we do make our own choices to embark upon our responsibilities voluntarily. However, the evidences based practices of life dictates that most often the choices are made for us; involuntary choices (being imposed upon us), though we still have the choice to do it, or not to. But is that really a choice??? We often do assume that we are obliged to make choices when we are especially faced to make decisions for our inferred responsibilities. Then we make choices by balancing the consequences of our decisions; pros and cons of the affects. The magnitudes of the cause in relation to its possible demand as well as sacrifices entailed are compared to reality based potentials. Both ethically and morally responsible decisions are rendered by leadership of the struggle. But one of the factors influencing our decision is the relevancies of the “time” during the period we are engaged in choosing our course of action. When making decisions, realizing the vitality of time is so crucial. Comprehending the essence and vivacity of the time accordingly can serve as a deterring factor from regrets and self-crimination which is often generated as aftershock to the occurrence. Later one starts saying “if we could have done this or that, the whole situation could have been prevented or diverted”.
In every religion, and all human references to life, the essences of “time” had been expressed in different languages, Cultural lingo (verbal), and written books. In the Bible; King James Version, Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 states as follows:
“….To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace…..”
In the Islamic world, it is presumed to be done/completed “according to the will of God” (Innshaalah’), even if the individual Muslims are proactively engaged in their daily processes of adhering to their presumed responsibilities. The same kernel of the “time” is referred to in accordance with the Waaqefataa, and other human religions and cultures.
Though I personally do not claim to be strictly religious, and not intending to impose my beliefs on others who may have a different beliefs and outlooks, here I am only referring to the Christian, Muslim, and Waaqeefataa religious/cultures as they remain to be the three dominant cultures in the Oromoo society today. The above three dominant frame of references do place, and give the same significances to the “time” and its role in all Oromoo people’s daily interactions. As all the Nation of Oromia do have these three different frames of references, those forces who oppose the unity of the Nation of Oromia, readily utilizes these differences in beliefs as the base for their disenfranchising, marginalizing, and dividing the gallant people of our Nation. Here I am only discussing the religious based differences, not giving the same magnitude of significances for the artificially constructed regions/provinces, as a result of my stubbornness and refusal to recognize its effectiveness (even though it is being used against our unity)
Unsurprisingly there are other obvious Social dimensions, such as the Historical, and the Developmental factors, that had enormous influences on the division within the Nation of Oromia. But, overridingly it is the colonial strategy of the Abyssinian invasion of Oromia to divide, weaken and control this big Nation according to their plan. So all the past, and the present Colonial regimes of Ethiopia made it their foremost responsibility to pursue vigorously how to create animosity among the people of Oromia so as their colonial dominance is kept un-challenged. In their daily practices they continued exploiting and aggravating the naturally abundant, and enormous vicinities of Oromia as a divisive instrument. As such, they recognized and even promoted various localities of our Nation as mere Provinces and their administrative centers. Yet, the younger generation of Oromia who were born after the occupation of their mother land Oromia, began to accept full heartedly this artificially created divisions, and even proceeded to put down and discriminate against other Oromo citizens who happen to be from the other parts of Oromia. Contrary to these colonial persuasions, I have discussed the basics of our belongingness to each other under my previous article Current State of the Oromo Nation, Oromia and Oromummaa.
Despite the solid facts that we are Oromoos first, and at all he times, some individuals within the Nation of Oromia became deadly committed, and even more dedicated to keep the colonial empire safeguarded by their own lives more than their colonial masters. It is true that we do have many factual scenarios operating here, including the Abyssinian deliberate brain washing, and potential Oromoo citizens not known the Oromoo culture for reasons beyond their control, as they did born after the occupation of Oromia. Nevertheless, suffice to say that the processes of infiltrating the fabrics of Oromian culture, and scavenging our god given properties by the invading neighbors favored the attacking aliens than the Oromo Nation who put stiff resistances in different localities, just to fall victims of the Abyssinians who massacred our people on many fronts, including hanging them, cutting the female breasts ……., and the list of the Abyssinian brutal, cruel and animalistic crimes perpetuated against our ancestors goes on…………… Here I would like to make it clear that it is not my deliberate intentions to traumatize the Oromoo people all over again.
But on the other hand, some young generation of both the Colonizing Nations, and the Colonized ones share that the older generation often victimize themselves by remaining mental prisoners of the past. This is an easily declared statement. But some of the Historical events of the past worth remembering and adhering to the vision of liberation no matter what. It is paramount for genuine Oromoo staying to the conviction for the sake of those who gave up their precious lives defending their National interest against the invading armies of the Abyssinians. But there is no more humiliation than the hurt, agony and rightful National grievances that are purposeful ignored and the people of the Oromoo Nation are left with nothing, but being haunted by the same feelings of the internally flaming anger as a consequences of the ongoing glamorization of the past by the old, as well as young generation of those “Ethiopians” who joyfully justify the demarcation of their colonial territory. The Abyssinian ancestors who massacred our people are taught to our own school children as the heroes who smashed all the enemies to unify and create the nation called “Ethiopia” But the history tells us that the birth of Ethiopia under the Abyssinian monarchs was/is on the graves of other non-Abyssinian Nations and Nationalities including the Oromoo Nation. In fact the historians confirm that the population of Oromia is reduced to half after the occupation of Oromia by Minilik (just to mention only one of them). On the other hand, there is/was no one Ethiopian elite individual, (be the so-called progressives/neo progressives) or political body who came out either to recognize the crimes committed by the invading army of Abyssinian kings, nor accepted the fact that it was other indigenous nations’ territory, and belongings that were being savaged by the Abyssinians land lords known as “Arbenyooch“, let alone pretending to give an appropriate recognition, and apology for the intentional crimes committed. To the contrary, glorifying songs, mysteriously worshiping poems, and their (the invading Abyssinians) patriotic personifications are adored by all the Abyssinian generations.
On the other hand, you do not have to be a rocket Scientist to summarize the Abyssinian so-called progressives and debteras/elites expectation from all the victimized, tortured, and robbed non Abyssinian citizens. These young but, neo Colonialists acts as though all the past occurrences do not have any validation, but just forget the past and work hard to bring them back to the ownership of the empire!!! But do we have to? Does it looks like “getting ready to devour” what is being prepared for them without contributing any of their own labor in it. This appears to be repeating the same past colonial behavior all over again. But for what? Did any of the colonial generations (old or young) apologized for the crimes committed against our people? Was there an honestly reconciliation? Or just expect the people of Oromia to forget all the past Abyssinian transgressions?
Fundamentally the African Nations do have a well-established reconciliation process. It happened in many African countries that had grievances towards each other. The process for all those successful reconciliation did start on the principles of honesty, mutual respect, and pure commitment to the real reconciliation of those African Nations. We all know whom we are dealing with here in the North East Africa, and I will not be in such a delusion that I may waste your precious time discussing this far-fetched scenario of reconciliation of the Oromoo Nation with the Abyssinians at the moment. We, the people of the Oromoo nation are not against the discussions by any means, but discussion needs to be between two parties of the compatible interest. As for the Abyssinians their actions and daily deeds proved that they are only interested in trying to keep their colonial power to impoverish, and act as scavengers on Oromoo people’s belongings, while torturing, and imprisoning the people themselves, just to remain having the upper power by any means necessary. This is why all the past and the present Abyssinian regimes remain utilizing all the dirt tactics, twisting arms and the recklessly cruel strategies including (but not limited to), attempts to out smarting others, terrorizing them, and defaming them by associating the rightly struggles of the oppressed national with other known World terrorist organizations, but only as a trade mark for soliciting legitimacy in front of the World Communities. Thus, the Nation of Oromia is left with no choice than coagulating the resistance and plan to solidify all the potentials of the Oromoo Nation for the final victory against the Colonial subjugation and exploitations of the Abyssinians. This will bring us to the issue of the” TIME”.
TIME!!!!!! Where have we been, and what are the absolute timely essentials?
In order to know where one wants to go, he/she needs to understand where he/she has been so far. As Oromos we had been in the struggle for our nations for many years in our own ways. Yes, one may approach the issue of struggling for a Nation from totally different angles. It is true that one should not down grade the Oromoo Nation’s struggle by only sitting behind the Computer Screens and becoming a “Tiger on the Cyber-space”, even though such means of struggle is highly controversial, and it can produce an excellent result by becoming positively constructive and commutative front line in combating and mobilizing the potential revolutionary forces of Oromia in this “Information age” era. But even before the discoveries of the Cyber Space communication system, the struggle of Oromia was on its way. Therefore, it could be only pragmatic to try to understand where we have been to know where we are today in general. Here, I am only summarizing my own version, and understanding of events within the Oromoo struggle as an individual Oromoo citizen.
It is a public secret to know that many of us did take part in the struggle for our people by going through the formal initiations and ceremonies to join OLF. Yet some of us continued the struggle by joining other Oromoo political organizations, or by staying independent, by our own free choices. In doing so, we all have rendered our historical obligations in their own ways, with varying degree of successes, and failures. But no body, and certainly no body, can claim endangering his/her life selflessly at all the levels as the OLA, who are practically facing the enemy each walking hours and days for very long years. Furthermore, the heroes, and heroines of the Nation of Oromia who paid their dues for their Nation by spending many years in the Ethiopian torturing prisons where countless lost their lives, and yet others who succeeded to survive the torture and torment, and still living their daily lives, are breathing the vivid nightmares and flashback of their horrific ordeals. These gallant heroes and heroines of the Oromoo Nation deserve the highest respect and honor as dictated by our National cultural heritage, the Gadaa. We all are indebted to them, and may they remain to be our role models at all the times!!!!
The dichotomy of being the principled leader and possessing the quality of determination and perseverance do go hand in hand even though it may not have a distinctive disconnection. It is like asking oneself the question of, which came first: the hen or the egg? In the case of “principle” it can overshadow many personality classifications. The principled person always does have the unshakable frame of references. He/She has the established line not to be crossed. He/She follows the absolute dos and don’ts of the organization. The principled person holds him/her self-accountable, and does not double cross his/her colleagues at every river they come to cross. The principled person does not harm the images of his/her Organization by claiming to represent the Organization, and give public statement that is contrary to the vision of the Organization. Having a frame of references (principle) is personal, and no other human authority can force you to alter. It is always the choices of each individual person to modify, or alter it all over for the reasons he/she may consider worthwhile. The “Independent Reconciliation Body” would be full aware of the above facts of individuality, but would consider the appropriateness (Pros and Cons) of the actions rendered in the Name of the Organization with in the arena of serving “In the best interest” of the Oromoo people. In the case that we wear our learned pretentious wigs and keep avoiding the plain facts, we will keep beating around in the bush forever. But while we are busy protecting the fragile egos of some unworthy individuals, who are fighting each other at all the corners, the enemies of our people are busy at destroying all the basic fabrics of Oromia, including deploying strategies to impoverishing, and reducing this once a prosperous nation to beggary. On the other hand, all the colonialist do pass to the people they colonize what they know best. So we should not be such amazed if we succeeded in learning from the TPLF the arts and of begging!!!!!!! God forbids.
Over all it is my own unflinching believe that the gallant people of Oromia eventually will succeed without any question in becoming the victorious in breaking the yoke Colonialism. But this is not automatic. We the people of Oromia need to work together starting from protecting our QUBEE Generation. The time is now for reclaiming your Oromummaa. Procrastinations of strengthening our unity can cost us the worse than the present enemy persecutions, illegal imprisonments, tortures and the inhumane crimes being perpetuated crimes against our people. Yes, we had been disagreeing on issues, and sometimes becoming even intolerable and violent towards each other; contrary to our cherished cultural heritage of gadaa traditions. Disagreement is not new to all the Nations, and we do not need to take ours out of its normal context and aggravate it to the stage of un-reparability. Not realizing the essence of time often leaves the door open for the enemy to step in and continue to divide the Nation of Oromo utilizing our vast religious diversity, and immensity of our people’s geographical residences. Let us not forget that our multiplicity in all aspects, including and variety in our religious affiliations are our natural strength, and we should work hard to empower the Oromo by letting all realize these specifics and tap onto its determinant power. .
Divisions within the children of Abba Gadaa remains the enemy planned measures in one way or the other. Naivety of such truth is non excusable for remaining divided, which only will continue to serve the best interests of the adversaries of the people of Oromia. Please let us stop feeding into it, but let us be part of the solution to our burning issue of the division and animosity among our own brothers and sisters. Nothing scares the Abyssinians more than the Oromo people’s unity. So, it is fundamental for the people of Oromia to unit. As it is life and death for the Abyssinian regimes to see the people of Oromia united, the same scenario for every walking soul of the Oromo people: students, professionals, both genders, Christians, Muslims, Waqefataas, elders as well as youngsters, to unit in every manners, and places. We cannot empower our people if we remain divided. Seeking the unity our people must become non-negotiable, as it is becoming the only vital necessity for survival. Therefore, the time demands unity, and delivering this necessity have to be our priority at this time.
Ulfin wojjin,
Yaadasa Dafaa
Yaadasaa Dafaa
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