By Rundassa Asheetee
The formation of People’s Alliance for Freedom and Democracy, (PAFD) is a great achievement against Ethiopianism. What is important here is that this groups understood that Ethiopianism is the greatest menace against the identities of nations and nationalities of empire Ethiopia. In short, Ethiopianism is s the policy or practice of the Abyssinians acquiring full or partial political control over the colonized nationalities, occupying and exploiting economically. As such, the formation of PAFD is an effort to restore the freedom of 80 plus nationalities of empire Ethiopia from Ethiopianism ideology.
What makes PAFD different from Ethiopianism based political ideology is that it opposes the eviction plan of indigenous people that the Abyssinian groups have been promoting with an exception of north part of the empire. The eviction of non Habasha people has been going ever since empire Ethiopia’s constitution was adopted by Minilik’s government. Further more, the system of government that the dominant Habasha clan has been promoting is opposite of the cultures and the languages of the colonized nationalities of empire Ethiopia.
To understand the difference between empire Ethiopia and Ethiopianism, we must first define term “Ethiopianism”. Ethiopianism is introduced to 80 plus free Africans by the Habasha king named Minilik as a counterfeit identity where utopian society would speak the same language, Amharic. Since then, few men and women started to proclaim this identity, not yet fully understanding their own free governments were overthrown by force, their own systems were abolished, their language, culture and traditions are eliminated, their land names were converted into Habasha names, their ownership of property was denied and the Habasha superiority was established. That is how Ethiopianism made tremendous progress toward its objective of Habasha domination. This is what the colonized nations and nationalities of empire Ethiopia are in a battling against and this battle is between two opposing ideologies. For example, Ethiopianism and Oromummaa, are opposite to each other because Ethiopianism promote slavery while Oromummaa promotes freedom. The struggle between these opposing ideologies is more momentous than a decade ago. Today the conventional wisdom says, “You must learn to live with Ethiopianism by giving up on your ideas about national sovereignty.”
Even though there are many countries that share similar problems with the Ogadenians, the Oromians, the Anyuwak, Gambella, Affar etc, Ethiopianism makes empire Ethiopia so unique. For example, all the colonized nations and nationalities of empire Ethiopia were told that Ethiopia is the land they all must love by disregarding their deep love for their own cultures. Nevertheless, for the Oromos, biyya Oromo is a place of many great civilizations. It is where Madaa Walabuu and Liban (hangafa lafaa) are located. It is the place of former civilizations of Gadaa system and Waaqeeffannaa religion. It is the place where Waaqaa appeared to Booranticha and it is the land that has been placed under the everlasting decree of Waaqaa. That is why Liban (Nagale) is known as land of choice above all other lands. Liban (hangafa lafaa) is known as the chosen land because it is where Gumii Gaayyoo takes place. Comparing Ethiopianism to Oromians deep love for Oromia, Ethiopianism becomes a bondage from which the Oromo people should be free. Ethiopianism is a bondage because, by the extent to which we tolerate it, accommodate ourselves to it, permit ourselves to be encircled by its tentacles and drawn to it, to that extent we forfeit the protection of our identity. Provided that the Oromo people and the remaining colonized nationalities wish to be free from Ethiopianism, their effort will become a war against Ethiopianism bondage to restore their dignity.
In order to get rid off “Ethiopianism” scores of millions have met death or imprisonment under the tyranny of Ethiopianism. Such had been and would be the death knell of freedom and all we hold dear because it is a matter of choosing between accepting deprivation of freedom by accepting the great Iron Curtain of Ethiopianism or dying for our prized freedom. It is the difference between abandoning our heritage and adhere to Ethiopianism or battle against Ethiopianism by any means necessary, be it is with bare hands and stones resisting bullets, tanks, and artillery and revive our destroyed identities.
We know that Ethiopianism as an ideology spread throughout empire Ethiopia by using every stratagem; marriage, economic advantage, war, revolution, violence, hate, detente, and immorality. Our hopes and aspirations to pride ourselves for who we are was killed by Ethiopianism confusing ideology to the degree of accepting that freedom means to live under the Habasha domination. To a great extent, we have accommodated Ethiopianism and encircled ourselves by its tentacles. We made ourselves so vulnerable to Ethiopianism and our vulnerability is directly attributable to our loss of active faith in ourselves. Now we are taking steps to the recognition that our identities are the true source of our freedom, and that self confidence is the most important essential to preserving our freedom, we are united to fight the fundamental principles of Ethiopianism to write our own constitution in which political liberties will be practiced and our local institutions are free from Ethiopianism jeopardy.
No nation which has kept a sense of self respect and pride has ever perished, hence, I say that once freedom is lost, only our blood will win it back. This is what we must do if we are to stave off a holocaust of Ethiopianism destruction. Returning to our true identities will awaken to a sense of the Ethiopianism awful situation. We must not tolerate accommodation with appeasement toward the false system of Ethiopianism. We must promise ourselves that we not only resist Ethiopianism, but that we will take every measure to crash it. To do that, it is vital that we invoke Gen. Waaqoo Guutuu’s doctrine, “Yoo dadhabne, ijoollee itti gudifna”!
I fully believe that we can turn things around if we have the determination, the morality, the patriotism, and the spirituality to do so, with single-minded concern that our struggle is for the freedom of all people.
Rundassa Asheetee Hunde can be reached at: biyyaoromo@gmail.com.
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