Irréchà in Finfinné – the World’s Capital of Culture and Tourism
By Fayyis Oromia*
I read recently that Finfinné is chosen as world’s capital city of culture and tourism. What a wonderful news for the Oromo in particular and the Cushites (Ethiopians) in general. Yes it deserves to be because of the Cushites as the oldest civilization of the globe and Càltu/Lucy/Dinqinesh being the common mother of all humans. One of the world’s cultural festivals being celebrated is Irréchà. We are happy this ceremony is also taking place in Finfinné yearly.
Irréchà is celebrated annually worldwide in the months of September and October, and the largest Irréchà celebration is in Bishoftuu, Oromia, at the Horaa Arsadii Sanctuary, where some three million pilgrims give thanks to Wàqà (God). Still longing for the day, when the Oromo Christians, Muslims and Wàqeffatàs will come out together during the Irréchà in order to celebrate in mass our Wàqà, we should at the same time be able to commit ourselves to do His will in our Oromo way of private and public life. Irréchà is not only celebrating the past good and only striving for the future good, but it is also the day of remembering our brothers and sisters, who had sacrificed their limbs and lives for common Oromo’s cause of bilisummà/freedom. This includes the commemoration of the imprisoned Oromo nationalists, who were suffering under the notorious torture in Ma’ikelawi prison, being accused as “terrorists,” just because of their attempt to promote and support Oromian youth national movement for freedom & democracy.
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday internationally celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks to God, friends, and family. Thanksgiving Day in North America had originated from a mix of European and native traditions. Typically in Europe, festivals were held before and after the harvest cycles to give thanks for a good harvest, to rejoice together after much hard work with the rest of the community. At the time, native Americans had also celebrated the end of a harvest season. When Europeans first arrived America, they brought with them their own harvest festival traditions from Europe, celebrating their safe voyage, peace and good harvest. Thanksgiving Day, which is currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual official tradition in the United States since 1863.
Interestingly, the people of Cushitic Ethiopia (Oropia = Oromummà led Ethiopia) in particular and the whole black people of Africa in general, have been celebrating this type of thanksgiving day, the Irreechaa, for more than 5000 years. It is from this ancient people that, firstly, the ancient Egyptians took the tradition, which was further overtaken by the Jews of Israel, then by the Arabs, and then followed by the traditional Europeans, and, finally, by the relatively new states of USA and Canada. It is just like the development of the monotheistic belief in Wàqa Tokkichà (belief in one God), which had started in Cushitic Ethiopia in particular, and in Africa in general, and then had spread first to the ancient Egypt, then to ancient Israel, further to Arab world, Europe and, finally, to North America.
Oromo people, being the stem for other Cushitic nations living in north-eastern Africa, have kept and preserved this noble tradition of thanksgiving in form of Irréchà celebration, whereas other African nations seem to have forgotten and lost it. Now, it is the right time for these Cushitic Ethiopians and other Africans to re-learn it from the Oromo, and to revive their lost cultural values. Even though most of them have already been converted to Christianity and Islam, there is no much antagonizing issue (between these monotheistic religions), which can hinder the believers from celebrating Irreechaa together. USA and Canada just Christianized Irreechaa, and celebrate it as Thanksgiving Day. There is no reason why Christians and Muslims in Cushitic Ethiopia and in other African nations can not re-adopt this nice virtue and celebrate it together with Oromo people.
When we look at the similarity between Christianity, Islam and Wàqeffannà, it may surprise us that Borantichà (the first holy person according to the Wàqeffannà faith) is the chosen holy man of God similar to Jesus of Christianity and Mohammad of Islam. These three holy personalities are the classical Qàllü’s (individuals, who could communicate with Wàqa/Allah/God, and who could live optimally according to the will of the Supreme Being). This similarity is the reason for the fact that Irreechaa is the thanksgiving day for, not only the descendants of Borantichà, but also believers of Jesus and the followers of Mohammed.
Even the concept of ‘a chosen people of God’ is taken from the Cushites. The Holy Bible testifies this, in the speech of Jahwe to Israelis: “are you not as dearly as Cush/Ethiopia to me?” Qalluu are the chosen part of Oromo people to have such position in front of Wàqa, just like the Levites were ritual leaders chosen by Jahwe. The meaning of the Cushitic word Kasa (Kàsà) is ‘God’s People’ (Creator’s people). According to the ancient language of Cush, the word Ka = God (spiritual being, the creator), and the word Sa = People, thus the word Kàsà = ‘God’s People.’ The two Agaw Kings (Theodros and Yohannes) were named as Kàsà just to designate them as rulers of ‘God’s People.’ Similarly, the word Saba (Sàbà) is equivalent to the ‘created people’, because Cushitic word Sa = people, and Ba = the created (physical being, the nature). Interestingly, Afàn Oromo equivalent words are: Ka = Uumaa, Ba = Ümama and Sa = Ümmata. Accordingly, the Queen Saba wanted to call herself the ruler of the ‘created people’ whereas the two Agaw Kings tried to call themselves as rulers of ‘Creator’s people.’
If Oromo nationals from the three religious groups had to celebrate Irreechaa together, then they have to appreciate this common base and common cultural heritage as well they have to be able to decide for common place of celebration in the future. As far as I am concerned, for Finfinne is the political center and the traditional core of Cushitic Ethiopia/Africa, I would like to suggest that we celebrate Irréchaa in the future, not only in Horà Arsadī, but mainly/nationally at Lake Gafarsà of Finfinne. This must be major site of Irreechaa celebration, being accompanied by the celebration in Bishoftuu and the festivities at other localities. Making Finfinné the core of this thanksgiving day will certainly help all other localities be supplied by more ‘river of eebba/river of blessing’ from center of Ethiopia.
We need to keep Irréchà as a very good tradition of Ethiopia, which is one of the very attractive traditions in this land of eebbaa/blessing and land of Irréchà/thanksgiving. It is a common daily experience in Oromia to observe elders blessing others routinely and to see people practicing Irréchà at different occasions on small scales and at lower levels, including their morning and evening prayers, which is mostly considered as thanksgiving, where the Oromo people do say ritually: galata ké ya Wàq! It is based on this observation that certain European scholars and writers described Oromia as a ‘land filled with the rivers of blessing.’ I hope that, not only Oromia, but also Cushitic Ethiopia and the whole Africa will be filled with such ‘rivers of ébba and Irréchà‘ in the future, especially if we decide to harmoniously celebrate Irréchà as common thanksgiving day together.
Irréchà, as Cushitic Ethiopia’s/Africa’s thanksgiving day, is a symbol for a day of a public freedom from oppressive regimes like the brutal Abyssinian elites with colonialist mentality. On this day, the celebrating Oromo people do feel free, at least on this single day out of a year-round oppression, even though security machine of the colonizers continue harassing this freedom-loving and pro-democracy nation. Irreechaa also signifies victory Oromo liberation struggle – the reason why Oromo nationals say: Irreechi irree keenya!
Not only the Oromo nationals, but surprisingly the ordinary Abyssinized people also do celebrate these values of Oromia in their own style/version, like the celebration during Ximqat (equivalent to Irréchà at the lakeside or riverside), Masqal/Demerà (equivalent to Gubà), Buhé (equivalent to Tàboré), Ashanda of Tigrai (equivalent to Ingicà) etc. Despite these good elements taken from the Cushitic cultural values, Habeshanism is an anti-thesis of Oromummà, and a diametrically opposite position to that of the Cushitic Ethiopianity. Habeshanism is symbol for a false self-identity, and it is an example for the ‘victim victimizing another victim.’ Abyssinian elites are like the torture victims, who are usually trained to be notorious and brutal torture perpetrators themselves. Classical examples are the Woyane elites, who have been brutally victimized by the Derg, and they themselves have become the worst tormentors of Oromo people and that of other oppressed nations.
When ever we celebrate Irréchà, we have to commit ourselves also to transform Finfinné from being the center of these tormentors with false identity into the capital of future Oromia/federal Africa. That means Finfinné needs to be changed from the hitherto center of Habeshanism, the symbol for oppression, tyranny, authoritarianism, torture, misery, hunger and agony into the core of Oromummà characterized by Gadà/democracy, bilisummà/freedom, prosperity, harmony, peace, equality and social egalitarianism. Irréchà is the day of celebrating this Oromummà on grave of the obsolete Habeshanism.
That is why we do call upon all pro-freedom Cushitic Ethiopians, democratic Africans and humanisitic others to join celebration of Irréchà in Finfinné of Oromia, the political center of Africa. Irreechaa can be used as the symbol of freedom movement for all Africans, whose monotheistic system of faith in Wàqa Tokkicha (in one God) used to be denigrated by the Arab invaders, who promoted Islam at the cost of African traditional religions like Wàqeffannà. This original African religion had also been attacked by the European colonizers, who cursed the belief system as something “paganism or satanism.” In this sense, Irréchà celebration is one of the victories we have already got, not only over the alien forces from far away, but also over the neighboring oppressive Abyssinian elites. For instance, the brutal fascist and racist Woyane had tried to suppress this victory, but had failed miserably.
Here, we need to try to differentiate the innocent ordinary people of Abyssinia from their ruling criminal elites. To the surprise of my readers, I personally saw the celebration of Borantichà in my life for the first time, not in Oromia proper, but in the heart of Abyssinia – in Gondar. Then, can anyone try to convince me that Gondar is not part of Oromia? Can anybody tell me that Quwàrà of the Emperor Theodros, which has been ruled by an Oromo called Alülà, was not part and parcel of Oromia? That is why my Oromia is necessarily limited neither to the OPDO map nor to the OLF map, rather it extends to the bigger, inclusive and greater map, which includes all the Oromo people of the region.
So, let the Ethiopia of Laureate Tsegaye Gebre Medhin Qawwéssà (http://gadaa.com/oduu/10224/2011/07/26/ … -ethiopia/) be celebrated in a sense of promoting freedom and democracy, i.e. in a sense of Irréchà – and let not the Ethiopia of the colonizers be adored; Ethiopia is the name given to us by the Greeks and the name, behind which, Abyssinian elites like to hide. The Oromo people do give glory to Wàqa for all what we have achieved, such as the partial bilisummà, scare nagà/peace and limited badhàdhina/prosperity, and then we commit ourselves (demand more effort from ourselves) to achieve what we yet need. That means we give galata/glory for what we have achieved, and at the same time, we forward our gàffī/demand committing ourselves to do our best in order to achieve the rest of our vision.
In this regard, there is nothing what Wàqa alone does for us when we are passive. Wàqa is helpful only through our activities and efforts. Only when we are active and creative, then Wàqa also does his plan for us, in us, through us. We should not mislead ourselves and “beg” Wàqa to do our bidding. We rather have to commit ourselves to do Wàqa’s good plans for our lives. Not only He, even the human helpers, do help us only when we try to help ourselves. That is why we need to celebrate Irreechaa in this sense of being very pro-active to achieve the rest part of our bilisummà/freedom and our Gadà/democracy. We ought to celebrate the half-full glass of the past and should commit ourselves to fill the half-empty part of the qabsoo bilisummà Oromoo (Oromo liberation struggle) in the future.
Still longing for the day, when the Oromo Christians, Muslims and Wàqeffatàs will come out together during the Irréchà in order to celebrate in mass our Wàqa, we should at the same time be able to commit ourselves to do His will in our Oromo way of private and public life. Irrèchà is not only celebrating the past good and only striving for the future good, but it is also the day of remembering our brothers and sisters, who had sacrificed their limbs and lives for our common Oromo cause of bilisummà. This includes the commemoration of the recently imprisoned Oromo nationalists, who are now suffering under the notorious torture in Ma’ikelawi prison, being accused as “terrorists” just because of their attempt to promote and support the currently ongoing Qérrô national Oromian movement for freedom and democracy.
In spite of this Woyane’s brutality, we do hope that the day will come, when we, all Cushitic Ethiopians/Africans, will celebrate Irreechaa on the grave of the presently tormenting Woyane tyranny. Adoring Wàqa is the same as celebrating the best version of our own personal and collective identity. That is why it is usually said by Oromo nationalists: ‘being Wàqeffata is the same as being one’s own true-self.’ Thus, I encourage those with false-identity to come back to their true Cushitic self and to celebrate with us the holy Irréchà, which is originally from Cushitic Ethiopia, and now even practiced by the citizens of USA and Canada. Happy Irréchà to all , who do like to celebrate this noble national holiday with us! May Rabbi/Wàqa bless us! May He bless Oromia, which is the land of ébba/blessing and the land of Irréchà/thanksgiving, as the political center and traditional core of our continent Africa.
Galatôma!
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2019/02/2 ... d-tourism/