Promoting Oromic is More Relevant than our Region and Religion
By Fayyis Oromia*
I once heard a comment by Ob. Shimelis Abdissa expressing concern that giving children names of Arab and Jewish origin threatens our national identity—Oromummà-and of course its core is Oromic. His statement has been heavily criticized by some religious Oromos who believe their religion takes precedence over their national identity. However, Ob. Shimelis is a politician, and he’s thinking politically. I also believe he is being pragmatic and realistic.
If religion were truly more important than nationhood, then why would Christians from two nations go to war against each other? Or why would Muslims from different countries kill one another in times of conflict? Consider this: why do Orthodox Christians from Amhara and Tigray, or from Amhara and Eritrea, hate and fight each other despite sharing a religion? In practice, people from the same nation—regardless of religion—stand together when their country is invaded. That, I believe, is the point Obbo Shimelis was trying to emphasize.
Oromos, despite their religious diversity, share a common identity—Oromic, our national identity. Choosing Oromo names for ourselves and our children, instead of adopting Arab or Jewish names, is a way of expressing pride in our God-given identity as Oromo. We don’t need to associate Christianity exclusively with Jewish names or Islam with Arab names. We can be good Christians and Muslims while proudly bearing Oromo names. Accepting these major world religions does not mean we must reject our Oromo names or identity—Oromic.
Thanks to Waqa, we now see many Oromo nationalists advocating unity for freedom. Oromo unity is essential for our emancipation. But while unity is necessary, it is not sufficient on its own. We also need other virtues, some of which I will elaborate on here. I previously mentioned these briefly in an earlier article. Now, I would like to focus especially on the relationship among the three critical aspects of our identity: region, nation, and religion.
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2017/04/0 ... -religion/