09/11/2019
WHO IS JAWAR MOHAMMED ?
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[ Jawar Mohammed is Ethiopia’s most influential political figure. Opponents should cooperate with the activist in democratizing Ethiopia’s multinational federation, not demonize him.]
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I have known Jawar for more than a decade and worked with him on several intellectual, political and community projects. I know him as a diligent and dedicated agent of positive change who contributed more than anyone else to making possible the ongoing transformation in Ethiopia. It is impossible to win the hearts and mind of the Oromo people by sidestepping Jawar—a fact Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed would do well to note.
The unremitting demonization of a dedicated political activist works at cross purposes with the very goal of uniting Ethiopia that many of Jawar’s detractors hope to achieve. His enormous influence and political acumen is essential to stabilizing the country that now needs it the most. If the urgent need in Ethiopia at this moment is indeed to bring decorum to political competition and stability to the country, the more pragmatic course of action is cooperation with Jawar Mohammed, not confrontation.
Activism, a matter of character
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A person’s character is shaped by minor, often uneventful, experiences in one’s life. Jawar Mohammed is no exception. One of the labels hurled at Jawar is that he is a Muslim fanatic whose goal is to establish an Islamic state in Ethiopia. Born in the small town of Dhummugaa in the Arsi region, Jawar grew learning the importance of religious toleration. For him, it all began at home as a son of a Muslim father and Orthodox Christian mother. That he grew up as a Muslim did not prevent him from choosing a Protestant Christian as a wife and mother of his child. These experiences have instilled in Jawar his now deeply-held belief that there is no social divide that cannot be bridged through negotiations. His rapid rise to prominence is not because of his alleged Islamist predisposition. It is the result of imagination, hard work, perseverance, resilience and a determination to achieve.
Raised in his early years by his grandfather, who is a fascinating Oromo sage, Jawar’s character was shaped in the crucible of his grandfather’s libertarian penchant and his father’s sacrifice in the Oromo nationalist resistance movement. A champion of individual freedom from the depredations of the state, his grandfather inculcated in him deep suspicion for unlimited power. His community instilled in him appreciation of Oromo indigenous history, culture, law and social organization. His father’s generation’s history of struggle, which he learned primarily from the legendary Oromo nationalist guerilla fighter and leader, Abdulkarim Ibrahim Hamid, popularly known as Jarra Abba Gadaa, made him aware of the depth of brutality of the imperial regime and the importance of solidarity with similarly oppressed people. Like many Oromo nationalists, Jawar Mohammed grew up in an Oromo nationalist family, imbibing valuable lessons about the inviolability of the nationalist cause. At the same time, the Oromo egalitarian ethos imparted in him the belief that advocacy for Oromo human rights makes a positive contribution to creating an Ethiopia that respects the rights of all its citizens.
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Partly taken form [ In defense of Jawar, a brilliant and dedicated agent of change - By Professor Ezekiel Gebissa ]
You can read the full article ••• @ https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2019/11/09/in-defense-of-jawar-a-brilliant-and-dedicated-agent-of-change/
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Thank You Professor!
