Page 75 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 16

Re-Education

lar ethnic demands in the past. I speak of love for one and hatred internal philosopher that is in love
for the other. The moment I form, with truth. Fearing the wrath of our
This confusion of love and hate is in creative ignorance, the in/our fellow mob, we betray ourselves.
not a novel movement. There are groups through discrimination, I Tracy Chapman sings in, ‘Less than
those who view Ethiopia as the change tactics, beginning to indis- Strangers’ how the departure of lov-
enemy of Oromia or those who criminately love the in-group and ers creates a rift, making them more
champion being Amhara or another indiscriminately hate the out-group. estranged than are even strangers.
ethnicity at the expense of Ethiopia. When you speak of loving your This is a conscious act of suppress-
Personally, I refuse to form a ha- country or ethnicity while doing the ing cherished memories of the past,
tred-alliance as an expression of my very things that threaten our unity, tarnishing them by echoing past
love and loyalty. Above all, I know we can no longer belong to the trifles, or using hatred to overcome
this is a false dichotomy, commonly same creed. love ad infinitum. We are currently
expressed as: You are either with engaged in collective hatred, and we
us or against us! Well, I respond to Holistic hatred, just like holistic call it love.
such a tricky question by saying: I love, is the exception in autono-
am generally for human fellowship. mous individuals but the rule in the If we are to overcome our collective
As to my national alliance, I firmly crowd. The individual maintains the madness, we each must reexamine
defend a united Ethiopia, which is freedom to change, while the crowd our values through reflection. Take
formed and wrought by every mem- maintains obedience to a cliché a minute to observe yourself. If
ber but never with exceptions. I will or mantra of empty rhetoric: the only for a moment, detach yourself
defend my position, but let me first enemy of my enemy is my friend. from your whims and passions.
elucidate this illusory bridge of love This is, I think, a morally bankrupt If your love and hatred can stand
and hate. statement employed by crowd-pleas- your suspicious gaze and your inner
ers to trick the faint-hearted. We inspections, you can reclaim them.
There are various routes we take may have a common enemy, but However, if such reflections make
to blur the line between love and that doesn’t translate into love. Ex- you discover that your love is just
hate, while collective or group pressed differently, you and I need disguised hatred, you must save
identity seems to define all. Initially, to have a common understanding yourself by abandoning your collec-
we use discrimination for creating of compassion, respect, empathy, tive passions.
animosity and separation. We then and justice to even begin the journey
indiscriminately love the in-group of love. Concretely expressed, just At the risk of sounding like a
and indiscriminately hate the out- because I demand fairness, equality, preacher, I say we must hate our
group. The separation between the and justice for the people of Tigray, own blind hatred instead of people.
in/out-group can be historical and don’t expect me to defend TPLF If you must kill, kill your venomous
biological when we use nature, birth or seek separation from the rest of passions. And if you must love,
accidents, or shared suffering and the country. On the other hand, just love humans but never institutions.
victory to form our identity and because I stand with you in the fight Do not seek solace in the crowd;
discriminate against the rest. It can against the TPLF, don’t expect me its ephemeral shelter is available for
also be intentional or semi-rational to ignore the humanitarian crises or the submissive but never for the
when profession, class, religion, or crimes committed on innocent peo- strong-willed. For crowds and their
ideology is used to both incorporate ple of Tigray, or accept an Ethiopia leaders, you are valued as a member;
and disenfranchise. without Tigray. Simply put, I utterly as numbers that constitute obedi-
love my country that I support ent followers. Above all, don’t be
In every case, there is bound to be neither; I don’t confuse hatred with afraid to take a personal stand. Just
an overlap and confusion in ‘we’ love. like your smiles and cries, your love
and ‘them’; ironically, our solution and hate must be your own. Love is
is willful ignorance. For instance, I think mob mentality has dom- not the antithesis of hatred. Love
we willfully ignore our religious inated the public sphere and we is an expression of real essences
identity when we take an ethnic can put a halt to it by accessing the and values, and so form an alliance
position. Returning to the pressing free individuality that resides in us with those who seek truth and unity,
issue, I have to willfully ignore the all. Finding comfort in conformity those who love justice and equality.
inseparable existence of Tigray (any while dreading autonomy, leads
other ethnicity) and Ethiopia when to silencing the inner voice – the

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