This a good beginning and an example of a civil dialogue wherein groups who harbor different views on issues that matter to the development and well-being of the entire people regardless of ethnicity and creed can air their stands. I am not concerned about how forceful and loaded with emotions are some of the participants in presenting their group’s views. In my opinion after watching the video all sides have valid points. There is a risk of wanton terrorism that can wreak havoc on our harmonious people. The Arab megalomaniacs are always hatching heinous schemes to wedge a a rift between our peaceful people on religious and ethnic lines. They have been conniving by exploiting secondary incidences arising on country. And they have done this so many times in the history of our people. They encourage individuals and groups with destructive minds to go out there and kill other people of different faiths. To these megalomaniacs anyone who goes out and kills believers of other faiths is rest assured of entrance into paradise. That is what they told Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi in the 16th century and that was what they were telling members of my Oromo Ittu clan during the Fascist Italy occupation. Ahmad ibn Ibrahim did what they told him to do to the letter and he wreaked havoc on the country and innocent people. That could have been the main reason my proud Oromo people followed his retreating army and gave them the right medicine. They might have been horrified by the wanton killing he left behind on the people with whom the Oromos were peacefully bartering and trading with just yesterday. And in the 1930’s Fascist Italy intentionally placed Albanian religious fanatics as policemen and mayors (they called them ‘resedencias’) in places where the majority of the people are of Oromos and Muslims. They told my father and his clan to go out and kill people of Christian faith. They thought the entire clan is so backward and stupid that they would go out and massacre individuals they grew up together tilling the land and tending their herds. The result was to the contrary. They rather gave shelter and refuge to freedom fighters that were hiding in the highlands of the Chercher Plateau. You see it did not work then and it will not work now. This was a factual story I heard during my childhood years when my father and his Christian friends talked about the occupation years. Fanaticism of any religion laced with violence should never be given the light of the day to spread hate among our harmonious people. Here is my interpretation of religious freedom. If you are free to go to your place of worship and observe your religious holidays and our clerics are also allowed to preach the Holy Scripture sans violence and bigotry then I say you have religious freedom. But where this freedom should be left behind at the door is when running the affairs of the state. It never worked and had in fact brought unheard prosecution and hardships on their own people. Name any religion and you will find such sad times that ordinary people never forgot. The Spanish Inquisition, The Talibans, Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda are the best examples. All in all, I am encouraged by the dialogue.
This a good beginning and an example of a civil dialogue wherein groups who harbor different views on issues that matter to the development and well-being of the entire people regardless of ethnicity and creed can air their stands. I am not concerned about how forceful and loaded with emotions are some of the participants in presenting their group’s views. In my opinion after watching the video all sides have valid points. There is a risk of wanton terrorism that can wreak havoc on our harmonious people. The Arab megalomaniacs are always hatching heinous schemes to wedge a a rift between our peaceful people on religious and ethnic lines. They have been conniving by exploiting secondary incidences arising on country. And they have done this so many times in the history of our people. They encourage individuals and groups with destructive minds to go out there and kill other people of different faiths. To these megalomaniacs anyone who goes out and kills believers of other faiths is rest assured of entrance into paradise. That is what they told Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi in the 16th century and that was what they were telling members of my Oromo Ittu clan during the Fascist Italy occupation. Ahmad ibn Ibrahim did what they told him to do to the letter and he wreaked havoc on the country and innocent people. That could have been the main reason my proud Oromo people followed his retreating army and gave them the right medicine. They might have been horrified by the wanton killing he left behind on the people with whom the Oromos were peacefully bartering and trading with just yesterday. And in the 1930’s Fascist Italy intentionally placed Albanian religious fanatics as policemen and mayors (they called them ‘resedencias’) in places where the majority of the people are of Oromos and Muslims. They told my father and his clan to go out and kill people of Christian faith. They thought the entire clan is so backward and stupid that they would go out and massacre individuals they grew up together tilling the land and tending their herds. The result was to the contrary. They rather gave shelter and refuge to freedom fighters that were hiding in the highlands of the Chercher Plateau. You see it did not work then and it will not work now. This was a factual story I heard during my childhood years when my father and his Christian friends talked about the occupation years. Fanaticism of any religion laced with violence should never be given the light of the day to spread hate among our harmonious people. Here is my interpretation of religious freedom. If you are free to go to your place of worship and observe your religious holidays and our clerics are also allowed to preach the Holy Scripture sans violence and bigotry then I say you have religious freedom. But where this freedom should be left behind at the door is when running the affairs of the state. It never worked and had in fact brought unheard prosecution and hardships on their own people. Name any religion and you will find such sad times that ordinary people never forgot. The Spanish Inquisition, The Talibans, Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda are the best examples. All in all, I am encouraged by the dialogue.