It is crystal clear that any country across the globe does have an alienable right to develop resources under its boundary domain. Such a bold move provides countries with incalculable advantages and they need to be well eyed at development spectrums as they principally contribute to the social, economic, developmental, political and even bilateral and multilateral relations with others.
The concentration of attaching due emphasis to the resources like rivers on which the very livelihood of citizens depend is right now shall be heard from the right recruits, who are fully involved in the issue of river development.
Taking this indispensable idea into account, The Ethiopian Herald had recently a stay with Professor Adem Kamil Fares. He is actively and wholeheartedly engaging in the issues revolving around the Abay River. He accentuated a number of issues with regard to the Abay River, the Dam being constructed on it, Egypt’s futile attempts, Ethiopia’s government effort, Arabic language significance, the way forward and other related aspects.
Enjoy reading!
Would you please tell the Ethiopian Herald who you are?
To begin with, my name is Adem Kamil Fares (Professor). I was born and raised in North Wollo at a place called Gefra in 1961 based on estimation. The time was traditionally termed as a ‘locust era.’ For the first seven years, I was a shepherd. After that, I was taken to Mecca as my brother, Haji Siraji Kamil as he lives there and got a citizenship in Saudi.
I attended my elementary and secondary education in Mecca. Joining King Abdul- Aziz University, Jidda, I earned my first degree in economics, political science and public administration and my Master’s on Islamic migration to Habesha plan and objectives, and PhD in Litigation in Nejash palace keeping international declarations which comprises combating corruption, Islamic migration, political asylum, religious freedom and women’s rights among others. After that, I have been engaging in various fields such as tourism, investment, trade and the like. I had a magazine called ‘Horn of Africa’ and that led me to incarceration. Subsequently, I left for overseas and I stayed abroad for about 27 years. I fundamentally focused on building the image of my country introducing its history, heritages, people-to-people relations and many other facets that need to be promoted well. In so doing, I can have ample opportunities to well introduce it to the Arab world as what has been done along this line has so far been not that encouraging.
The very important thing what grabs my attention is, Ethiopia’s relation with the Arab world in particular and how this relation could be translated into meaningful trade, investment and tourism ties. Ethiopia does have a number of ways in which it could highly connect with the Arab world.
The neglected history of Ethiopia that looks like ownerless needs to be well revealed and introduced to the rest of the world accordingly. That is why I have been involving in such a constructive move to do so, and it is easily to make a difference despite ups and downs and mysterious conspiracies indeed.
Can you enumerate the ways you cited earlier that amalgamate Ethiopia with the Arab world?
There are many of course. To mention but a few, Ethiopia’s location in Africa itself can come at the forefront. It is found in the Horn of Africa and a very strategic place for everything happed in the region. If Ethiopia is developed, the Horn in particular and African continent in general can have ample opportunities to be well civilized within the shortest time possible.
Second its civilization is related to the north. Our border is not the map we are looking at right now. It was once very civilized nation, even the map we are looking at now is not the right landscape or telling map that pretty excellently manifest the true location of the country. Our territory was demarcated up to Egypt, Aswan Dam. A number of scholars have still been writing about this as civilization was directly related to the North in the first place. It was from that relation and unity we have come down to Axum.
Next, our water relation—our Abay has concretely cemented our relations with the north. If our water is not there, Egypt doesn’t exist. Sudan doesn’t exist, and either Egypt or Sudan or their civilization is quite unthinkable. Even the Habesha nomenclature came from South Arabia following Arabs coming to Ethiopia. In the 7th century Semitic and Cushitic mated and gave Habesha, which means mixture, integrated. When they came, their culture, norms, language and other assets became magnified. Habeshans came into being, coming from South Arabia. This also well amalgamates us.
Similarly, there are Ethio-Arab people-to-people relations. These people-to-people bonds have been witnessed since the coming of Islam, when it was declared, came into practice and expanded. Besides, even these days, all the way we have highly connected to the Arab world.
The other is language relation. Geez came from Jizan from the Arab world. Amharic or Arabic, Tigrigna is Tigriya etc. Hence, Geez has been used as means of relation, too.
Belief is another means of connection. Of the three heavenly religions during 580 BC Jew came from there and Christianity in 350 during the reign of Ezana came from there, too. So did the Islam region in 615 all these three have had their own legacy. Such a religious relation has been highly consolidated. Christians go to Jerusalem and the Muslim to Mecca to worship. Religious relation is of paramount importance in buttressing people-to-people bond.
Trade relations are equally important. Ethiopia was the center for the Arab world in trade relations. Mostly the Arab world is a desert-oriented location. The area has accounted for only 90 years since it has secured petroleum. The population in the Arab world has only had date (palm tree)and milk out of camel. The foodstuffs and other commodities they secured were given through Axum as Adulis was a potential port then.
Equally importantly, Islamic migration needs to be mentioned along this line. Prophet Mohammed was set to all races of the world as the last prophet after the sending of a number of prophets. Some 124,000 prophets were sent before him. They were sent to their respective origins. However, Prophet Mohammed was sent to all human races across the globe. He encountered no problem until he reached the age of 40. He was born in 570 and sent to preach in 615. Later, opposition broke out from different angles such as Mecca qurushes, Protestants and Jews. Qurushes from Mecca, Protestants and Jews from Medina failed to accept him. Accepting his call and being a member resulted in death that time.
St. Gabriel was sent to protect Prophet Mohammed for 20,400 times. Amid all this threat, Habeahsns accepted his call. He was a proper prophet to put speculations in the right way. That time he gave four words about Habesha. “You my followers, since you are suffering from a wide spectrum of severe challenges following your acceptance of my call, you are chased and suffering from a multitude of challenges. Why don’t you go somewhere and stay there. “Ohh…Dear where can we go since our fellow citizens have done wrong on us due to lack of justice.
Listen! Let me tell you one thing. Go to Habesha’s soil.
What is there good for us? There is a king with best justice, he doesn’t oppress anyone. His followers do not oppress you as the land is the place of truth.
Surprisingly, Prophet Mohammed told his followers about Habesha’s king Nejash without being informed about him. Since there was no technology, simply he communicated in sprit as he was not informed by Ethiopian television, CNN or BBC. He didn’t have a private connection with Nejash, too. The followers directly came to Nejash through Kuneba to Adulis and waited for over two months. They were 12 women and 4 men. And they encountered no problem. When they heard the fact that Arabs were converted to Muslim, they went back where they were earlier. But they faced a serious problem there and revolted taking that advantage. That time they got additional believers. So they became 183 at a time. Those migrants got justice, equality and truth in the end. The attempt to revert it was aborted. Then they stayed there for 16 years and born 15 girls and 5 boys. In the argument in Nejash palace, as he was one of the sovereign leaders among Kisser in Iran, Hirekla in Iraq.
Nejash was one of the four sovereign governments and started expanding territories. However, Mecca qurushes started to oppose him but failed because Nejash was highly empowered in terms of military and economy wise. So they tried to conduct political negotiation. Nejash was a judge and decided what the United Nations has not yet reached; one is not regarded as criminal unless proved guilty, for instance.
Respecting human right, diplomatic relations, people-to-people associations, combating corruption were born there at that time. Hadn’t Nejash’s Legacy been there before 1400 years, Prophet Mohammed wouldn’t have been in a position to teach about Islam, stabilized, and Muslim followers could not reach 2 billion worldwide. And there was religious freedom. Political asylum was also part of this mission. Rights of migrants and human rights were respected. Diplomatic relations were also born here, too. Nejash said to the migrants that “you are officials in my country.”
Hadn’t Nejash set up that ground, Prophet Mohammed wouldn’t have been in a position to expand Islam well. Hence, the two billion Muslim communities are liable to this great nation as it was decided by Prophet Mohammed, the Muslim community won’t create havoc on it.
He told Muslims not to touch Habesha. Even when Prophet Mohammed passed away seven individuals saw him off. Of the seven ones, the three ones were Habeshans. Even the first Azan performer, Bilal, was an Habeshan. All this makes us reputed and respected in the eyes of the Muslim world. The respect Prophet Mohammed’s gave to Habeshans and Islamic migration have tied us together with the Arab world.
The Ethiopian Herald July 24, 2020
BY MENGESHA AMARE
