Part I
Today’s guest Professor Adam Kamil Faris, 58, was born in the Gefare farmer’s community of Semen Wollo. When he was seven, he went to Saudi Arabia after the death of his parents and grew up there under the guardianship of his brother, a citizen of Saudi Arabia. He attended his primary and secondary education in Mecca. Afterwards, he graduated with distinction with BA in Public Administration, Political Science and Economics from King Abdulaziz University in Jiddah in 1982. Then, he was engaged in the tourism business in Ethiopia until his license was revoked away by the then socialist regime. He returned to Saudi and engaged in construction business and commerce.
Following the regime change in Ethiopia, he also formed his free press and participated in the Ethiopian media. Finally, he devoted all his time to studying Ethiopia’s place and image in Islam. Adam received his MA and PhD in Islamic moderation
[thought]
and Africa and Islam from Riyadh University and King Abdulahi Centre for Tolerance. He again obtained his assistance professorship from Uganda’s Islamic University.
Currently, he is carrying out his MA and PhD studies in the early Muslim’s migration to [Abyssinia] Ethiopia and its objectives and the laws formulated during the time of King Negash after he held discussions with the Islamic Migrants. Adam says this ancient experience could be used as a model in this age of migrant mistreatment and crisis. Because the Islamic migrants from Arabia were received with open arms by the then Ethiopian king and people. He says he has been studying these and related phenomena for the past 27 years. The Ethiopian Herald made a fruitful stay in current Ethiopia, Arab and Muslim countries. Excerpts:
Let me begin my question from the recent visit of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia to turkey. As I see it, the country made a warm welcome to the Ethiopian delegation led by the premier? What is the reason behind this reality?
Since ancient times, ten points connect Ethiopia with the rest of the Arab world. One is the longest period of Ethiopian civilization. During the time, Ethiopia has not had the current map or territorial border. Ethiopian border is stretched to north Aswan dam. Later on, they went backwards and put their kingdom in the Sudan Meroë area. In Meroë, not less than 40 kings took turns. It was a civilized city compared to Greek and other cities. It had more than 400,000 professions who had different capabilities. It also has more than 250,000 police. During the tenure, it was a city respected well. Later on, the then Ethiopian rulers again went back and establish their kingdom in Aksum. The civilization of Axum was well-known. It is one of the longtime civilizations which dates back to over 3000 years. Ethiopia has no connection with the southern part.
The second is the issue of the Nile. The Nile is a river carrying a lot of soil and flows to the north, not to the south. If the Nile was not there, we couldn’t see the present Egypt and Sudan too. Hence, Nile integrates the two countries, Egypt and Sudan with Ethiopia.
The third is the issue of language. Ge’ez is a language created with a combination of Semitic and Kush languages. The fourth, the name Habesha is coming from the people who migrated from South Arabia to Ethiopia due to the desertification and destruction of Al-Marib Dam and settle to Habesha which means mixed. It indicates the integration of Arab, Kush and Semitic. It means the people created via mixing all the three. Thus, they migrated to south Arabia for the sake of the administration of the people. There still exists the name habesha there. This is also another factor that links us with the Arab world.
The fifth is the source of religion. Ethiopia has received various religions from the Middle East. It received Jewish before 580 BC and put its footprint. The country has also received Christianity and Islam in 350 and 615 respectively. So, religion is a primary factor to tie with the Arab world as Christians visit Jerusalem and Muslims go to Mecca Medina.
Business relation is the sixth factor that integrated Ethiopia with the Arab countries. East African countries especially gulf countries are known for their desert. Therefore, they used to eat camel milk and dates. So they took what they want from the Habesha. There was Massawa port in the south Adulis area, they transport Ethiopian goods and the Arabs took it via loading the goods into ships. Thus, Ethiopia’s produces used to reach throughout the Middle East including Persia.
The seventh is people-to-people relations. Before and after the introduction of Islam in Ethiopia, the people-to-people relation is the only factor that linked Ethiopia with that of the Arab world. Topography is the other factor that integrates Ethiopia with the Middle East countries. Ethiopia is a country nearest to the Arab countries if one can see its location. If there is lasting peace in Ethiopia, the Middle East countries remain peaceful but if there is chaos in terms of politics and economy in Ethiopia, it is very dangerous for the existence of the Middle East countries. This ideology is repeatedly raised by the researchers who conducted various studies concerning the geopolitics and economic integration of the Arab world with that of Ethiopia.
Last but not the least, migration of Moslems to Habesha is another factor important for the link created between the two. Prophet Mohammed has faced difficulties in Saudi Arabia as the people who believed in Islam had been assassinated and their properties were looted. He advised his followers to go to a place which is peaceful for them. The Prophet advised them to go to Habesha. There, you will find a king who cares for others. The prophet called Ethiopia a land of truth. Thus, if you go to any Islamic country, they respect you if they know that you are from king al Nejiash’s and Bilal’s country —that is Ethiopia.
When the foreign minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukri moved to various countries to beg them to stand in support of his country, he did not go to Muslim countries but only go to the Arab world. Because he knew that he doesn’t get acceptance if he wants to mischief on Ethiopia. All the aforesaid factors are linking Ethiopia with the Arab’s.
If these are some of the factors that linked Ethiopia with the rest of the Arab world, what is the reason that chills down the strongest relations instead of being flourishing than ever before?
There was a big diplomatic mess on Ethiopia’s side. The kings and other rulers of Ethiopia did not give due consideration to the relation with the Moslem countries taking the nation’s advantage into account. Instead of changing the love and respect of Moslem countries, Ethiopian kings and rulers created attachment with western world countries; be it an investment, trade, foreign relations and so on. The Derg took power and formed strong relations with Russia and Cuba.
Thus, we have to assign a diplomat who can speak the Arabic language, especially in the Arab world. They can create awareness for the people of the Arab world to respect the orders of the Prophet. Shaykh al-Azhar (director of the school), Ahmed el-Tayeb: “two million people of the world have debt on Habesah.” This is our flag. This is our duty. Thus, we have to establish a strong Islamic council and assign diplomats who know the Arabic language. Using the respect we have in the Muslim countries, we can maximize foreign currency income working in trade investment and so on. The Middle East countries have been facing a shortage of food and water as desertification increases day in day out. We can sell the air of Ethiopia for one million dollars a day. I respect Tigray state even if some leaders made some mistakes, I said to them that please give peace in a spoon and we bring dollar in shovel as many heritages are found there such as Axum, Adwa, Al-nejashi mosque. Turkey gave me 50,000 tourists per year, Tunisia 700,000 and Pakistan 80,000, Malaysia 120,000 are ready to visit Al-Nejashi. The time to sell a litre of water for a dollar is approaching.
When we come to the issue of the dam, they are on the verge of giving up. In the final stance of Sudan, she turned her face on Egypt due to the rift on Halaib. They will never affect us if we are standing in unison.
When did the relation between Ethiopia and Turkey start? What is the basis of the alliance created between the two sides? What is the reason behind the warm welcome to Premier Abiy?
Ethiopia -Turkey relations go back to 125 years. There was a council officer in Harar. The second Turkish leader governed a wide area including Saudi Arabia. When the leader left Saudi and went to Istanbul, he took three religious fathers who were born in Ethiopia as his religious advisors. They advised religious system and because of these Turkish people do not believe in Shia due to the decision of habesha ulama. On the other hand, Ethiopian Bilal is the owner of the azan in Islam. There are 1000 mosques in Istanbul. They pray five times a day. They also have great respect for al Nejashi of Ethiopia. They respected the people from Habesha.
Turkey is a country that has highly invested in Ethiopia next to China. Turkey has a plan to further invest in Ethiopia. That is why; it supports ensuring lasting peace in Ethiopia. They made a warm welcome to the prime minister of Abiy Ahmed while he visited Turkey more recently with the great protocol. This depicted that the respect they have for the Ethiopian people and government. There are also more than 200 Turkey-based companies in Ethiopia and hired more than 30,000 jobs for our citizens. There is an estimate that Malaysia, Turkey and Ethiopia leaders improving the world and African economy as they have the same objective. It is expected to change the warm welcome and good outlook of Turkey to further exploit investment, trade and other engagements. As I noted earlier, Turkey can send tourists in hundreds of thousands per year to visit Ethiopia.
To be continued
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD AUGUST 31/ 2021
