BY LEULSEGED WORKU
A lot has been said about the stone walled city of Harar. Several writers have inked their impression and perception about the love and the hospitality of the people of Harar.
The distinctive culture of the people, the unique and incomparable architecture, the typical handicrafts that can easily catch the eyes of any visitors as well as the ‘Hyena Man’, a man who feeds meat to hyenas, among others make Harar a famous city and differentiate Hararis from others.
Further, the house of Arthur Rambuid, who was a French Poet and believed to arrive at Harar in 1880, the maze like streets and others have truly made Harar- a market town- to win the heart of visitors.
The historic City of Harar, which is also the fourth holiest City of Islam, still has kept its unique identity. Several mosques and open market places which are found within the city testify how powerful the city was in its high days. As indicated by historical sources, between 1520 and 1568, Harar had served as the capital of the Harari Kingdom in what is known as Harar’s ‘Golden Age’. At that time, the city was known for the flourishing of local culture, for its coffee, weaving, basketry and bookbinding, aside from being home to many poets. From the late 16th to the 19th century, Harar Jugol was an important trade center between the coast and the interior highlands and; a location for Islamic learning.
Century old culture of tolerance among the people of Harar is still strong and intact; and the actual tolerance among the people of Harar city is visible in hard as well as peaceful events. This can be witnessed within days. Anyone who gets the chance to spend a day or a night in the houses of Harar people would experiences it- he would not feel stranger; rather, he feels very comfortable and relaxed, like he is at his own home. Every single minute he may spend in the house of Harar people, leaves unforgettable memory. The genuine love and respect the people of Harar give to their guests, their traditional coffee ceremony and the aroma from the burning incense will tempt the stranger to stay there for the rest of his/her lifetime.
Recently, this writer had the chance to few days in the walled City of Harar. Throughout his stay, the writer has literally experienced and witnessed what is said about the people of Ethiopia in general and that of Harar in particular. Despite all the differences that exist among every individual, the people of Harar are seen enjoying every second with love and tolerance with their neighbors or any other stranger. They know the art of sharing and respecting others. This is especially true on holidays or some other special events. As witnessed by this writer, the recent Ethiopian New Year – 2015- was celebrated colorfully among Harar people. Holidays are among these moments where the people of Harar display their love to others by sharing what they got with neighbors and relatives. As a town where both Christians and Muslims live in harmony, it is not something new to see the followers of the two religions celebrating holidays in a single roof with love and respect. The love they share with each other is unreserved and goes beyond the modern give and take principle. The deep-seated culture of sharing, which is common among most Ethiopians, is still fresh in the heart of the walled City of Harar. As it was indicated by Elias Gulie Ahmed, a Curator at a private Museum in Harar, the people of Harar are more known for their tolerance. This is emanated from the fact that they are people who fear Allah. “We are born to love and respect people. The central teaching of our religion is to love and respect others. What is more, sharing what we have with the needy is the other central teaching of every religion. In this regard, the people of Harar are exemplary. They are generous and always happy and willing to share whatever they have.”
As to Elias, Harar truly is a melting pot where people with different culture, ethnic and religious backgrounds are coexisting peacefully and harmoniously with the feelings of love and fraternity. People of the Amhara, Oromo, Harari, Gurage and several clans of the Somali tribe call Harar their home. The moral integrity of the people has a key role in fermenting peaceful coexistence.
There were times where anti-peace elements had tried to disrupt and jeopardize this age old culture of tolerance. However, it has failed. “As long as one lives in Harar, there is no reason to fight or quarrel with neighbors. “We share what we have’ and respect the values of others. For instance, I am Muslim with Christian neighbors. Our religious differences have never been source of contention and conflict for us. It even binds us more together. We may go to our respective religious institutions; but we enjoy our meal together. This is what I call love that goes beyond boundaries.”
Sharing is the other way of showing deep love, says Elias. This age-old culture of enjoying life with neighbors or anyone who is a stranger to the town is still intact in Harar. Ethiopians are accustomed to sharing their meals or their shelters to travelers or visitors. This is an age-old tradition among the rural parts of the country. Whenever a traveler knocks the door of any person and asks for help or wants to spend the night in that particular house, the owners would receive that person warmly and happily. The owners of that house not only allow the person to spend the night in their house, they even wash his/her feet and share their meals. This culture is still strong in most parts of the country. The people of Harar are among them. As people of love and tolerance, Hararis know how to treat their guests; irrespective of his/her religious or language backgrounds. No matter what their economic background, ethnic or religious background is, they are happy to welcome visitors; share not only their meal but also their house.
The Ethiopian Herald 24 September 2022
