Op-ed: Tradition at Crossroads: Preserving Oromo cultural traditions amidst diverse religious beliefs
By Abreham Lefe & Ababiyaa Ahmed Ajmel
Addis Abeba – Adam Harun, a veteran Oromo artist, recently found himself at the receiving end of a heated social media campaign, after two video clips of his speeches circulated across different platforms. Some perceived his remarks as disrespectful to Islam, the faith followed by about 60% of the Oromo population, while others rushed to his defense, arguing that his call for introspection was not only warranted but crucial for building a cohesive and resilient society.
The controversy stemmed from clips taken from two separate events. The first video was taken from an interview he gave to a local media outlet three months ago, where he is seen calling Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, a “prophet.” Asked about his views on the Prime Minister, the veteran artist replies, “He is not just Abiy but also Nabiyi,” using the Arabic term for “prophet.” To his critics, this was blasphemous, as the term “Nabi” is conventionally reserved for religious figures, not heads of state. This was seen by some as a violation of Islamic sanctity. It was, however, his second video that became the point of contention for the social media campaign. The aforementioned interview was used to construct a [false] narrative to agitate people into a debate about the role of identity and religion in the everyday lives of the Oromo.
In a short speech he gave in the early days of the political transition in Ethiopia, Harun summarily delved into the complex relationship between religion and Oromo identity, addressing the historical and cultural tension between the two. He urged Oromos not to let religious differences, whether between Orthodox, Protestant, or Muslim communities, fragment their unity.
“Dear Oromos,” Harun began, “we must not be divided along class or religious lines. Orthodox Christian Oromos have never truly experienced freedom as Christians, nor have Protestant Oromos. And Oromo Muslims? They too have never known real freedom. Saudi Arabia has never come to our aid.”
Harun went further, critiquing those within the Oromo Muslim community who locate their history in religious narratives rather than their actual lived experiences. “It is those who tell us about the history of Umar ibn Al-Khattab and Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq—the companions of the prophet— but know nothing of their own history, who have declared themselves as the ‘scholars’ of our community,” he said.
He concluded with a powerful message: “Our nation must come before religion. It is people who have a country [a nation] who have the right to adhere to any religion they choose—not the other way around.” This assertion, placing national identity above religious affiliation, triggered a wave of backlash, particularly from a section of Oromo Muslims, many of whom felt he had disrespected the revered companions of Prophet Muhammad.
First, it is important to clearly state that Adam Harun did not in any way show disrespect to any religion or its followers. Rather, his remarks were directed at those who, instead of embracing his call for unity, launched a social media campaign and engaged in character assassination. No scholar—religious or otherwise—can claim to truly understand history or religion without first understanding their own identity. Only when one is rooted in their own sense of self can they draw meaningful moral lessons and apply the stories of the past to their own context. This is vital for any society, but particularly for the Oromo, as a nation that has managed to preserve its ancient belief systems, values and traditions, while also adapting to/embracing those from other societies at different times and for different reasons in their history.
Secondly, while Harun’s message is framed in the context of Islam, it also addresses the crisis among Oromo Christians, some of whom make disparaging remarks about Oromo tradition, while others exploit it to promote Christianity. Harun’s message, thus, is not an isolated concern—it reflects a broader challenge with tensions that often play out in public, cultural, social, and even political events.
This year’s controversy surrounding Harun’s speeches in particular appears to have been deliberately agitated in the weeks leading up to the Irreecha Harvest festival, a time when Oromo unity and cultural pride are at their peak. Irreechaa, one of the most important cultural festivals for the Oromo people, is a celebration of tradition, identity, and unity. However, the social media campaign against Harun appears to have been strategically timed to coincide with the festival, amplifying religious differences at a moment that is meant to foster Oromo unity.
This year, for instance, a group of Evangelical Protestant Oromos participated in the celebration singing a gospel song that appropriated religious terminology traditionally used to describe Waaqaa, the term for God in Oromo cosmology. This, along with some pastors’ calls for conversion to Christianity during the event, not only disrespected the festival’s significance but also threatened to fragment Oromo unity along religious lines—just as Harun had warned.
It is essential to remember that Irreechaa is a sacred ritual in Oromo culture, one manifestation of a millennia-old tradition that still anchors their identity to date. In other words, it is sacred and spiritual in essence. However, Irreechaa has also served as a historical platform for Oromos to resist oppressive regimes, from the imperial era to the deadly 2016 Bishoftu massacre, where a brutal crackdown by Ethiopian government forces on peaceful protesters led to the death of hundreds of Oromos. In this way, Irreechaa is an expression of identity, irrespective of one’s religious background. Moreover, Irreechaa serves as a gathering place not only for Oromos but also for other Ethiopian nations whose indigenous cultures and traditions have been marginalized and excluded from state narratives.
For many Africans whose violent experiences with European colonialism have seriously harmed their cultures and traditions, Irreechaa also offers a connection to their heritage, a glimpse into what life on the continent looked like prior to European colonialism. Indeed, for indigenous people the world over, Irreechaa stands as a symbol of resilience and hope.
Therefore, the growing appropriation of religious practices into Oromo cultural traditions threatens not only to fragment Oromo unity but also to dilute and eventually erase those traditions altogether. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), which has heavily incorporated elements from indigenous Oromo traditions, provides a clear example of how this process can unfold over time.
The Oromo people measure time cyclically, marking the passage of time in ‘Maraa,’ or rounds, determined by celestial observations.[1] In the highlands of Oromia, the New Year is celebrated around the September Equinox, a focal point of pre-harvest and harvest festivals. As part of the pre-harvest rituals, Oromos perform the ‘Daaraa Maraa’(or ‘gubaa’ in Tulama), an expiation rite to prevent a sin committed by the ancestors of one’s clan from recurring in the living. ‘Daaraa’ means ‘ash,’ whereas ‘Maraa’ means ‘round.’ A large bonfire made out of freshly picked plants is built in the village center. The members of each household then light the fire and encircle it five times, each encirclement signifying the closing of the past and the opening of a new round of time. In the morning, they return to the almost extinguished fire and encircle it again. Applying ashes to their foreheads, they sing songs listing the names of the pests that usually harm their crops. A second fire rite follows in each household in the evening; with a smoky torch burning in hand, they go in and out of the house making pleas to Waaqaa to purify and protect their homestead. Then comes Irreechaa, the harvest festival, where Oromos chant ‘Maree-woo’ (from the verb ‘Maru,’ meaning to encircle, symbolizing the ‘round’ (maraa) of time) as they walk to water bodies to perform a renewal rite. Historically, the Somali people also observed a similar fire-lighting ritual, known as “Dabishid,” to mark the beginning of their new year in their solar calendar.[2]
This fire rite, Daaraa Maraa, has been appropriated and rebranded as part of Ethiopian Orthodox Christian rituals, now referred to by the corrupted Amharic term ‘Demara.’ It is a significant part of Meskel, a day that supposedly commemorates the “discovery of the True Cross” by the Roman Empress Saint Helena of Constantinople in the fourth century. Needless to say, it is found nowhere else in the Orthodox Christian world.
As the Ethiopian scholar, Messay Kebede, notes in his recent book, “Christianity, introduced as early as the 4th century AD, survives in its pristine forms mixed with some pagan and Judaic elements.”[3] However, Kebede’s statement presents an inherent contradiction. The term ‘pristine’ suggests an unaltered, pure form, while the acknowledgment of ‘pagan and Judaic elements’ clearly implies a blending of traditions. This contradiction reflects how religious practices, despite their core teachings, often become intertwined with local beliefs and customs, particularly in societies like Ethiopia, where indigenous traditions have shaped even long-established religions like Christianity.
As these practices become further intertwined with religion, Oromos who adhere to other faiths—be it Islam or Protestantism—may find themselves estranged from their own cultural traditions. The rich tapestry of Oromo identity, woven through centuries of history and communal experience, risks fraying at the edges as religious differences and boundaries create barriers. Those who follow other religions may feel disconnected from traditions that were once integral to their identity, losing a sense of belonging in a culture they once called their own.
This blending of indigenous traditions with Abrahamic religions did not occur solely in Christianity. Islam and Christianity both reached the Oromo people only after being mediated and influenced by their pre-existing indigenous belief systems. Evidence of this abound in the ways Oromos practice these religions today, where remnants of their ancient Kushitic tradition still subtly exist.
If the unchecked, but continued subtle and widespread adoption, of religious practices continues, it will not only fragment Oromo unity but could also result in the estrangement from and complete loss of these cultural traditions. Harun’s warning, therefore, is not merely about preventing division—it is about preserving the Oromo identity itself. Religious encroachment threatens to blur the distinct cultural markers that have defined Oromo society for centuries. If religious practices dominate and redefine cultural festivals like Irreechaa, the traditions that once unified the Oromo people under a common heritage will be lost to the tides of religious influence.
As Harun aptly stated, “it is people who have a country [a nation] who have the right to adhere to any religion they choose.” To protect the integrity of the Oromo nation, it is essential to preserve its rich cultural traditions from being overtaken by religious practices that could erase the very identity they are meant to enrich. Irreechaa, and other indigenous traditions, must remain sacred and protected from the pressures of religious dominance, lest the Oromo people lose the very heritage that binds them together. AS
[1] The Oromo concept of time, Maraa, manifests itself in their material culture, socio-political structure (Gadaa), the traditional houses they construct, their burial practices, their economic practices etc. It is a basic “thought-pattern” that forms part of the “deep structures of consciousness” of not only the Oromo but also all Cushitic-speaking societies in North-East Africa (Megerssa, Gemetchu, and Kassam 131-161).
[2] Ibid, p. 53
[3]Kebede, Messay. Ethiopian Modernization: Opportunities and Derailments. 2023, p. 25. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/kebede_ethiopiamodernization/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.
Ababiyaa Ahmed Ajmel is a master’s student in Peace and Conflict Studies at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (OvGU), focusing on conflict and politics in the Horn of Africa. He can be reached at ababiyaa.ahmed@gmail.com / X: @ababiyaa
Abreham Lefe is a freelance journalist covering politics, conflict, and culture in Ethiopia. He can be reached at Abrehamlefe@gmail.com
