Like the violinist, some are doomed to repeat the same argument to new portions of the flood, new comers to the debate. Another stranded man noticed the Wata singing to the river and told him: “the portion that you praised moves on and a new portion follows it you have to focus on one portion and run alongside it, singing, until it stops for you to cross!” He sang: Oh dear mighty river, my honorable river, please be gracious, slow down for a while and allow me to cross! The river didn’t yield. Since the main job description of a Wata is showering everyone with songs of praise, he pleaded to the river to slow down and enable him to cross to the opposite bank. On his way, he arrived at a roaring river, which he could not cross. I will only stop that when the arguments change, otherwise, it will always be there.Ī drunken violinist, a Wata, had an excellent day in Asmara and was returning to his village in the outskirts. I have no other way but to tell the same story over and over again. I will tell you a story that I probably told a dozen times because this subject keeps re-emerging in old garb and its presenters think it is original: the same tired objections, the same cynical suspicion of Islam and Arabic, and by extension, that of half the Eritrean population. ![]() I intend to do that, for the umpteenth time not forgetting that Arabic has been in the land long before the name Eritrea entered our memory. Both remain in trial indefinitely, and the latter is treated like a suspect that needs to prove and reprove, and reprove once more that it is Eritrean. It is even more specific than that-for religion, read Islam and for language, read Arabic. I didn’t choose the topic and though it seems like a dispassionate intellectual topic, I believe it is specific: language and religion as it relates to Eritrea. ![]() The event was held at the Universities at Shady Grove, Rockville, Maryland, on Jthe organizers of the event assigned the topic to the presenter.) (The following article (first published on June 29, 2011) was presented at a panel discussion under the theme “Eritrea’s Path towards Democracy: Dialogue on Constitutional Issues”. Posted on Novemby Saleh "Gadi" Johar in Negarit 31 Comments
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