Short Communication
Volume 4 Issue 1 - May 2018
DOI: 10.19080/GJAA.2018.04.555626
Glob J Arch & Anthropol
Copyright © All rights are reserved by Rukya Hassen
A Step Further in Tolerance: Recognition,
Respect, Appreciation, and Acceptance
Rukya Hassen*
Kotebe Metropolitan University, Ethiopia
Submission: January 18, 2018; Published: May 07, 2018
*Corresponding author: Rukya Hassen, Kotebe Metropolitan University, Ethiopia, Email:
Religious Tolerance in Wollo: Acquired and
Cultured
The Muslim-Christian society of Wollo has peacefully co-
existed for a long time. Tolerance is a very important value which
they have maintained. In their language use, it appears to be an
important discourse that has been valued by the people [1]. For
example, in the poems of Sheikh Hussein Jibril, the following
verses are found:
ʾityop’ya ʾagaraččən raswan tasarta tabla ləkkək
taqabbətawallač bahambar baməsk
təšattaččawallač laroma laturk
basamay ʾayəroplan bamaret lay tank
ʾəyamat’t’u qarru ʾəyyalu ləkkək
hayəla səllase naw balwamma ballək
ʾənnam duʾa ʾargannal səllase yəbark
Our country Ethiopia gets her hair done well,
She wears perfume and good fragrance,
Rome and Turkey smells her,
with plane on the air and with tank on the ground,
They have come and stayed fit,
Hailesilasie is her right husband though,
We have prayed; let the Trinity bless it.
The last verse of this poem states that the Muslims pray to
their God and the Trinity (Christian’s God) also bless Ethiopian.
This implies that the poet accepts the legitimacy of both
religions as sacred. Such expressions are used for the purpose
of solidarity.
The people of Wollo live tolerance. They have owned it [2].
They have valued, cultured and made it their habit. On a Mewlid
holiday ceremony, one Wolloye Said the following:
በወሎ ሀገራችን ክርስቲያንም እስላም In our homeland Wollo,
Muslims and Christians
ተጋብተው ወልደዋል በፍቅር በሰላም፡፡ established blood relations
with love,
መስጅድና ገዳም ባንድ ስፍራ ሲኖሩ Mosque and Church are
built at one place
ፋሲካና አረፋን ባንድ ቀን ሲያከብሩ They celebrate both Arafa
and Easter together
የምነት አክራሪዎች ከወሎ ይማሩ፡፡ Extremists should learn
from Wollo.
በወለጋ አሩሲ ባፋር በሱማሌ በሀረር በባሌ In Wollaga, Arsi, Afar,
Somale, Harar and Bale
ወሎ ክፍለ ሀገር ይቅረብ ለምሳሌ፡፡ Let the experience of
Wollo be presented as
example.
As explained in the extract, the experience of the practice of
religious tolerance in Wollo is exemplary. Religious tolerance is
acquired and cultured in Wollo. The Muslim-Christian society
of Wollo has peacefully co-existed for a long time [3]. Tolerance
is a very important value which they have maintained. In their
language use, it appears to be an important discourse that has
been valued by the people. For example, in the poems of Sheikh
Hussein Jibril, the following verses are found:
ʾityop’ya ʾägäraččəñ raswan täsärta täbla ləkkək
täqäbbətawalläč bähämbär bäməsk
təšättaččäwalläč läroma läturk
Glob J Arch & Anthropol 4(1): GJAA.MS.ID.555626 (2018) 001
Keywords: Recognition; Respect; Appreciation; Acceptance; Tolerance; Wollo; Acquired; Cultured; Mewlid holiday; Communication culture;
Reproductive; Legitimacy; Trinity; Tsebel; Fragrance