It is an incontestable fact that besides a few who do not espouse any religion, the Eritrean population is about equally divided between Christianity and Islam. Instead of promoting our national cause, the leaders of “Jebha” declare that the Eritrean population is 80% Muslim and the remaining 20% Christian. We also very well-know that they rally in the name of Islam rather than in the name of the Eritrean people. Our conviction is that the Eritrean people were and are still oppressed in the same manner as with all other oppressed peoples of the world, and our objective is the liberation of our people and of all other oppressed peoples of the world. How many Christians or Muslims exist in Eritrea is of no importance or concern to us. Let this be the worry of those whose interest is to spread the Bible or Koran. In Eritrea, when Eritrean Muslims are oppressed, it is the oppression of the Eritrean people: and when Eritrean Christians are oppressed, it is also the oppression of the Eritrean people.
We do not recognize that oppression discriminates on the basis of religion. Should there be any struggle in Eritrea whose aim is to liberate only those who are Muslims, we will oppose it. We are also opposed to any effort made by the “Jebha” to oppress or exploit Christians.
We are unequivocally opposed to all forms of oppression. We will not close our eyes and remain silent when we see Christians being oppressed for fear that we might be labelled as the defenders-of Christians. We will actively oppose it. We oppose it not because we are advocates of any religion but because it is oppression. We are freedom fighters who will not forget our revolutionary responsibility for fear of what might be said about us. What we wish to clarify here to those peoples or countries which give importance to religion is that the Eritrean population is equally divided between two religions.
We would also like to confirm to them that both Christians and Muslims have freedom of worship within their respective churches or mosques. We suggest that those who wish to understand the falsehood of the 80% Islam of “Jebha’s” leaders to travel in Eritrea or to refer to the history of the country. A revolutionary struggle has to have a national basis. It can in no way be based on the concept of “Jihad” or “Christian crusade”. We remind those who might think otherwise to correct themselves, and those who might engage in active operation under such an erroneous premise to stop their actions.
Further, we wish to make it clear to those who give aid and support in the name of Christianity or Islam that such aid or support is of no use to us; we do not want it. We want to assure them that they will be only wasting their resources in vain. To those Eritreans who want to serve their personal interest using religion as an instrument, we wish to not only remind them that their opportunism is shameful but that they will also be remembered as criminals in the history of our people and in the eyes of the world. To our revolutionary people and all other revolutionary peoples of the world, we reiterate that we are fighting against oppression and for the unity of our people, without any recourse to religion. We further urge them to condemn in solidarity with us those opportunists who exploit religion to advance their selfish interests. We are Eritreans not Arabs.
Using “Arabism” as a trump card, the leaders of “Jebha” have claimed that with the exception of the alleged less than 20% “Habeshas”, 80% of the Eritrean population are Arab descendants; that our country is an Arab country, and that our language is Arabic. Just as they used Islam as an instrument for their personal ends, they have also used and are still using “Arabism” for the same opportunistic purpose. Geographically, Eritrea is a nation located in north-east Africa, physically close to the Arab world. It is evident that, because of this geographical closeness, and because of the fact that the Eritrean National Liberation Struggle is an integral part of the world-wide anti imperialist struggle, it is not only a strategic necessity but also a revolutionary imperative that it be part of the overall Middle East anti-imperialist front. Thus, when we line up in struggle together with our Arab comrades, it is only because of our revolutionary conviction and the dictates of our strategic relationship, and not because we are Arabs or Muslims.
No one can deny the fact that historically, the Eritrean people, be they Christians or Muslims, have some ethnic ties with the Arabs. We should recognize however, that the Eritrean people are first and foremost Eritreans and not Arabs. We do not develop
revolutionary comradeship with people simply because they have religious or colour ties with us. We are engaged in struggle because there is oppression in Eritrea and the world; and we will continue to struggle as long as such oppression exists. If there is any struggle which is based on race or colour, we are opposed to it. If “Arabism” or the Arab struggle is based on colour, race, or religion, let it be clear that we are Eritreans who do not distinguish among colours, races and religion. Language is another instrument used by the overlords of “Jebha”. They have consistently spread the lie that the language of the Eritrean people is Arabic. They only mention in passing that there exist other languages such as Tigrinya, Tigre, etc. These misrepresentations might have misled many people who do not know about the Eritrean languages. A concise explanation of those languages has been given in this exposition.
Arabic became one of the official languages in Eritrea only through the “Federal Decision” of 1952 in which the Eritrean people did not participate. Although they could not cover up this fact, the overlords of “Jebha” have triad and are still trying to destroy all the Eritrean languages and declare Arabic as the only language in Eritrea. It may not be known to people who are outside the struggle. But it is a fact that within “Jebha”, Tigrinya and other Eritrean languages are totally suppressed. The fanatics of “Jebha” have an intense hatred of Tigrinya and some fools have gone as far as forgetting and rejecting their mother tongue in an attempt to pose as Arabs. We would like to explain here, especially to the peoples and countries of the Arab world, that we entertain no hostility to Arabic and the Arabs. Not only do we acknowledge our strong historical ties with the Arabs, but we also recognize, and call for the strategic imperative of having closer relations with them. However, when we state this we do not in any way mean to imply that we are prepared to renounce our own languages in favour of Arabic in exchange for the help we need from the Arab peoples and governments, or in order to please their leaders. Nor do we want to deceive them by misrepresenting the Eritrean struggle as an Arab cause on the assumption that they do not know it. It is true that there are many opportunists who constantly strive to cover up the truth concerning the Eritrean situation. These misrepresentations by the bosses of “Jebha’ have misled many Arab leaders and governments on various occasions by claiming that Arabic is the language of Eritrea and that Eritreans are Arabs. They have even presented Eritrea as a part of the Arab world in their maps.
Had we been Arabs or had our language been Arabic, we would not have been ashamed to say so. However, we are Eritreans who are neither able nor willing to betray our Eritrean identity or renounce our language. This is the truth and we do not hesitate to state it.
In our era, there are many international languages. When we venture into the field of international affairs, it becomes necessary for us to know many international or widely spoken languages. However, it is only through developing our languages and using them to educate and inform our people that we can acquaint our country and its people with the outside world.
Otherwise, when we try to impose an alien language on our people on the pretext that this is a more widely spoken language or that it is a better one, we are not only reduced into the role of usurpers of language but we are also forced to regress a thousand steps backwards instead of advancing a step forward. Thus, it becomes absolutely necessary for us to refrain from this regressive and dangerous trend. Italian colonial rule attempted to destroy our languages and replace them with its own. The English also tried to spread their language. And in our own era of Ethiopian colonial oppression, Haile Selassie’s regime has sought to kill our languages by burning our books and forcibly imposing Amharic on our people. The valiant Eritrean people have always been opposed and continue to actively resist such colonial expansionist policies. Many Eritreans have gone to various parts of the world, especially to Arab countries for educational purposes or for economic, political and social reasons. But to insist that our people learn, study and speak an alien language borrowed from any of these countries undermines our national identity and negates the spirit of our liberation struggle. Therefore, we reject it totally. We would like to repeatedly remind those governments or peoples who support our struggle to avail us of their help because we are engaged in a just struggle for national liberation. If they offer assistance for any ulterior motives however, we do not need such support and will firmly reject it. To those governments and peoples who do not yet know the Eritrean people, languages, culture and history but who wish to help us, we extend them an open invitation to come and visit our country so they can learn firsthand. Otherwise, we urge those governments which have been misled by the reports of opportunistic liars, to refrain from violating our national identity and dignity as Eritreans. If there are any governments which continue to violate our national identity in order to promote their selfish interests, let them know that we are prepared to defend our national rights, whatever the price.
We would like to make it clear to the Eritrean people that it is their responsibility to refute the various self-serving claims of being Muslims, Arabs, white or black, that are made on their behalf by the vicious opportunists and rogues. Furthermore, we would like to remind and warn false pleaders to stop deceiving the governments supporting our cause because we are convinced that whatever aid comes in exchange for our national rights is more injurious than beneficial to our struggle.