My name is Magnus Rosengarten. I am a German citizen residing in Berlin. My father is an Ethiopian and my mother German. I am posting this plea for help finding my Ethiopian father, whom I never saw. My father’s name is Elias Mohamed.
My father and mother met in Rome, Italy in 1986 - sometime between August and December. They were both in their early or mid-twenties. They were together very briefly. My mother went back to Germany, where I was born in June 1987.

My mother tried to reach my father around the time I was born. She called 5911651 – the same telephone number on which she had reached him earlier. She could not find him; but she talked to a friend of his who told her that apparently my father had left Italy and gone to Canada. My mother says that his friend added that my father had keen interest to move to Canada and pursue further studies. It is possible however that this is not true. For all I know my father may still be in Italy or elsewhere.

When my mother met my father he was supported by CARITAS in Rome. Apparently he was attending a college level education programme in the engineering/technical area. He must have come to Italy sometime in 1985. He had come to Italy from Addis Ababa where he had completed high school education and joined the medical school of the university. But he did not complete his university education there; he quit medicine because he found out he had no aptitude for it.

According to my mother, it seems that my father’s family comes from the Harar (Eastern) region of Ethiopia. The family moved to Addis when my father was in his teens. It is possible however that my father comes from any other part of Ethiopia such as Wollo and Afar or even Eritrea.

It is quite possible that my father is in Canada to which my mother was told he had gone from Italy. Here are some pieces of information about my father’s physical features as my mother recalls:

• His height was about 1,70m
• His hair was short
• His face was dark brown
• The shape of his face was oval
• He was very slim
• He had no beard
• He should now be 48 or 49 years old.

According to my mother, my father always spoke about his siblings some of whom worked for Siemens in Switzerland and southern Germany.

I had always been uncomfortable about not knowing the whereabouts of my father. And in recent years – perhaps because I am getting older- my identity, my Ethiopian heritage has become very important to me. I am hence intensely longing to find my father.

I would like to add in this connection that I completed my university education a few years ago obtaining my Bachelor’s degree. I have a job and am financially stable.

I would be highly appreciative – indeed most grateful- to anyone who can help me find my Ethiopian father.

Many Thanks!

Magnus Rosengarten

I can be reached at the following address:

Hermannstraße 66 
12049 Berlin 
Germany 
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Read more: EverythingHarar Current Activities, Progress , And Plans

ላም አራፋ ዩሽለኹ: እስላም አራፋ አዩሽባኹ:: 

Thanks for your pleasant and informative email that you sent pertaining to the Arafa celebration in your locality.On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to extend my sincere congratulation to Harari Ahadnet Affocha for hosting such an extraordinary event.

Although my intention of sending this email is to reciprocate my euphoria with your community, I have also been very much attracted with your title subject "Remarkable Lam Arafa".

Why you said Lam (cow) Arafa? Why not Xay (sheep) Arafa? Since in the occasion of Arafa, Muslims

commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s and his son Ismail’s total submission to the will of Allah. Then why we say Lam not xay Arafa?

Last month a dear friend of mine asked me the reason behind the Haraies saying "Lam Arafa". Before rushing to answer any of my thoughts to him, I asked a second opinion from an elderly person who was with me at that moment. Meanwhile, I also did some literature review in the subject matter. The elderly person also iterated by saying the following Harari proverb in the following topic:

“ Lam Arafa youshlakhu, Islam Arafa ayoushbkhu”. ላም አራፋ ዩሽለኹ: እስላም አራፋ አዩሽባኹ::

“Islam yetgoraeba, lam yetgora” እስላም ይትጎራቤ: ላም የትጎራዕ

I will try to give my two cents in historic prospective and a hypothesis on the significant and reasons of “ the “Lam Arafa” predicament.

A. Translation of Harari proverb: “May Allah make your Arafa a cow sacrificing Arafa not Muslim sacrificing Arafa” or in another word, instead of sacrificing Muslims let us scarify cows. Lam and Islam rhyme in Harari language as well.

B. The Religious approaching behind the proverb:

1.   The Period of four Caliphas (Abubaker, Omer and Othman and Ali) covers 29-year (632-661). In which, Abubaker , Omer, Othman and Ali had ruled for 2, 10, 12 and 5 years respectively.

2.   The 29-year has two parts. A) The first eighteen so yeas (632-650) was the period of expansion and conquests. B) The second eleven years (650- 661) was the year of shared allegations and civil war.

3.   The last six years of Othman and all five years of Ali were the period of conflicts and civil war among the Muslims

4.   On June 17th 656 (on 15 of Du al-Hijja year 35 hijra) Othman met martyrdom in the hands of Muslims.

5.   On December 4th 656 (7th of Jumadu-althani year 36 hijra) Battle of Camel took place. In this battle, Ayesha, Talha and Zubair fought against Ali. Both Talha and Zubair along other 10,000 Muslims died in this callous Muslim against Muslim war

6.   On January 24th 661 (Ramadhan 14, 40 Hijjra) Ali also met martyrdom in the hands of Muslims

7.   Many other recriminations, oppositions and civil strives took place after June 17th 656 which correspond with Du al-Hijja 15th 35 Hijra Calendar.

8.   That initial Fitna took place in the month of Du al-Hija (the month of Arafa) and this day haunts Muslims all over the world! The bickering and infighting in the “name of religion” is a living legacy in our Harari society and should be mentioned as example!!!
 

Thus, we ask Allah to make our Arafa, Lam Arafa and not Islam Arafa while fulfilling Allah’s commandments. Many Muslims already martyred in the name of Islam, can we afford to kill many more in the name of religion again? I believe Lam Arafa that was echoed Via Mahbub’s email was a wake up call for all of us if we think rationally, yet without egotism (Kibriya). May be we do not see the vulnerability, but it is there in each Harari doorstep!!!!

Sincerely,

JK