Notes on Culture, Identity, and Social Change
I have a habit of jotting down interesting things I see or hear. Today, I’d like to share a few of those notes with you.
Yusra, the amazing performer
Recently, many people sent me a clip of a young woman—a gifted artist—singing in multiple languages: English, Arabic, Bedawyet, Tigrigna, and Tigrayit. What an amazing performer! She appeared on TV with her father, a well-known artist and director in his own right. In a culture that often discourages women from pursuing the arts, I deeply admire both Yusra and her father for breaking these social barriers.
Kudos to them both! And to celebrate, here’s one of Yusra’s fiery performances—Superstition by Stevie Wonder.
Ibrahim Sultan, the First Emancipator
A few months ago, I wrote about Ibrahim Sultan, calling him the first emancipator of the modern age. Sheikh Ibrahim led the struggle for the liberation of the Tigre social class long before Martin Luther King became a household name for emancipation.
Not long after, a deranged individual with a venomous tongue unleashed his rage at me. He vilified me for mentioning the class struggles in recent Eritrean history and the role of the Tigre, who were emancipated from serfdom by Sheikh Ibrahim.
It’s one thing to disagree rationally with a statement. But when people respond with baseless accusations, armed with little or no knowledge of the topic, it becomes something else. That person claimed I was “dividing the Tigre people.” Surprisingly, a few others jumped on the bandwagon, echoing the fake sentimental anger.
The history of Ibrahim Sultan’s struggle is an important part of Eritrean heritage, and I won’t let it be distorted just because some people are nostalgic for the feudal past.
Political Ethni Manipulation
In a bit bolder language, I don’t know an Eritrean social group identified as “Tigre” until the current ruling party coined (misconstrued) the term. The concept of the “nine ethnic groups” doesn’t sit well with me. That said, if people choose to identify themselves based on their language—whether it’s Tigrayit speakers, Saho speakers, Tigrinya speakers, etc.—I may not agree, but I respect their right to do so. Social groups will always have labels, and while I may question this rebranding, I’ll accept it as their choice. But it still feels like a political maneuver unless it’s properly debated and legislated by a parliament with duly elected representatives.
Many Eritreans often complain that the country lacks a national council, a Baito, and a constitution. But are they seeking the content and process of these documents, or just the form—a few pages of bound papers called a constitution, regardless of its legality?
Zuria Attire and the Manufactured Rage
Recently, a video circulated on social media featuring a broadcaster wearing a Zuria dress and reading the news in Tigrayit. Her Tigrayit is impeccable—perhaps it was her mother tongue, or maybe she learned it later. Either way, she has every right to speak any language she wishes. However, some skeptics accused her of “impersonating a Tigrayit speaker.” Why? In their minds, only Tigrinya-speaking Christian women wear Zuria!
This line of thinking is utterly foolish and rooted in paranoia. They saw a dichotomy between the Zuria dress and Tigrayit language. It was framed as “hegemony,” a complaint that felt more like a manufactured outrage than anything grounded in facts. I couldn’t help but wonder: What if she’s a Christian from the Mens’a tribe who speaks Tigrayit? Can’t she speak in any of her countries national languages—even if Tigrayit isn’t her mother tongue?
Kennedy Travaskis
It reminds me of Kennedy Travaskis, a British District Commissioner in Keren after World War II when the British Military Administration (BMA). He spoke both Arabic and Tigrayit. Old timers told me he often wore the Jalabiya, a traditional dress considered by some to be a “Jihadi dress.” It was not British. Yet, to those around him, it was simply part of the national attire. The difference back then was that people weren’t bigots who weaponized political and cultural differences.
Some Christians embroider crosses on their Zuria, but that doesn’t make the Zuria inherently a Christian dress. It’s just cloth—first made of cotton and later of synthetic fibers. Symbols can be added to any piece of clothing, but they don’t define its essence.
Thankfully, the manufactured outrage over the Zuria has mostly died down.
Conclusion
I hope this blog brings clarity to some of the complex issues surrounding culture, identity, and the social changes happening in Eritrea today. Let’s continue to challenge old norms and think critically about the labels we use and the history we inherit.
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