Abdallah Ali Sherif, now 75, shares his journey in rediscovering Harar's rich cultural identity that was buried due to historical repression. Despite cultural erasure starting in the late 19th century after Harar was annexed by a Christian empire, Abdallah's work highlights the city's Islamic heritage and its legacy as a center for scholarship. His reflections reveal the fear present in prior generations to discuss their cultural past, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming and preserving Harar's history for future generations.
"For centuries, Harar was a center of Islamic scholarship, producing Qurans and legal texts, but after 1887, the city's culture faced severe repression and erosion."
"Our parents were afraid to teach us about our culture or our history," says Abdallah Ali Sherif, reflecting on the past suppression of Harar's identity.
"Harar became the capital of the Adal Sultanate, controlling parts of modern Somalia and Ethiopia, but was forcefully absorbed into a Christian empire in 1887."
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