Social Impact Authors: How & Why Deacon Dawit Muluneh of ‘Hopeless Romantic: The Untold History of Ethiopia’ Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
To change the trajectory of Ethiopian politics, I am calling my fellow Ethiopians to do their part to contribute to bringing about peace and unity in the country. I ask my fellow Ethiopians not to engage or participate in divisive discourse with others, either in social media or in person. Instead, be proactive to share uplifting and positive messages with others.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dawit Muluneh.
Deacon Dawit Muluneh is the author of Hopeless Romantic: The Untold History of Ethiopia, I Need Answers and is a Ph.D. student of Ethiopian and Arabic Studies. He grew up in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Chuch and at age seven, his family immigrated to the US from Ethiopia.
Muluneh graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Upon completing his education at Virginia Tech, he worked at a patent and trademark office for three years. At age 27 he sold his house and car and traveled to a monastery in Ethiopia — Debris Libanos — to learn the traditional teachings of the church. Afterward, he was ordained a deacon in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
After a year and a half, Muluneh returned to the States to join a graduate program at the Catholic University of America, where he currently studies Ethiopian and Arabic Studies. He has been trained in Ge’ez, Arabic, Coptic, and Greek, and is currently preparing to take his Ph.D. comprehension exams. He lives in Washington, DC.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I was born in Ethiopia on May 13, 1988. While growing up in my country, I was exposed to the customs, rituals, and traditions of this beloved nation. These early experiences I had early on made me the person that I am today. One such tradition that had a profound effect is that of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Even after coming to the United States at age seven, I was able to find a local parish Ethiopian Church and continued the practices of my home nation. Since then, I have become ordained as a Deacon and have spent the past decade teaching Sunday School classes to thousands of Ethio-American Diasporas across the country.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
Yes! In the first year of my undergraduate career, a school mentor suggested I read: The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream. As cliché as it might sound, the book changed my life. This non-fictional tale chronicles the lives of two black youths who would go on to be Medical Doctors and another black young man who became a Dentist despite the odds being against them. Having gone to a predominantly white University, I was able to relate to this book in a deep manner and it served as a motivation for me to focus on my education.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
I would not consider the following event “funny” but definitely most interesting. Not too long ago, I came across the writing of one of the leading scholars in my field which I thought was offensive to the Ethiopian community. I immediately took my findings to social media and began to publicly criticize his writings thinking I could raise awareness about what he wrote. Unbeknownst to me, many of my colleagues respected this figure and to my dismay defended his position without taking time to really evaluate my opposition. The lesson learned was this: you must strategize before you criticize. I did not know the kind of power and influence this person had in my field and I was not successful in my criticism. Had I taken time to garner a large enough support and even reached out to this person for discussion (as opposed to criticism) I believe I could have made the type of impact I wanted. Lesson learned!
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
I am hoping this book will first change people’s perception of Ethiopia specifically but Africa at large. In late antiquity, Ethiopia traded with Egyptians, the Middle East, India, Greeks, Romans, and Persians. Trading with such influential regions made them rich and powerful. This nation was so great that the third-century prophet Mani mentioned that Ethiopia was one of the four great empires of the time (along with Rome, China, and Persia). I often say: “The Movie Black Panther is real, and Ethiopia is our Wakanda!” Hence, I hope to share Ethiopia’s wonderful history with the world.
Second, I believe most conflicts that arise in Ethiopia are in part due to the way Ethiopian history is taught, especially in western universities. Ethiopian Studies scholars (which is dominated by white Americans/Europeans) mostly have a biased version of the history and highlight the ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences being at the center of nearly all the conflicts that arise in the region. As a result, future Ethiopian generations started to believe these adulterated versions of history. And unfortunately, in the present day, we are witnessing a bloody civil war wherein Ethiopians are killing each other because of ethnic and religious differences which the western world wrote was the central cause of conflict in their country. Therefore, I hope to encourage Ethiopian scholars to change the trajectory of how we tell the history of this nation.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
One of the most interesting stories I have is about the sixth-century Ethiopian King Kaleb and his expedition to present-day Yemen to rescue Christians being persecuted. This event was so sensational that historians at the time recorded the events in Greek, Syriac, Ethiopic, and Arabic languages. What is remarkable about this event is that when the Christians were being persecuted in the Middle East, all the Christian world, including Rome, were troubled by the events. But it was only this African king who was willing and able to rescue foreign nationals who were in trouble. This even thus demonstrates how both powerful and caring Ethiopians really are.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
As I mentioned above, Ethiopia was once a major empire. But it always intrigued me as to why we usually do not hear about this country in popular culture, especially in the west.
It turns out when the fascist Italians came into Ethiopia in the 1930s with the intent of forcefully taking natural resources (i.e. ivory, gold, copper), they also stole our history.
Let me explain….
In the late 19th century as the Europeans started to carve up Africa, Italy chose Ethiopia. Unfortunately for the colonizers, Italy became the only European country to lose to an African nation. As a result, Italy lost respect from other European nations. Newspapers at the time shamed Italy for losing to a nation of black people. Needless to say, Italy wanted revenge. They got their chance with Benito Mussolini and the fascists. Mussolini sent researchers like Carlo Conti Rossini and Enrico Cerulli to study the best way to conquer Ethiopia. These men studied Ethiopian religion, ethnicity, and language the same way the Nazis studied the Jewish community, to see the most efficient way to divide and conquer them.
Italy did go into Ethiopia in the mid-1930s with their guns and killed thousands of Ethiopians. However, the real tragedy happened when the original “research” of — Conti Rossini and Cerulli — became seen as the official history. The research they conducted, unfortunately, found its way into western universities wherein they are being studied to this day. Their writings became the authoritative history of Ethiopia. Regrettably, present-day Ethiopians are now killing each other because of ethnic and religious differences which the Italians wrote was the central cause of conflict in their country. That is the insanity that is going on in Ethiopia.
The real evil here is that Ethiopians believe the version of history perpetrated by the fascists in the 1930s. As a result, they are killing each other; justified by the lies they have been taught by Europeans for the last 90 years.
What saddens me is that Ethiopian scholars today continue to teach the twisted history first written by the Italians in 1930. Today’s teachers never questioned it. And neither did the Ethiopians who are now killing each other.
Right now, there is a bloody civil war in Ethiopia that is discussed on CNN, BBC, and FOX NEWS: And I want to shift CNN, BBC, and FOX NEWS: Back to the 1930’s when the fascists entered Ethiopia because that is the root cause of the war that is happening today. Ethiopia has a secret history, and no one is focusing on this.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
During the height of the conflict of Ethiopia, I started using my social media to call everyone to seek unity and love. Several people reached out to me to let me know they needed to hear that message. I started urging my followers to reach out to someone of a different ethnic group and/or religion and understand their perspective. Some accepted the challenge and even admitted they learned something new. More importantly, others were able to sympathize with a particular group they viewed as being “the enemy.”
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Yes! To change the trajectory of Ethiopian politics, I am calling my fellow Ethiopians to do their part to contribute to bringing about peace and unity in the country. I ask my fellow Ethiopians not to engage or participate in divisive discourse with others, either in social media or in person. Instead, be proactive to share uplifting and positive messages with others.
I call on News Media like CNN, BBC, and FOX NEWS to present the current politics of Ethiopia in a more balanced view and be sensitive to all parties involved.
For scholars of Ethiopian studies who are interested in presenting the history of Ethiopia in an unbiased view, I ask them to join me in my cause by committing themself to the following:
Not citing scholars who perpetuated racist views of Ethiopians and black people by publishing scholarship that suggests Ethiopians are inferior to Europeans in intellectual history, cultural development, political organization, and so on (other than to discuss their racism)
Not citing the many founding figures of European and North American scholarship on Ethiopia who were a part of the racist Italian colonial administration without including appellations, appositives, and endnotes (e.g., “the Italian fascist scholar Enrico Cerulli documented the origins of many Gəˁəz Marian stories” or “Enrico Cerulli, who collaborated with the fascist Italian occupation of Ethiopia in the 1930s, documented the origins of many Gəˁəz Marian stories”)
Citing Ethiopian scholars in your scholarship, making sure that articles and books cited pass the Gray Test (by citing two Ethiopian scholars), and aiming for far better (by making half of your sources by Ethiopian authors)
Furthermore, I ask all to be more vocal about these changes by using their platform to openly speak about the need for Ethiopic studies to change its trajectory. Use the hashtag #hopelessromantic on social media to get the movement rolling and be a catalyst for this initiative.
Let’s start a movement!
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
My understanding of a good leader comes from the virtues I find in the life of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was able to lead the disciples not by telling them what to do but by leading by example — a virtue which is a rare quality in the present day. I believe a good leader should be someone who shows similar attributes. It’s far too easy to tell others to be forgiving, but it’s rare to find someone with a forgiving heart.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Here are the five things I wish I learned before writing this book:
1. Don’t assume you have all the details
o During the first edit of the book, I took an extreme position on one of the subjects I was wringing on. A few months later I came across secondary literature that disproved my entire theory. Luckily the book had not been published yet, so I was able to make the necessary changes. Now, I know to always give some room for error in my publications.
2. Do not make a decision when you are emotional
o During preparation for his book, I found secondary literature written by so-called “scholars” of Ethiopian studies (who were non-Ethiopian) that disparaged the culture, tradition, and religion of Ethiopia. Needless to say, I was extremely disturbed by what I read. I tried to have these writings formally denounced by the school I attended but was not successful. This felt like another defeat. Having been emotional, I was thinking of dropping out of my PhD program; but dropping out of school would have solved nothing! I was just angry and feeling frustrated and not able to carefully think about my decisions. Luckily, I had great mentors near me who were able to guide me the right way. I’m happy to announce, I am still in my program and intend on finishing!
3. Always ask advice
o As I stated above, when I was emotional about my circumstance at school, I was getting ready to make a decision that could have affected my life. I had written a letter of resignation to my department and was planning on sending it just a day after. However, I decided to ask my mentors on what I should do, and they suggested I do not make a decision for several weeks. They reasoned my emotions would have subsided to give me a more rational perspective. They were right!
4. Everyone is not your friend
o Without getting into the details, I have learned you simply cannot trust everyone that is around you. It is important to carefully choose your friends wisely.
5. Your parents really do want the best for you
o If there is someone I can trust, it is my parents. They are the only ones who have given me unwavering support.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”
John F. Kennedy.
I feel like this mindset is what is needed to resolve the major conflicts that exist in the world. Too often, people are unwilling to understand an opposing view. Instead, those who disagree are labeled as the “enemy” and neglected. This in turn causes more conflicts in the world. Especially in Ethiopia, I wish people contemplated on the words of the late John F. Kennedy. As I see it, this is the way for a peaceful resolution.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
If I had a chance, I would like to have a private meeting with Dr. Cornell West. Recently, I read on the news, Dr. West resigned from Harvard University citing systematic racism being part of the cause for his resignation. Having found myself in a field dominated by white American/European scholars, I could use advice on how to navigate through a “system” such as this.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Check out my website:
Twitter: @DawitMuluneh6
IG: dmuluneh
YouTube: Dawit Muluneh
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Deacon Dawit Muluneh of ‘Hopeless Romantic: The Untold History of… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.