Call for Action

Dear friends,

Recently, the Journal of East African Studies published an article titled "BecomingAmhara: ethnic identity changes as a quest for respect in Aari, Ethiopia" by Julian Sommerschuh. This article not only carries offensive and demeaning content towards the Ari people but also suffers from significant methodological and substantive flaws. The article should not have been published, if it went through peer review.  

In response to this, a group of dedicated Ari scholars has taken the initiative to file a request for the retraction of the article(ideally removal from circulation), accompanied by detailed response papers.  If the article is not retracted, a comprehensive response paper will be published. To give context to readers(participants), I have added my preliminary report below.  The journal's editorial board as well as the advisory board and the publisher(Taylor and Francis Group) are currently reviewing our request. However, the impact of our efforts will be significantly amplified if we received support from a wider community.

Regardless of your ethnic background or origin, I invite you to join us in this cause by voicing your concerns to the editors of the Journal of Eastern African Studies

For your convenience, I have prepared a draft email(see below) that you can copy and send to the provided email addresses. You are also welcome to revise the message as you see fit.

Thank you for standing up against offensive content and supporting our quest for fairness and respect.

Asress

++++

To: jeas@biea.ac.uk,  emma.hunter@ed.ac.uk, florence.brisset-foucault@univ-paris1.fr

 

Subject: Request for the Retraction of "Becoming Amhara: ethnic identity changes as a quest for respect in Aari, Ethiopia”

 

Dear esteemed editors,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to request a retraction of the article "Becoming Amhara: ethnic identity changes as a quest for respect in Aari, Ethiopia,” by Julian Sommerschuh, recently published in JEAS.

As an reader, I feel compelled to voice my concerns about this article. I found it highly divisive, offensive, and disrespectful to the Aari people. The article overlooks the intricate socio-cultural nuances that define the Aari people and misrepresents their culture. Furthermore, it fails to make any meaningful contribution to the existing body of literature on Aari culture and identity.

I sincerely hope that the editorial board will consider the perspectives of readers, specially minority groups whose dignity has been impacted by the insensitive way the author presents his finding and retract the article.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

[Name]

Please read my full response here: https://lexpgt.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-response-to-becoming-amhara-ethnic.html