Is Professor Asrat an Ethiopian First or an Amara?
Feleke
Dear Netters:
I am posting the following essay/article at the request of Dr. Fikre Tolossa.
It is a very informative essay/article and I think it should be read by all
netters.
Feleke
___________________________________________________________________
Is Professor Asrat an Ethiopian First or an Amara?
By Fikre Tolossa, Ph. D.
Now that Professor Asrat is a free man, it seems that there is a
confusion about his real identity. Quite a number of people think that
he is an Amara first and Ethiopian second. Some consider him to be an
Amara from Shoa; whereas others see him as an Amara from Gonder or
Gojam. There are those who think he is an Amara from Wadla and D'lanta. A
few believe he is an Amara from Saynt. Is Professor Asrat an Amara from
Shoa? This is debatable. Is he an Amara from Gonder? No way! Is he an
Amara from Gojam? How so? Is he an Amara from Wadla and D'lanta. Under
no circumstance. Is he an Amara from Saynt? How on earth could he be from
there! Oh, no! He is none of the above. He is not even an Amara the
way the typical Amara is portraid. What is he then? Have patience , and
I will tell you what he is...
Professor Asrat is first and foremost an Ethiopian, and a typical " Ye
Dire-Dawa Lij" ( the son of Dire-Dawa), inspite of the fact that he is
of Amara descent. I will explain.
It is evident that Professor Asrat spent a good part of his boyhood in in
Dire-Dawa. His early life in Dire-Dawa has forged and formed his
character. This remarkable city, Dire-Dawa, is the melting-pot of
nationalities. Situated about 472 kilometers away from Addis Abeba and
about 3OO kilometers apart from the Port of Djibouti, it has served as
an industrial and railway center linking Harerge with Shoa and Djibouti
itself. A quarter of a century ago, during the reign of Emperor Haile
Selassie I, next to Asmara, it was the cleanest Ethiopian city with a
zonal system, filled with asphalted and paved streets, parks with
fountains and public radios in them, beautiful trees, hotels and movie
houses. The good, warm weather and the industries in it, such as a
textile and cement factories, a railway station and a meat-processing
company attracted Ethiopians of all ethnic groups. The city and its
outskirts were and are inhabited by the Somali, Amara, Oromo, Adere,
Gurage, Welaita, Tigre, Eritreans, and even Denkelis, In addition,
Arabs, Greeks, Italians, Armenians and even the French lived in it.
Because of its proximity to Djibouti, some of the common folks were in
engaged in commerce importing and fetching goods from that Red Sea port
and selling them in the city. Dire-Dawa being mult-ethnic,
multi-lingual and multi-cultural, its "lijoch" spoke at least two or
threee languages. Whoever went there to seek his fortune from every
corner of Ethiopia settled and never returned to his original home so
that it was sang of Dire-Dawa:
Awey Dire-Dawa, wey maru, wey maru
Enquan sewoo qerto ashewaw mamaru
alech debrek debrek kebabur letweta
ebaqeh amlake yemiyaskerat amta
Dire-Dawa derso sew aymelessem
yesew melaktegna yeleb ayaderssem.
Aweynanana, Aweynana,
Nuti jole Dire, Djibouti malgona...
It was a diverse city, and at the same time, uniform. It was a role-model
, a symbol of harmony despite diverstiy, and typified the characteristic
feaures of the rest of Ethiopia. Hence, this gorgeous, dynamic city
mixed, melted and integrated the different ethnic groups into each
other's culture, language and psychological makeup and created a unique
breed of people known as "ye Dire-Dawa Lejoch".
Ye Dire-Dawa Lejoch displayed characters, norms and behaviours unique to
themselves: simplicity, informality, "independent-mindedness", extereme
frankness, the courage to speak out their minds and to defy authorities
when they treated them unjustly. Material luxury was no big deal to them:
industrial products reached them from West and East via Djibouti. They
didn't have to worry about household articles, fancy clothes and means of
transportation such as bicycles, motorcycles and late model cars such as
Mercedes and Pegeout. Rich people from Addis Abeba including high ranking
officials wondered when they were picked up from the airport or train
station by Merceds and Pegeout which served as taxis, since these brands
of automobiles were driven by well-to-do Addis Abebans.
As afore-mentioned, Professor Asrat woldeyes spent his boyhood in this
fabulous city of melting ethnic groups. The time he spent his formative
years in Dire-Dawa had a strong impact on his personality and shaped
his present positive traits: simplicity, frankness, universal outlook and
the courage to stand for one's convictions. I remember Gashe Akliku from
my boyhood days in Dire-Dawa who was Dr. Asrat's boyhood friend and
classmate. When I was myself a boy, about 35 years ago, he used to tell
me a lot about his boyhood days with Dr. Asrat. He was fond of Dr. Asrat.
Every time we met he spoke affectionately about him even when Dr. Asrat
was a relatively unknown physician. I also heard other Dire-Dawans
talking about Professor Asrat in relation with some of the successful "Ye
Dire-Dawa Lijoch" such as the prominent journalists and writers who
revolutionized, journalism and challenged Haile Selassie's Government
with the might of their pens - Paulos Nono and Ambassador Ahadu Sabure,
as well as the late Professor Getachew Bolodiya, the genius bio-chemist.
Whoever has known all these "Ye Dire-Dawa Lejoch" closely, will admit
that they considered themselves Ethiopians first and foremost,
entertained universal views , and were frank, creative, outspoken,
fearless and down-to-earth. Since they were the product of the mixing
of all of those ethnic groups stated above, they never identified
themselves as belonging only to one particular ethnic group. Rather, they
considered themselves to be Ethiopians from Dire-Dawa. So also, people
who know Professor Asrat closely witness that he is an Ethiopian first
and foremost despite the truth that he happens to be the President of the
All Amara Peoples Organization. Above all, his own testimonies on various
occassions in the mass media also attest to his being an Ethiopian first
and foremost. How did he get involved in the AAPO in the first place?
It all started when the staff members of the Addis Abeba University chose
him and Dr. Gedamu Abreha to represent them in the national conferrence
which the EPRDF called shortly after it seized power in 199O. Professor
Asrat boldly expressed his disagreement with the idea of dividing
Ethiopia along ethnic lines and the secession of Eritrea from Ethiopia
without the consent of all Ethiopians. In fact, he walked out of the
conference. Dr. Gedamu stayed and was eventually awarded with the
position of "Vice Prime Minister" of Ethiopia. Then the persecution of
innocent Amaras began in the provinces. Dr. Asrat protested against this
by writing letters to the Head of State of the Ethiopian Government
imploring him to do something about this atrocious act. Out of necessity
which the time called for, he and other concerned Ethiopians got together
and formed the All Amara Peoples Organization. I was present in Los
Angeles, California, when he delivered a speech to an Ethiopian audience
six years ago. When he was asked why he had to form a purely Amara
organization he replied stating that it was not his original intention to
do so since he always felt to be Ethiopian. It was because that was the
only way he and his colleagues could voice the plight of the Amara in a
hostile environment in which all sections of the Ethiopian populace were
being forced to organize ethnically. I bought his explanation at that
time. But then, the time elapsed and the Government demanded that all
civic organizations transformed themselves into political parties and
register offcially lest they were banned unconditionally. We were all
expecting to see the All Amara Peoples Organization turning into All
Ethiopian Peoples Organization embracing Ethiopians of all ethnic groups
who believed in the existence of united Ethiopia based on genuine
equality. That didn't happen. One of the reasons which was given by
AAPO and its supporters then was that the Government would not recognize
and legalize any organization which bore the name Ethiopia....
Now the time has changed. We are all happy that Professor Asrat, however
sickly, is free at last. It is regretable that his health has been
affected because of the ordeal he went through while defending the
defenceless and the down-trodden in his own way. I do not doubt that
when he gets well, he and his immediate associates will have the time to
reflect on the road ahead. Deep down inside, as I said earlier, Professor
Asrat is a true Ethiopian who does not define himself as someone
belonging only to one particular ethnic group due to his upbringing in
multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual atmosphere, and because
he is the son of an Ethiopian patriot who sacrificed his life to save
Ethiopia from Fascist Italian agressors. Moreover, who knows about his
genealogical background disguised in his Amara/Tigre name ? Which
Amara can claim with absolute certainty that he is a pure Amara?
Indeed, Professor Asrat Woldeyes could be instrumental in championing
the idea of Ethiopian unity based on genuine equality. Frankly, it is
about time now for the All Amara Peoples Organization to transform itself
into All Ethiopian Peoples Organization. It is high time that all of us
Ethiopians transcended beyond our ethnic narrowness and started thinking
in terms of greater Ethiopia, if we are Ethiopians worthy of the name.
Because of the objective reality in Ethiopia, namely, the invasion of
Ethiopia by Shabia, the hostile conditions which were a fertile ground
for the persecution of the Amara have changed even thoug not completely
eliminated. Circumstance beyond its control has compelled the Ethiopian
Government to seek the co-operation of all Ethiopians including the
Amara. In fact, thousands of Amaras in the tradition of their heroic
forefathers and foremothers are voluntarily deployed at the war front to
defend the svovereignty of their country. Some of them have began to
assume a key role in the Ethiopian Air Force and Army. In due course, I
believe that they will occupy together with other Ethiopians the places
which were vacated by ungreatful Eritreans, be it in business, commerce,
industry, army, private or government offices. It is self-evident that
Tigreans cannot practically fill the length and breadth of Ethiopia,
considering their number in relation to the Amara and other Ethiopians.
The new trend cannot be reverted anymore even if the TPLF and Eritrea
reconcile somehow miraculously after the forces of Shabia have brutally
used cluster bombs on innocent civilians, and after both sides have
deported their respective citizens mecilessly. The TPLF cannot withstand
Shabia without the support and active participation of all Ethiopians.
Since every cloud has a silver lining, the unfortunate invasion of Shabia
of Ethiopia will be a positive factor in the reunification of Ethiopia
provided that the Ethiopian Government responds to popular political,
democratic and economic demands, before things go out of control.
The previous reason which was given by AAPO for failing to form an
organization which bears the word, "Ethiopia" in its name does not hold
true anymore. The EPRDF Government has now reportedly gone to the extent
of allowing Ethiopian political organizations and fronts which bear the
name Ethiopia, such as the Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces,
which is made up of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party, All
Ethiopian Socialist Party, as well as other such political entities, to
open offices in Ethiopia. I don't see why the All Amara Peoples
Organization, which has endured so much hardship within Ethiopia and
survived, cannot simply cahnge its name reflecting Ethiopiawinet and
continue to exist legally drawing into it millions of other non-Amara
Ethiopians who will defend the Amara in increasing numer any time if
necessary. Even the officials of the Ethioipan Government are now quoting
in public the once unjustly hated Emperor Menelik I and admit that
Ethiopian history is longer than 1OO years. I was amazed today to read in
the internet Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's interview with a French
journalist, in which the Prime Minister confessed indirectly the fact
that Ethiopia has existed as a state for 3OOO years. You may call it
political maneuvering or whatever you like; but the fact is that he
admited that Ethiopia has existed that long as a nation. I, therefore,
appeal to all those genuine Ethiopians of Amara descent including the
esteemed Professor Asrat Woldeyes, to reconsider this matter seriously
for the sake of Ethiopian unity based on true equality and mutual
respect.
Speaking of the Amhara people in general, no power can impose on them a
feeling of ethnicity when their hearts are genuinely Ethiopian. If some
of them exhibited an inclination towards ethnicism in recent times, it is
purely a defence mechanism to withstand the hostilities leveled at them
the past seven years, by applying as their motto the old adage, "eshohen
mawtat beshoh new" meaning, the only way you can extract a thorn out of
your body is by using an other thorn. In other words, their seeming
ethnicism is just a shield which masquerades their essence and great
identity - Ethiopian nationalism. As my previous researches on the Amara
which appeared various times on the Ethiopian Review magazine reveal,
the Amara, because of the key leadership role they played in Ethiopian
politics, culture and history for the past seven hundred years, and as a
result of their intermingling genetically, culturally, spiritually and
linguistically with the Oromo and other Ethiopians, have achieved
universality and a strong feeling of Ethiopian nationalism. Therefore,
after they have risen above petty and narrow sentiments of ethnicism for
so long, no circumstance and no individuals can revert them to the
infantile state they were in seven hundred years ago, even if we assume
that they were less nationalistic then than they are now.
On this ocassion, I call upon all Ethiopians, regardless of their ethnic
origin, to collaborate in the fund-raising effort to cover Professor
Asrats's medical expenses. The other day, Abune Melketsadic of the
Ethiopian Mediahnalem Orthodox Church informed all of us who wrere
assembled in his church in Berkeley, California, that there are 4O such
churches all over the United States. The medical expense of Professor
Asrat, which the Abun said, was $4O, OOO US Dollars, could be taken care
of without any problem if each church contributed $1,OOO.OO (US
Dollars.) We raised our share within three minutes, to the surprise of
the Abun. And we are willing to contribute further should the need
arise. By the way, present in that congregation were Amara, Oromo,
Gurage, Welaita, Tigre, Hadia, and other Ethiopians. I hope the members
of all the other churches will follow our example. Every concerned
Ethiopian could donate his/her share through a channel easily available
to him or her without being particular about it. What counts is the
end-result. "Yetim Fichiw Duketun Amchiw", as the old saying goes. For
instance, if some individuals like to form an alternative independent
fund raising committee representing Ethiopians of all ethnic groups and
religious denominations, they too, should be welcomed, since such
Ethiopians as well have played a key role in the Professor's release and
are concerned as much as anybody else about his well-being. It will also
foster the spirit of Ehiopiawinet as Ethiopia doesn't exist without all
her ethnic groups put together.
Last, in all fairness, the EPRDF Government should be commended for
releasing the ailing Professor for a medical reason. I urge the
Ethiopian Government once again, as I have done not long ago in my Open
Letter to Prime Minster Meles Zenawi, to release the remaining political
and conscience prisoners on humanitarian ground or on any ground it deems
befits, for the sake of unity and national reconciliation. There is
nothing wrong with conceding something like this for a Government if this
will pave the way for the welfare of a nation. If we examined the
current demands of concerned Ethiopians, they are not asking too much.
For instance, they are not asking for the immediate removal from power of
the existing Government. They are not appealing for the release of
criminals either. They are simply imploring the Government to release
journalists and people who have been imprisoned the past seven years
because of their disagreement with some of the policy of the EPRDF. In a
word, they are reminding the Government to democratize Ethiopia and
abolish ethnic politics which sows the seeds of hatred and havoc among
the populace and might even cause the gradual disintegration of our
country as a nation.
Wishing a speedy recovery to Professor Asrat Woldeyes and congratulating
him and all of us,
Fikre Tolossa
Suraphel
ferenjis" :) people organization.I'm sure you understand what i mean, right?
incase you forgot it , go back and see his speech at Debrebrhan seven years
ago for " Black ferenjis"
gor...@hotmail.com
sura...@aol.com (Suraphel) wrote:
> Nice try , Dr, Tolossa,but like it or not he is the leader of all "black
> ferenjis" :)
Dr. Fikre Tolosa is appologising for the Oromo community.
"Please forgive my confusion in the past, it is not me it is the melting city
Dire, it was the way I grew up, and my friends Gashe Asrat,
Gahe Hailu blabla...".
Appology will be accepted Dr. Fikre Tolosa
if you can prove your repentance in the future.
Gorade
>people organization.I'm sure you understand what i mean, right?
> incase you forgot it , go back and see his speech at Debrebrhan seven years
> ago for " Black ferenjis"
>
Visit http://www.dejanews.com/~oromia
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Who is this 'wushetam' Fikareysesu who asks a non-question? Is Professor
Asrat an Ethiopian First or an Amara? Whether Ethiopia tikdem (first) or
atikidem, it is no an issue today. The derg tried it with all viciousness
and chauvinism. It failed like hell. Now this some Fikareyesus asks if 'Is
Professor Asrat an Ethiopian First or an Amara?' What this born lier,
Fikareyesus, understands by the President of All Amahara Peoples
Organisation? Now he asks Amharas to reconsider their position? Who is he?
He also tells us he wrote an open letter to who? Could some Harariliji tell
him to go to post office, close his letter and then post. That may be a road
to his simplicity and informality and so on...
Few words about Dr. Asrat Woldeyes. He is used by the likes of Fikareyesus
who goad poor someone else to do things they don't dare and then pour 'open
letters' and empty gestures, then the poor surgeon suffers in the
prisonhouse his own ilk built over a hundred years ago! Now they continue to
harass him telling him and us about who should foot the bills for medical
treatment. Instead of abusing the permanently sick, why this fikareyesus
doesn't try to be the president of one more front he knows as 'All Ethiopian
Peoples Organisation'. He will go the way the revolutionary derg, Ethiopian
Peoples Revolutionary..., All Ethiopian Socialist....did go. Anything new
about this chao is lying?
Let me take you to the catalogue of your deception below.
Feleke <fel...@aol.com> wrote in message
<19990119114640...@ng-ft1.aol.com>...
> Dear Netters:
> I am posting the following essay/article at the request of Dr. Fikre
Tolossa.
> It is a very informative essay/article and I think it should be read by
all netters.
> Feleke
What is VERY INFORMATIVE about it? Unless you are one of those who say GOOD
while you are meaning BAD. I know you should not join 'washera' to learn
'qine' for a doublespeak. Poor you, you may not deserve all that. You may
read on the face value. Which is BAD.
___________________________________________________________________
> Is Professor Asrat an Ethiopian First or an Amara?
Let me ask you: Is Asrat a professor first or a person? dear fikareyesus?
> By Fikre Tolossa, Ph. D.
You may think you would deceive poor Oromos by your second name, apparently
your father's. Could you kindly tell us the third, last name. Your surname,
Sir? phdddd, ha ha ha...
>
> Now that Professor Asrat is a free man, it seems that there is a confusion
about his real identity.
No there isn't. It is only how you see your chauvinist world.
> He is not even an Amara the way the typical Amara is portrayed.
You are wrong? How the typical got together and chosen him, if he is not?
Tell the world what is typical of Amhara?
> Have patience , and I will tell you what he is... Professor Asrat is first
and foremost an Ethiopian, and >a typical " Ye Dire-Dawa Lij" ( the son of
Dire-Dawa), inspite of the fact that he is of Amara descent. I >will
explain.
Do you understand how narrow your approach is? 'Typical yediredawa lij!' It
may not even matter if the poor surgeon has amharic descent. We are not in
the business of measuring and counting blood types. The problem is you
people are so primitive and talk in biological terms. Who do you think will
care if this or the other chap carries certain genes, certain Amhara blood
types which are the usual, ordinary A's B's O's? The point about identity is
whom you identify with? Which culture, language, values, beliefs, language,
and so on. Whether you're born in ankober or diredawa and go away in
california or whatever does not matter much. Your deeds tell your binding
loyalty, and you look to me a spent chauvinist who is confused about who he
is. Don't worry, you're a man; but you're a lier.
> Hence, this gorgeous, dynamic city mixed, melted and integrated the
different ethnic groups into >each other's culture, language and
psychological makeup and created a unique breed of people >known as "ye
Dire-Dawa Lejoch".
That is not true. You already implied the term 'unique breed of people'
applies to some first class citizens in Ethiopia. What you are doing is
trying to appeal to Chequn from gondar, Gizachew from gojam, debdibachew
from ankober and Mola Ergeta Mohammed from wollo to feel good about what was
done in their name: oppression, chiqona. That is a feel good factor you call
psychological makeup'.
> I also heard other Dire-Dawans talking about Professor Asrat in relation
with some of the successful >"Ye Dire-Dawa Lijoch" such as the prominent
journalists and writers who revolutionised, journalism >and challenged Haile
Selassie's Government with the might of their pens - Paulos Nono and
>Ambassador Ahadu Sabure, as well as the late Professor Getachew Bolodiya,
the genius bio-chemist.
Who is the late and who is not the late? Didn't we hear Paulos Nyonyo also
passed away? Or are you creating the order of importance and shift the
possibility of mortality to your favourites?
> Whoever has known all these "Ye Dire-Dawa Lejoch" closely, will admit
> that they considered themselves Ethiopians first and foremost,
> entertained universal views , and were frank, creative, outspoken,
> fearless and down-to-earth. Since they were the product of the mixing
>So also, people who know Professor Asrat closely witness that he is an
Ethiopian first
> and foremost despite the truth that he happens to be the President of the
> All Amara Peoples Organisation.
KNOW, DESPITE, TRUTH...
> How did he get involved in the AAPO in the first place? It all started
>when the staff members of the >Addis Abeba University chose him and Dr.
>Gedamu Abreha to represent them in the national >conference which the
>EPRDF called shortly after it seized power in 199O.
The EPRDF did not seize power in 1990. They took Addis Ababa in May 1991.
Their conference was held in July 1991. Don't still even a minute from other
people. This shows your recklessness with other 'facts' you mention of
history that goes to seven hundred years or 3000.
> Professor Asrat boldly expressed his disagreement with the idea of
dividing
> Ethiopia along ethnic lines and the secession of Eritrea from Ethiopia
> without the consent of all Ethiopians.
Stop there, wasn't the Eritrean issue a de facto independence?
>Then the persecution of innocent Amaras began in the provinces.
>Out of necessity
> which the time called for, he and other concerned Ethiopians got together
> and formed the All Amara Peoples Organisation.
Not fair enough. The persecution of many oppressed people has been the
rule, not an exception, for over a hundred years the habasha empire come to
existence. Do you think the EPRDF was in the 'provinces' preaching a gospel
and not persecuting innocent people?
>I was present in Los
> Angeles, California, when he delivered a speech to an Ethiopian audience
> six years ago. When he was asked why he had to form a purely Amara
> organisation he replied stating that it was not his original intention to
> do so since he always felt to be Ethiopian. It was because that was the
> only way he and his colleagues could voice the plight of the Amara in a
> hostile environment in which all sections of the Ethiopian populace were
> being forced to organise ethnically. I bought his explanation at that
> time.
Are you are now selling his explanation to us? For how much? No begging, no
door knocking, no contributions, please!
>But then, the time elapsed and the Government demanded that all
> civic organisations transformed themselves into political parties and
> register officially lest they were banned unconditionally. We were all
> expecting to see the All Amara Peoples Organisation turning into All
> Ethiopian Peoples Organisation embracing Ethiopians of all ethnic groups
> who believed in the existence of united Ethiopia based on genuine
> equality. That didn't happen.
It'll never happen with you people, especially with your psychological
makeup. All you want is a reshuffle of names, EPRP becomes Ethiopian Unity
Party,
Meison & co becomes COEDF, now you ask AAPO to become AEPP? You may consult
Dr Beyene Petros if there is any alternative left to the kind of
psycological makeup you people are subjected to. You are prosoners of your
own paradigms. You need to be liberated! You need EPLF or OLF to free you
from demonic possession. Think of joining the OLF. They are too humane to
treat you the way you did to them.
>One of the reasons which was given by
> AAPO and its supporters then was that the Government would not recognize
> and legalize any organization which bore the name Ethiopia....
But come on, the first letter of 'E'PRDF meant Ethiopian. You mean, it did
not legalise itself?
> Now the time has changed. We are all happy that Professor Asrat, however
> sickly, is free at last. It is regretable that his health has been
> affected because of the ordeal he went through while defending the
> defenceless and the down-trodden in his own way. I do not doubt that
> when he gets well, he and his immediate associates will have the time to
> reflect on the road ahead. Deep down inside, as I said earlier, Professor
> Asrat is a true Ethiopian who does not define himself as someone
> belonging only to one particular ethnic group due to his upbringing in
> multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual atmosphere, and because
> he is the son of an Ethiopian patriot who sacrificed his life to save
> Ethiopia from Fascist Italian agressors. Moreover, who knows about his
> genealogical background disguised in his Amara/Tigre name ? Which
> Amara can claim with absolute certainty that he is a pure Amara?
There you go again. You are traveling along unchartered seas. Besides Dr
Asrat can speak for himself, even in Ethiopian prison let alone in North
America. No fikareyesus is qualified to be a midwife to disturbed neurotic
surgery.
> Indeed, Professor Asrat Woldeyes could be instrumental in championing
> the idea of Ethiopian unity based on genuine equality.
It is not true! Don't you have any other thing to present? That shows how
spent is Anyssinian fundamentalism.
> Because of the objective reality in Ethiopia, namely, the invasion of
> Ethiopia by Shabia, the hostile conditions which were a fertile ground
> for the persecution of the Amara have changed even thoug not completely
> eliminated.
Not. Nothing changed. TPLF is still your master. Eritrea is still in Badmen
area. The Amhara youth are persecuted to go to war created by the TPLF. So
are Dire-Dawa lijoch. What is changed is only your psycological makeup. In
the short term little can be done about it. You may seek advice from the
professor on this.
>Circumstance beyond its control has compelled the Ethiopian
> Government to seek the co-operation of all Ethiopians including the
> Amara.
Do you really believe so?
In fact, thousands of Amaras in the tradition of their heroic
> forefathers and foremothers are voluntarily deployed at the war front to
> defend the svovereignty of their country. Some of them have began to
> assume a key role in the Ethiopian Air Force and Army. In due course, I
> believe that they will occupy together with other Ethiopians the places
> which were vacated by ungreatful Eritreans, be it in business, commerce,
> industry, army, private or government offices. It is self-evident that
> Tigreans cannot practically fill the length and breadth of Ethiopia,
> considering their number in relation to the Amara and other Ethiopians.
> The new trend cannot be reverted anymore even if the TPLF and Eritrea
> reconcile somehow miraculously after the forces of Shabia have brutally
> used cluster bombs on innocent civilians, and after both sides have
> deported their respective citizens mecilessly. The TPLF cannot withstand
> Shabia without the support and active participation of all Ethiopians.
> Since every cloud has a silver lining, the unfortunate invasion of Shabia
> of Ethiopia will be a positive factor in the reunification of Ethiopia
> provided that the Ethiopian Government responds to popular political,
> democratic and economic demands, before things go out of control.
That explains all about your current bankrupt stance.
>I don't see why the All Amara Peoples
> Organization, which has endured so much hardship within Ethiopia and
> survived, cannot simply cahnge its name reflecting Ethiopiawinet and
> continue to exist legally drawing into it millions of other non-Amara
> Ethiopians who will defend the Amara in increasing numer any time if
> necessary.
How can you see? Amara and non-Amara Ethiopians?
>Even the officials of the Ethioipan Government are now quoting
> in public the once unjustly hated Emperor Menelik I and admit that
> Ethiopian history is longer than 1OO years. I was amazed today to read in
> the internet Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's interview with a French
> journalist, in which the Prime Minister confessed indirectly the fact
> that Ethiopia has existed as a state for 3OOO years.
Your PM will tell you anything to stay in power for the next 100 years. What
is needed is a robot mind and heart form a south korean factory. As for you,
you remain around Los Angeles talking about 3000 years. It was 3000 when
you're born more than fourty years ago. You tell the same year for your
kids, so they say 3000 when they are fourty. When do you learn to add
something, a few years to travel with human beings?
>You may call it
> political maneuvering or whatever you like; but the fact is that he
> admited that Ethiopia has existed that long as a nation.
Leave 3000 years as a nation. Do you think there was a nation when Jesus
Christ was born, nearly 2000 years ago? Nations are very recent imagined
comminuties even in the lands they were invented. The trouble is you are so
shallow in your psycological makeup which hinders robust reasoning.
I, therefore, appeal to all those genuine Ethiopians of Amara descent includ
ing the
> esteemed Professor Asrat Woldeyes, to reconsider this matter seriously
> for the sake of Ethiopian unity based on true equality and mutual
> respect.
For goodness sake? Who are you?
> Speaking of the Amhara people in general, no power can impose on them a
> feeling of ethnicity when their hearts are genuinely Ethiopian. If some
> of them exhibited an inclination towards ethnicism in recent times, it is
> purely a defence mechanism to withstand the hostilities leveled at them
> the past seven years, by applying as their motto the old adage, "eshohen
> mawtat beshoh new" meaning, the only way you can extract a thorn out of
> your body is by using an other thorn. In other words, their seeming
> ethnicism is just a shield which masquerades their essence and great
> identity - Ethiopian nationalism. As my previous researches on the Amara
> which appeared various times on the Ethiopian Review magazine reveal,
> the Amara, because of the key leadership role they played in Ethiopian
> politics, culture and history for the past seven hundred years, and as a
> result of their intermingling genetically, culturally, spiritually and
> linguistically with the Oromo and other Ethiopians, have achieved
> universality and a strong feeling of Ethiopian nationalism.
Your RESEARCH does not seem to include Oromos who feel contrary to what you
conclude?
>Therefore,
> after they have risen above petty and narrow sentiments of ethnicism for
> so long, no circumstance and no individuals can revert them to the
> infantile state they were in seven hundred years ago, even if we assume
> that they were less nationalistic then than they are now.
Aren't you in danger of insulting the sick professor who needs recovery? He
is a person who understood his times but who paid the price for being on a
wrong foot and wrong place. He is not that infantile now that he left your
prison house. And no one chose you to dictate the terms of engagement for
amaras of diredawa lijochi.
> On this ocassion, I call upon all Ethiopians, regardless of their ethnic
> origin,
You sound like Preme Minister of Kindergatenstan or diredawastan.
"Yetim Fichiw Duketun Amchiw",
I see. Doesn't that tell the terrible exploitation of women in Ethiopia?
>I urge the
> Ethiopian Government once again, as I have done not long ago in my Open
> Letter to Prime Minster Meles Zenawi, to release the remaining political
> and conscience prisoners on humanitarian ground or on any ground it deems
> befits, for the sake of unity and national reconciliation. There is
> nothing wrong with conceding something like this for a Government if this
> will pave the way for the welfare of a nation. If we examined the
> current demands of concerned Ethiopians, they are not asking too much.
> For instance, they are not asking for the immediate removal from power of
> the existing Government. They are not appealing for the release of
> criminals either.
You know what you are asking? Criminals? In whose law book, whose
constitution? Dr Asrat was a criminal according to the same regime you
cajole now. All the reshufle in your thinking indicates that you think not.
> Wishing a speedy recovery to Professor Asrat Woldeyes and congratulating
him and all of us,
> Fikre Tolossa
Whom do you refer to 'us', fikareyesus?
Sleep well
Belete Muturo
fel...@aol.com (Feleke) writes:
>I am posting the following essay/article at the request of Dr. Fikre Tolossa.
>Now that Professor Asrat is a free man, it seems that there is a
>confusion about his real identity. Quite a number of people think that
>he is an Amara first and Ethiopian second. Some consider him to be an
>Amara from Shoa; whereas others see him as an Amara from Gonder or
>Gojam. There are those who think he is an Amara from Wadla and D'lanta. A
>few believe he is an Amara from Saynt. Is Professor Asrat an Amara from
>Shoa? This is debatable. Is he an Amara from Gonder? No way! Is he an
two simple questions:
1. What is the significance of the question at this time?
2. Does it really matter if the Professor is an indiginous Amhara from
the areas listed above or from those who were planted in the
non-Amhara regions? In the opinion of the author, which ones are
more respectful to the rights and identities of the non-Amhara groups?
Regards,
Belete Muturo