Dear Professor Tecola,
I have been reading your inputs to the ongoing debate on the state of Ethiopia during the past few years. Your contributions have been
well-informed and eloquent, witnessing of an intellectual agility,
knowledge, and an exceptional academic skill. Some of the research (such
as Menelik) that you have conducted is a highly respectable pioneer work.
Irrespective of my opinion about your ideas, arguments, etc, I have
harbored a lot of respect for your work and your contributions. I
t is therefore impossible for me and many of your readers to make sense
of you website editorial on "The Massacre of Ethiopians by Meles Zenawi".
It is tragic to witness your inability to harness your personal feelings for
MelesZenawi and forward ideas and appeals for a peaceful solution to this
crisis. Or is it that you have sold your soul to the extremist power-mongering
dinosaurs that have been and are terrorizing the Ethiopian people,
as many readers contend? The agenda of the extremist leaders among the opposition is well-known: power
now, power at any cost! This quest for power is understandable given their age and medical
conditions - apr�s nous, la d�luge. It cannot be that you have lost sight of the extremists' agenda for
the Ethiopian people? Does it not bother you when these self-appointed
leaders urge Ethiopians to destroy the very foundations of community life, such as
Idir, Iqob, etc? Idir, Iqob, etc, are unique community building blocs that
transcend ethnic, religious and class affiliations. Does it not bother you
when a political leadership urges citizens to destroy these very
foundations of Ethiopian community life? Does it not bother you when citizens are
urged to refuse requests for fire to neighbors that might be ethnically or
politically affiliated to the EPRDF? When they urge them to target ethnic
businesses? Does it not bother you to condone political leaders that urge
citizens to acts of terrorism against their compatriots? Does it not
bother you when these political leaders urge their supporters to instigate chaos
in the country? Are you not ashamed to call on the international community to
stop aid to Ethiopia? In conclusion, it would be interesting to know why
you are using pluralist majestatis in your demands.
Dr. Besrat Tesfaye, Associate Professor
Professor
Tecola, your self congratulatory responds �comments from
Ethiopian� is not going to cut it. You got to come out and
tell it as it is, no one is immune from criticism but the Woyane
sympathizers have an allergy from telling it as it is, Woyane is
the most dangerous link to the survival of Ethiopia. And
surprisingly every body is jumping on the wagon to say it now
than since Woyane�s inception. As a person who claim to have a
wealth of knowledge, you yourself was the adviser of Woyane
until you abandoned it for what ever reasons you have, but yet
failed to explain why you join it in the first place knowing
full well its anti Ethiopian stands and not to mention its
official racist policy. Now Woyane institutionalize racism and
we are seeing the result of it, here we are listening from the
same people who cheered Woyane when it did the most damage and
now complaining when the result came to unfavorable course of
events.
I
guess the biggest problem Ethiopia have is the self-proclaimed
intellectuals who cannot be true to their knowledge but
pandering for one tyrant or another. And you, like many is
guilty of that crime. I say that with deep sorrow, in that,
those we suppose to look for guidance are reduced below the
tyrants we fear and hate the most, a tragedy indeed.
Again
stop pandering for racist among us and focus on the democratic
process itself. Election is held and a grave fraud was
committed. What you learned men should have said in one word was
the vote must be respected and since there is dispute reelection
may be held, period.
But
what we are hearing from many Sympathizer of Woyane is to focus
on the personality of the opposition and divert us to our
fundamental right to be ruled by a representative government
elected. The self proclaimed �minority� government (I say
minority because Woayne choice to be an ethnic party) who rule
us now can not be legitimate by any stretch of imagination I do
not care how much spin they put out to continue to rule
It
is about time to recognize and come to reality that the people
voice is heard and it is not in Woaynes favor, the sooner the
Woyane sympathizers understand the better we all be. No bashing
the opposition would make any different from the vocal cadres of
the present government or those who simply play the ethnic card
to keep Woyane going for long.
Stand
up and be counted, regardless of what you did in the past.
One
of the many concerned Ethiopians
Dear Professor,
As
I said in my previous comments sent to you " I belong to no
organization, but only to your patriotism (Love for United
Ethiopia)! As your student I read very carefully your articles,
the recent being "Politicus Ethiopicus" I love it. I
don't know why some people commented it in another way. I don't
see any wrong in that article. I can tell you that myself I have
experienced the hate against Tigreans here in N. America from my
own friends of over 15 years, and except my name I don't regard
myself any other Ethnic group including Tigrean. I regard myself
simple Ethiopian, period. No hyphen attached. I never told anyone
except my wife. Very saddened and disappointed I was, because this
people who behaved the way they behaved were more or less they
have been in school and lived in exile for almost 20years.
Certainly there is a clear danger and ethnic poison spreading
around, but please let us don't exaggerated it by posting such
claims. Especially, people like you shouldn't lend too much ear
for such absurdity. I always said to my friends: as long as my
country is protected I don't care being called whatever name they
want to call me. They aren't the once who will determine who is
Pure Ethiopian and not so. I was borne there as they are, so it is
useless to say/or to answer for this kind of stupidity.
Most
peoples' anger is towards Meles. Because of the ethnic poison sawn
by himself and followed by others is fuelling the anger towards
Tigreans as well. Simply Meles also speaks Tigrgna. Therefore,
guilty by association thanks for this Traitor! Please, don't post
articles such as "Response from Addis Ababa". Simply
there are too many errors in that claim. If it was ex-soldiers in
the demonstration, then why we see only children ages under
30years old? These aren't ex-soldiers, they are too young to be
ex-soldiers and if they aren't why Meles killed them? We are going
on a slippery slope we should stop. I love all Ethiopians and I am
planning to learn/improve Tigrgna, if I can Oromigna and more.
I'm
waiting for your next article to read/learn. The follow up to
"Politicus Ethiopicus".
Selam
ena Tena le'ersewo. Peace for Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
Ke'akbrot
gar.
Tadesse
Kahsay
Dear
Prof. Tecola
I
am one of your admirers; I like your arguments in most of your
article that appeared in Dekialula in the past and now in your own
website. They are mostly supported by concrete evidence that
almost no one is not able to refute or challenge the facts
presented. The article that most impressed me is the one recently
appeared in four parts about Emperor Yohannes, Minilik and the
Mehalsefaris. It reminded me of the heated debate that we used to
make during our history 101 class at 4/6 kilo university in the
late 80�s. The freshmen students from Tigray and Eritrea,
including myself were defending Yohannes IV his reign in general
and his role in the Napier expedition, while our classmates,
mainly Amharas from Shewa were glorifying Menilik but condemning
Yohannes VI as a traitor. For good or better, your article has
made a profound change on my understanding of history of that era.
Now
I would like to comment the following. I know you are not an
admirer of PM Meles Zenawi, understandably so. But I found it
strange in one of your article when you praise and defend Dr.
Getachew Haile, who is pouring malicious slur against the people
of Tigray, like the infamous Prof. Tilahun Yilma, as a �great
Ethiopian�. If a �great� person like him cannot transcends
ethnicity and tribalism, then I am not surprised by the way the
Tigrigna speakers are insulted, despised and shunned at every
place in Addis by the ordinary hooligan supporters of CUD. But
note the hooligans are merely executing an order from CUD
strategists. And Prof. Getachew Haile could be one of them. I have
a high regard for the patience so far exhibited by the Tigrean at
this trying moment. Of course patience has a limit and by the same
token I will not be surprised when they will be forced to embrace Meles
despite their misgiving.
I
expect seasoned intellectuals like you to say �spade is spade�
and �garbage is garbage� when it is really garbage.
With
best regards,
Monaliza
D. Tesfahiwet
From:
xxxxxxxxx
To:
[email protected]
Sent:
Friday, November 04, 2005 11:41 AM
Subject:
selam
Dear
Prof. Tecola,
I
read your statement about the massacre. I agree that Ethiopians
had enough killings in the past. You may not like it, but to
tell you the truth, the opposition is fully responsible for all
the lives and property destroyed in the past few days. I am an
eyewitness, and I have fully observed the political game.
The
entire propaganda of the CUD-chauvinist group has been and is hate
on Tigrean ethnic group. If you ask any young boy/girl in the
streets of Addis Ababa will tell you that they are protesting
against Woyane-Tigre. If you ask grownups, the reason of the
protest all they say is �Tigre.� Please check some websites
and you will see what they declare. A lecturer in Addis Ababa
University told the Reuters that the police killing people in the
street are not Ethiopians, they are Tigreans and people can
not communicate in Amharic with them. Poison !
The
declaration by the CUD Chairman [Hailu Shawel] one month ago to a
gathering in Washington DC, was telling them that 10,000 to 15,000
casualties would be needed to overthrow the government. Here is
the problem Professor. There are many armed among the protestors
usually former soldiers organized by the CUD.
What
do you think the police is supposed to do? There are millions of
people who want peace in the city. I am not trying to justify the
death, but I am confused to answer the complaint.
The
declaration of boycott and alienating suspected supporters is
clearly to target the Tigreans. Is these all because of Meles
Zenawi? I do not think so, Professor. The reason is because these
people could not accept the reality of the country. They still
want to come back to power as the only solution to the country and
form a unitary state. The defeat in 1991 has left them with a
wound that could not cure. They do not want to hear words such as
nations and nationalities, Afar, Gambela, Kembata, Hamer, Oromo,
Tigre etc. Only Amara�Amara, as a savior of �Emama�
Ethiopia. That is the way they preached in the Amara areas of the
country before the election.
I
could tell you a lot, but it is a headache, Professor. I shall
stop here for today.
With
respect,
Paulos
Fasil
