By Yilma Bekele
It is the right season to demand justice. It is the right time to demand respect for human rights and the rule of law. After the long drought of hopelessness and apathy, we are ready to flex our muscle and deliver a powerful punch. Why the optimism you might ask?
It is a good question. The answer is both simple and straightforward. Both internal and external conditions are favorable to us. Internally the economic hardship is taking a toll. Inflation is still in double digits, devaluation is rendering the birr (Ethiopia’s currency) a useless currency and remittances that have been propping up the dying system have dried up. The illegal regime is forced into picking pockets of returnees to supplement its meager foreign currency reserves.
Externally the defeat of the republican administration in the US has dealt a heavy blow to ‘terrorist’ traders like the TPLF regime. The advent of Mr. Obama has become a game changer event. Democracy is in dictatorship is out, real verifiable election is in sham election is out in short reality is in vogue while fantasy and make believe is nothing but a pipe dream.
There is a Russian saying ‘A fish rots from the head’. It is Ethiopia in a nutshell. Any organization is a reflection of its leader. The TPLF type of leadership has run its course. It functioned when there was plenty to go around. The thieves did not have the time to fight over the loot. It worked when terror was deployed as a tool to intimidate and silence. Well there is no more to steal. The till is empty. Agazi militia, Federal Police or Kebele tugs have lost their aura of invincibility. Remember the last years of the Derg when the accusers walked with their head down in shame? It is déjà vu time again. It is the law of physics, what goes up must come down. It is independent of our will.
What happened in Adama last week was a reflection of a dying system. The last gasps of a disease ridden rotten fish flailing one last time. The eighteen years old society built on the concept of equality of nationalities was laid bare. Like we suspected Woyane was not building the future Ethiopian nation but rather a bunch of weak Bantustans ruled by mobs and zombies. This is the new improved Ethiopia, you stay on your side and I stay on my side. We thought Woyane wants to control what we say but now we also know they want to control in what language not to say it. Woyane never ceases to amaze. So in Adama you only speak Oromyea, in Tigrai conversation is allowed only in Tigregna, Amharic only in Gondar, Wolaita in Sodo and so forth. Can you watch Amharic News on TV in Sidamo? Can you think in Guragegna in Mekele? Where does all this madness stop?
Some body got to say it stops right here and right now! A lot have started to say enough is enough. But it takes time. Especially with us Ethiopians, time is a very fluid commodity. We are lackadaisical when it comes to time. Our philosophy could be summed up as ‘why do it today when it could be done tomorrow’. Some say it is good old responsibility avoidance. We also have a tendency to dump it on a higher power to shift blame. It is a good escape mechanism. It has not served us well. Indifference in the face of injustice is not a winning strategy.
No matter people are making noise. As our good brother Malcolm X said we are slowly but surely resolving to attain our dignity ‘by any means necessary’. It is about time all those that abhor injustice stand up and be counted. We in the Diaspora are the lucky ones that can say no. We speak because those at home are muzzled. For the vast majority life has become intolerable. Eating once a day has become a luxury. It is always surprising to hear our visitors talk upon their return from a trip back home. It is clear we see what we want to see. But on the other hand isn’t it true a hunger even by one is one too many hunger? How about by fourteen million? Does changing the description to malnutrition relive us of the responsibility?
Our people back home are fighting the injustice in many different ways. Silence, non-cooperation, sabotage, and exodus are some of the methods. None of them are healthy for a human being. It is not easy. Fighting a state organized for coercion is a formidable task. The Soviet Union lasted sixty-nine years. Eastern Europeans suffered for over forty years while the North Koreans are celebrating fifty-six years of misery.
We are on our thirty fifth year. Thirty-five years of destruction of the body and the spirit. Every household in Ethiopia has been negatively affected. No one escaped from this calamity. It is a miracle we survived intact. The Derg and the TPLF regime have done incalculable damage to our country. The TPLF regime is in league with the likes of Stalin, Pol Pot, Erich Honecker and Nicolae Ceauşescu. The hallmarks of a dictatorship include dividing people on tribal basis and encouraging difference, setting up a very lethal security apparatus that uses terror to create fear, pitting one group against another, state sponsored extortion and blackmail and hit squads that kill in broad day light. The TPLF regime in Ethiopia displays all these characteristics.
All the above dictators were forced out. Not one of them walked away peacefully. They all have an inglorious end. That is the way of dictatorship. It has to be nudged away.
That is the reason for the Washington DC march on Sunday, September 13. It is to nudge the Ethiopian dictator. It is a show of force. It is to remind President Obama the invaluable help he got from the Ethiopian community. We are pleased by the new emphasis on democracy, free elections and respect for basic human rights. We are hopeful the US will not turn a blind eye to the abuse of our people. We don’t expect the US, Western Europe or anyone else to do our battle. What we want them to do is stop enabling the minority government by granting aid, easy loans from IMF and World Bank and any kind of military assistance. We will do the rest.
The Washington DC march on September 13 is one aspect of our resistance to dictatorship. Attending the march is a civic responsibility. It is transforming word into action. It is showing love for ones country in a concrete way. Dress green yellow and red and carry green yellow and red. Turn Washington DC into a sea of green, yellow and red. Show the dictator that we will never ever submit to terror.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])
33 thoughts on “The summer of our discontent”
Dear Elias,
if you publish the following Opinion, it would help the discussion here constructively!
A New Ethiopia with Afaan Oromo as the National Language
It is clear that only Amhara elites and few Amharanized elites from other nations are against “ethnic” federalism and self-determination of nations. Genuine “ethnic” federalism is the compromise solution for all nations in the region to live together – achieving both national independence and regional integration. The position of Amhara elites regarding the federalism and self-determination made them to be not suitable to cooperate with the elites of other nations against TPLF regime. Amhara elites do prefer unconditional Ethiopian unity rather than self-determination as a precondition for the possible alliance to be forged between Amhara democratic forces and Oromo freedom fighters. Oromos tend to accept this precondition, only if Amhara elites also accept Oromos’ precondition aka making Afaan Oromo the only working language of the federation instead of Amharinya. In a common house aka “NEW Ethiopia” they suggest to build, the working language must be only Afaan Oromo. Will they then stay to be pro Ethiopian unity and anti ethnicity, even if Amharinya will be demoted to only local language of Amhara region and if Afaan Oromo will be promoted to be the only working language of the Ethiopian federation? I am sure they will not! In case they will stay further to be pro-Ethiopianity and pro-unity as they seem to believe now, let’s then try this NEW version of Ethiopianity with Afaan Oromo instead of with Amharinya.
After reading about and observing the imposition of Amharinya at the cost of Afaan Oromo in the past one century, I just couldn’t help, but think about the main mistake Ob Minilik Caala (Aste Minilik, ”our colonizer”), Ob Qusee Dinagde, Ob. Gobena Daacee and so on did. The main mistake they did was making Amharinya the national language of the empire they did build. Being Oromos, if they could have managed to make Afaan Oromo the national language of Ethiopian empire, now we Oromos were not the ones to fight for self-determination. The whole Finfinne and other “modern” peoples in the empire would have spoken Afaan Oromo, the whole diaspora Ethiopians now would have spoken Afaan Oromo, even all would have claimed to be Ethiopian which is equivalent to be Oromo, not Amhara as it is now.
At present, for Amhara elites to come to their senses and comprehend why we did say so, let’s look at the following fact in short. Almost 99.9% Amharas nowadays think they are pro-Ethiopianity and anti-“ethnicity” and with that they do think that they do have moral upper-hand. For them to develop another view, let’s demote Amharinya to the local language of only Amhara region and promote Afaan Oromo to the federal language. Till now, just based on the fact that Amharinya being the federal language, they used to cry about Ethiopianity, which in essence means actually Amharanet for they know how Amharanization is still going on. When we change the role of the two languages, I am sure Oromos will start to sing about Ethiopianity, which will be equivalent to Oromummaa and, of course, they will denounce “ethnicity”. Then, Amharas will start to defend themselves from Oromonization and will denounce Ethiopianity with only Afaan Oromo as the federal language and they will be automatically pro-“ethnicity”. So, we can see how simple it is to be a moralist without understanding the mechanism behind all what we do believe.
Oromos just asked Amhara elites to accept Afaan Oromo as the only federal language to neutralize their attempt of maintaining and talking about Ethiopian unity with Amharinya as the only working language of the federation and, of course, with that making Amharanization process as something normal to be accepted and lived by all nations in the region. Few Amhara elites demand that the public decide on which language to be the federal working language of the federation/union. But to ask the public to decide on the type of language to be used as the federal language, we first need to ask the public what type of sovereignty they want to build: “YES to Union” or “NO to Union!” Why doesn’t the democracy of Amhara elites include this? Some of these elites accuse Oromos to have grudge against Minilik. The resentment of Oromos against Minilik is fact, but not only that, unfortunately almost all Amhara elites now want to perpetuate the same policy of Minilik with a pretext of Ethiopian unity. Furthermore, some Amhara elites cry foul about a possible Oromo hegemony just for the fact that Oromos are demanding Afaan Oromo be the federal language. Oromo elites, who make such a demand, are not actually promoters of Oromo hegemony. But just to show Amhara elites how the reverse of the effort to dominate Oromos further can be painful to them, Oromo elites say: “if Amhara elites want Ethiopian unity (one common house), then they should see also what it looks like to be under Oromo domination replacing their own domination”. In general, why do Amhara elites talk and preach democracy, whereas they do exclude the right of the public to decide on its destiny per referendum aka self-determination? If they must think democratically as they usually claim to do, then they need to think that there is no half-baked democracy!
Oromo elites do argue that the main conflict factor in the region is the language factor! If Amhara elites disagree with this premise, then let’s try it practically: let’s demote Amharinya to only Amhara region and promote Afaan Oromo to the language of the federation! Surely Oromos will then accept the unconditional unity, which Amhara elites do demand and they will denounce “ethnicity” as well even can reject the right of nations to self-determination! Hopefully, Amhara elites will be ready to influence all their relatives to learn Afaan Oromo without any objection. Then, Oromos would be very happy if Amharas prefer not to fight for self-determination, but only struggle for democracy, unity, justice, equality, peace and prosperity.
Looking back to the history and trying to judge the status quo, all elites of each nation do have their own interpretation. Preferable is to look into the future and ask the question: what options regarding a solution for the language conflict do we have if we want to live together?
– Union of independent nations based on self-determination, all nations having their own languages in their respective national areas and using English as international communication language
– Unity in a federated Ethiopia with Afaan Oromo as the only federal language
– Unity with English as the only federal language
– Unity with Afaan Oromo and Amharinya as federal languages and
– Unity with Amharinya as the only federal language (the status quo which should be changed by any means as far as Oromos are concerned)
The pro-democracy Amhara elites seem to prefer the fourth option. They also started to see that the fifth option is the failed project. Oromo elites do suggest the first option as the best solution. But, if Amhara elites reject self-determination of nations and persist to have unconditional Ethiopian unity, then let them test the second option so that they can understand what it means to be called “Ethiopian” in such a condition, which means in reality Oromian, in contrast to the status quo where Ethiopian means Amharian! If Amhara elites reject the second option, it is then expected from them as educated gentle people to have an empathy for Oromo elites, who are rejecting the fifth option, instead of vilifying such Oromo elites as “exclusionists” as they usually seem to say. Why should Oromo elites be exclusionists for the sake of demanding this role exchange of the two languages, whereas Amhara elites have been seen as inclusive while just propagating the exclusive fifth option? To avoid such language conflict, then of course, it is also possible to opt for the third option, which is the most pragmatic choice in the already globalized world.
It is natural to ask, why did TPLF prefer and promote Amharinya at the cost of Afaan Oromo in the last 18 years. The answer is clear: TPLF wants that the conflict between the two BIG nations continue, so that it can rule further easily. Just because of the language privilege they had, Amharas are still seen as oppressive by almost all oppressed nations in the empire including Oromos, even though Amharas, nowadays, are as oppressed and exploited as other nations by Meles’ regime. TPLF could have solved this language conflict between Amharinya and Afaan Oromo by making either both of them the working language of the federation or by limiting both of them to their respective states and making only English the working language of the federation.
When we choose certain language as a common communication between different autonomous/independent nations, we need to consider its economical expediency and its international usage. Till now nations in the Ethiopian empire were obliged to learn Amharinya as the national language, because of the domination by Abyssinians (even including Tigreans who accepted Amharinya as the only federal language), who do endorse this language. It is clear why they do it, that is simply because of the political and economical advantage they do get. Here is one example to be taken in to consideration. Amharas usually cry for unconditional Ethiopian unity just for the reason that they know what an advantage they do have as far as Amharinya is the working language of the empire. Accordingly, they do oppose genuine “ethnic” federation just for it undermines their language domination.
The question to be asked by other nations now is: can the pro-democracy Amhara forces choose to settle for the alternative of using the language of all nations at their respective national areas or should Amharas be compelled to accept such a fact of allowing nations to use their respective languages as an alternative to Amhara elites’ refusal of recognizing a union based on self-determination? I know Weyanes will accept even an alternative of separation of nations to build their own independent states as soon as they sense that they may lose power in Finfinne palace.
To compel Amhara forces to accept a union based on the national self-determination, we just have to demote Amharinya to be used only in Amhara region and promote Afaan Oromo to be the federal language. Then, they will see that Ethiopianity will not be equivalent to Amharanet (as it is now), but it will be the same to Oromummaa. In such a scenario of Oromummaa being equivalent to Ethiopianity, Oromo freedom fighters will definitely start to be pro-Ethiopianity against “ethnicity” and then Amharas will begin to defend their identity by opting for self-determination of Amhara people, so that they support “ethnicity” and reject Ethiopianity aka Oromummaa. This way, Amhara elites can comprehend what it means to struggle for national independence with or without regional union.
The current attempt of Amhara elites to make both Afaan Oromo and Amharinya the national languages of Ethiopia, which they want to build in the future, is disadvantages for other smaller nations in the empire. Amhara elites opted to this alternative just to make Amharinya again be the language of all regions including Oromia, the option they don’t have now. As far as Oromos are concerned, Afaan Oromo being the federal working language is not bad, so long Amharinya will not be imposed on Oromia, but Amharinya should be the working language of only Amhara region and, of course, that of the federation besides Afaan Oromo.
For other nations in the empire, this may mean to learn four languages instead of the present only three. But I do argue that these nations need to learn only two languages: their own mother tongue and an international language aka English. Why should their children be obliged to learn Afaan Oromo and Amharinya and be stressed with additional useless languages, whereas Amhara children learn only Amharinya and English, so that being free from such stress. So my suggestion is that all children from all nations in the empire should have the privilege given to Amhara children: learn only their respective national language and an international language.
If Amhara elites come to their sense and learn to accept the common ground for all nations aka genuine “ethnic” federalism, it would have been very easy to forge an effective alliance of Amhara democratic forces and Oromo freedom fighters against the dictatorial TPLF regime. Just to clear the confusion produced by hitherto articles on similar topics, other names used for genuine “ethnic” federalism are: language-based federalism, internal self-determination, national independence with regional union, self rule with shared rule, national self determination with multi-national democracy, unity with liberty, union of independent nations, United States of Ethiopia, autonomous nations in federated Ethiopia, national independence in an integrated region (e.g independent Oromia in an integrated Ethiopia)… etc. In short, the best instrument to compel Amhara elites so that they accept and respect the compromise solution aka genuine “ethnic” federalism and to make them recognize the right of nations to self-determination is to demote Amharinya to be the local language and promote Afaan Oromo to be the federal language!
Yes, we need to make it a historic day.
Kebe
Nice article except the saying”a fish rot from the head” might be russian. But we have our own saying “Ye assa gimatu kechinqilatu” . It is always better to quote our own widom fathers first.
Thanks
we gud
Response to Mr. Fayyis:
I read your article about “preconditions” for Oromos’ will to form a united Ethiopia for all of us. One demand of the preconditions is the demand that Oromogna language be a national language. I can infer two or more flows on this respect including the properness of demanding ONLY Amharas and those associated with Amharas be it in culture or otherwise. First, it is not proper to ask a certain (or one) ethnic group to answer such question because it such identified social group is not the ultimate decision maker but the federated parties, so to speak. Here, in the face it look like right that the demand is correct to make the majority’ (Oromos’)language a national working language in the business of government. However, the Oromo language despite its widly usage by the majority, has not nor will be used in government business because it has not developed in many other area of business. Schools, churchs, etc to mention the few.
Secondly, it makes Oromos’ 40 years struggle a bunkrupted cause because the Oromo people WAS NOT, AS IT IS TO THIS VERY DAY, on ground of language but lack of democracy, freedom and equality and justice under the law.
In the last paragraph of your comment, Mr. Fayyis had also “cited” other alternatives and theories that some scholars had entertained, which in the final analysis, none would work. Rather, it must be realized that Oromos, as a majority of the Ethiopian population should abandon clumsy execuses and join Amharas without so called “precondition”, and join their brothers as SUSENYOS made history after the battle between Amhara and Oromos.
Dear Obo Fayyis,
What a rubbish is your piece!
Dear Obo Fayyis,
What a rubbish is your piece!
I’m worn out of hearing such monotonous discussion about promoting one pagan language and trying to demote a national language, the language of the most civilized and cultured people.
The Amhara language is a national language whether you like it or you reject it, and it has been that way for centuries. Why do we need federation, and why do we need self determination? We are one country, one Ethiopia, with one common language – Amharic – and one international language – English. Every region has the right to teach its child its own native language if it prefers to. It does not make any sense to make another obscure language to be the national language while there has been already one.
The writer of the article has a hidden agenda to further divide Ethiopia by pitting Orominga against Amharic, and by declaring that backward language, Orominga, as the only federal language. No one listens to such meaningless dialogue; if the writer of the article wants to render the country like Nigeria (Muslims vs. Christians), he will get it.
What Ethiopians need at this time is bread, not language; they already have one, and they can communicate effectively with this one language with one another. If they want to communicate with foreigners, they have the English language; why the author of the article has to beg the Amhara people to demote their Amharic language to the Amhara region only? What is the convincing logic behind unless it is to destroy the Amhara people, which is impossible? To destroy the status of the Amhara language is to destroy the history of the Amhara people, the people of Ethiopia.
Orominga stays where it belongs to, not upward and not downward, but Amharic is every Ethiopian household language that unites all the Ethiopian people. Therefore, let us say no for federalism and no for self-determination; of course, let us say yes for a united Ethiopia for ever and ever.
Ayele,
well you can dream that Oromos give up their vision and join Amharas. The reality on the ground speaks otherwise.
Obo,
surely you have enjoyed the rubbish, be it negatively or positively.
Assta,
we know each other. You remember how I exposed you during our last discussion. Just as an information for the uninformed, you are Weyane cadre being camouflaged as Amhara and attacking every thing Oromo. You can fool others, but not me!!!
Fayyis,
I think the most interesting phrase in your article is the following:
“It is natural to ask, why did TPLF prefer and promote Amharinya at the cost of Afaan Oromo in the last 18 years. The answer is clear: TPLF wants that the conflict between the two BIG nations continue, so that it can rule further easily. Just because of the language privilege they had, Amharas are still seen as oppressive by almost all oppressed nations in the empire including Oromos, even though Amharas, nowadays, are as oppressed and exploited as other nations by Meles’ regime. TPLF could have solved this language conflict between Amharinya and Afaan Oromo by making either both of them the working language of the federation or by limiting both of them to their respective states and making only English the working language of the federation.”
I always thought Weyane is a friend of Amharinya, but your assertion reveals that Weyane’s manipulation is endless and it just instrumentalized Amharinya for its own advantage!!
A Respone to Nos. 5, 6 and 7.
Dear Fellow Ethiopians,
What benefit do you get by throwing bad words on our Oromo brother? If you have point to disagree with, put your reason so that we can learn each other. If Oromos are not angry from such repherensable instances, who else can?
My message to Mr. Fayiss, is therefore, to remind him that all commentators MAY NOT BE Amhars but those who want Amharas and Oromos to keep apart so that their government will rule indefinately.
Fayyis my brother you are a very back warded and you have inferiority complex. You should be proud to have Amharic accepted in the USA hospitals,courts and in the city government.languages from all over the world like Chinas,Arabic,Corean and so on, Amharic is one of them. Amharic is a rich language and the only language that have its own alphabet in Africa. Lets make an effort to make Amharic the African language!!!
Ayele,
thanks! I know that the rabid dogs try every thing under the sky to sow a discord between Amharas and Oromos to devide and rule further.
Senait,
well the back ward Fayyis has tought you at least to look at how one’s own language is imporant. That is why you brag about use of Amharinya all over in US and even you want to make it African language. The only question to be answered is: are you smart Weyane instrumentalizing Amharinya to denigerate Oromos or are you “stupid” Amhara who fall in to the trap of Weyane to attack Oromos!!
Dear Elias Kifle,
I started having a sneaking suspicion on Elias “the Moderator” motives when he throws obo fayisa’s article in the middle of a call for all Ethiopians to show resistance to the tyrant at home on Sept. 13. But in another incidences he was “smart enough not to publish” related topics especially when he is not happy with what is written.
Unless Elias has a deceitful mission of disrupting this call, why does he inject language claim article and completely change the subject 180 degree. When articles of any sort are written, comments are some how related to the article that was presented.
If Obo fayisa needs this article to be discussed and assimilated he would have wrote it as a main discussion form and then the public could forward its saying.
I think Elias as a moderator have not done his part to publish and entertain any article as it comes in any form in disarrayed pattern and let the public fires indiscriminately and disorderly manner.
To Assta Getu,
As usual your ignorance clouds your poor judgment when you say Amharinya is a language spoken in Ethiopian in every household. Your every house hold theory is incoorect. You better know your subject or read a little bit before you start jump on writing. Although I am not from oromo tribe what I know is different from what you say. Oromigna language is spoken widely in Ethiopia when it is compared to Amaharigna.
Fayyis,
I thought my previous comment on the same subject had badly wounded you and sent you to a mental hospital. It seems you are now recuperated and getting out to the battle field you have created to fight the Amharas, to kill the Amharic language, their identity and their badge of honor, and to promote your unrefined, unrecognized, and primitive language as the federal language. And you are still begging the Amharas to join you to achieve your own political goal – to secede from a united country, Ethiopia, and to promote a religious war between the Christian Amharas and the Oromo Muslims.
You must understand that the Amharic language is the language of commerce, trade, education, religion, and an effective means of communication ever created in the history of the African states.
Your propaganda to free yourself from your long history of inferiority complex is recommendable but not on the expense of the Amhara people. Don’t ever drag these peaceful, descent, and religious people – the Amhara nation – into your bloody and messy self-determination or secession.
Stay in the jungle, with your inchoate Orominga, where you belong if you are tired of working with, and learning from, the most civilized Ethiopian people – the Amharas.
Think about these facts for a moment: Who taught you to wear clothes? Who taught you which food to eat? Who taught you how to write? Who taught you how to use the calendar of the year? Who taught you whom to worship? It is the generous, productive, influential, and religious people, the Amharas whom you demonize as your oppressors and try to demote their eternal language – the Amharic language.
You, as blather and as an officious person, go and post your incorrigible comment in every web site and try to browbeat the humble and innocent Amharas into admitting your unsavory propaganda. No one in his/her right mind will ever meet your prolix political demands.
i am really disappointed as to way ER did not post my comment.i am Ethiopian my comments where within reason no bad mousing no desrespect i love my Country more than u can imagine.i am rely disappointed at ER.
Kebede Ergete,
Your ethnicity, Oromo or Gurage, no one asked you; the issue here is that the Amharic language is the only official language in Ethiopia, which means every household in Ethiopia is encouraged to learn it, but no one is required to learn Orominga, the language of a backward people like you and your likes, and there is no reason to promote such a language to a federal status. If you don’t speak Amharic, you are a lost creature and not an Ethiopian who is still in darkness, in his mother’s womb. I have visited almost all of the Ethiopian provinces, and I have never found any person, young or old, who does not speak Amharic. On the other hand, no one speaks Orominga in the Tigray, Gondar, Gojam provinces and in some other small regins, like Merrihabetie, Menth, Tegulet, and many other areas. There are few Oromos in Gojam province, and those Oromos speak perfect Amharic. The Ethiopian people are not going back to the Stone Age to learn the etymology of the Oromo language; they have one of the richest and the best languages of the world – the Amharic language. To speak Orominga is a sign of backwardness, but to speak Amharic is a mark of great progress and remarkable civilization.
instead of ignoring ethnicity ,it is better to face and foster dialogue and reconcilation between different ethnic would allow Ethiopia to address larger issues.Ethiopia is a nation of different ethnic people.it is an ilusion to say that it is one homogeneous people.for some rising ethnicity is a burning issue.we should be brave and face head on ethnicity rather than retreat.we should embrace their culture, language and their value rather than treat as if it doesn’t exist. some they want to make illegal to define oneself as either oromo or amhara.
language is an important part of one culture.denying someone to communicate with their language is one of the strongest forms of discrimination and means of oppression and exclusion.if people does not communicate with their mother tongue,it is as if they are living in a foreign land or being governed by foreign power.instead of excluding ,we should be inclusive.instead of name calling like backward language,we should acknowledge their diversity. take for example south Africa they have no fewer than eleven official language recognize by constitution. to encourage better communication among ethnic,every child should study in her own language.also they should learn not only international language but also one of the other ethnic language.in this way each citizen would know their own culture more deeply and also able to communicate effectively with fellow citizens elsewhere in their country .this could create greater cohesion.this could help reduce the ethnic tension.
Aite Assta,
I am happy to make you expose all what you want from the heart! No body with sound mind takes you as Amhara. You are too fool to make your camouflaging good! Go on and fart, we need to read more from your Weyane mind! Go on!!
Assta B getu
to: Ass ta B Gettu,
Your explosive and immature comments are incited hatred in every aspect.
I have read your rude and coercive article the other day about the religion of Islam, and now about Amharic language bigotry. Your intolerance is coming from fanatic extreme view. You better learn to live with yourself in peace so you can live with others. Your problem of narrow mindedness and chauvinistic approach will only lead to hatred and ultimately war which I do think that you and the likes of you are dreaming day and night.
Fayys (Fes),
I understand you are going back to the mental hospital for your infectious disease – fart – and I hope you will recover from such recurrent disease of yours – the language problem.
Believe me; you will never get any Amhara convert to your divisive self-determination and secession. You better stay united with the mighty Amhara people and teach your children the Amharic language so that they could get a high paying job when they grow up, other wise they will be a heavy burden to the Amhara people as you have been.
Assta B Gettu,
You seem a very rude and distracted person who does not know to respect others. Since you lost your esteem by disrespecting others, let me say this. You are a very sick person who lacks a moral judgment to write such ridiculous bigotry like this one.
“If you don’t speak Amharic, you are a lost creature and not an Ethiopian who is still in darkness, in his mother’s womb.” Shame on you! You do not seem to me an Ethiopian and if you claim that you are, it is a disgrace and deep humiliation for all Ethiopians Oromo, Gurage , Tigre, Anuak, wolayta and all of Ethiopian tribes with a different language. I am ashamed of you and very dishonored to see the likes of you to spew such hate propaganda to a fellow Ethiopians. You are so sick inside and throw up your venom to this media. Do you feel comfortable to say to speak orominga is a sign of backwardness?
Are you insane? Why don’t you preach this theory of yours to the rest of the world so they can speak your language? Why don’t you declare it to the world that Amharic is a mark of great progress and remarkable civilization so they can learn to speak what you use as a language?
It is a shame and as my country men wishes when they see one like you WUHA HONEH BEKEREH/ KE ENGIDE LIJ GAR BETEKEBERK is the thing that you deserve.
Your are a pathetic liar when you say “. I have visited almost all of the Ethiopian provinces, and I have never found any person, young or old, who does not speak Amharic.” You are a total disgrace. I want you to pray and love and respect yourself be in peace with your self so you will not hate everybody around you and shoot indiscriminately at one time to the respected Islam religion and now to a language and a fellow Ethiopians. You need to learn how to respect others so you can live peacefully. If you hate everybody around you and not giving a reason a chance to reveal then and there you might need to do something about your mental sickness that is seen vividly in every ugly gushing comment you throw up .
Adro Tija,
don’t take this Weyane cadre seriously! He is doing this purposely just to provoke me and other Oromos, so that we do write a lot against Amhara and Amharinya. I know I did give him (the rabid dog) a chance by writing the article above. The rabid dogs are like flies, they just jump on every thing they think is dirty (topic of conflict between Amharas and Oromos) to sow their discord. But no Amhara or Oromo with sound mind falls in to their trap. I am happy for making this cadre to come so low to fart, shit and vomit what ever is in his belly. Let him continue!!!
Stop fighting each other and come together under AFD, the anti-dote of Weyane. Enjoy it here:
Reviving AFD (Alliance for Freedom and Democracy)!
To get rid of the TPLF regime, there is no other way as an alternate to the reorganization of AFD! Now it seems there is a hint to do it. As I heared from an interview given by Ob Daud Ibsa in VOA Afaan Oromo programme, certain liberation fronts are working together as an alliance: OLF, ONLF, SLF, BPLM and GPLM. It is a good restart. Such an alliance is the only way forward. MEDREK aka Forum for Democratic Dialog in Ethiopia, FDDE, at home and TIBIBIR aka AFD in diaspora including the cooperation as well coordination of these two alliances is the best method to get rid of the dictatorial regime!!
Read more:
http://www.ethioplanet.com/medrek
Adro Tija,
As your screen name suggests you are less than Adro Tija; you are the son/daughter of a gummer, a drifter with a simulacrum in your wicked heart and twisted mouth. A flatulent person like you can rave all days and all nights since he is simply a harebrained fool or a strutting rooster. I know answering to your risqué comment renders me indeed a fool as Salomon says: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him.” (Proverb 26:4) It is okay, Solomon, and let me be a fool for a moment and act like this deranged person – Adro Tija.
Whether I praise or condemn, insult or bless any person should not be your farcical concern; the person who is hurt by my comment may have a keen and a better mentality than your retarded one. If you continue muddling in someone’ business, then you will get what you want; your lamp will be snuffed out before you know it; your eyes will be flooded with tears, and your untrained tongue will bring you untold damages unless you put bits into your big mouth.
I know you are burning inside because I am demoting the Oromo language and promoting the Amharic language. Yes, the Amharic language should be respected because that is the only refined language accessible to all Ethiopians. Most of our history books are written in Amharic language, and very soon it will be the language of all Africans. When it becomes the language of all Africans, you can then twist your nose hard until it produces blood because you are a very jealous person about the high status of the Amharic language.
If you are an Oromo and wants to secede from the mother land, Ethiopia, you have the right to do so, but you must be accountable for the consequences that comes with it, and don’t dream Addis Ababa will be your future capital city.
If you are advocating Islam, go to Saudi Arabia and worship your Muhammad there, not in Ethiopia, the land of Christianity. In Ethiopia we worship Jesus Christ as our savior and our God; we don’t need Jihadists and terrorists with their Sharia law in our Christian land.
Your cheap persiflage you learned from, perhaps, your destitute mother doesn’t hurt me because I’m an unflappable person and will defend the Amhara language until you are defeated and gone empty handed with all your likes.
The disgusting and gyratory comment of yours shows me you are not yet in the pink; therefore, you need some nutritious food that gives you some kind of pabulum so that it may help you think rationally and write cogently. In the mean time, go and vomit until all the curses, the evils, the insults, the profanities you incurred are out of your ailing system.
To Assta B. Gettu,
Your dismay and madness was so vivid when one tells you the true nature of your rude and unrefined behavior. But it is fair and normal for you when you are throwing up your offensive and abusive words for others. I do not know what kind of self righteousness that you are claiming to make your language flawless and your tribe perfect and your religion holy and dare to condemn the others. You do not feel ashamed when you say “Whether I praise or condemn, insult or bless any person should not be your farcical concern….” That saying alone shows your ill-bred attitude. Although you are so foul mouthed and ill-mannered person from low class “Balege Yasadegew”.
However, you may agree with me that democracy is needed to the Ethiopian people.
Well, If you agree to this point does it come to your mind that your Amhara tribe that you are advocating so forcefully will be a majority in parliament or in any public office? And the language will be the national language without consent of other majority tribes in Ethiopia? It must be discussed and there is always be agreement not the way you thaink shoving down others throat what ever your likes think is right. No more.
Or do you have to say we the Amharas were elites to be the governing body for centuries and it has to be that way forever. TEGNTEH TEKUS yewoyane cadre.
As it has mentioned before your ignorance clouds your poor judgment. Better enlighten your self and make a room for concession rather than spewing hatred.
Adro Tija,
My religion is Christianity, and Christianity is the holiest religion while Islam is the dirtiest one that produces Jihadists and terrorists and the law of the devil – the Sharia law.
My language is Amharic, the language of a civilized race, the Amhara race; it is a language that has educated millions of people on the face of this earth. Kings, queens, princes, princesses, army generals, common soldiers, business people, farmers, students and shepherds, housewives and hospital nurses, doctors and university professors – all Ethiopians adore the Amharic language. When Ethiopia appoints new ambassadors to foreign countries, each ambassador introduces himself/herself to the foreign government in Amharic language; therefore, we must revere the Amharic language and thank God for giving us the perfect language of communication.
You wrote: “…democracy is needed to the Ethiopian people.” You fool, Ethiopians have always been democratic people; it is some people like you who come to power and render the democratic people of Ethiopia undemocratic; it is people like you, yewisha lij, who are oppressing them and dividing them.
All Ethiopians have the Amhara blood, which means all Ethiopians are Amhara; if you want to be more Amhara, you can marry an Amhara girl, but you must be ychiwa lij, and you must speak a perfect Amharic language; other wise, you cannot marry an Amhara girl.
Listen very carefully, you son of a bitch. There will be no discussion or dialogue on the following important issues: the Amharic language, self-determination, and secession.
Ethiopia has been a united country and remains united, but it needs a democratically elected prime minister. He/she could be from any tribe as far as the election process is fair for every tribe – no cheating, you cheater!
to Ass Ta b gettu,
Insulting and degrading others will not make you better unless you are a dumb head and an Ass hole like your screen name implies.
It is the worst blunder by any standard to use such humiliating language to abuse the religion of Islam that is worshiped by 1/5th of the worlds’
population. It is a slur made by a pin head like you and an attack on
the dignity of the Muslim population who share this world with the rest of us. What I can understand from your explosive and unrefined comments is that you are a very sick person internally you dislike any one, and you are a kind of person who is full of animosity, hostility and anger towards any one who got a different view than yours. Such kind of sickness is coming from internally disturbed people who hates themselves and hates others for no apparent reason.
I am not expecting you to fight such deep rooted animosity and strong dislike for others while you are suffering the worst disease of its kind that makes you at odd with yourself.
Instead of sitting and sow such hatred and brag about your Christianity, go to a church and do what Christians are doing. Pray so God will guide you and will give wisdom to start loving and start living with others peacefully.
If you are what you are cordoning yourself and hiding behind your screen name, working for woyane to invoke and thrust a wedge or instigate hate
among the Ethiopian people, it is an old tactic and I urge you at the name of the Ethiopian people to stop such satanic act of yours. I know if you are an Ethiopian, I mean not only by birth but by integrity, moral fiber and character, you will not utter such destructive, unfair, and impolite words to others. Unless you are paid to do so no Ethiopian is advocating that there is democracy in Ethiopia currently. Shame on you.
If you are not blessed or lucky enough to do a good thing, you have to refrain doing what you are paid to do and look for another type of job that will make you happy and peaceful with yourself and that also depending on what kind of mentality and conscience that you got.
For Gods’ sake do not insult religions, languages and people or sector, or tribes with such a foul language of yours and do not say things hiding behind your screen name that you will not dare to say in person.
If you keep on doing this, it will show more than anything else
that you are a very weak person. So my dear friend Ass Ta B Ge ttu, you have to be courageous, brave and straightforward person. Do not hide and throw up your vile words in front of the world.
Come up to the light and be courteous, bold polite and push forward what ever idea you believed in.
Adro Tija (Tatbo chica)
Born out of wedlock to a pauper, deposited in a plastic bag, tossed over into a dumpster, picked up for a dead by a garbage collector, handed over to a welfare agent, dehydrated from a lack of a baby formula, admitted to a children hospital, put in an intensive care, treated for a brain damage, transferred to another children hospital, put into a scan machine for further evaluation, diagnosed with hearing and eyesight damages, assigned to a special speech impediment physician, watched out for 24 hours by sleepless nurses, confined to an oxygen tent, allowed to stay in such horrible conditions for about 10 years, visited and examined occasionally by various child-specialist doctors, impoverished the hospital and almost put it in a red ink for keeping him for a number of years and paying his medical bills, finally recuperated from almost all of his childhood diseases, Adro Tija was at last advertized for adoption by the Adoption Agency.
The above statements carefully crafted describe your childhood trauma, and that is why you are lapsing in what you do; you are simply a horrid person: endearment no one has ever given you; adulation has been your daily food and shaming your morning breakfast. In the morning you wake up in your lingerie to slew your cross eye round towards a passersby tart; write her a short madrigal so that she would come closer to you, but your stinky body that has never seen spikenard will drive her away from you.
Carrying bile in your bulging stomach, falsifying someone’s identity (from Assta to Ass) to deceive, cheat, and impress the readers, you are the most pitiful creature who deserves to be scourged not with whips but with scorpions. Your ladeda manner, your maudlin heart, and your amorphous body always captivate you to decry others.
It is almost time for you to disgorge what you have been swallowing: the unflavored and the unsalted food – the foolishness, the infatuation, the ungodliness, and the odium. Then you may ask God remission; after that, you can sit and compose your paean if you are far from being an impostor; otherwise I am determined to nonplus you.
to elias kifle and all els who commented on the topic. elias we do know that the oromo plp have century old question about thier language and it’s place in ethiopia.oromigna being the majority language and the back story of oromo plp their question is a ligitimate one. however one must be ignorant about ethiopia’s current stuation and the eefort being made to change it , to post such comments with out regard to such effort. elias i am confused and doubt the dirction u headed.
Adro Tija (Tatbo Chica),
Changing my real name from Assta to “Ass” doesn’t help you convince the ER readers; the readers are smarter than you or your Corcoro head, and they already know what my name is: Assta B. Gettu, not “Ass” B. Gettu as you intentionally try to belittle my name.
For sure, you are now engaged in horseplay rather than in discussing the real issues, and you have done a foolish thing and from now on you are at war with me. Until death separates you from me, I will attack you vigorously and courageously without mercy. Your plot to destroy my name and change it to another name proves you are an addicted cheater and you deserve to be hanged on a seventy-five feet gallows like Haman, the enemy of the Hebrews since you are also one of the enemies of the Christians, too.
You are like a wild donkey braying for grass and like an ox bellowing for fodder and both are ready to die of hunger and thirst; you are indeed a tasteless food eaten without salt, and I always refuse to eat or even to touch such unflavored food prepared by an untrained cook like your poor mother who knows no cooking or house cleaning.
You have neither pulchritude nor spiritual ardor or élan to anything good in this evanescent world of ours. Like the purblind followers of Islam, you like to lurk in ambush to snare a Christian and kill him/her. You may have the right to juggle but you cannot outwit me whatever sorcery your witch mother may have taught you to bewitch other innocent Christians. I can easily debunk your hidden deception and expose it to the ER readers; your immanent disorder in organizing your thoughts logically has taken you to the highest level of mental confusion, and that is why it has been impossible for you to get out of a binge.
Your aberration has made you desultory, and you cannot focus on the main issues such as the Amharic language, Islam, Christianity, unity for democracy and self-determination. An assuming person like you will continue to besot any important issue – the Amharic language, the queen of all the languages in Africa if not in the world.
For your information, if you need one, Islam has never been an Ethiopian religion but Christianity has been and will always be, and I hope the next prime minister of Ethiopia will issue an edict that makes Christianity the state religion of Ethiopia. If, however, the Ethiopian people elected a Muslim prime minister, there is nothing we can do, except to pack up our belongings and leave Finfinne to the Oromo Muslims and form our own Amhara federal government that includes Tigray and Eritrea. Then we will see what will happen and how the Oromo government will function without the ingredient of the Amhara people.
Assta B Gettu,
YE BEG LIBS YATELEKEW TEKULA.
I am as relieved by your last comment as it is not directed to a religion or a language or a tribe. I was smiling when I read a barrage of all the bad names hurled at me and I start admiring your passion to irritate people by throwing such an article intentionally. This time you do not seem that you are dead serious,from what you were suggesting previously were only to play with words and invoke others. If that is the case, which I believe it is, you must be a good person enjoying to aggravate the problems that are already there and laugh by what people are responding and enjoy every minute of it when they are infuriated. Go ahead and get a pleasure from such game but I promise you not to read what ever written under your name because you are so scum and good for nothing. If you want to write you are good at it but try to change the style and be serious so not to put water on people’s anger with the misery and destitute that is deliberately imposed on your people by the tyrant at home.
However,If you are at the other side of the fence, you may say that the Ethiopian people are better off with Meles & Co, then the rest of us will with whom we are dealing and respond accordingly. But if you are trying to deceive us by talking our language and pretending to be Amhara and say Ethiopia is in democratic rule, we would call you YE KEBERO BAHTAWI and I am ready to take out your mask. So now we know even if you change your name without changing the substance and style, I think most of us will know you.
Be a Good boy Ass Ta!
Adro Tija (Tatbo Chica),
Avenge I will for the misuse of my precious name, and it is congenial to me to attack you, the denizen of the deep, and make you drudge; however, don’t be happy by my yesterday’s comment because I cannot vaticinate whether the future prime minister of Ethiopia will be from the Islamist Oromo or from the Christian Amhara; it is up to the Ethiopian people to decide, but I will encourage the people to elect a good Christian prime minister who supports the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church and oppresses the non Christians by taxing them heavily. Nevertheless, before we reach to the stage of electing a prime minister, we should first remove the mount bank, Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi), a friend of yours and then establish a livelong democracy fashioned in the history, tradition, culture, and geography of the Ethiopian people, not in the image of the American and European democracy; I have always been for unity and democracy, and I detest those who are for self-determination that creates confusion and chaos throughout the regions.
You have promised “…not to read what ever is written under” my name; if you keep your promise, that will be great, but I will miss you a lot because I know a person learns many good and bad things from his tormentor rather than form his fidus Achates – a devote follower or a trusty friend; however, your determination never to read my comments or articles is a pyrrhic victory for me, which I am not really proud of; I rather like to have friends and foes to comment on what I write and post so that I would enjoy my usual spiel.
As you assume, I’m not a wolf; I am a dove, sometimes a snake. As a snake, I can easily identify your racy talk, and as a dove, I pule.
I always like that Christianity to be slanted in my favor and Islam to be panned and slugged in your favor. By the way, if you avoid your vapidity, I will offer you carte blanche – unlimited authority to be in a fling; the problem is you have had inbred inferiority and you are always a slug who hate to work hard but likes to sleep. I’m sure my comment has changed your peevish behavior and has given you alertness and readiness, and finally it has forced you to avoid living like an eremite.