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In defense of Prof. Ephraim Isaac

By Elias Kifle

A holiday greetings that was posted here earlier this week from Prof. Ephraim Isaac, a world renowned Ethiopian scholar, has generated some harsh criticisms and even insults. Many of the criticisms point out that the professor has not been speaking out against the Woyanne junta’s brutality against the people of Ethiopia. Some have also expressed anger that Prof. Ephraim did not support HR 2003.

It seems a lot of Ethiopians have misunderstood Prof. Ephraim’s recent involvements in mediating the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia and his approach to finding solutions for the political crisis.

I have known Prof. Ephraim personally for over 16 years and known about him much longer than that. He is one of the most honorable Ethiopians I have ever met in my life. I disagree with him on how he approaches the problems in Ethiopia. I believe that good people must speak out against evil. It would have been great for a person of his caliber to expose the unspeakable crimes that are being committed by the Woyanne junta in Ethiopia. His approach is different and has been consistent through out his life. He believes in mediation and reconciliation than exposition of injustice. He believes that for mediation to work, mediators should not take side or criticize any one. In traditional Ethiopian mediation, shimagilwoch (elders) who engage in shimgilina (mediation) do not point out the wrong doings of either party to the other. Instead they focus on forgiveness and reconciliation.

Such elders among past generations of Ethiopians were highly respected citizens. Elders were able to prevent wars and clashes between ethnic and religious groups in Ethiopia for centuries.

From all the unfair criticisms directed at Prof. Ephraim, it seems that the role of elders (shimagilewoch) has no respect any more in today’s Ethiopia. That is a tragedy by itself.

What makes Prof. Ephraim uniquely qualified as an elder and mediator is that he never utters any negative word about any one. It is not in his nature to do that. He is in good terms with every government, political party and leader in the Horn of Africa.

Just because he doesn’t talk in public about the human rights abuse and political prisoners in Ethiopia, it doesn’t mean he is not concerned. His own brother died in Woyanne prison several years ago as a political prisoner. A close friend of the professor told me a while ago that when Woyanne officials asked him why he didn’t tell them about his brother, his response was “how can I talk about my brother when there are thousands of others like him who are also in jail? All of them are my brothers.” He appealed to them to release all those who are unjustly imprisoned.

Individuals like Prof. Ephraim Isaac have an important role in any society, but particularly in a traumatized nation such as ours. Every body cannot be an activist or a freedom fighter. I personally cannot be like the professor. The role I chose for myself is to expose injustice, not to try to reconcile with perpetrators of crimes against humanity. I believe genocidal criminals like Meles and Bereket should be hanged in a public square. Prof. Ephraim’s approach is different, but it is a necessary one. When we acquire more guns than Woyanne, we need a mediator to talk Meles and gang into signing our terms of surrender.

52 thoughts on “In defense of Prof. Ephraim Isaac

  1. Elias,
    What you said about the Professor is quite commandable. I have known him for close to 20 years now and I agree that his position for peace and reconcillation has not changed a bit. I have tremendous respect for him. On another hand I bow my hats to you in standing up for this great peaceful man who has not been understood by the majority. Getting more guns to hang Meles et al is quite a laughable and childish approach that will never come true. I also commend you for your efforts and stance despite disagreeing with you in principle 100%.

  2. Elias,
    Let me ask you one simple question and give you one typical example of the past behavior of Prof Ephraim.
    If you think Prof.Ephraim is as a good and wise Samaritan as you tried to paint him to be, then his DEEP involvement in HR2003 Act demonstrates otherwise. He not only didn’t support it, but ACTIVELY was fighting against its passage by running around, like a shadowy figure, in the corridors of Congress with the active support of his networks of the Jewish lobbyists.

    In fact he is the one who went to Addis and labeled the initiative as similar to “Wuchale” agreement, that Meles was quoting him again and again.

    As you know HR 2003, an intiative for genuine democracy implementation strategy, was initiated by his own people, the Diaspora, and has nothing to do with his distorted and sinister thinking of comparing it to “Wuchale Wul”.

    Come on Elias! Come to your sense and call a spade a spade. Don’t defend the indefensible. If you want to do him a favor, please help him to APPOLOGIZE to the Ethiopian people for his past super mischieves, through the Ethiopian Review forum.

  3. Well! well! For the first time you made some sense. May be his approach could be more effective than others. We all have to chill out strenghthen our force and resources instead of attacking each other. Otherwise, woyane is going to devour us. I hope you continue in such positive path and work hard to bring people together.

  4. I can’t tell what you stand for or your way of thinking. It is worrisome. Because you have an access to post anything you went you jump from place to place. I hope some one will tell me where you are heading this days. From persons of the year choice, you’re not too far insult to Dr Berhanu, your alliance with Ledetu and today with Pro Ermias. Can’t wait to see what you may post about Semon soon. Elias do you know Bertukan is still in prison? And truth should have be told by those who have been directly involved. The elders I know tell the truth and stand firm. We are not taking about opportunists or cadres.

  5. Elias, i now know why you failed to publish my criticism of the professor. however, it is not fair for a person like you who fight for the right of freedom of expression to engage in the same practice like that of the dispicable woyane and namely censoring the contra opinion of others. I admire your work and the fact that you opened this forum for concernced ethiopians to voice their concern. Neverthless, you should also respect a differing opinion no matter how harsh it could be as long as it is not vulgar and disrespectiful.

  6. Elias you nailed it advocacy work and mediation are entirely two diffrent things. As far as I am concerned Professor Ephrem’s work is unique and necessary for a country like ours but educating the people should come first because the history of Ethiopia never been on reconcillation it was goraw, goraw arre goraw taking power through violence and Melese regime is not exceptional what a travesty. I support Professor Ephrem 110% his vision is the vision we all should learn about than assoiciating it with groups.
    ELIAS keep on doing what you are doing you are the bridge between the two people and my only advice to you would be to disagree with civility thank you !!!

  7. What are you talking about? You have more guns than Woyane as you speak.

    EPPF + EPLF (“arms enough for 3 countries”) is more than TPLF’s.

    However, the nature of the beast can’t be won by arms alone.

    Ethiopia needs both Ho-chi-min Elias and the Gandhi Prof. Issac to win concession from the beast.

    BTW, don’t be a chicken print all our damn opinions. If you don’t I may stop coming here altogether. If Abugida prints my opinion every time I write one why not the review?

    Cheers!

  8. Dear Elias, you deserve my personal respect for writing such a well balanced article on Prof. Ephrem Yishak. He has lost his younger brother Jonathan Jishak in the Hands of Woyane. But he did not turn his back to woyane or made empty cry like many of us. He moved on to get freedom for other voiceless Ethiopians languishing in the notorious prison of EPRDF regime. Your article is really one of the best and well balanced and free of any kind prejudice ever
    written by you.

    MT

  9. It is funny that Ato Elias is trying to tell us the yonger ethiopians have no respect for “the shemglina”. I will tell you that is completely wrong, I do no from which research you get it but I will tell you that all ethiopians, be young, teenager or adult everybody still have respect for “the shemgelina”.

    The point most people is against the so called the professor Issac shemeglian is biased, one sided and you can tell from the start it will not be sustainable. Why? becacause their approch is the oppressed people accept you should be governed by meles and follow whatever he said approach that he is using that will not work.
    To be honest sometimes I was thinking the professor is one of meles best cadre who save him from that bad time international pressure.

    So to conclude please elias don’t generalize when trying to say something: Ethiopians still respect the real shimgelina that is one. The second one professor’s shemgelina is fake and you told us he never speak negative in either sides however I read even in his new year message negative thing about few educated ethiopians. If he is able to speak negative things about few educated ethiopians why he couldn’t speak negative things about the brutality of meles? So your argument does’t take you far.

    You can respect him because you new him 15 years but you can’t try to impose your illogical argument to your reader.

    Cheers

  10. Elias,
    This is my first time to believe you, without believing what you said about the professor. You made me doubt about my own judgment, I think you are the bravest of all braves at this darkest time. I have come to believe your strategies and approaches.

    I understand why you did not post my comment regarding the professor.

    I do not mean to insult him, I was just expressing my anger and ourage about those beasts, woyanes.

    Thank you for your great effort!!.
    Matebu.

  11. im going to write some pages like u did and crack down ur argument with facts…..when it comes to evil, u can mediate it rather u eradicate it. either u will be with eveil or good. no mediation between the two. how can a man be a mediator between an evil group (weyane ) and the good ( the people? it will never be a common ground for them to step up at the same time. ur argument doesnt go far an inch. even prof. doesnt agree on that. he knows he is not a “mediator”

  12. Puting the politics aside. i dont have deep knowledg about the Prof yeshak. but based on from the article he published i dont see any wrong the Prof, juset proposed peace trying to solve things in an ealderly traditional manner. but in some forums such as WARKA the way people acted is make me sick.

    politics is one thing lossing your culture and tradition of adressing ealders is another thing so people dont be hyped too much .

    Elias as always keep up the good work Thank you for giving woyaness a sleepless night. God bless

  13. Elias,

    I wish the facts were as you tried to paint them, I wish what he is doing is pure SHIMGLENA for the sake of Ethiopia. The problem is if he was such a person Meles wouldn’t have been working with him. How do you explain his lobbying work against HR2003? How do you explain his silence about Birtukan and other prisoners? Where I come from shimagles used to say to both sides “what you are doing is unfair or wrong, please refrain from this act for the sake of peace”. Shimagles have the decency to speak the truth and the authority to be heard by both sides, do you really think the professor has one of these two characters?

    Elias Kifle replies:

    Abera M.,

    Shimagiles perform their duty in private.

  14. Elias please spare me the sermon about the young generation’s respect for our traditional institutions. These so called “Shimagles” and the way they handled the “mediation” (or shall I call it by what it realy was the deception) is what is eroding the faith we (young and old) all had in this noble traditional institution.

  15. Professor Ephrem is the victim of his religion even though no one stated their opposition against him to be on that ground alone. But it is. Comment no.2 (above) gives us a hint because his religion was viewed parallel with the Jewish Lobbyst in the business of politics in Washington. However, the professor is with his people and working only for the interest of Ethiopians as a whole and not for the interest of forigners who encourage us to buy weapon from them so that we will eacher. For this and other reasons is why I have defend/support him from all attack at the Abugida web page where they pictured him with the Weyane flag.

  16. Elias I can only say that God has blessed you with the courage to always go against the current and stand up justice. The professor is a good man and I was saddened to see him attacked by my fellow compatriots until I read your piece today. You made my day. Thank you.

  17. Dear Elias

    What is wrong with you. I guess you are getting older or you must have been visiting churches. It is good to see that you have a soft side too. Actually like you said there has too be a balance, that shimagles are needed and they are the products of our civilization. At a time when youngster all over the world are turning into radicalism and lose respect for their elders, we have to figure out a way to save this marvelous institution and that doesnt mean we have to agree with them but we have to respect them. Our kings did respect shemagiles and priests but we dont. The main negative effect of Marxism Leninism is the disrespect we as a younger society have developed for our elders and religious leaders whether christian or Muslim. Radicalism is growing in all religions. Elders who thought religion to the youngers are disturbed by the level of radicalization among their young ones. Let the fire burn but in the right place. When it is out of control we need the fire department(shimales). Thank you for the article but dont do it often for you might lose some readers. We Ethiopians have suffered for a long time and most of us have trauma from the revolution. And not from the gov. in addis. 10,000 psychiatrists working for 10 years straight couldnt solve out emotional crisis and depression. All the mess and miscomunication is the effect of the suffering. Whether it is the our fault or the fault of others we always blame others and that is also a mental problem of some form. So most of us would like to hear and say only negative stuff. I met Prof. Ephrem at Harvard and USF twice. He is irreplaceable in his field like Tilahun, Alula, Haileselassie, Abebe Bikila, Menelik etc… Only those who take time to read and understand the meaning of knowlegde could understand this genius. I pray to the almighty that he eradicated our hunger for food and knowledge.

    “If you are 20 and not liberal you have no heart,But when you are 30 and not conservative you have no brain”
    Winston Churchill

    Unfortunately the 60’s generation is liberal even at 60. Is some thing wrong or did they read the books upside down. I would like to respect elders from that generation but I wish they sober down a bit.

  18. One can not negotiate with evil.

    “On a global scale, Evil is not something to fear, much less negotiate with. That only gives it more power. Yes, there are times when you have no choice but to battle Evil — as the Maccabees did against the Syrian-Greek oppressor. But stoop to conquer Evil and you will only join it in its mud. Against Evil, you must march to battle on the clouds. You must trample it while never looking down. On the contrary, while in battle against evil, you must find yourself reaching higher and higher.”

    ~~UNKNOWN~~

  19. Most said what I would like to say. It is excellent to share your views about the mediation and Shimgilina. You are really smart the way you put it. Kudos.

    Even though I was not agreeing with your censorship knowing your stance in freedom of speech, yet one can see your independence from your views, ideas and stand unlike hoo-hah crowd.

    Keep up your independence.

    Cheers

  20. Elias:
    I respectfully disagree with you. Mediator (shimagele) as you put it is one who speaks the truth, not one who appeases one party in order to get something. What we need in Ethiopia is a firm stand and people who have the guts to put situations as they are instead of trying to cover up. I have researched about pacifists such as Mandela, Ghandi, Mother Teresa and others who spoke power to the truth without any distortion of reality. If Ato Epherem is as such then why did he lobby against HR2003? Why is Mediator (shimagele) such as he picks his nose in to something that is none of his business?

  21. Elias
    I realy support your comment the profesor is good person I now him about 8
    years he dose not even have a $100 investment in ethiopia his gol is to see peace in ethiopia. There has to be
    a choise to bring peace to the country Eprp,andnet,medrek,ginbot 7,etc their choise is diferent.His choise is Reconcile mediation bring the partys together If not suport him there is no point to attck him lets put same thing to bring peace let us talk about forgiveness I will pray for his mediation
    Reconsiltion to work Elias you did a good job too keep up god blees ethiopia

  22. Ato Elias

    You are a man of contradictions. I am sure you will go and ask Meles and Bereket for apology.
    I came to know why you did not publish my comment last time on prof. Ephrem. He always blames the weak and praises the powerful. What is Shimgilna then? It this the tradition?

    Shame on you and him

  23. While I disagree with your analysis, I still think there is lots of wisdom in the way you see things. At least you have the guts to say unpopular things which shows your courage and stand for what you believe in. If we had few people like you in Ethiopia with ideas, courage , wisdom,etc. ,we would have prospered.

    God Bless you Elias

  24. Though I have never heard of him before, I have read Professor Isaac’s Christmas and New Year message of love, reconciliation, and forgiveness to all Ethiopians regardless of their religious and linguistic differences. He believes we have the same DNA; we are one family, and we are all spirituals. It is indeed a blessing to have an educated elderly professor, condescending himself and sending us a godly message to live in peace.

    Instead of accusing such a godly man, we must encourage him to teach us more about reconciliation, peace, forgiveness, and respect for our culture, tradition, and custom, and one of our Ethiopian traditions is ሺምግልና and he had demonstrated himself on the business of reconciliation in the past, and if he is asked, he would do it again. We better demand more from him before he lives us and goes to heaven. It seems he is very concerned about the bad conditions in Ethiopia, and he doesn’t want to leave Ethiopia in turmoil; a country that has produced such a great scholar like him, he is not going to ignore but fight for her until he dies.

    The professor is trying to eradicate hatred from the minds of those of us who hate people with or without reasons. Some people oppose the professor’s message for political or religious reasons; however, the professor is one of us who is very dedicated to do many good things for his country.

    “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” Some people who may be jealous of the professor’s remarkable accomplishments are saying that he is not one of us. “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “…..for whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-40)

    Therefore, let us leave him alone to continue his fatherly advice, and should appreciate his work for the unity of Ethiopia, our country, and we need more educated, humble, and religious people like him. Blessed are those students who get their educations every day under the guidance of Professor Isaac.I wish I were one of his students.I could have learned more about Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism, and many other religions.

  25. Now a days it is becoming common to see two faces of one man. Here the so called Asseta(Comment#34) preaching love however yesterday in the same website in different article(For the reader reference it is The death penality of Dr. Brhanu articles a week before posted in ER) he was the one declaring hate among ethiopians and different religions in the country.

    It is life and funny, we have to live with such senseless and aimless people. It is due you to such similar peoples our country’s sufferring becomes endless by brutal meles administration.

  26. Belew #36,

    Those who deserve praise, honor, and respect get them all, and those like Belew who has nothing to be admired go empty handed. I condemn those who believe in fake religion and terrorize our Christian societies, and I’m afraid Belew may be one of them, and that is why he is offended that he saw me respecting that great Jewish scholar, Professor Isaac. Ato ጽምው Belew do the same work the professor has been doing, and then you can get my respect, but if you are jealous of the professor, then go hell; you don’t deserve to live on this earth. Why are you so offended because I have praised and admired the professor? What is your point? I condemn Islam, and if you are a Muslim, defend it and its false prophet; the whole purpose of my goal in condemning Islam is to bring back those innocent Ethiopians who unknowingly believed in Islam to Christianity, the only sound religion in this universe of ours.

    Belew, get your own life and live me and the professor alone; I know your twisted heart is burning in animosity and jealously, and let me make my goal clear to you; I am not happy that my country Ethiopia is occupied by the Arab Muslims from Mecca, and I want those Arab Muslims who live in Ethiopia to join the Ethiopian Christians and be refrained from burning Churches and destroying properties.

  27. Guys,
    History and reality begs to differ! There is no reconciliation,discussion,justice,good governace etc. with DICTATORSHIP!!!
    Wake up and smell your stupidity!!!

  28. What is this guy called Assta always talking about. He seems having big psychic problem. He always mixes unrelated issues even far from the topic.

    Yap, wake up mamo throw your hate in your pant. Ethiopia is for all muslims and christain, the same is true if you live in this world accept it live with it otherwise you are just burning yourself big ashtay.

  29. Yes, I agee with Abebe #40 thanks a lot that guy#38 is pointless out of topic and he is unable to accept reality and tolerance.

    Lol budy you have no place in this world, you are think like your great great grand ma baby Assta#38 where do you live in mars? kaakaaaaaaaaaaaaa

  30. Abebe#40

    If you have ears to hear, open your ears and listen to what I have been saying for a long, long time.

    Ethiopia is a Christian country with a noble history made by Ethiopian Christians, and at that a generous country that has welcomed your Arab-Muslim ancestors from Mecca when the Mecca citizens fought hard and resisted to accept Islam imposed upon them by force from Muhammad, the false prophet.

    These Arab-Muslim refuges have lived in Ethiopia for over 2000 years and have now outnumbered the Ethiopian Christians; they have filled this Christian land with thousands of useless Mosques and the Ethiopian Christian Universities with multitude of Arab-Muslim Children. Our Ethiopian Christian Parliament is now a parliament of ፉቅራ and ፋጢማ and our Christian fertile land is sold to Arab Muslims through the consent of the Ethiopian Arab-Muslim Parliament. What is more, the Ethiopian Arab Muslims feel very satisfied with the oppressive Woyanne government because the Woyanne government has allowed them to run most of the businesses in Addis Ababa and in many other Ethiopian major cities while oppressing the Ethiopian Christians and taking away their lands and giving them to those Arab Muslims who have the money from Saudi Arabia.

    The Ethiopian Arab Muslims are dancing in the streets of Addis Ababa and praying to their Allah to prolong the lives of Meles Seitanawi and his wife Jezebel for granting the Ethiopian Arab Muslims unparallel freedom with complete authority over the Ethiopian Christians. They feel they have the power, the number, the land, and the money so that one day they will be able to destroy all the Ethiopian historical Churches and replace them with their buildings called Mosques decorated with crescents, the Islamic symbols.

    A Christian life in Ethiopia will be miserable where the Arab Muslims are in the majority like in any other Arab-Muslim countries. For example, in Egypt, the minority Coptic Christians live a hellish life every day. Patriarch Synoda cannot get out from his house because of a Muslim threat on his life. Few days ago, as soon as he left his Church during Christmas time, some Arab-Egyptian Muslims slaughtered seven of his Church members in front of his eyes. Another example, in Malaysia where the majority of the people are Muslims, some Malaysian Christians wanted to translate God to Allah so that they could easily teach the Malaysians in the Malaysian language; however, the Malaysian Muslims who don’t want the Malaysia Christians to translate God to Allah burned down three beautiful Malaysian Churches.

    Therefore, there is no way Christians can leave a prosperous life in a country where the majorities are Arab Muslims. Can Christians live in Saudi Arabia, having their own Churches, their own Christian schools, and their own Christian hospitals? It is unthinkable, and the same thing will happen to the Ethiopian Christians if the Arab Muslims in Ethiopia become the majorities.

    Wake up Ethiopia! Don’t be fooled by such phrases: “We are Ethiopians too, and we have lived in Ethiopia for more than 2000 years.” These are the words you may hear from the Ethiopian Arab Muslims when you ask them if they are really Ethiopians. They have been tested during Gragn Muhammad and they failed the test. They supported Gragn Muhammad to burn the Ethiopian valuable documents and magnificent Churches. They humiliated Emperor Haile Selassie and his Christian soldiers by attacking them as they were retreating from the Italian poison gas. They all are ከዳተኛ Muslims.

    You wrote: “Ethiopia is for all muslims [Muslims] and christian [Christians] , the same is true if you live in this world….”

    My friend, the same is not true if I live in Saudi Arabia, in Yemen, in Sudan, in Malaysia, in Pakistan, and in Egypt where the majorities are Arab Muslims. My great concern is not whether I can live in one of the Arab-Muslim countries, but whether I can live in my own Christian country – Ethiopia – where the Arab-Muslim population is exploding at an alarming rate.

    Finally you concluded your statements by saying “…if you live in this world accept it live with it otherwise you are just burning yourself….”

    Let me tell you the fact; I will not burn my self, but I will fight these Arab-Muslim intruders to slow down and control their hormones and limit themselves to one wife only.

    Wake up Ethiopia, land of Christianity and protect your Christian land from the Arab-Muslim weavers or ሸማኔዎች and do not let them abuse their Islamic power over you. After few years, they will try to impose their Sharia law upon your Christian daughters and boys.

    Take care, My Country!

  31. K. Michael#41,

    You blindly agree with what your friend Abebe said; I don’t blame you for accepting his views very easily because “If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

    There are two evils in Ethiopia right now, and both are life threatening: the Woyanne government and the spread of Islam. The evilness of the Woyanne government is officially known except in the Western world; however, the ugliness of Islam through its terrorism and Sharia law is well recognized in the Western world but not yet fully understood by the innocent, uneducated, and unsophisticated Ethiopian Christians.

    Ethiopian Christians by nature are soft, kind, humble, and respectful; nevertheless, the ignorant Ethiopian Arab Muslims are taking the kindness of the Ethiopian Christians as a weakness and trying to dominate the entire Ethiopian Christian land and forcing the Ethiopian Christians to end their patience and start a civil war that will completely destroy the entire Ethiopian Arab Muslims. If a civil war starts in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Arab Muslims always think the Turks, the Egyptians, the Sudanese, the Saudis and some other Arab countries would come to their help and defeat the Ethiopian mighty Christians. How fool they are! When a Christian country, like Ethiopia, is attacked by a foreign Muslim power, don’t think the most powerful Christians countries will be quiet. But before we go far, the Ethiopian Christians are capable of defending themselves once they have identified their internal and historical enemies – the Ethiopian Arab Muslims.

    K. Michael, I don’t live in Mars: I live in this great nation of the United States of America, and you said that I don’t have any place in this world, but I don’t need any place other than this peace-loving country – America – the land of Christianity and the home of democracy, justice and freedom.

    Let me ask you two questions: What is reality? What is tolerance? You said that I am unable to accept reality and tolerance. Do you mean the dominance of the Ethiopian Arab Muslims in the Ethiopian Christian land is a reality? Do you mean the control of most of the lucrative businesses in Ethiopia by the Ethiopian Arab Muslims is a reality? If that is what you mean by the word “reality,” then I will accept your understanding of reality, and I will fight hard to kill this kind of reality before it spreads allover Ethiopia.

    I hope you understand the definition of tolerance; the Ethiopian Christians have been tolerant for over 2000 years and have said nothing bad about these Ethiopian Arab-Muslims, refugees from Mecca. They have tolerated them for such a long time by fulfilling their daily needs and by protecting them from foreign enemies; however, as David, the man of god, once said: “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9) these Ethiopian Arab Muslims are now secretly plotting against their providers, defenders, and close friends – the indigenous Ethiopian Christians. When their plots become clear to the Ethiopian Christians, then the Ethiopian Christians will take a proportional action against the Ethiopian Arab-Muslim plotters.

    Be careful if you are one of the plotters, or if you are Al Amoudi’s agent!

  32. I thought I read him no#42 supporting professors shemgelina and heard him preaching reconciliation just a little above in no#34.

    When I open it today the same person at #42 looklike declaring war to our brothers and sisters in the same country. So don’t you guys think this guy mental stability? yes, I do suspect … Good luck referal Amanwel Hospital please that is your real place at this point of time and place. He may need Escort, don’t leave him alone!

  33. So Gettu what is your point? What is all this itchy and scratchy about religious things? As usual, you are incoherent and rumbling all over the place and issues. Elias did’t mention relgion his topic. Whatever he said has nothig, NOTHING, to with religion. Besides, I think there wasn’t Islamic faith 2000 yrs ago.

  34. With all do respect, Mr. Assta, you are simply a very religious person, who follows your religion very dear to your heart just like Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and etc. If you ask some of the other religion followers, they would tell you that they believe strongly about their religion the same way you do. Not because these people are less educated and less intellectual than you, but like you ,these people have been thought and brainwashed since childhood what to believe and think. Religious people are dangerous, because they all think they are the only ones right and this kind of thinking causes religious intolerance around the world. In my humble opinion, it is better to be spiritual and walk with the true teachings of the Bible and try to follow the steps of Christ than wearing our religion on our sleeves.

  35. Elias,
    I admire your attempt to think outside the box. I hope you will give other people in the Ethiopian political scene the same benefit of doubt.

    Regarding Prof Ephraim, he is an elder but his behavior towards EPRDF is not anything you call honorable. If he claims to be non partisan, then he shoudl restrain from unwarranted praise.
    Remember his infamous speech at the conclusion of the July 1991 in Addis? He came to the podium and showered EPRDF with praise. He said the conference is “tamrat layne”!! This is the conference stage managed by EPRDF, this is a conference many genuine opposition parties were excluded from, and this is the conference that conformed the seccession of Eritrea. Yet the Prof had the audacity to call it “tamrat layne” “miracles for my eye!!” (Ofcourse his attempt to appease Tamrat who was then prime minister is too cheap even for an azmari :-))

  36. Mr. Zendo or Temen or Mendel #45,

    Many Muslims believe Islamic faith goes back to Abraham and even to Adam, and I have talked about this subject in detail on Nazret.com and I don’t want to repeat it here.

    I said in my comment#34: “Some people oppose the Professor’s message for political or religious reasons….” Then Ato Belew#36 said blatantly: “…he was the one declaring hate among Ethiopians [Ethiopians] and different religions in the country.” So, Belew’s bias statements led me to say what I have said in #38 & #43.

    Yes, Elias Kifle has mentioned religion if you have read his article carefully. He has said: “Elders were able to prevent wars and clashes between ethnic and religious groups in Ethiopia for centuries.” However, my 2nd comment was about Belew’s unacceptable comment, not about Elias Kifle’s article; indeed, my 1st comment was in harmony with Elias Kifle’s article.

    If you are an educated person, you cannot avoid religion even if you hate it because you have failed to abide by its sound principles. So, be a good religious person and a peace maker all the time, and that is what the good professor has been doing.

  37. My dear Yigerefe #46,

    Your advice is well taken; however, I may be like Hindus, Buddhists, but never like Muslims who believe in killing the non Muslims.

    Be careful though when you say: “Religious people are dangerous.” Remember, it is the religious people who gave us the Enlightenment, the Awakening, the Renaissance; it is the religious people who brought us from worshiping idols to worshiping the true God, Jesus Christ; it is the religious people who told us the advantage of gravity; it is the religious people who taught us that the earth is not the center of the universe; it is the religious people who gave us the calendar, and it is the religious people who founded America and wrote the American Constitution, a living document, so religious people have brought immeasurable contributions to this world of ours. We cannot easily ignore them but appreciate them for what they have been doing for us through out the centuries. They may not be perfect as they are human beings, but they have done their parts, and it is our responsibilities to follow their good examples.

  38. Dear Eliyas,

    First of all, I very much thank Prof. Ephrem for his New Year’s greetings message. To my understanding what we don’t have at this time is this kind of idea from our Shimagiles. Most of the so called politicians and elites are simply false prophets. I also thank you (Eliyas) for posting your own article about Prof. Ephrem I..

    Having said that, I felt that I have to say the following things.
    1). I do not like those articles written attacking Prof. Ephrem b/s they were written without understanding/knowing what they were writing or what his message was at all. I mean he wrote a New Year’s message but they were talking about things that are no mentioned in his article at all.
    2). You (Eliyas) made a big mistake when you defend Prof. Ephrem out of context (out of his New Year’s message) by saying like “his brother died in Woyanes prision, he doesn’t like to criticize people, etc…”.
    3). Meles and Co. are devils. Why we do have these devils? B/s we deserve them. There is an old English saying: “it is the slaves that created the masters.” If each and every one of us act not to associate directly or indirectly with the Meles & Co (the governing Eth. devils), they will flee very soon. Till we liberate ourselves from the association of devils, we should not have to criticise others. Those who live in glass houses shoud not throw stones, isn’t it?

    For True shimgilina, please read the over 600 hundred years old story of our saint Kidist Kiristos Semira’s chronicles.

    Thanks.

  39. Elias, I apreciate your honest assessment of Prof. Ephrem’s reconcilation efforts. You are right to make the distinction between his kind of efforts and the advocacy many of us are engaged in.
    However, as a person who is running a media outlet, you could have arranged interview with the good professor or with his colleagues in the SHIMGILINA and ask questions we all want to hear from them i.e. Birtukan’s assertion that they were all released thru SHIMGILINA process not the legal mumbo-jumbo Meles & his cronies blabber about. If he does not have to say negative things, just the facts. What was the role of the SHIMGILINA? Was it political reconcilliation effort as BIRTUKAN said or not? So many questions.
    You may say he might not agree to do public interviews fearing it would complicate his continued SHIMGILINA efforts in private as you said.
    I do not buy that. It looks like a cap-out. Frankly speaking, many including Western Embassy officials claim that they are engaging in reconcillaition/ SHIMGILNA outside public view. By now it looks more of a lip service or polite way of do-not-ask.
    What the good professor or his colleagues should be reminded is that if they do not come out in public and answer questions such as the above sated, their role seem to be understood by many Ethiopians as that of the “SHIMAGILE”s who were sent to Abune Petros pleading him to accept Graziani’s terms of release and save his soul as depicted well in Tsegaye G. Medhin’s “PETROS YACHIN SEAT”. Or that of the tribal chiefs & elders South African Apartheid regime sent to talk with Mandela with conditions for his release?
    Had the political reconcilliation succeeded or the prisoners were released without undue pressure to concede to their jailers demand, I can see reasons to cheer the Professor’s & his colleagues’ efforts. It seems more clear now that the SHIMAGLES way of “conflict resolution” is to weigh heavily on the weak to concede to the demands of the powerful. Fortunately, history has rendered justice and had left such kind of “SHIMAGELES”or “Elders” in its dust bin as it had done with the powerful they had served.

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