By Daniel Alemu, Jerusalem

On March 16, 1935, under the direct orders of Adolf Hitler, Germany re-armed itself, introduced military conscription and built an enormous navy, in a clear violation of the Versailles Treaty. These concerning developments went unnoticed by the World and particularly by Britain and France, victors of the First World War and architects of the Treaty. A year later, Germany moved troops into the Rhineland, hereafter annexed Austria and occupied Czechoslovakia and Poland. Only in September 1939, after it became too late, did Britain and France declare war on Germany. The consequence was of course, the total occupation of France by German forces, and the near destruction of Britain’s military power by Germany. This irresponsible and frivolous policy towards Germany followed by Britain’s Premier Neville Chamberlain and France’s Daladier came to be known as “appeasement,” and it is believed to be one of the main causes that led to World War II, and all the destruction and death that ensued.

This historical anecdote is sadly evoked when one speaks of Ethiopian-Egyptian relations. And it becomes the more evident if one chooses to examine all the developments that have been taking shape and engulfing the Ethiopian monastery of Dabre Sultan in Jerusalem for the past decades. The monastery, which is in Ethiopian hands but claimed by the Copts of Egypt, has been used by Egypt in addition to the Nile question as yet another ground to confront Ethiopia and its historic role in Africa and further deter it from performing this role in any meaningful way. Since Nasser’s emergence to power, his self-conceived political ideology that came to be known as Nasserism attempted unsuccessfully to contend Ethiopianism in 20th century African political thought and contemporary politics. This failure was followed by Nasser’s uncompromising attempts to exert unprecedented control over the Coptic Church and all its emissaries abroad through which he hoped to influence developments in Ethiopia in his own favor. It is to be recalled that the Italians tried to attain the same aim but by separating the Ethiopian Church from the Coptic one and appointing their own Ethiopian Patriarch. Nevertheless, this intervention by the Egyptian establishment culminated in the forced abdication of the Coptic Patriarch Yusab in Alexandria in 1955, an ally of His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie. Ethiopian mediation for a peaceful settlement and reinstatement of the Patriarch was unwelcome by the Copts of Egypt and unjustly perceived as an attempt to relocate the Coptic Patriarchate and the See of St. Mark to Addis Ababa. These developments that brought the Coptic-Ethiopian relations to a stalemate led to the inevitable separation between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church in June 1959 marked with the consecration of the first Ethiopian Abuna.

Subsequently and through further boosting Coptic concerns over their Church’s vague future, Dabre Sultan functioned as a pawn in Egypt’s hands to manipulate Ethiopia and exert pressure over it to make political concessions to Egypt. Emperor Haile Selassie, who as regent, began intensive efforts for the recovery of the monastery, and who went to Egypt in 1924 with the two aims of working towards the appointment of an Ethiopian Abuna with the power to consecrate bishops, and demanding the restoration of the keys to the Dabre Sultan Monastery to Ethiopia, was undeterred from these manipulations and resolutely carried on these efforts after his coronation. Doing so, Haile Selassie followed Emperor Menelik’s footsteps and perceptive understanding of Dabre Sultan’s importance not only for Ethiopia but also for the whole of Africa. As recalled, Emperor Menelik was the first Ethiopian Emperor to officially fight and work for the restoration of the monastery. In this spirit, he was responsible for the dispatch of three official delegations from Addis Ababa, and even ready to sign an agreement with the Czar of Russia that stipulated that out of each twelve ancient possessions and privileges Russia mediated to recover for the Ethiopians, it would have two. In the midst of all these efforts, Egypt through the influence it gained in the Coptic Church continued to stifle the relations between the Ethiopians and the Copts, and the question of Dabre Sultan proved decisive towards attaining this aim. On the part of the Copts, the monastery of Dabre Sultan, now turned into a national question, provided a unique and convenient opportunity to stress their Arab identity, after being alienated from the Egyptian-Muslim society following the 1952 revolution. While on the other hand, it gave the Coptic Church and particularly those circles in it that could not come to terms with the independence of the Ethiopian Church, which they perceived as the beginning of the disintegration of their own Church, the ability to supposedly nurture a form of dependence of the Ethiopians on Alexandria. For this reason, today we find that those secular Coptic circles that were willing in the past to concede to the wishes of Emperor Haile Selassie and return the keys of the monastery, which were eventually retrieved by the Ethiopians in 1970, are even fighting more aggressively for the alleged claims of the Copts over the monastery. In this spirit, it can be said that beginning from the 1960’s the conflict over the monastery took a new dimension, one of a national and even international nature. Through demonizing Ethiopia, portraying it as a historical enemy of Islam and usurper of Coptic rights in the Holy Land, Egypt sought both to undermine Ethiopia’s role in Africa and thus to tip the balance of power in its favor, at a time where the Emperor overshadowed Nasser and any potential role he could have played particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, and also to alleviate internal strife between the Muslim establishment and the Copts in Egypt. This is what explains the fanatic interest – particularly in the last few decades – the Copts have been expressing in a monastery, which they do not have any need for. The main victims of the Status Quo agreement in the past centuries till today are the Ethiopians, who lost all their possessions and properties in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and were confined only to this small and petty place on the roof of the Holy Sepulcher that came to be known as Dabre Sultan. Now they are fighting and prepared to give their life for this last foothold of an ancient Black Church that have survived persecution from different western powers, in its attempts to safeguard its interests in the Holy Land, as it has done for many centuries. The Copts have maintained their rights in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and are still in possession of the main monastery of St. Mark adjacent to Dabre Sultan, which some claim have been also originally in the possession of the Ethiopians. Nevertheless, since Egypt’s and the Copts’ interests seem to be politically motivated, constant provocations, harassment and persecution of the Ethiopian monks and nuns guarding the monastery, have been sustained and intensified through the years.

Recently, in March 2006, the Egyptian monk, who has been occupying a room in the Ethiopian monastery, decided to brazenly violate the Status Quo and thus undermine our rights in the monastery through invading different parts in the monastery, which he never dared invade and through which we might risk loosing keys of important sections of the monastery to. Even though, the Church fathers reported his actions to the Israel police and relevant authorities, which came and gave him a warning, the absence of a firm stand of the Ethiopian leadership in this matter, can surely portend bloody events from the kind that were witnessed in August 2002, and open a door for the Copts to carry on their violations as they already did this past week, till they forcibly expel the physically feeble Ethiopian monks and nuns from their rightful property. The measures of the Israelis on their part, who are the only legal authority liable to take any legal or other action in this concern, are more politically motivated. Israel’s understanding of Egypt’s role in the Middle East, and its willingness to begin peace negotiations with the Palestinians, have reduced its willingness and ability to act justly in this matter, a fact that proved to be to the detriment of the Ethiopians, particularly since the 1993 Madrid Peace negotiations. Furthermore, the diplomatic gestures that Ethiopia has been expressing to Egypt, in retrospective, would exceed Nasser’s expectations if examined today, and undermine the very fundamental core of international relations that rests on the principles of the zerosum theory. The national pride that once characterized Ethiopian rulers have been replaced with an atmosphere of incompetence and dim view of history that paralyzes the current leadership from effectively advocating on behalf of this vital and historical place.

From here it remains crucial to reaffirm the obligation of all the relevant Ethiopian authorities to uncompromisingly advocate on behalf of this monastery and reestablish our possession of it by any means necessary. Appeasement as far as this monastery is concerned can only prove to be counterproductive and destructive to all parties involved as history teaches. Egypt has repeatedly and derogatively warned Ethiopia that any contentions over its rights on the Nile will be considered as a casus belli. Appeasement over Dabre Sultan can only make the Egyptian deterrence capacity the larger and thus the threat the more real. Sadly, many Ethiopians still fail to grasp the invaluable importance of this monastery to Ethiopia and Ethiopian interests. If Badme’s significance to Ethiopia is debatable at all, then I will suffice by saying that Dabre Sultan is unquestionably an integral and vital part of Ethiopian and African history that supersedes any political debates, considerations or compromises.

Therefore, my call is for all Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia at this difficult time, to unite behind this paramount cause and fight uncompromisingly for our historical rights over this monastery, through independently organizing public debates, demonstrations, workshops and conferences and using all available media to raise the awareness to the plight of this monastery, the tragic suffering of the Ethiopian monks and nuns and the very concerning recent developments. Take an immediate action and please sign this petition:
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/DabreSultan

Daniel Alemu, Jerusalem
Email: [email protected]