Memher Zebene, the charlatan preacher who has been causing havoc at the MedhaneAlem Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Maryland, has finally succeeded this Sunday in taking over the church.
In the period leading up to Sunday’s vote, Zebene and friends have waged an aggressive “election campaign” like a politician. In their dirty campaign, one of the tactics they used was to intimidate and chase away several long time members of the church.
In the first place, the election it self is illegal since according to a long standing Ethiopian Orthodox Church rule, a new head of church cannot be chosen while incumbent head is alive. MedhaneAlem Church’s head is sick but still alive. To Zebene and his cult-like group of blind followers the church’s rule is meaningless.
Even after such a dirty campaign full of intimidation, where the church’s membership has dwindled down to less than 300, he has received only 190 votes. Many have decided not to participate in the illegal voting and 69 voted against him. With this many long time members of the church opposing him, Zebene cannot be a legitimate head of the church even if the voting is legal. If he has any semblance of integrity and care for the church’s well-being, he would not have dragged it through such ugly fight.
But as I stated in the past, Zebene is not a religious leader. He is a vainglorious cult leader and a thug who has no respect for Ethiopian Orthodox Church traditions and the Church’s elders and scholars.
His rude behavior toward elder church members, fellow preachers, as well as any one who questions him is appalling. A couple of years ago he even threatened to physically attack Addis Dimts Radio host Abebe Belew while he was on air.
In teaching the Bible, he some times makes up his own story. One time while preaching he said Ethiopia’s Queen Saba spoke with King Solomon in Amharic.
There are close to a hundred Ethiopian church in North America. All most all of them are providing needed spiritual service to their members with little or no controversy. These churches are being led by great, selfless Ethiopians who have no interest in profiting from the churches they are elected to lead. Unfortunately there are a couple of church such as MedhaneAlem of Maryland who are being hijacked by charlatans.
I am encouraged by the positive feedback I am getting from many people who attended my debate with Ethiomedia’s editor Abraha Belai Saturday in Qale Ethiopia’s Paltalk room, which was attended by some 400 people Saturday. The following is one of the many comments I have received:
Dear Abraha and Elias:
As luck had it, I listened to your insightful debate over Qale Paltalk yesterday.
I salute you for taking the initiative to debate and the civility with which you conducted it. Thank you also for responding to the popular call for unity by declaring your plan to organize a conference for Ethiopian journalists to get together and advance your common cause.
You are right, media matters and I am sure you can make a difference!
Thank you again and have a great day!
“Zare Tibibir, Nege Wedidir”
Abate Kassa
Many others expressed similar views as Ato Abate that the discussion was a good beginning since both of us agreed to focus on issues and strategies that we agree on, which, by the way are many.
I am satisfied with Abraha’s position that Woyanne/TPLF as an organization cannot be reformed and thus must be removed.
One of the things Abraha proposed is for all Ethiopian media to come together and jointly organize public forums and town hall meetings where the opposition’s next move is discussed.
I was surprised by the number of people who attended the debate/discussion since a World Cup game was going on that the time.
My approach during the debate was a bit confrontational for some people’s taste while Abraha was polite and avoided confrontation. My view is that Ethiopians need to express their anger and be outspoken in order to overcome the paralyzing inertia that has plagued the anti-Woyanne, pro-democracy camp.
In the end, both Abraha and I agreed to work together for our common goal, i.e., the immediate removal of Woyanne from Ethiopia. As a first step, he put Ethiopian Review’s link back on his site.
KAMPALA, UGANDA — Three bombs exploded inside a restaurant in a Kampala neighborhood known as Ethiopian village Sunday night. The blasts killed more than 40 people, a Ugandan newspaper reported.
The New Vision, which attributed the death toll to witnesses, said scores more were wounded. Police had not confirmed the total number killed, the newspaper said.
There were unconfirmed reports of other explosions in Ntinda and Bwaise, as well.
The New Vision said most of the dead were killed by two bombs that exploded back-to-back shortly after 11 p.m. at the Kyadondo Rugby Club where the final game of the 2010 World Cup was being watched.
A sportswriter for the newspaper who was at the event said shoes and other clothing and broken chairs littered the area. Security soldiers and rescuers were evacuating and helping the wounded, New Vision said.
The other blast, which was the first to happen, was reported in the city’s Kabalagala neighborhood, home to many Ethiopians.
Police said they suspected al-Shabaab militants from Somalia could have been behind the attacks.
“We have been suspecting that these people could be planning something like this,” Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, the inspector general of police, told the newspaper by phone last night. — UPI
A man aids a woman hurt in the bombing at an Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala, Uganda. (Marc Hofer/AP July 12, 2010)
(LA TIMES) — In simultaneous bombings bearing the hallmarks of international terrorists, two explosions ripped through crowds watching the World Cup final in two places in Uganda’s capital late Sunday, killing 64 people, police said. One American was slain and several were wounded.
The deadliest attack occurred at a rugby club as people watched the game between Spain and the Netherlands on a large-screen TV outdoors. The second blast took place at an Ethiopian restaurant, where at least three Americans were wounded.
One American was killed in the blasts, said Joann Lockard, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Kampala.
The White House said it was ready to assist Ugandan authorities if requested.
“The president is deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from these deplorable and cowardly attacks, and sends his condolences to the people of Uganda and the loved ones of those who have been killed or injured,” White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
A senior U.S. administration official said, “We are in contact with our embassy in Kampala and in touch with the FBI regarding government of Uganda requests for assistance.”
Kampala’s police chief said he believed that Somalia’s most-feared militant group, Shabab, could be responsible. Shabab is known to have links with Al Qaeda, and it counts militant veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan conflicts among its ranks.
A head and legs were found at the rugby club, suggesting a suicide bomber may have been to blame, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.
At least three Americans — part of a church group from Pennsylvania — were wounded at the Ethiopian restaurant. One was Kris Sledge, 18, of Selinsgrove, Pa.
“I remember blacking out, hearing people screaming and running,” Sledge said from the hospital. His right leg was wrapped and he had burns on his face. “I love the place here but I’m wondering why this happened and who did this.… At this point, we’re just glad to be alive.”
The bombings left shocked survivors standing among corpses, blood, pieces of flesh and scattered chairs.
“We were watching soccer here and then when there were three minutes to the end of the match, an explosion came … and it was so loud,” Juma Seiko said at the Kampala Rugby Club, Reuters reported.
Heavily armed police cordoned off both blast sites and searched the areas with sniffer dogs while dazed survivors helped pull the wounded away from the wreckage.
Police Chief Kale Kaihura originally said that at least 30 people had been killed, but that the toll could rise.
Later, a senior police official at the scene said 64 people had died — 49 from the rugby club and 15 at the Ethiopian restaurant. The official told the Associated Press that he could not be identified.
Kaihura said he suspected Shabab. Its fighters, including two recruited from the Somali communities in the United States, have carried out multiple suicide bombings in Somalia.
If Kaihura’s suspicions prove true, it would be the first time the group has carried out attacks outside Somalia.
Simultaneous attacks are also one of Al Qaeda’s hallmarks.
In Mogadishu, Somalia, Sheik Yusuf Sheik Issa, a Shabab commander, told the Associated Press early Monday that he was happy with the attacks in Uganda. Issa refused to confirm or deny that Shabab was responsible.
“Uganda is one of our enemies,” he said. “Whatever makes them cry makes us happy. May God’s anger be upon those who are against us.”
During weekly Friday prayers in Somalia two days before the double bombing, another Shabab commander, Sheik Muktar Robow, called for militants to attack sites in Uganda and Burundi — two nations that contribute troops to the African Union peacekeeping force in Mogadishu.
In addition to its troops in Mogadishu, Uganda also hosts Somali soldiers trained in U.S.- and European-backed programs.
Kenya’s foreign minister, Moses Wetangula, told the Associated Press last week that enough veteran militants from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan conflicts have relocated to Somalia to spark worry in the international community.
International militants have flocked to Somalia because the country’s government controls only a few square miles of the capital, Mogadishu, leaving most of the rest of the country as lawless territory where insurgents can train and plan attacks unimpeded.
Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia in 2006 to oust an Islamist movement from Mogadishu. That sparked the Islamist insurgency that still rages.
Note: This is my sixth and final commentary on the theme “Where do we go from here?” following the rigged May 2010 elections in Ethiopia in which the ruling dictatorship won by 99.6 percent [1]. In this piece, I emphasize the importance of individual commitment and effort to help establish democracy, protect human rights and institutionalize the rule of law in Ethiopia. I argue that there is today a struggle between a host of hummingbirds trying to save Ethiopia’s soul and a voracious wake of vultures that have devoured her body. I predict ultimate victory for the hummingbirds following Gandhi’s timeless exhortation that “There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always.”
The Hummingbird and the Forest Fire
In March 2007, I wrote an allegorical commentary during our grassroots advocacy efforts to pass H.R. 5680 (later H.R. 2003 “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007) entitled “The Hummingbird and the Forest Fire”.[1] It was a tale which took creative license on a story once told by Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist and 2004 Nobel Prize laureate for peace. In Dr. Maathai’s story,
One day a terrible fire broke out in a forest – a huge woodlands was suddenly engulfed by a raging wild fire. Frightened, all the animals fled their homes and ran out of the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream they stopped to watch the fire and they were feeling very discouraged and powerless. They were all bemoaning the destruction of their homes. Every one of them thought there was nothing they could do about the fire, except for one little hummingbird. This particular hummingbird decided it would do something. It swooped into the stream and picked up a few drops of water and went into the forest and put them on the fire. Then it went back to the stream and did it again, and it kept going back, again and again and again. All the other animals watched in disbelief; some tried to discourage the hummingbird with comments like, ‘Don’t bother, it is too much, you are too little, your wings will burn, your beak is too tiny, it’s only a drop, you can’t put out this fire.’
In my version of the story, the hummingbird never stopped humming. Indeed, my hummingbird is miraculously multiplied into battalions of young forest firefighters putting out the flames of oppression and dousing out the smoldering ambers of ethnic hatred and division in Ethiopia, while planting the seeds of freedom and democracy. My young hummingbird firefighters take on a single mission: Help build a new democratic society guided by a national vision which embraces the indivisible unity of the Ethiopian people, the territorial integrity of the Ethiopian nation and governance based on democratic principles, the rule of law and protection of human rights. My hummingbirds totally and completely reject the bankrupt and deceitful ideas of those who claim that Ethiopia is no more than a mishmash of competing and antagonistic ethnic, tribal, linguistic, religious and regional groups who must be kept corralled in their own Bantustan-style homelands or “kilils”.
Can Hummingbirds Really Stop the Forest Fire?
It is often heard in some Ethiopian circles that the efforts of a few individuals or groups will not amount to much in bringing about political change. They say the dictatorship is too rich, too powerful and too entrenched to oppose. Some have given up hope having surveyed the systematic looting of the country over the past two decades. Others argue for the violent overthrow of the dictators in the belief that those who seized power through the barrel of the gun can be removed only through the barrel of the gun. In other words, fight a forest fire with fire. It is an age-old idea with a predicable outcome: Everybody gets burned in the ensuing conflagration. But suum cuique (to each his own).
History shows that hummingbirds not only can stop fires, they can also start them. The chief architects of the current dictatorship in Ethiopia were originally formed as a small group of “ethno-nationalist” students who were inflamed by what they believed to be injustice and oppression. They were young hummingbirds long before they became old buzzards. As Dr. Aregawi Berhe wrote in his recent book[2]: “On 14 September 1974, seven university students… met in an inconspicuous cafe located in Piazza in the center of Addis Ababa… The aim of the meeting was to (a) wrap up their findings about the nature and disposition of the Dergue’s regime with regard to the self-determination of Tigrai and the future of democracy in Ethiopia, (b) discuss what form of struggle to pursue and how to tackle the main challenges that would emerge, (c) outline how to work and coordinate activities with the Ethiopian left, which had until then operated according to much broader revolutionary ideals.” They set out to “dispose” of the Derg (military junta that rules Ethiopia after the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie) and replaced it with a one-man, one-party dictatorship. In other words, tweedle dee replaced tweedle dum!
World history shows that individuals and small groups — the hummingbirds — do make a difference in bringing about change in their societies. The few dozen leaders of the American Revolution and the founders of the government of the United States were driven to independence by a “long train of abuses and usurpations” leading to “absolute despotism” as so eloquently and timelessly expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Their vision was founded not only on the need for independence from the yoke of British colonial rule but also the necessity of perfecting the unity of the American people after independence. They formed a constitution for one nation to be governed under one constitution of the United States of America (which had some significant imperfections), which has endured for 223 years. The Bolsheviks won the Russian Revolution arguably defending the rights of the working class and peasants against the harsh oppression of Czarist dictatorship. They managed to establish a totalitarian system which thankfully swept itself into the dustbin of history two decades ago.
Gandhi and a small group of followers in India led nationwide campaigns to alleviate poverty, make India economically self-reliant, broaden the rights of urban laborers, peasant and women, end the odious custom of untouchability and bring about tolerance and understanding among religious and ethnic groups. He launched the Quit India civil disobedience movement in 1942 culminating in Indian independence in 1947. Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo led ANC’s Defiance Campaign and crafted the Freedom Charter which provided the ideological basis for the long struggle against apartheid and served as the foundation for the current South African Constitution. In the United States, Martin Luther King and some 60 church leaders formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, becoming the driving force of the American civil rights movement.
Social change depends a great deal on the circumstances of social forces in a given society. Political change in Ethiopia today seems improbable not because of the invincibility of the dictatorship but because of the lack of unity and commonality of purpose among the opposition. This calls for the establishment of a new political culture of cooperation, collaboration and coalition-building among anti-dictatorship elements, who now seem to have retreated into passive spectatorship of the dictatorship. The political history of contemporary Ethiopia could best be summarized in the words of V.I. Lenin: “One man with a gun can control 100 without one.” There is no doubt that the handful of core leaders of the dictatorship will cling to power at any cost. Though Lenin may be partly right, his empirical observation is countered by the irrefutable logic of the old Ethiopian saying: “The gathered strands of the spider’s web could tie up a lion.” (Dir biaber anbessa biasir.) If one hundred unarmed hummingbirds could come together as one with a commonality of purpose and determination, they could overcome one vulture no matter the width of his wingspan or the sharpness of his claws. In the absence of such a ratio of hummingbirds to vultures and the widespread disillusionment with the dictatorship and disarray in the opposition, the self-empowerment of individuals and action by small committed groups of individuals as one of the most viable means of effecting change and bringing about democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Ethiopia. Simply stated, to bring about change, citizens as individuals must be active by being active citizens.
Hummingbirds Must Keep on Humming
The morality tale of the hummingbird is instructive to all Ethiopians. Despite the ferocity of the forest fire, the hummingbird did not stop carrying its droplets of water. Dictatorships are analogous to a forest fire. They consume everything in their societies. Like the raging forest fire, they also seem unstoppable. But as Gandhi taught, the fires of dictatorship are always stopped by the waterfall of truth and love: “When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won.There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always.” The reasons are simple[3]. In the end tyrants always fail because though they have guns and tanks, they lack ideas and vision. They lose because they live in a world of darkness and ignorance. They are incapable of transforming themselves or their societies because they are trapped in their own cycle of repression that feeds off their ignorance and wickedness. And like Dracula, the legendary bloodsucker, they can only live on the blood — and sweat and tears — of their victims. They can not survive otherwise. Dictatorships use brutality because they can not convince their people with the strength of their political or philosophical arguments, the persuasiveness of their logic or the abundance of their good will. They fail because they can not withstand the force of truth and always slip and fall on the pile of lies and deceit that is their foundation.
Though dictators are destined to the dustbin of history, they will delay their inevitable rendezvous by proclaiming to be anointed by the masses. They put themselves out as the saviors of the very masses they oppress ruthlessly. They claim to have special qualities that give them the right to rule the masses forever and exhort the “herd” to follow them blindly and unquestioningly. In concluding his May 2010 “election” victory speech (a/k/a a public demonstration against Human Rights Watch for its critical report), dictator Meles Zenawi expressed gratitude effusively to the Ethiopian people for re-appointing him and his party to complete a quarter century on the throne. “Once again we, over five million EPRDF members, on behalf of our martyrs and our selves solemnly express our gratitude to day, standing before you, the Ethiopian people, who have the sovereign right and power to appoint or dismiss your leaders. We salute you!” An old Ethiopian saying teaches us to beware of a “wolf priest praying in the midst of a flock of sheep.” No doubt the wolf will “salute” and “express gratitude” to every sheep he devours. But do the sheep return the salutation and gratitude?
All of us committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Ethiopia have choices to make and actions to take as individuals. That choice is between good and evil; that is between joining the host of hummingbirds that carry droplets of water to put out the fires set by a ruthless dictatorship, or siding with the wake of vultures that use their enormous wings to fan the flames of ethnic hatred and division to perpetuate themselves in power. Those who play with the fires of ethnic politics to cling to power should beware the backdraft.
FREE BIRTUKAN MIDEKSSA ANDALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN ETHIOPIA
Alemayehu G. Mariam is a professor of political science at California State University, San Bernardino, and an attorney based in Los Angeles. He writes a regular blog on The Huffington Post, and his commentaries appear regularly on pambazuka.org, allafrica.com, afronline.org and other sites.
Qale Ethiopian Discussion Forum in Paltalk will host an interview this coming Sunday at 2:00 PM Washington DC time (7:00 PM London time) with Ato Luel Qeskis, former Kinijit member of parliament and currently EPPF Central Committee member, and Ato Demis Belete, EPPF Central Committee member and head of press.
EPPF is undergoing a major transformation following the addition of 17 individuals from the Diaspora to its Central Committee at the General Assembly that was convened last February. With a major overhauling of its leadership, EPPF has the potential to lead the armed resistance movement against Woyanne.
Ato Luel and Ato Demis will explain the latest development in the organization at Sunday’s interview. It’s a must listen.
Those who know the history of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people know it well. International scholars, philanthropists, community and international organizations like the United Nations speak volumes about the history of a nation that safe guarded its independence from colonialism, the cradle of civilization, the ancient home of Christianity, peace loving and hospitable people located in the heart of Africa.
Among those who speak about Ethiopia’s history include President Nelson Mandela, Professors Richard Pankrust, Professor David Levine, Professor Chojnacki and others. These individuals have written extensively about Ethiopia, and advocated for Ethiopia’s right place in history.
On July 8, 2010, the Ethiopian community in Ottawa heard the passing away of the man who chronicled Ethiopia’s history, Prof. Chojnacki. Our community is deeply saddened by the news.
Today Ethiopia lost one of its great advocates and international ambassadors. The professor spent over 25 years in Ethiopia and endorsed partnership and advocacy for Ethiopia for over 45 years. He was recognized as an active member of Ethiopian communities across Canada.
In 2007 he visited the Ethiopian Ottawa community and was a guest of honour during the official opening of the St. Tekle Haimanot Ethiopian Orthodox Church Library and Education Center. He made a fantastic presentation on the history of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the places he visited in Ethiopia and his memoirs. Those who attended his presentation were amazed to hear their story from an aging internationalist who spoke with utmost clarity and authenticity. More importantly, the professor surprised his audiences by mentioning the names of people and monks he met in monasteries including the people who lived and worked with him in the sixties, often with amazing clarity and absolute certainty.
Today we Ethiopians have missed one of our own. We lost a distinguished scholar who spoke about us and advocated for us and our beloved nation Ethiopia. But his legacies, works and memoirs will live with us for ever. We will carry his torch to teach our children and the international community about Ethiopia’s history. As he talked and advocated about us for over half a century, we will remember him for ever. May God rest his soul in heavenly peace. May God, also, give the strength and spirit to his grieving family at this time of their hardship and sorrow.
We will continue to love him and miss him for ever. In remembrance of this great internationalist, our community will sing the Ethiopian Orthodox Lyric that HE used to like most ‘Aman be Aman’ , which literally means peace by peace, on Sunday July 11, 2010. SO Long our father, brother and mentor!
Ethiopian Community Association in Ottawa
211 Bronson Ave, Ottawa ON, K1R 6H5
Email: [email protected]
A man aids a woman hurt in the bombing at an Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala, Uganda. (Marc Hofer/AP July 12, 2010)