Often meetings between two conflicting groups results in them hating each other more. How can we prepare people for such encounters so that does not happen? … [read more]

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Woyanne is exporting 25,000 Ethiopian women to Saudi Arabia where they will be subjected toem to similar treatment.

(Human Rights Watch) — Thirty five Ethiopian Christians are awaiting deportation from Saudi Arabia for “illicit mingling,” after police arrested them when they raided a private prayer gathering in Jeddah in mid-December, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. Of those arrested, 29 were women. They were subjected to arbitrary body cavity searches in custody, three of the Ethiopians told Human Rights Watch.

The Ethiopians gathered to pray together on December 15, during the advent of Christmas, in the private home of one of the Ethiopians, when police burst in and arrested them, three jailed members of the group, two women and one man, told Human Rights Watch.

“While King Abdullah sets up an international interfaith dialogue center, his police are trampling on the rights of believers of others faiths,” said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The Saudi government needs to change its own intolerant ways before it can promote religious dialogue abroad.”

In October, Saudi Arabia, together with Austria and Spain, founded the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, located in Vienna, and funded by Saudi Arabia.

The Ethiopian men spent two days at al-Nuzha police station in Jeddah, after which the police transferred them to Buraiman prison. The women had already been transferred to Buraiman prison. Two of the women said that officials there forced the women to strip, and then an officer inserted her finger into each of the women’s genitals, under the pretext of searching for illegal substances hidden inside their bodies. She wore a plastic glove that she did not change, the women told Human Rights Watch. Officers also kicked and beat the men in Buraiman prison, and insulted them as “unbelievers,” the jailed Ethiopian man said.

Both men and women complained of inadequate medical care and unsanitary conditions at Buraiman prison. There were too few toilets, they said. In the men’s wing, six of twelve toilets were reserved for Saudi inmates, while hundreds of foreign inmates were forced to share the remaining six toilets. One female detainee said she suffers from diabetes and was given an injection in the prison clinic that caused swelling, and has received no further medical attention.

The Ethiopians, speaking via telephone from prison, said that about 10 days after being arrested, some in the group were taken to court, where they were forced to affix their fingerprints to a document without being allowed to read it. Officials told the group that they were being charged with “illicit mingling” of unmarried persons of the opposite sex. Some of the Ethiopians have been living in the kingdom for 16 years, while others are newer arrivals. Some of the women and men did not have valid residency papers, but all faced deportation, including those with valid papers, the jailed Ethiopian man said.

In July 2006, the Saudi government promised that it would stop interfering with private worship by non-Muslims. In a “Confirmation of Policies,” a written document the Saudi government sent to the US government, Saudi Arabia said it would “guarantee and protect the right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who gather in homes for religious practice,” and “ensure that members of the [religious police] do not detain or conduct investigations of suspects, implement punishment, [or] violate the sanctity of private homes.” In this document, the government also said it would investigate any infringements of these policies. Public worship of any religion other than Islam remains prohibited in the kingdom.

“Saudi authorities have broken their promises to respect other faiths,” Wilcke said. “Men and women of other faiths have nowhere to worship in Saudi Arabia if even their private homes are no longer safe.”

The Arab Charter of Human Rights, to which Saudi Arabia is a state party, guarantees “[t]he freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs or to perform religious observances, either alone or in community with others,” and prohibits “arbitrary arrest.”

Saudi Arabia has no codified criminal law or other law that defines “illicit mingling.” In 2006, Shaikh Ibrahim al-Ghaith, the president of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the religious police, told Human Rights Watch in an interview in Riyadh, “Mingling of the sexes is prohibited in public, and permitted in private unless it is for the purpose of corruption.”

Human Rights Watch called on the Saudi authorities to release the 35 Ethiopian men and women immediately if there is no evidence to charge them with offenses that are recognizably criminal under international norms. Saudi authorities should also investigate their allegations of physical and sexual abuse and, if warranted, compensate them for arbitrary arrest and any mistreatment they endured, and to hold accountable any officials found to be responsible for these acts.

Human Rights Watch also called on the authorities to allow members of the group who fear persecution in Ethiopia to lodge asylum claims with the UN Refugee Agency.

The 18th ordinary session of of the so-called African Union is being held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa and in the attendance are heads of state and government from 53 African countries.

Out of the 53 African leaders — with the exception of Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, Tunisia, and a few others — most of them are the worst criminals in the face of the earth. Let’s take a look at some of them:

1. Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, a murderous tyrant who is responsible for genocides in the Ogaden and Gambella regions of Ethiopia; who eliminated the independent press, arresting and forcing into exile numerous journalists; who, along with his wife, stole billions of dollars from Ethiopia’s treasure; who massacred hundreds of peaceful protesters after he stole elections… to mention just a few of his crimes.

2. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the 84-year-old blood-thirsty tyrant who lives a super-lavish lifestyle while 99% of the people in the country struggle to eat 1 meal per day.

3. Mwai Kibaki of Kenaya who refused to give up power after loosing elections, causing the death of thousands of Kenyans.

4. Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan who is indicted for genocide. A warrant for his arrest has been issued by the ICC, but he is being protected by his fellow African tyrants.

5. Yoweri Museveni, a tyrant who ruled Uganda for 25 years and has no intention to give up power.

These Africa tyrants and the others not listed are vampires that suck the life blood of Africa. It would be a great relief for African people if the new Chinese-built headquarters where they are meeting collapses on them and they all go to hell.

By Elias Kifle

The Iyasu Alemayehu faction of EPRP has a new enemy — an independent Ethiopian publishing company named Tsehai Publishers. Why? Because it has published former president Mengistu Hailemariam’s book.

Iyasu wants to punish Mengistu by copying and distributing the book for free. What he doesn’t care to understand is that Mengistu doesn’t need the few thousands of dollars that the book may generate in royalty. What Mengistu wants is for his book to be read by every one, not the money. But Iyasu’s action will definitely harm Tsehai Publishers, and it will also set a dangerous precedent where other Ethiopian writers, scholars and publishing companies could face a similar threat of bankruptcy.

The interesting thing is that Iyasu and gang are NOT waging the same kind of campaign against the real enemy, such as Bereket Simon, who recently published a book. It is a normal practice for them to always target only innocent Ethiopians. But never Woyanne. Tsehai Publishers is their latest victim.

Elias Wondimu has put his sweat and blood into building Tsehai Publishers from the ground up during the past 15 years. He is one of the hardest working and most decent Ethiopians I know who loves his country. Tsehai Publishers is currently the only successful independent Ethiopian publishing company that has published over 50 books on Ethiopia. Any Ethiopian political leader who claims to fight for the interest of Ethiopia needs to support and nurture such enterprises built by Ethiopians.

I am singling out Iyasu Alemayehu in this case because after talking with some members and supporters of EPRP these past two days, I learned that they have no part in the action. The campaign to bankrupt Tsehai Publishers is being coordinated by Isayu Alemayehu and a small circle of friends. So I don’t want to accuse the whole EPRP of this despicable, criminal act.

It is this kind of destructive behavior by the likes of Isayu Alemaheyu against innocent, hard working Ethiopians that has made our country the poorest in the world. What a shame!

I urge all members of the Ethiopian free press to take a stand against Iyasu’s action and express solidarity with our colleague Elias Wondimu of Tsehai Publishers.

The book can be ordered online. Click here.

By Elias Kifle

On Sunday, January 15, I took part in a town hall meeting that was called by Ethiopian Review in Dallas, Texas. The face-to-face discussion with all the patriotic Ethiopians who came to the meeting has boosted my morale and strengthened my resolve to fight enemies of freedom more than ever. After the meeting ended, I asked myself why Ethiopian Review, during its 20 years of existence, did not organize such a town hall meeting on a regular basis.

Only two things dampened my excitement and enthusiasm in Dallas. 1) My friend Negussie Garede, organizer of the Dallas meeting, had to be hospitalized a few days earlier — he is now recovering well; and 2) My friend and Ethiopian Review board member Meseret Agonafer came down with flu and could not be there.

The purpose of the Dallas meeting was intended to introduce Ethiopian Review’s 2012 program. The program includes: 1) expanding our information network inside Ethiopia; 2) cooperate with other members of the Ethiopian free press in the fight to liberate Ethiopia from the Woyanne fascist junta; and 3) The role of the media in bringing a positive change.

The meeting was hosted by Ato Assefa Gultu and chaired by Ato Zewge Kagnew, host of the Dallas Ethiopian Community Radio.

After welcoming the participants and making brief remarks, Ato Assefa invited Ato Zewge to moderate the meeting. Ato Zewge also made brief remarks and introduced the keynote speaker, Ato Betru Gebregziabher, a prominent businessman and member of the Dallas Ethiopian community.

Ato Betru talked about the importance of an independent press in the struggle for freedom in Ethiopia, and Ethiopian Review’s contribution to the struggle.

I spoke next. I talked about what Ethiopian Review has accomplished since it was launched in 1991, the challenges we faced, and what we plan to do in 2012. I made my speech short to allow more time for discussion.

As expected, some of the audience grilled me about my position on Eritrea. One person said that he is a long time supporter and reader of Ethiopian Review, but is dismayed by the selection of President Isaias Afwerki in 2009 as person of the year.

My response was that, the choice was made to encourage Eritrea to open its door wider for Ethiopian opposition groups and continue to provide shelter for opposition party members and activists who are escaping from the Woyanne junta. I realize that it is a tough sell, and subsequent events in Eritrea, such as the disappearances of highly respected Ethiopian patriots such as Col. Tadesse Muluneh, and the travel restriction imposed on others, is not helping my argument.

I was also asked about the recent decision by the Kemal Gelchu faction of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) to come out for Ethiopian unity. I answered that it is a positive development for Ethiopia and the entire region, but we should not dwell on the matter, as it could distract our attention from the fight to liberate Ethiopia from the Woyanne junta.

Regarding our 2012 plans, I explained that Ethiopian Review plans to redouble its capacity to collect and disseminate information inside the country by organizing information units in 10 – 15 major cities in Ethiopia. We plan to fund the information units through the sponsorship program that we have recently launched (click here to read about it). The information units will collect news about local civil resistance actions that are currently left unreported.

Several other points have been discussed during the Dallas town hall meeting. Some were constructive criticisms.

A similar town hall meeting is scheduled in Washington DC for Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 5:00 PM. See below for more info: