First, Internet exchanges among Ethiopian discussants are often conveyed in a tone of finality; each seems to declare the truth to the exclusion of all others.
I wish the brother push his view on this matter clearer that what it is written in the quotation above. There are times discussants and the community at large need to set their stand in a tone of finality when it comes to a fight between a “continuation of treason” and the defiance and the demanding require to bring about the “resurrection of the actual image and proud of a victim nation” regardless tarnishing names and name callings. There are tolerable topics need no finality, and there are also issues need to declare the truth in the name of millions regardless it is interpreted as exclusion or not. The issue of the border conflict that cornered our people into a deeper level of fight which was manipulated by both outlaw leaders and outsiders was challenged, protested, exposed by few zealous Ethiopian patriots using the internet media by declaring the truth in behalf of the Ethiopian people regardless the 80%population was not consulted with our stand. When there is hegemony & war, our past history tells us when the majorities are leading there live in tranquility, most of the time the ordeal was pursued by few. Often majority are a sleeping Dog that doesn’t want to temper (interrupted) their comfortable nap.
“Second, a process remains a process; beginnings do not necessarily lead to a useful end.”
There may be some issues, which I do agree with you. But as in the case of the border issue I mentioned above has brought a useful end. That process was so strong to the extent able to snatch and able to fragment & puncture the Drum of Meles and his collaborators. At the moment the neck of Meles is under our foot. He is looking the way out. Not only the border issue but also a political process and peaceful Internet political fights “ restless ordeal” for years that we fought with the fanatic supporters (not to mention all the threats we cross through) of TPLF larders, which lead to their astonishing fragmentation of the top leaders of the notorious TPLForganization. The recent development (process) many Ethiopians came together to minimize the suffrage of our Marines in Yemen and many other national issues has lead to “a useful end”.
“ Political discourses are joined in a life and death mode; humor becomes sacrilegious. There is always some enemy lurching behind ideas and groups;
Numerous Open Letters and Mad Responses fall into this category. These also set up standards as to who passes for a genuine Ethiopian and who does not, or resort to digging up dirt to bury foes and to laud friends with terms like “venerable”, “patriot”, “true Ethiopian”.
It is a good wish and humanly manner to show humor. Believe me, I am sick of it myself; I was been attacked by many for many years by different groups and individuals. There cannot be humor in politics when fights seem tense. It is a crisis indeed. A crisis of character and culture! Insults are signs of frustration, signs of infliction at times weakness. There are some levels of name calling necessary to call the adversary. I am also with your opinion if we all not use “Juvenile and dehumanizing insults” when politics is discussed. But also- let us not be told to use civility against treasonous leaders and their destructive forces so their deceiving smile to continue shine forever. Let us not fall in to the toxicities of “Civility”. Civility does have specific places where to administrate.” Civility in the name as a cover (ethics) Never Should Allowed to be the Tooth Brush and Toothpaste for Treasonous leaders” in my opinion. What is that Westerns say? Call Spade spade? I guess that is the word I am trying to get at.
“Why are foreign actors sought to resolve local issues? Why is ‘foreign-ness’ used as a lightning rod to create insecurity and dissent?”
I would have liked your question if as Hama Tuma (a wonderful restless nationalist) said, “can we please have dictators who are hated by American and who can eventually be sold to the International Court? In his new book “ Give Me A Dog’s Life”. Here is what the Ethiopian Hama Tuma said in his book “It is time we Africans learn to distinguish marketable dictators from the violent but non-profitable pests haunting our State Houses and Palaces and making our lives miserable. Can we please have dictators who are hated by America and who can eventually be sold to the international court? (Www.firstpublish.com)
“The rest, as the author/s would argue, are locked away as “METE HAYMANOT” — connoting intrusion, undesirability and less than patriotic sentiments. While recognizing our proclivities for excess and imbalance, we may also want to ask if such a unilateral and uninformed judgment is necessary or useful.
You also did mention regarding Waahabism, Tewahedo and Mete Haymanot. I also have some disappointments the way you post your opinion on such. But I will not get into such due to the restriction of the webmaster’s stand on such (which I don’t blame the webmaster on this stand), therefore, I will only comment on your view quoted on the bottom.
“Third, what are we to make of the constitutional separation of church/mosque and state? Is the current head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church any less Ethiopian because of his politicized office? Has there been a period when the church was not privy to the politics of the day?
I’d like to comment on your question in particular to the current head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. No, It doesn’t make him less Ethiopian because his politicized office. But it is his hospitality and cooperation with treasonous leaders. “Ethiopia!” The nation you and I were born is currently asking the “God of Ethiopia” to identify “his race and nationality!”, if not God or you or I “can’t” be “Ethiopian”. Unless, you and I or “God and his mother” the black complexion lady lived in Axum for millennia who created you and I “chose” once for ever where to “live” and “farm” according to our language based on the “GOSA ID” (ethnic ID). The head of the current Ethiopian Church knowingly is staying in power dressing a very whitish clean patriarch close with a gold cross hanging on his chest holding the BIG cross on his hand, and seeing “the social fabric and unity braking down in a sad and alarming situation”.
The Ethiopian Saint Petros (Hawariyaw Abune Petros) was called BiTsu (Kidus) for leading the Ethiopians to the gate of god with his life summarily being shot by a Fascist bullet on his head to shelter the defenseless Ethiopian farmers women and men and children from the atrocity and colonization and dehumanization of the Ethiopian dignity by Italy.
What else did the other Archbishops and head of churches did? They may serve and live and praise dictator leaders and kings: BUT- at the end many of them were a victim of the dictators. Notorious dictators cruelly executed some; some were forced to face in to exile. But never ever were the signatories and supporter of national treasonous leaders (yes there were church figures, some “Shakks Islam leaders”, some ethnic figures and individuals and communities who sided with some colonizers in the past- but lost respect by society). Many of them stood clean with their God remain stand clear their Ethiopianesss-soul revolving in their heart with them until now.
What did the present Ethiopian head of Orthodox Church did when unarmed students seek shelter in his compound and the house of God (church) from the “Day light Hyenas in Addis? He pushed them out! To be eaten by the merciless Hyenas! What did he do in his tour in Asmara? He went ahead and shakes the Fascist Isayas bloody hands that are still fresh wet from the massacre of school children of Mekele! This is what differentiates Abune Paulos (the head of the Ethiopian state) with the many x- Ethiopian Orthodox head of state. Having this in mind, I like people to read Professor Getachew Haile’s new book “DaQiQa Estifanos” (P.O.Box 113 Avon, MN 56310,USA) All Ethiopians should read this book. In that book you will see how strong Church people stand firm in the face of ordeal and torture in the 14th century for urging of that time king to follow and administrate the “law of God and the law of the land” without crooking it.
“The Internet may have come to our rescue. And that indeed is cause for celebration. The question now is how to extend these amenities to a wider population. Could availability of the Amharic font encourage more participation?”
The wider population is proved to be a failure regardless the Internet sites are facilitated with Ge’ez fonts or not. Many Ethiopian magazine publishers are tired of spending their investment which some forced to a closer due to lack of readers. If one wants to check the behavior of the Ethiopians, one needs to go and stand in any Ethiopian grocery and watch for a moment. One will observe when the Ethiopian shoppers racing to buy cassette songs and beers and Ijrera Kitffo/ QiQil Alicha and what have you leaving the magazines and news papers and books aside unvisited (as if they don’t know how to read their own native language). Song producers/artists need no advertisers. The shoppers are apostle/evangelist/messengers for free. They will spread the name of the cassette and the singer and where to shop. In a matter of a second the album is sold out. So! So.. it is not the lack of Ge’ez font that is protecting readers from visiting the website. It is the behavior of the readers. It is a national problem which all of us need to lay a national foundation campaign how to develop reading habit. I will like the question to be how can we encourage more Ethiopians to have the habit of reading in their own native languages (generally the habit of reading)? Than your question “Could availability of the Amharic fonts encourage more participation?”
Because books, newspapers, magazines written in Ge’ez fonts are available almost everywhere shelved idle praying readers.
