Mr. Hagos starts his bewildered article with self-negating feelings and with admitted uncertainty
as to whether the story was reliable. He writes in the first paragraph: “Even now, I still have
some self-contradicting feelings inside myself.” He explains why, initially, he was hesitant to
proceed with the writing of the untrustworthy story: “The other strongest factor of my hesitation
and skepticism is doubt about the truthfulness of the allegation.” Mind you that he is
sharpening his pen to incriminate the entire Irob Diaspora for the allegation about which
he himself doubts to be true.
Despite his admitted uncertainty about the accuracy of what he may have heard, he encouraged
himself to go ahead with the reprehensible idea. He writes, “As an Irobman proud of being Irob,
Tigrean and Ethiopian, I really feel that I have to overcome the doubts, fears and hesitations and
express my feelings.” Thus, he proceeds with his unsubstantiated story repetitively flecked with
doubtful statements. On one hand, he admits that he is uncertain about the accuracy of what he
says he heard from Irob people back home: “If what I have heard from my Irob people back
home is true.” On the other hand, he tells us that he has “DOCUMENTED FACTS.”
Furthermore, Mr. Hagos states: “It is also alleged that some members of the Irob Diaspora in the
USA, in connection to their relatives in Saudi Arabia and Asmara, have been the mastermind and
planners of this mission.” In contrast, he admits in the same paragraph that it is an allegation he
“never” believes to be true: “I could not believe it at that time and I can still never believe it”.
Then in the same paragraph he writes again: “I do not mean that a documented fact is not a
documented fact! I believe a fact is always a fact and it is a more solid fact and it is true!”
It looks like two diverse sentiments were clashing inside Mr. Hagos’ head while writing that
article. On one hand, there may have been emotions that urged him to go ahead based on what he
may have heard. On the other hand, his conscience may have been beseeching him not to do so
based on rumor. However, it seems as though the former feeling took over. In any case, how
can a normal adult person venture to write such a dangerous arraignment wherein he accuses the
entire community for such a despicable allegation without himself being convinced about the
truthfulness of the rumor?
The gentleman was requested to produce evidence or to withdraw his accusation of the entire
community. Instead, he preferred to linger with his unfounded charge and upset the community
by responding, “I am not yet ready to expose those allegations or “documented facts” or give any
general comments as a reply to your requests” (January 3, 2010, irrob.org). Mr. Hagos tediously
emphasized that he was going to stand by his malicious contention again during a teleconference
held on January 18, 2010 convened by the Irob community in America to make inquiries about
the accusation in the presence of the author.
We know that Irob youngsters are leaving their native land to various parts of the world because
of social, political, economic, and natural hardships. This is a serious concern to all of us.
However, Mr. Hagos’ assertion that the Irob Diaspora is behind recruiting Irob youngsters to join
Sha’ebiya in order to return and kill their relatives is an extremely shocking allegation. He
makes a blanket accusation of the Irob Diaspora based on a few conversations he may or may not
have had with “some parents whose underage children had gone to Eritrea” who, according to
Mr. Hagos, “were claiming that they believe the Irob Diaspora in Europe and the USA are
behind those smuggling of their underage Irob children to join Sha’ebiya to kill their own
parents, brothers and sisters.” He fails to provide any evidence to support his claim. He
disseminates this unfounded hearsay to the media and attempts to present it as fact. This is a
very serious charge, which cannot be overlooked. Hence, for obvious reasons, the author must
provide evidence for the accusation or make a public apology. If he has any proof of anyone
involved in the alleged smuggling he must reveal names with concrete evidence of who did what,
where and when, instead of accusing the entire community.
The writer continues with his fictitious tale increasingly incoherent. Again he states: “I do not
believe that there would be something like that among Irobs.” If that is what you really think,
Mr. Hagos, why did you send to public websites a script in which you incriminate the entire
community based on something you “do not believe”? As a result, you discredited the Irob
people and you created suspicion among them. Worst of all, you dishonestly held responsible
the entire Irob Diaspora for such a heinous crime. Therefore, you must reveal any substantiated
evidence for the accusation or disclose publicly that you made a mistake.
The writer continues his condemnatory writing based on endless “ifs”: “if the allegations are true
and there are any, be it an individual or a group, who are getting involved in exposing our Irob
minors to war and fire alongside ‘today’s Sha’ebiya’…. I guess it will be the prompt of every
Irob to unite and fight such shameful attitudes and actions”. Yes sir, it is also my guess that
Irobs would unite against whoever may be involving our underage children in unacceptable wars,
if there is anyone. But you put in jeopardy the unity of the Irob Diaspora by charging the entire
community collectively. By doing so, you created reciprocal mistrust in the community.
You say that “It must be clear to us the Irob Diaspora that we are being unfair and unjust to our
own Irob people if we are creating such a hostile atmosphere between our Irob people and our
Ethiopian Government in order to support our persecutor.” I agree, and I assure you that I would
be on the frontline against whoever may try to create mistrust among the Irobs or among all
Ethiopians for that matter. But it must also be clear to you that it is you who has been unfair to
our community by charging it collectively by means of public media. It is a dire offense to
disseminate false rumor among people and above all incriminating the entire Diaspora based on
“ifs.”
Mr. Hagos, you inform us as to why you sacrificed your “golden time” to write this irresponsible
story. Thus you state: “the first main motive for sacrificing my golden time to write this paper is
to share my feelings with my fellow Irobs and other readers.” Be honest Mr. Hagos. Was posting
such a detrimental exposé on public media the only way to share your concerns with your
“fellow Irobs”? By the way, what kept you silent during the Irob teleconference held specifically
about the wide-ranging crises affecting the Irob youth in December 2009 in which you
participated?
Your second and third motives were to detect who, among the Irob Diaspora, was/were aware
about the smuggling of the Irob youth to Eritrea. Let me put it in your own words, “I want to find
out whether or not other Irobs in the Diaspora whom I haven’t talked to yet know anything about
these allegations. Thirdly, if they are already aware of them to some degree, I want to discover
how much they know, how they feel, what their opinions are and if there had been any attempt to
tackle them.” Are you telling us that you sent the article to the media just to find out if the same
Diaspora you blame for the identical subject matter is informed about what, according to you,
they masterminded? Strange! Why didn’t you first confer with the Irob Diaspora before you laid
blame on them about the allegation so that they may cooperatively try to find out who, if
anybody at all, may be smuggling those Irob youngsters to Eritrea? It would not have been
difficult to do so because Irobs in Europe and USA are not many and you know them and you
could contact them very easily. Besides, there was a golden opportunity for you to share the
issue with the Irob Diaspora during the world-wide teleconference of Irobs held in
December 2009, as I mentioned above. Interestingly, the agenda was just about the bitter
condition in which the Irob youth find themselves in at this juncture in time. If you were
really worried about the allegation and the Irob youngsters, why didn’t you raise the issue then
so that Irobs discuss the problem together?
That step would have, probably, encouraged the Irob Diaspora to work together to try to tackle
the Irob youth’s issue in particular and many other problems befalling the Irob people in general.
But you just kept quiet during the teleconference and sent to the media something that may not
only divide the Irob Diaspora, but also may negatively affect Irobs everywhere.
Mr. Hagos concludes:
“Finally, the core message of my paper is that even though I do believe and hope
that the allegations are never true, I still believe that if there are any Irobs of such
inclinations I am trying to remind them that beguiling underage (Irob) children to
fight and kill their own people is, besides being illegal, a threat to the people of
Irob and Ethiopia.”
I agree with you fully that misleading underage children to fight against their families and
siblings, if true, is a dire offense, and I am wholeheartedly eager to know the perpetrators so that
I can expose them and counter them. But I will not base my opposition on “ifs”, rumors and
speculation. So Mr. Hagos, I implore you to reveal the “DOCUMENTED FACTS” you say you
obtained about the “Irobs who are involved in organizing and coordinating underage Irob
children to kill their Irob parents, brothers and sisters.” I want to know and I am sure many other
Irobs want to know whoever may be doing the monkey-business to harm our native land and
people. However, if you do not have any evidence, you must make a public apology as you
have publically charged the entire Irob Diaspora.
