Abune Petros in our heart

On 29 July
1936 Abune Petros was executed
by the Italian fascist that were trying to colonize
our country for his refusal to submit. On May 2, 2013 the monument that was
built to commemorate our Holy Father was removed by the order of the TPLF party
that is currently ruling our country. Our Holy Father died for the first time. The
murder by a firing squad was an honor and showed his deep love for his people
and country. The fascist killed his body but he made his home in every
Ethiopian soul for ever and ever. We all carry Abune Petros in our heart. ‘Abune
Petros Adebabaye’, ‘Abune Petros Hawelt’ is not just a location but the symbol
of our pride and the true meaning of sacrifice for a higher cause.

The order
to Kill Abune Petros was given by the fascist Viceroy Graziani but the trigger
was pulled by solders from the North that were faithfully serving the fascist
invader. The order to remove our monument to our beloved father was given by
the TPLF party but the backhoe and flatbed truck was driven by modern day Banda’s.

They claim
the removal is temporary. That is not the issue. Was it necessary is our
question. Could it have been avoided is our point. Aren’t there some things
considered priceless is our contention. The same
people that moved heaven and earth to bring back our stolen Obelisk and erect
it in its rightful place felt no qualms about dispatching daily laborers to
bring our hero down and place him in a warehouse. We rejoiced when our obelisk
was returned because it is the symbol of our glorious past. Although their
leader dismissed our joy and happiness and tried to claim it as his peoples
private history we bit our tongue and dismissed his rudeness for immaturity.  

I agree it
is difficult to personally relate to a stone like an obelisk. Nevertheless it
is the product of our ancestors and a symbol of their ingenuity for that period
in our past. But Abune Petros is a living symbol every one of us would have no
problem claiming, admiring and silently thinking ‘would I have courage to act
like him?’

Abune
Petros is what I always thought we Ethiopians were like. I was raised at a time
when being an Ethiopian was something special. There was not enough adjective
to describe our country and people. Yes I am aware that we had lots of problems
to resolve after all forging a nation is not a cake walk. There were many that
were left behind and quite a few that did not get a fair share of what was on
the table. We are still trying to come to terms with that.

That still
should not dampen our glorious past. Abune Petros was one of those bigger than
life Ethiopians that added a positive value to our experience. He defined
patriotism, resolve, love, spiritual guidance and commitment to the truth. He
accompanied our Emperor and the civilian army to Maichew and confronted the
fascist army. He witnessed the gallantry of his people and the savageness of
the European invaders. They came with modern weapons and poison gas to scare us
to submission. We lost the battle but it only made us realize defeat was not an
option. Surrender was not the language of the Ethiopian at that time. Yes times
do change. A visitor would have a hard time believing the current generation
descended from those that even washed the shoes of the foreigners least they
take our soil with them.  

Abune
Petros continued to fight the way he knew. His religion and his love for his
country were his weapons. From the monastery of Debre Libanos to far away
churches he continued to rally his people to stand up straight and took the cry
‘By any means necessary!’ to drive the invader out of our cherished land.
During his interrogation this is what he told the fascist authority when asked
to accept Italy’s sovereignty over Ethiopia or face death.

  “The cry of my countrymen who died due
to your nerve-gas and terror machinery will never allow my conscious to accept
your ultimatum. How can I see my God if I give a blind eye to
such a crime?“

His last
words before the bullets tore our bishop and Holy Father were:

“My fellow Ethiopians, do not believe
the Fascists if they tell you that the patriots are bandits, the patriots are
people who yearn for freedom from the terrors of fascism. Bandits are the
soldiers who are standing in front of me and you, who came from far away to
violently occupy a weak and peaceful country. May God give the people of
Ethiopia the strength to resist and never bow to the Fascist army and its violence. May the Ethiopian earth never accept the invading
army’s rule.“

His defiance
and heroism became the battle cry of our patriotic army thru out the land and
it echoed in our valleys and mountains from north to south east to west and the
invader never saw a day of peace until they were driven out.

This was
the man and his memory our new Bandas were trying to extinguish that day a week
ago. They thought removing a statue would erase history. They tried to cover
their mis-deeds with talk of progress. We are not against progress. We in the
Diaspora contribute more than our share to help our country and people. As a
matter of fact there would be no tall buildings, no dinner on the table and no profitable
Ethiopian Airlines and no TPLF millionaire without remittance from the
Diaspora. We just know that there are some things more important than others
and our heritage, our history and our patriots cannot be kicked around
wantonly. We are also well aware of TPLF’s habit of using wedge issues to
divide us and hiding behind nation building while using a wrecking ball to
destroy our history.  

It is a
sad sign of the times that our dear father’s memorial statue was removed
without much protest. Those that preach about waging a ‘peaceful struggle’
against the new Bandas were nowhere to be seen holding a vigil. They were given
an opportunity to unite and galvanize their people and use this Woyane insult
against our history as a ‘teachable’ moment. Yes a little sacrifice is what is
required to fight injustice. Yes there is imprisonment, injury even death in
the struggle for freedom and dignity. People like Eskinder, Reyot,
Andualem, Bekele Gerba , Abubeker and Woubeshet are behind bars because they choose
not to submit to injustice and heed Abune Petros’s call to stand their ground.
I am sure what gives them such determination is his everlasting pray “May God
give the people of Ethiopia the strength to resist and never bow to the Fascist
army and its violence.” We shall overcome.  

For
further Info please go to: