Seattle is not all ‘Berdache’ society. Quite to the contrary, the people on the opposite spectrum of the ‘two-spirit’ are common and the majority. I began this report at Starbucks Coffee and completed it at another landmark. The report was also baptized, and the manifestation of the apparition, politically speaking of course, has been removed. Not too far from that landmark is the office of the Citizens for Responsible Journalism (CRJ). CRJ is the opposite metaphor of the ‘Stranger’.

The Stranger is known for its strange culture of cutting short the political life of certain individuals who showed the slightest propensity to the right and ambition for a public office. If you think of me for some reasons as a victim of any political assassination, you have automatically included those who intrinsically deserved it. CRJ is dedicated to monitoring irresponsible journalism and policies of the elected officials.

As a son of ‘NefTegna’, as my Amhara heritage makes me one, I did not feel strange being in the Northwest even after I read the articles of CRJ, because, in this part of the country, ‘Neftegnoch’ are respected, and names of great Neftegnoch such as Lewis & Clark are made immortal. Lewis & Clark extended the frontiers of America from coast to coast in the same way the Ethiopian pioneers once did to Africa. But, for reasons unknown, the ancient ‘Neftegnoch’ failed to create the Continent of Ethiopia and Africa is today what we believe it should not be. This report prepared in response to CRJ was finally completed with the help four cups of ‘Awol buna’ – ‘Wollo Mejen!’

The corporation known as CRJ may have not been in existence for a while. The website was last updated on May 17, 2004. There is strong indication that the persons who run CRJ did not write the absurd article about the Amhara ‘NefTegna’. According to the stated mission, the primary task of the corporation is fighting against the United States’ policy and actions in Iraq. CRJ had done that using its energy and resources. But, it is inconceivable that CRJ found it politically correct to defend the most brutal dictators in Africa from the charges of oppression and brutality against the citizens. The world’s politics are muddy, and we know it; but to characterize the aspirations of the Ethiopians to democratic rule as any thing different and contrary to peace and stability that the United States is advancing in the World is a costly political blunder. First, CRJ does not have in-depth knowledge that it takes to write with authority about ‘NefTegna’. Secondly, CRJ would not write denouncing the deeds of Ethiopia’s ‘Neftegnoch’ knowing that it would mean denouncing the American pioneers. Therefore, it is with certainty that the supporters of the dictators, the non-NefTegna Ethiopians wrote the article on behalf of CRJ. These individuals have no way to know that ‘NefTegna’ means ‘pioneer’ in English. Here are some of the simplistic and absurd ideas expressed in the article:

“By and large, Ethiopians express their love and care for their country in good and in bad times. They have demonstrated time and time again when the country faced environmental as well as man made tribulations.”

“Whereas majority of Ethiopians share a sense of belongingness, affiliation and affection to their mother land, few others have not been in the same wagon; instead, they were either indifferent or showed just the opposite.” “As the French saying goes: “Dans toute les societe il ya des bons et des mauvais” meaning in every society, there are the good and the bad. Ethiopians are not an exception in that regard either. As there are many good, gentle, honorable and heroic Ethiopians who care for their country and wish their country peace, stability and prosperity to the people of their country of origin, there are also those who care less about anything.”

“They even go as low as campaigning to stop international assistance necessary to the development endeavor of the public at large. One of their main instruments in advancing their sinister activities is the web-site known as the ETHIOMEDIA.COM.”

“It is also clear that Ethiopians have had enough of difficulties and hardships and they are saying enough is enough; Most of all, they do not want to go back to the NEFTEGNA DOMINATION AND CHAUVINISM. They are sick and tired of NefTegna mentality because such mentality is obsolete, outdated and buried.”

“One more advice is if it can not do that, it may be better for Ethiomedia to consider the following: Please instead of assisting few remnants of the former military regime such as Eng. Hailu Shawel, Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam and the likes under cover; it is better for you to publicly join them because ETHIO-MEDIA.COM is simply becoming NEFTEGNA.MEDIA.COM.”

Ethiomedia.com

First, EthioMedia.com is an extraordinary website that has become one of the premium domains of Ethiopian intellectuals and students of cultural, scientific and political history. EthioMedia.com is highly trusted and respected by Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian scholars and experts around the world. Therefore, it was an apex of ignorance, first to consider the word ‘NefTegna’ as insult, and secondly, to belittle the website that has surpassed and dwarfed the websites that are assisted and supported by the government. Ethiopia is a land of pioneers, and so, Ethiopians who are not either ‘NefTegnoch’ or sons and daughters of ‘NefTegnoch’ are uncommon. The Ethiopia ‘NefTegnoch’ (pioneers) had played critical roles in the formation of the Ethiopian people and the nationhood. In the following, the spirits of Ethiopian pioneers who expanded and stretched Ethiopia’s frontiers that have become too huge and impossible to govern and rule to the bandits are briefly discussed.

The Amhara ‘NefTegna’

The people of Mara in the present Amara Sayint region of Northern Wollo province are one of the ancient people that constituted the original people that made up the Nation of Ethiopia. There are many theories as to who these people are and where they came from. One popular theory is that they were Adals who migrated north from Eastern Ethiopia. There is a theory that Queen Makda (Queen Sheba), the last of the ‘Zendo’ Dynasty emerged from among the Mara people. The Mara people were great warriors and also traders, and it is believed that Queen Sheba used them in her adventurous travel to Israel to visit King Solomon. The Mara people were transformed culturally, linguistically and religiously repeatedly as the result of the influences of the external cultures with whom they had come in contact. Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam has asserted that the Amhara people cannot be characterized as a ‘Gossa’ (Tribe) because of their distinct presence in every other culture and way of life of the Ethiopian people.

Though the Afars consider themselves first and foremost Ethiopians who have inhabited their Red Sea-straddling region for millenia, Meles Zenawi fought against them for over 15 years, in favor of keeping them in his Eritrea, the country he wrote books in honor, and fought for its independence at the cost of the ruin of Ethiopia. The Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) is the number one force which bore the brunt of military operations the enemy of Ethiopia has been carrying out secretly throughout his ruinous tenure. No wonder the tyrant survives through ruthless killings and mass arrests numbering over a staggering 100,000 political prisoners, as well as by pitting the Afars against the Issas, the Anuaks against the Nuers, the Tigrians against the Amharas, and the Amharas against the Oromos, and of course the Moslems agaist their own Christian brethren. The good news is Ethiopians have rendered Zenawi’s “Rwanda Pledge” ineffective.

Ten thousands of Mara army who accompanied Queen Makda to Israel returned to Ethiopia bringing with them Judaism and dexterity of making paraphernalia and tools. The Mara people were pioneers who helped Queen Makda to expand her empire as far as Egypt and Arabia. King Solomon had two sons, one from Queen Makda and another from her maid. When the two brothers returned to Ethiopia after visiting their father in Israel, Ibnelhakim, son of Makda became king. His half brother Zagwe moved south to present Lasta where he lived peacefully till his death. The army was thus divided into two. The army of Ibnelhakim (Minilik I) became known as ‘Agazi’, and the army that followed Zagwe was called ‘Agaw’. That was a ‘Devine’ arrangement for the good of Ethiopia.

The Tigre ‘NefTegnoch’

Some 2,300 years ago, the people who lived around River ‘Tigris’ were driven out by advancing invaders from the north. Perused by the invaders, the farming population of River Tigris migrated further south till they reached the seashores of Ethiopia. Soon, they pioneered into the hinterland where they found fertile lands suitable for the agrarian immigrants. The ‘Tigroch’ as the indigenous people started calling them, became assimilated with the culture and tradition of the Agazians. They intermarried with the local people and accepted Judaism and lived in relative peace and harmony. When Christianity was introduced into Ethiopia during King Ezana’s reign, the dynamics of the society changed. The Agazians were further split into two. The group who converted to Christianity became dominant and powerful. Those who retained Judaism were ill-treated and often persecuted. To escape persecutions, the Agazians who maintained Judaism fled to the present province of Begemdr and to the south. The splinter group that settled in Begemdr became known as ‘Felasha’, thus forming the third group. In the middle of the Ninth century, the pressure against the ‘Felasha-Agazians’ was mounting. Gideon, a ‘Felasha’ and a direct descendent of Zagwe was hanged in public. The persecution of Gideon became a turning point in the history of Ethiopia, and ‘Christian-Agazians’. The act had angered the Agaws and descendants of Zagwe. Aster, daughter of Gideon started building the Agaw army to take revenge against the Christian Agazians who killed her father. Aster led her mighty force of Agaws towards Axum vanquishing the churches and the Christian Agazians (Amharas and Tigreans) on her way. The Christian Agazian King, Libne-ad was forced to abandon his thrown and vanish. He and his descendants lived in hiding in Tegulet as farmers. Aster was crowned as Queen Yodit, and ruled the country for 41 years. The Zagwe Dynasty was thus established that continued for about four centuries. The Zagwe dynasty ended in 1252 AD when the Agaw power declined and the Agazians reestablished themselves. After the end of the Zagwe dynasty, some of the Christian ‘Tigroch’ returned to Axum while the Amaroch pioneered deep into the west and south of Ethiopia building new towns, palaces, churches and monasteries.

The Oromo ‘NefTegna’

The ‘Oromoch’ emerged from the south and spread deep into the North, while the ‘Amharoch’ and ‘Tigroch’ from north and spread to the south. The Oromo changed the cultural mosaic of Ethiopia by infusing their linguistic and socioeconomic practices into many cultures. The transformation of the local people every where the ‘Oromoch’ reached was colossal and is one main factor for the stability and territorial integrity of the nation as a whole. The mixture between ‘Oromoch’ and ‘Amharoch’ had become such that an Amhara without Oromo blood was uncommon in the south half of the country. Similarly, in the north half of the country, the mixture between the ‘Amharoch’ and ‘Tigroch’ was such that Amhara without Tigrean blood was rare. The intermarriage was an important factor in the maintenance of the sovereign territories of Ethiopia in the North and South. During the 20th century, the intermarriages among different tribes and ethnic groups were dramatically increased by various factors. The reconstructions schemes after invasions by external colonial forces, and the growing opportunities for trade education and job as well as the pioneering spirits of the ordinary people had encouraged the practices of intermarriage and cultural and traditional infusions and diffusions throughout the country. It was due to the mixed nature of the people every where in Ethiopia that lead to peaceful co-existence, stability and harmony among the different ethnics that were other wise vastly diversified linguistically, culturally, religiously and in their way of life. These natural democratic values of mutual respect and co-existence had always been target of external enemies of Ethiopia. TPLF/EPLF bandits are enemies and conduits to the external enemies of Ethiopia. These enemies target the cultures and social fabrics because these are the foundation for the unity and strength of the Ethiopian people.

The Dirty Politics of the Dictators

The intoxicating politics of the dictators have not changed the real nature of the Ethiopian people. But the damages done by TPLF/EPLF will require substantial adjustments and massive reform to reverse the destructive courses of the last decade and a half. TPLF was not a result of the internal struggle and political turmoil and a creation of the restructuring political process as was Derg. It must be remembered that TPLF was brought from outside of the existing political system, and it was converted from one destructive force to another destructive form on the day power was transferred to it. Accordingly, TPLF carried out its assigned missions destroying first, the political independence of the Ethiopian people.

TPLF has no association with the people they rule, and with the people of the region which they emerged from, the Tigreans. TPLF represents the antithesis of the values and heritage of the Tigreans. TPLF forged unholy alliance with the Tigreans only to exploit them to achieve its goal. The dictators have exploited the mass poor of Tigray province by making them imaginary targets of the imaginary enemies of the Ethiopian people. This dubious propaganda of TPLF has found only a small fertile ground abroad than in Ethiopia. The propaganda of spreading fear and the propaganda of protecting the Tigreans is the worst thing being done to the people of Tigray. The people of Tigray know that the enemy of Ethiopia/Ethiopians is the worst enemy of the Tigray people. If TPLF’s ally, EPLF, is an enemy of Ethiopia, it is the worst enemy to the people on the frontier. The interests of the Tigrean people have never been and will never be different from the interests of the Amharas, Oromos and every ethnic group in Ethiopia. Any danger facing the people of Tigray province is a danger facing all Ethiopians. TPLF has helped EPLF to break away from Ethiopia, undoing centuries of constructions to which the Tigreans had immensely contributed with great sacrifices.

Therefore, it is TPLF, not Tigreans, that needs to fear the transfer of power to the elected leaders. The people of Tigray gain when people of other provinces gain; they lose when all other people lose. To change the means of coexistence, TPLF has deliberately and systematically provoked conflicts and frictions among people. However, there has never been a report that Tigreans in Tigray province hunting and killing any non-Tigrean person. That is an ultimate testimony of the high moral and culture of Tigreans, and the true measure of their values and heritage. The Tigreans not only pioneered the edges of Ethiopia, they had contributed to the maintenance of the nationhood, which is what TPLF is now undoing and destroying. That is the worst assault to the history of Tigreans, Except the Ethiopians in Eritrea province, Ethiopians every where have not sacrificed their unity and abandoned the motherland. The potential for economic might of Ethiopia is dependant on the unity of the people, and their ability to control the national resources. The end result of separation has been an endless struggle for survival.

The repulsive leader of TPLF refused to fight against the invaders to protect the seaport and the people. He dared the Ethiopians to go defend and protect their territories. However, he used his forces against the school children and shamelessly called his brutal forces ‘Agazians’. No need to ask Yodit ‘Gudit’ to rise from the dead to bring law and order, and no ‘Agaws’ shall be required to dismantle his ‘Askari’ force. It is ironic that CRJ who opposed America’s involvement in Iraq looked for French philosophers to whitewash the democratic struggle of the Ethiopian people. But, by not letting them go further into the French revolution, God has saved the Neftegnoch from the dreadful story of the ‘bread & Cake.’