By Fekade Shewakena – The harrowing experience of Ethiopians on the doomed Ethiopian airliner in the Mediterranean Sea last week, and the racist ways in which grieving Ethiopians who were trying to know the fate of their fellow Ethiopians on the plane were treated in Lebanon, could have been used to raise important questions and start a more important discussion. Sadly, it is being deflected in a useless direction – complaint about racism, anger at the wrong parties and a cyber-war or words with the wrong culprit. Frankly, I find the self deceptiveness and empty bravado and hypocrisy of my fellow Ethiopians more maddening than the racism and degrading treatment of Ethiopians in Lebanon which we know exists in the region all along. It is good to be angry and not unreasonable at all. But it will be a foolish exercise if we don’t know where to direct our rage to. In my view, this anger has to be directed primarily at ourselves for letting this to happen to us. If we think that this experience is an isolated case then we have closed our eyes. What has gone so wrong with our generation, the sons and daughters of a proud people, who throughout the ages fought hard to keep their pride and dignity and never let anybody look down on them? What the damn went wrong with us!
As we often do in many cases, we are taking our eyes off the big picture, completely failing to raise and answer the most important questions that we need to ask ourselves about our country and ourselves as a people. How and why have we ended up being subjected to this kind of humiliation and racism and how are we going to end it? How is it that the beacon of hope and freedom of black people around the world ended up making an industry out of exporting their beautiful children to slave labor in the Middle East at the turn of a new century?
To those of you who seemed to be angry by the racist treatment of our fellow Ethiopians, I have some more questions for you. What were you expecting a bunch of maidservants who live and work much like medieval slaves were going to be treated like in a country where most people only know them as domestic slaves? Do we expect them to read our history before they buy their slaves and be forced to care that we Ethiopians are a proud and dignified people with a along and proud history of not allowing ourselves to be looked down upon by anybody? Was this the only incident and instance that Ethiopians have been treated in inhuman, degrading and racist ways around the Middle East? Have you asked why even our Airline, Ethiopian, the island of modernity in Ethiopia that we are all proud of for its world class service and record, and frankly, one that dwarfs most Middle East carriers in every respect, couldn’t dodge the racism. Have you seen how minutes after the accident and before any evidence was available, the transport minister of Lebanon and their journalists blamed the accident on the pilot. And mind you, this is a terrorist infested area and the first eye witnesses were saying the plane went down in flames. You see, after all, Ethiopian Airlines is owned and operated by a country and people that dump their beautiful children as slaves in their countries to work seven days a week in the most dehumanizing conditions. So, what in the world have we expected them to treat us like other than in indignity?
There are many more questions that any Ethiopian worthy of self respect should ask. How many times have you heard epidemic levels of Ethiopian suicides in the Middle East? How many of us have heard Ethiopian girls throwing themselves from the top floors of buildings to end their misery in these countries? Haven’t you heard that the Ethiopian embassies in these countries routinely tell our slave sisters to go to hell whenever they ask for help? How many times have we heard that boatloads of Ethiopians travelling from Bosaso in Somaliland sink in the Red Sea while attempting to reach the cost of the Arabian Peninsula where they were treated like animals? Have you wondered why hours after the first boat capsized with all Ethiopians on board others keep riding the next ramshackle boat taking a chance on their lives? Haven’t we seen pictures of Ethiopian women beaten, sometimes even burnt by their masters in this region? How often have we heard women thrown into jail, or their passports confiscated and thrown out on the streets for voulchers to play with them? Have we not heard that many are often denied their slave salaries by their masters and thrown out on streets? Have we not heard that many dead Ethiopians are simply buried in the sands and vanish like the wind? How many of us have heard Ethiopian maidservants calling the voice of America or Ethiopian community radio stations in the West to tell us harrowing stories of mistreatment and racism pleading with us for help? An Ethiopian airline crew member I met recently told me that it is not unusual to travel from the Middle East to Addis Ababa with many young Ethiopian girls who suffer from extreme forms of depression and trauma, some who lost their minds and behave strangely. Yes, there is some awful thing happening to us as a people and we seem to be lost. If there is anything strange in this particular case, it is our attempt to treat it as an isolated case, a self deception that borders on stupidity. Rather than blame ourselves for letting this happen to us we tend to project it elsewhere.
The first job of any government anywhere is to protect its citizens, so we hear in nearly all countries. In that case we have no government. We have allowed robber barons to rule over us. The anger should be directed at us for letting our country be run by a slave trading oligarchy – the government of Meles Zenawi that turned selling young Ethiopian girls in the Middle East into a huge industry. I hear that this slave trade is now becoming one of Meles Zenawi’s most important hard currency earning businesses in the country.
From time to time I meet some pigs who feed at Meles Zenawi’s trough. They tell me something I already know very well. They tell me the economy in Ethiopia is growing. Nobody is contesting that other than the inflated statistics cooked-up in Meles Zenawi’s office for propaganda purposes. This is not even a secret. I have heard it from people who work on analyzing and reporting the data. These pigs, like any pig, hardly understand the meaning of economic growth and development as it relates to social welfare and how to measure it and account for the source of the growth and who benefits out of it. If they see buildings and asphalted roads and bridges and a few people in Addis Ababa and elsewhere striking it rich overnight, that’s it- economy is growing. They seem to have very little clue that the TPLF is expected to do something for a living or that it is supposed to show us something in the form of growth for being one of the world’s most important destinations of billions of dollars of foreign aid in the world and the huge remittance from millions of Ethiopians abroad, including from the slave labor its sells to the Middle East and the massive number of children it sells for adoption? By the way, have you stood by at major terminals of Ethiopian Airlines? The most common scene is a parade of people carrying small Ethiopian children. I once saw an old Ethiopian woman crying profusely at the site of the little children at Dulles Airport in Virginia. These adopters say they pay a fortune to Mr. Zenawi’s government to get these children. Did you hear that the government of Australia saw the obscenity and was forced to stop it recently? Is this a proud thing to do for a people and a country which boasts “unheard of” economic growth?
The naming of the Abay Bridge by Meles Zenawi is an interesting illustration of how Meles himself and the pigs at his trough perceive economic growth and development. According to the local media reported at the time of the inauguration of the bridge, Meles Zenawi named the bridge “Hidasse dildiy” – meaning the “bridge of renaissance”. What makes this interesting is that the construction of the bridge was 100% funded by the Japanese government! Silu semta doro tanqa motech!
Whatever its source, what is economic growth or development anyway if it is not meant to improve the life of people? Why is it that our loss of pride and dignity and humiliation so positively correlated with this reported growth? I mean, how is it that the more the country grows economically, the more people live in humiliation and desperation, and the number of the poor increases exponentially? Who is getting rich any way? What the pigs and the TPLF officials don’t tell you is that the number of the absolute poor and the perennially aid dependent population more than tripled since TPLF arrived in Addis Ababa almost two decades ago? Beggary is no more a humiliating exercise in Ethiopia. It used to be. If you happen to meet any of these pigs, or any of the government officials who brag about economic growth in Ethiopia, ask them to show you what the country manufactures and sells to the world other than good old coffee and other agricultural products that we began exporting a century ago. Ask them how many extractive industries like mining are operating.
And lo and behold, a slavery of epic proportions is hovering at your door steps. If you are not redirecting the anger and rise up to make changes as any people worthy of dignity and respect must do now, wait until the Middle East tycoons begin operating the land Meles Zenawi is selling them at bargain prices now. If you think the current land grab in Ethiopia is traditional investment and not colonialism, just wait until your relatives begin working in the Egyptian, Arabian and Asian plantations. I am not sure if it will be too late by then. If you are angry that you are despised outside of your country, you will see what it looks like when they come home to take the land our fathers fought hard to leave for us. But when are we going to say enough is enough! Ehhhhhhhhhhh!
The writer, Fekade Shewakena can be reached at: Fekadeshewakena@yahoo.com
February 4th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
We may have been, for a brief period in African colonial struggle, the becon of hope and freedom. That was long gone. We are known for other reasons among Africans right now.
Ethiopians in the middle east have always been treated as slaves from almost the begining of recorded history. Even in Islamic traditions and holy writings, there is more than abundant reference to Ethiopians as slaves. There were even Ethiopian slave kingdoms in middle east. To this day the word Habash means slave in southern part of Arabia and even in northern Somalia.
Remember the slave of Ethiopia, like the famous poet of Arabia, the famous fighter of the Qurayish clan who slained Hamza and the famous slave who for the first time recited the “Azan”.
It is time that we ethiopians to stop the tragedy that is going on in middle east against Ethiopians.
February 4th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
well done! but folks is there any way that large number of ethiopians can read such a strong message? This should be translated and be avialable for wider audience.
February 4th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
what a shameless nation and a shameless people we have become. They talk about the airplane but not about the people. ባለቤቱ የናቀው ን ጨ ው አሞለ ብለው ይጥሉታል
Thank you for putting it in perspective.
February 4th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Brilliant article! We are so disorganized and disunited that it is blessing for the enemies of Ethiopia as a whole. Even us in the diaspora here are complacent not using our professions, skills and knowledge to protect out citizens even outside. As our story says, “dir biabir, anbessa yasir”, this proverb is actually used by the West taken from Ethiopia’s proverbs and they are applying it. Unfortunately, we don’t use it. It is disgrace that while Lebanese officials came out and said something about their victims and blaming us the pilot, Ato Melse and Co. have been silenced and in fact I am not surprised if they didn’t give the green light. What is sad is that Meles and co. are showing their muscles against Ethiopian people, yet, they are like mouse against outside aggression. So much for the great Meles. Our kings will roll on their graves.
February 4th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
I feel sorry, but how is this different from, when the Tigreans and Eritreans were getting air raided bombed in civilian markets by Amhara dominated governments, the Amharas were throwing party here in washington Dc and around the world.
So how is this racism diffrent ?
February 4th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
One Heart One People.Yes,indeed;Ethiopians are currently nursing their broken heart because their sisters aboard EAL perished into the sea.Broken heart aches.
Those the children of Ethiopia,the little ones and the adults are Taxable goods and commodities to the gangs who own,run, and control EAL in the business empire that they created for themselves since they invaded Ethiopia and held citizens hostages at gun points.Guns and Bullets Don’t Vote People Do.
For the past many years,The Criminals who who ran EAL had been exporting Ethiopian girls to the customers in the middle east on a daily flight schedual.profit,Profit,and Profit.The criminal gangs have now begun branding their products and commodities.Girls,Girls, Girls Ethiopia The Land Of Tommorow. When the robbers came into Ethiopia,they had nothing but guns and bullets to loot and kill Ethiopians.They moved into the neighbourhoods and broke into homes and vandalized the lives of families;they then scattered around the country that they invaded 18 years ago and quickly moved into villages,towns and citites,ambushed and robbed families of their precious little ones.
The only remedy for a broken heart is,When Ethiopia is free,the girls will be free too.Ethiopans Fight the Enemy today.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Your argument gave me a lot of sense Fekade. I agree that we need to work to eliminate the source of all these problems. Our anger should focus on ourselves for lowering our selves and for being unable to come together for common causes. Looking for common ground and come together and work for all is a civilized way of dealing with problems.
In another note, I have a question for Kinfe Assefa: Where Profe. Al’s article on Teddy Afro? I thought the EMF was a stage for free press. We usually see Prof. Al’s weekly articles on this site. Now, he writes about Teddy Afro and it is on every Ethiopian web site, but not there in EMF. Why is that? Ok. I get it Kife Assefa has been passing rumors on Teddy Afro and he can’t handle anything positive about Teddy Afro.
Well, in my opinion for the situation we are in right now as Ethiopians, people like Kinfe Assefa are major factors. When people fell to see the benefit of unity, they become easy target for slave masters.
February 4th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Every body who speaks Amharic does not mean his ancestry is from Amara race.There is nothing that makes the Derg all Amhara dictatorship.They are a mixture of low level officers in the army from every ethnic group.The woyanes would never have successeded if the Ethiopian people knew their ethnic apartheid agenda.
February 4th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
It is a good and a well- thought description about the situation in which thousands of young sisters and daughters are experiencing an incredible dehumanization in the Middle East. However, it is very unfortunate that we sacrifice most of our times and energies talking about symptoms not about the very causes of our untold sufferings. What is more ridiculous is that we are not still in a position to focus on how we can make ourselves free from the tyrant political system, rebuild our country and reverse our politics of poverty. I THINK UNLESS WE EVALUATE OURSELVES AGAINST THE FOLLOWING BIG BUT NOT YET ANSWERED QUESTIONS, I AM AFRAID WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. QUESTIONS TO BE POSED ARE: HAVE WE ( INCLUDING THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE) REALLY DONE OUR PART TO BRING THE HORRIBLE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE TO AN END?? ARE WE CONSISTENT ENOUGH AS FAR AS OUR SUPPORT FOR THE STRUGGLE GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY IS CONCERNED?? ARE WE NOT VICTIMS OF EMOTIONAL AND SEASONAL POLITICS? ARE WE WILLING AND COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO GO BEYOND THEORETICAL OR RHETORICAL PLAYING FIELDS? The list of questions can go on and on. The problem is we raise countless issues and questions and leave them without practical answers or solutions.
Let’s come up with articles/writings that deals much more with what and how we should do to get out of the miserable situation in which our people ( in the country and abroad) are languishing.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:37 am
ፈቃደ ጉዳዮን በሚገባን መንገድ ስላቀረብከው በጣም አመሰግንሃለሁ:: እኔ የምኖረው ሱዳን ውስጥ ነው:: እዚህ የማየው ሁሉ በሁሉም የመካከለኛው ምሥራቅ ሃገሮች ያለውን ስለሚመስል ሁሌም እንደተበሳጨሁ ነው የምኖረው::
ለችግሩ ብቸኛው መፍትሔ ሁሉም ዜጋዋ በኩራትና በባለቤትነት ስሜት የሚኖርባት አገር መፍጠር ብቻ መሆኑ ያልገባው ሰው ካለ ‘ከእንቅልፍህ ንቃ’ መባል አለበት::
February 5th, 2010 at 5:21 am
We missed your wonderful articles for a while. Thank you Fekade for eleqouent description of bare facts and bitter realites taking place in Ethiopians. I am always wondering when and at what level of repression the treshold will be over. I doubte if after all we have a treshold above which we could not accept such a misery.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I suggest this article must be translated into different languages as soon as possible.
About the woyane economic growth, we must be getting dull if we really even consider the term ecomomic growth.
There is NO Economic growth in Ethiopia. What we see is a transfer of money from the poors (including any form of foreign aid that happen to be for the poors) to the woyane opperated mafia covers such as EFFORT. In short, the poor money is inflating the pockets and foreign accounts of the mafia group and their cover business organizations. So, the mafia group money is for sure inflating every year by 10% as the misery of Ethiopians increasing exponentially. So, I am for sure there is no any Economic growth for a country called Ethiopia.
Foreign agencies, especially the West, are doing a lot of harm and adding a lot of misery to our people.
So, as Fekadu said it with anger, only a responsible government would turn the downward trajectory of our country. The root cause of all this misery is the regime in Addis Ababa who has determined to dismantle the country and make the resources and the people available for sale. Out of hate and evil thought, our enemis in Addis Ababa are saling eveything at a discount rate which hasn”t been heard in any corner of this planet.
As we exile and as we serve as medivale slaves, woyanes are benefiting a lot: exiles are a huge source of remittence, the slaves are a huge source of hard currency, and all who are outside leaves a free space for woyanes to ride the country alone.
The only remaining solution is to fight this greedy and evil regime by all means possible. The battle field is in Ethiopia without any doubt. Ethiopian diaspora who want to fight for freedom and democracy in Ethiopia must devise another strategy instead of pointing to the attention of Westerns. The West has betrayed Ethiopians and will continue to betray unless we reshape and redesign our way of struggle.
Save our money and time againing unecessary effort towards the West. Instead, we must concentrate to a struggle that can be taken place in Ethiopia by Ethiopians.
The battle field is Ethiopia if we want to get out of all these miseries before it is too late. I concur with the idea of Fekadu that Arabs who are buying (rather robbing) our land will be here to transform our society to homemade slavery.
The battle field is in Ethiopia and by Ethiopians !
The battle field is in Ethiopia and by Ethiopians !
The battle field is in Ethiopia and by Ethiopians !
The battle field is in Ethiopia and by Ethiopians !
February 5th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
ክብር ክብር ቀቅልህ ብላው. ይህችን ዓገር ለ3 ምእተ ዓመት በድህነት አፋፍ ላይ የቆየችው ክብር እየቀለባችሁዋት ነው:: my friend blame game is not the solution. መፍትሔው ደግሞ ውጨ ካለው ጊዘ ያለፈበት ዐስተሳሰብ ከተናወጠው የሽማግሌ ትውልድ ዐይመጣም:: ለወጣቱ ትውልድ ተወው::
February 5th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Thanks nice article.
Freedom ????????
When the Eritreans and the Tigreans get air raid many Ethiopians cried. Many pays secrifice. Remember the secrifice the Ethiopian elites particularly the son of the feudals paid for questions like land to the tiller. For freedom of religion, for supporting national question….. We get to think as a human being when we blame some body. If that has happened by the ruling parties you have to blame the ruling party. It can not be an excuse for what is happening now. If Mengistu was facist is it an excuse to TPLF. I dont think I have to tell you this, wether you like it or not If you are an Ethiopian you share the disgrace and the dehumenisation. If you are an Eritrean you have a diffrent message…with little objective, try to read again what you have written as a human being. Some people have lost value, moral, respect to themselves, dignity…….
February 6th, 2010 at 3:29 am
EMF is doing good job sensoring,deleting and dictating articles.
THANK YOU!
February 6th, 2010 at 11:05 am
The enemy,it is what it is because it is dangerious and destructive to the existence of both Ethiopia and Ethiopians.We must remove it for once and for all.We need diagnostic tools and methods to perform professional troubleshooting on the enemy itself and on the persisting problems it created in the land it invaded.
The enemy is wasting and depleting the land’s precious resources both material resources and human resources in the system it created for itself.
Let’s begin taking steps to finding solutions by saying:- how am I achieving my goals,as responsible an Ethiopian so that I will have answers for the question,why am I here on the Earth?
February 6th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
First thank you for the deep and more explanatory article I ever read these days. I was feeling better in a way while with the story which in some ways explain my feelings. I wish you will contribute to more web pages and send it to An Amharic news papers too. This is the way we have to think to ourselves and to our people too. When we see everything in Ethiopia there is no one thing we got better, but everyday we sell our selves to others and did not even keep our history for the next generation. Everybody let us do it practically not in theory. Thank again for your effort and time.
February 7th, 2010 at 7:36 am
D&D
you are one of those woyanne criminals and at the time Eri were your
bosses for that matter,and secondly good that you peoples tries to
part of zenawi politics but ask woyannes to train you before joining
civilized Ethiopians and the samething goes inside the country woyanne
enjoys being surrounded by peoples from his area who never asks why
but the whole political work is being made by Ethiopian sell outs as
woyanne is busy in looting the nation.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:51 am
[..] A bit unrelated, but I rather liked this website post [..]