Yinegal Belachew
I wanted to give one among various titles to this piece of writing: Just few of them; Yayt Misikir Dinbit, Zer Kelguam Yisbal, Tinish Siga Endemerfe Tiwoga, Pride and Prejudice, A Review of a Book Review, A Blind lead the Blind, et cetera. But thanks to my rethinking, I chose none of these and took another, for I think it would be unusual to mix up an Amharic title to an English article or to use someones book title or to review a review. Nevertheless; come what may, here I am to review the review of this Reverend Tecolaworq Hagos which he recently published on some sites.
The title of the book he reviewed and commented is Gahdi One.
Author – Asgede G. Selassie
Signature Book Printing, 2007
Page 240 price $20.00
Any book review ought to be in the language read by the reviewer. In that case, this review and commentary should have been in Amharic. I am making an exception for the book Gahdi 1 because itis an extremely important book and should be read by every Ethiopian, and I chose to review it in English for maximum reach. (stress mine)
The FALLACY begins right here!
Everything I say here is according to me and only me. I only follow my stream of consciousness, not the so called logic or syllogism or anything like that, for I am absolutely exasperated by this brother of mine, Tecola W. Hagos. I hope hell read me as I did his.
OK, I said a bit earlier that the FALLACY started there. Let me ask you one simple logical question (Aha! sorry, I said no need of logic!), just simply simple question, who proved that English readers of Ethiopians are more in number than Amharic readers? The scholars of which country in the world have ever found such a new scientific invention and declared that the people of their country are more akin to and familiar with a foreign language? What does Tecola mean when he says, in my own words, Whereas the majority of Ethiopians never understand the Amharic language; whereas over 85% of Ethiopians are nearly PhD holders; whereas almost all the academic staffs of universities and colleges in all over the world are Ethiopians; whereas all English speaking people of the globe are attentively following the daily political and economic affairs of Ethiopia; whereas the shiftas or Mafiosis ruling junta of the TPLF/Meles is in its deathbed; . . . Therefore, I Tecolaworq Hagos have contributed this article in English so that the western hemisphere could stay hand in glove with my naughty boy, Meles Zenawi.
So fantastic. So intellectual! So funny individual! Most astonishingly more Catholic than the Pope! and more dynamically shameless Ethiopian than anyone of us. So far so good, hence.
What is meant to be Ethiopian, then? Should we always get something shameful from our people so that we have to judge one another in an exotically different manner? Should history be redefined in our time in such a way that history is the document in which the winners, in whatever way and means they win and sustain their victory, shall leave only their account in any way they wish and like?
This review of Tecola tries to replenish the empty buffet of the Woyanne, though in vain. It doesnt mention any serious evil about Meles and co. It rather goes farther to the extent of suggesting, though impliedly, to consecrate TPLF/Meles and carve a certain Tabot (ark of covenant), as may be forty fifth or so, to be worshiped by all Ethiopians to whom the kingship of Meles has brought a tremendous blessing.
Other than Herman Cohen, who helped TPLF enter Addis Ababa in that bloody year of 1991(gumbet)? How many Eritreans do you guess had assisted TPLF in all fronts? What is the purpose of all this lying? Who denied the credit of the Woyannes that they had liberated us, Ethiopians, from our liberty? They deprived us of the small freedom we had and rewarded our silence with an utmost slavery, a slavery which has never been seen in this physical world hitherto. Period. No, not yet for a period, who welcomed and introduced Mr. Apartheid in Ethiopia when His Excellency was chased out of South Africa? It is Ato Meles and his friends. Period. If anyone denies, it is up to them. I stick to my reality, they with theirs. Deal!
Look at this nonsensical blabbing.
It is often claimed by opposition groups and the general public that EPLF was the main player responsible for the defeat of Mengistu Hailemariam and that helped TPLF fighters to overrun Mengistu’s Army and enter Addis Ababa in triumph. The fact is far from such exaggerated claims, for the numbers of EPLF fighters who were embedded in the TPLFs expeditionary forces that entered Addis Ababa were not even one hundred distributed in different TPLF fighting unites, [units] hardly of any significance. [pp159-163] Those EPLF members were joined by EPLF security personnel.(stress mine)
Only ONE HUNDRED EPLF fighters? Does this figure include Meles and Bereket or not? Leave alone ordinary fighters, how many of the central committee members of the TPLF were and still are Eritreans? What is the gain of such a bitter joke, dear Tecola? I know you are citing, but at the same time you are supporting and moreover you believe that Ato Asgede is a man of the people. I dont have any grudge on that actually. He could be so, though I know nothing in that regard. But as you said if he had been one of those eleven core members of TPLF in the beginning, there is no reason that Ato Asgede ccouldnt be one among those men of the people who deserve our indebtedness.
Tecola beautifully narrates the evils of our former cruel leader, which is right, good of him, and appreciable, but he doesnt even mention a single of the pogroms carried out by his man, thanks to Tecola, he himself rewarded me this ugly expression indirectly, Meles: – the Agnuaks in Gambella or the Amharic speaking people in Arbagugu, Bedeno, Majetie, Jimma, Asebot, Gonder, et cetera. Why? Well, it is simple. If Tecola mentions these massacres and the over all destruction Meles handed out to his mother land, Ethiopia, his man would be offended and may be exposed to the international community. Such is stupidity! Such has become Ethiopianism! Such as me and such as him and such as such people of his like and my like are equally claiming to be Ethiopians! Wonderful time, amazing historical conjuncture.
Look at this paragraph:
This is a crucial time for most Ethiopians both in the Motherland and in the Diaspora. Both our liberation and the healing of our spiritual lives may start with our facing the most unpleasant truth of our recent history starting from 1965 to date. Mengistu Hailemariam committed genocidal murders in Tigray and Eritrea, and countless assassinations and public executions of students, civilians from all walks of life (not even sparing religious leaders); he unleashed a reign of terror unheard of in Ethiopias long history, for eighteen years devastating the national economy and social life. Thus, all those who were associated with Mengistu at high policy level relationships should never be involved in any capacity in our Diaspora political opposition. There are many individuals whose hands are drenched with the blood of their innocent victims. Such criminals are hiding allover the Free World, in the United States, Britain, France, Germany et cetera. It is often the case that such criminals often times may be part of opposition groups in clandestine or open activities of agitation and despoiling the names and reputations of those who challenge them, continuing their Red Terror activities from the era of the dictatorship of Mengistu Hailemariam. Some even have the absurd idea to reinstate the criminal Mengistu Hailemariam back in power.
I am not opposing his narration about Mengistu, though he is too far away from Ms. Fairness. Those Dergue people, who werent arrested and exposed to an indefinite extrajudicial imprisonment then, wherever they might be living currently, are by now dead or old, or if alive, maybe they have learnt from their mistakes and might have corrected or adjusted the way they perceive the world by now. When I say this I dont mean that a criminal should remain unprosecuted, they should, unlike the woyannes who feel even as if they are above God, for the time being of course.
But understandably, this brother of butchers, this Tecola, who apparently looks psychic individual, seems as revengeful as his kinsman at Arat Kilo and is saber-rattling to slaughter them if he gets the chance. Look how he is blood thirsty! His education never changed him; rather, it worsened his animalistic behavior and is pushing him for another vengeance. Doesnt he develop a sense of forgiveness after all those 20 years while in due course of time we have fresh butchers here in Addis? Or is it because these murderers are not murderers for the fact that they dont cut the throats of the people he knows well at his vicinity? Is it not really surprising, ladies and gentlemen? Shouldnt he silence his pen instead of stoking up unnecessary duels at this time wherein every one of us should abide by the cohesive factors of mere humanity if not possible at all to enhance one Ethiopian nationality? Who is going to benefit? Who forbade him to come and takeover one of the ministries rather than serving the junta as a mole embedded in the Diaspora?
Look at the following citation as his MASTERPIECE in his appraisal review.
Mengistu’s brutal Government unleashed a wave of genocidal massacre in Tigray. It is ironic that we hear and read about “genocidal Meles Zenawi” whose crime is absolutely miniscule[minuscule] compared to the hundreds of thousands of murdered and brutalized Ethiopian Citizens by Mengistu Hailemariam.
Well, if you once get out of your sane mentality nothing good comes out your of mouth, or pen in our case. According to Tecola, Meles Zenawi should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to his contribution in regard to killing hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians, sending millions of citizens off the country through Bale or Bole and exposing them to an atrocious life of emigration, impoverishing millions of Ethiopians irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliations, composing scores of ethnic based tribal anthems along with their flags so that the name ETHIOPIA itself would be forgotten shortly afterwards, OH! Yes, Meles crimes and sins are MINUSCULE in Tecolas own terminology! Or if he used it unknowingly, he should take some courses in how to use some diction in English.
Minuscule: Extremely small (Encarta Dictionary)
Minuscule: Extremely small (Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary)
Minuscule: Extremely small in size or amount (Macmillan English Dictionary)
My last words: Of course Mengistu Hailemariam jailed, tortured, murdered, zillions of people in his usurpation. I dont sympathize with him. He could be analogous to the cruelest father in a nation. But Meles Zenawi jailed, tortured, murdered, not only people but also he tried to destroy everything ETHIOPIAN in nearly irreversible manner. And unless the braves come soon and retrieve the country from the gripping hands of these devil-incarnates, just within five or ten years, no, no, no, that is not going to happen. [አፌን በዳቦ ያዝኩት]
Let the braves come soon! God bless Ethiopia! Yinegal3@gmail.com