Minority Diaspora Ethiopians and the Politics of Hate

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Minority Diaspora Ethiopians and the Politics of Hate

By MA, August 11, 2012

Recently, the vocal minority in United States that is ranting and screaming under the banner of dis-functional individuals and groups held a meeting to elect once again its leaders. This was chaired by the lunatic drug addicted Elias Kifle. The group elected the usual hate filled individuals who regularly change their affiliations every week. It is like changing T-shirts every morning. Sileshi was elected the chair. This guy has been to Eritrea with Elias Kifle to pay tribute to their master Isayas. They also joined EPPF which is nonexistent now. They again moved to join Kinijit which is history now. Now they are back again with what is called Ethiopian National Transitonal Council which is funded by Dr. Eshetu. First it was five people that were elected then they added 6 and made it 11 people now they are back again to the original number five.

A quick review of the opposition web site exposes a group so consumed by its loathing of Prime Minister Zenawi, TPLF and EPRDF and opposition fails to offer any substantive information on where it stands on the issues of the day.

Every issue area on the opposition web site begins with statements followed by attacks on the Prime Minister and the EPRDF. In fact, more web space is devoted to attacking Prime Minister Meles and Tigray than to advancing Democratic ideas. True to form, the opposition constantly releases false propaganda that devotes fully half of its space to attacks on Meles.

Phrases like "woyane," "colonizer," and "genzeb wede kebele, tigre wede Mekele,” “neo-colonialist” “neo banda” “The enemy in our midst” fill the writings and demonstrations, which should have been devoted to advancing Democratic ideas. Here is an example of hate based politics that deprives others from supporting or listening what EPRDF officials have to say. “Now that they have come out in the open to support the regime and facilitate the CRIME MINISTER’S ethnic based meetings in public forum, it is high time that their names be made public and published on the Ethiomedia so that the public at large would know the enemy in our midst. In effect, exposing these parasites would help safeguard our future plan of action that will be considered, whatever it might be, to free our people from tyranny “ . While EPRDF’s focus is to "...expand the pace and scope of programs...," "expanding health services," “ Electrifying villages” “constructing Dams” "building a network of roads, schools, telephone service that link every corner of Ethiopia,"." This shows a government determined to pull Ethiopians out of the shackles of poverty, ignorance and disease. While the so called opposition and the minority vocal Diaspora Ethiopians focus on incessant attacks on Meles and other Ethiopian officials who are working day and night to strengthen the democratic process.

The sad thing is they oppose and fear the development of Ethiopia. They prey day and night that all development projects that are taking place to fail. They have even demonstrated against the building of the renaissance dam, traveled to Egypt to ask the Egyptian government to stop it. They are desperate and running around like a mad dog to no avail. Out of curiosity, I also navigated my web browser to the government web sites in search of EPRDF’s further agenda for Ethiopia. Remarkably, I found a party that laid out clear positions on every political issue imaginable, while devoting almost no space at all to attacking the opposition or the day dreamer minority Diaspora Ethiopians, its positions, or its members. There are virtually no attacks and no hateful rhetoric, just clear, detailed positions on where EPRDF stand.

Even though Genbot 7 is currently under life support, It is advancing two themes: that EPRDF is corrupt and evil, and that government in the form of Genebot 7 is the answer to the problems faced by Ethiopians today and in the future. While claiming to be the best choice for Ethiopia, Genbot 7 t offers no solutions to the issues it raises. Instead, what one hears and reads is inflammatory speeches on internet video; it practices the politics of hate that obscure the inevitable truth: the "New Direction for Ethiopia” " under Genbot 7 has no direction at all. The current turmoil in Genbot 7 with its members and agents shows how egoistic, hate filled, corrupt and messenger of Isayas it is.

I've been thinking about how often the word "hate" is used in a political context these days. It almost always comes from the minority Diaspora directed at Meles Zenawi. And more often than not, it's an expression of hatred for the man himself, not the politician or his party. Of course, it would be inaccurate and unfair to say that all Diaspora Ethiopians express this kind of hatred. But enough do that it makes me wonder if hate has been elevated to the status of a moral value in our political discourse. Is it necessary to say you hate Meles, Tigray, and EPRDF in order to be accepted among Diaspora Ethiopians of a certain stripe?

Is this furthering democracy or dictatorship. From what we hear, and experience personally, Diaspora politics is designed to deprive others their democratic rights, to support dictatorship and not to allow democratic discussions or democratic plurality. One can follow what ESAT stands for.

Some opposition supporters in Diaspora are not willing even to discuss points that might indicate Meles could be anything less than pure evil. There are no shades of gray, no nuance. They cling doggedly to every argument that supports their fixed opinions, no matter how tenuous or unreasonable it may be.

It's hard to discuss this without being labeled a Woyane, kemalam Tigre, or even a dreaded "colonizer,”. In this new climate of highly personal hatred of Meles and anything Tigrian or for that matter EPRDF. That's one of the things that worries me about hate having become a political value--it leaves no room for moderate views or compromise.

I believed that the most positive characteristics of a democrat in this day and age in Ethiopia for that matter any where in the world should be based on tolerance, respect for every individual and intelligent open-mindedness. Sadly, those values seem quaint in this atmosphere of hate, and few vocal Diaspora Ethiopians have diminished themselves by letting it happen.

This personal hatred of the people of Tigray and other nationalities that are beginning to assert their equality and power, has put minority Diaspora Ethiopians in a box they may have trouble climbing out of. How can they ever admit that someone so hated may have been right about something or may have achieved successes? The depressing reality is Diaspora opposition may be so committed to their hatred of Meles that they can only rejoice in Ethiopia’s failure and disgrace. Is their hatred of Meles so deep and personal that anything is acceptable to justify it? One needs to look at the articles posted at EthioMedia, Ginbot 7 and spoken at ESAT the mouth piece and reservoir of hate.

The hate mongers vocal minority Diaspora Ethiopians are also fabricating news to use for their bankrupt propaganda. Let me mention the recent lies 1) The so called Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) outright lie “Meles is dead” 2) the defection of officials. 3) Power struggle within EPRD because of “Meles death’. All have been found to be outright lie.

Recently in one of his outrageous and outright lies Elias Kifle said “EPRDF is arming Tigrians through out the country”. This kind of unfounded allegations clearly shows that minority Diaspora Ethiopians bankrupt and desperate strategy. Little did they know that Ethiopia and Ethiopians know who is for Ethiopia and who is not? The Nations and Nationalities of Ethiopia can no longer be fooled by remote control because they know and have witnessed what Diaspora interest is. - to grab power by any means necessary including by allying with terrorist group like Shaeba, ONLF , OLF and Alshebab and Ginbot 7 . The politics of hate has no place in Ethiopia, and majority of Ethiopians at home and abroad have no respect for those who embrace it.

The truth is that since EPRDF came to power in 1991, even the international community and Ethiopia’s development partners have conceded that Ethiopia is heading in the right direction. Not only are there infrastructural developments that have made the nation the envy of other East African states, but agriculture and the mining of the country’s precious resources have been revived, while commercial and business activities have taken new dimensions with many international airports in every corner of the country seething with investors coming in every day to take advantage of the profound investment opportunities. EPRDF has also set an indelible record in Ethiopia in its absolute respect for fundamental human rights and the tenets of the rule of the law. Ethiopia under EPRDF with Meles at the helm as a driver has become a haven for pro-democracy activists, journalists, civil society, youth and women’s group and peace and security region in the land. Ethiopia and Ethiopians have never had it so good, thanks to the inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

However, one area of life in Ethiopia that is causing concern even to the international community is the caliber of the opposition both at home and abroad. The opposition is a party that never fights a cause larger than its own, and that has not engaged in any visible socio-economic and political development in Ethiopia, has remained the most barren, unprogressive and unproductive. Ethiopians both at home and abroad now know that the opposition (in the country and abroad) has nothing to offer or credible to present to them by way of a socio-economic and political blue print for national development. The only strategy in their mantra is dirt obtained from the sewers. The international community also has read through the opposition and realized that it is not in the interest of the country, it is not progressive, not unified has no value for Ethiopia and Ethiopians but focuses or is day dreaming on climbing the apex of power at the expense of the country .

If scabs from the sewer are all the opposition rely on they can continue scavenging the gutters for dirt against Meles or EPRDF because they have been used to living in the gutters. They and the supporters they claim to have in the diaspora, who are dirt hunters and their rag sheets like ESAT and Genbot 7, live perpetually in the gutters and thus must continue to peddle gutter stuff as political materials. They spend their time in forums trading dirt with any one that has a different view. For Prime Minister Meles and EPRDF in general, what is important is continuing to deliver the immaculate socio-economic and political developments that have made Ethiopia the pride of many nations. Prime Minister Meles and EPRDY will never be deterred by the opposition’s campaign of dirt and scum mongering. Prime Minister Meles and EPRDF have a mission, which is to make Ethiopia stronger, wealthier and more progressive nation. When all is said and done Ethiopians at home will remember not the sum peddled by the good for nothing opposition but the marvelous progress delivered to the nation by EPRD uunder the leadership of Prime Minister Meles.

Ethio- Canadian Federation in Toronto

Toronto, Canada. August 9, 2012