Ethiocross Blog

By Girma Kassa:- It was sometime in the late 1970s, one morning, around Arategna Kifle Tor (an area in Central Addis Ababa), intense exchange of fires suddenly took place. Few minutes later, dozen bodies of young Ethiopians were all over the street. The dead were possibly Ethiopian People Revolutionary Party (EPRP) - activists who were killed by the then Mengistu Hailemariam led Derg Security Forces.

I do not know the names of these dead youngsters. I do not know their parents or where they came from. Maybe they could have been the only child for their parents. What I know though, is that they were shot at their early age.
It was a day after the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Front (EPRDF) forces entered Addis Ababa; I remember there were shot guns by EPRDF security forces, on civilians who were demonstrating against the Anti-Ethiopia policies of the EPRDF. In this demonstration more than 29 unarmed civilians were killed.
It was the morning of June 8, 2005; I remember the picture of a 16 years old young girl at the front pages of some independent Amharic newspapers. Shiberre Dessalegn was her name. Around Kotobe (western part of Addis Ababa), at close range, Shibere was shot dead. She is no more.

If we hear more stories from Gambella, Gode, Hausen, Assossa, Bedeno, Ambo, Ginchi, Borena, Azezo, Nakfa, Badme, Massawa ..time will not suffice to list down all the horrors and atrocities committed on Ethiopians by Ethiopians. If we count the number of Ethiopians killed at the hand of another Ethiopian, I believe it may be 5 to 10 times bigger that the number of Ethiopians killed by foreign invaders (Italians, the Siad Barre Somali expansionist forces, Egyptians …).
This is our story, a story of wars, mistrusts, hate, vengeance and arrogance; a story of enriching ourselves stampeding our brothers; a story of envy and selfishness, a story of insensitivity towards injustice.

Isn’t enough?

For how long, will we use our fingers to pull a trigger on our fellow brothers and sisters? For how long will we use our hands to write hateful and divisive articles against one another? For how long will we use our fist to beat down and torture another Ethiopian? When do we put a break on the cycle of bloodshed and violence that has made Ethiopia the poorest of the poor and at the periphery of the peripheries? When do we stop allowing tyranny and injustice reign our country? When do we focus on empowering one another, on holding hands together and working with big commitment to build a united, democratic and prosperous Ethiopia, where all its children are equal, regardless of their ages, classes, and ethnic groups, religious or political affiliations? WHEN DO WE LEARN TO RESPECT ONE ANOTHER AND TRY TO SOLVE OUR DIFFERENCES IN A DIALOG? WHEN DO WE STOP TO LOOK DOWN OTHERS ARROGANTLY? WHEN DO WE LEARN TO BE FEARED AND RESPECTED BY OUR GOOD DEEDS, INSTEAD OF BEING FEARED BY OUR FIST AND OUR SWORDS?

If we want to be a country of the 21st century, we have to dramatically change the way we think, the way we behave, the way we act and the way we treat one another. It is time to spell out the demons of hate, division, mistrusts from within us.
Instead of looking at one another with the “grudgy look” we must learn to hold the hand of our fellow brothers and sisters. Instead of the blame-game and the recrimination politics, we must learn from our mistakes. Instead of being filled with our old (sometimes century old) grudges, we must open our heart to forgiveness and reconciliation. We must change our character of being quickly filled with rage and surely SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH to the culture of violence.

There might be some people, groups of people or individuals we hate. However we must all remember: we are all human beings, created by the Almighty God, to live in a great country of ours, as a family. The tent is enough for all of us. There are enough fertile lands in the tent that can provide grains to feed all of us. There are many big rivers in the tent that can quench the thirst of all of us. Let us stop burning down the tent on one another and our children, for with the tent in ashes we will have no place to go.
In views of our so many problems, one may think the call for peace, reconciliation and spiritual renewal, as a journey towards the impossibility. Some may consider the message of hope and brotherhood as “cheap talk” that is not based on practicality. Some may have already given up.However If we address the root cause of our problem, which is spiritual and moral in its nature, we can surely achieve what we want. HATE, DIVISION, EMPTY PRIDE, UNSENSITIVITY TOWARDS THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING, SELFISHNESS, DESPAIR, CORRUPTION, CRUELTY, BLOODSHED …all are results of our spiritual sickness.
A spiritual sickness requires a spiritual solution that is more focused on renewing the mind and changing the heart.

May the Lord deliver each one of us from our spiritual bondage and give us a new beginning in this New Year. May He help us make a U-turn, away from our polarization and towards reconciliation; away from division towards unity! May He open our mind for his understanding and our heart for His love!
As we transition from 2010 to 2011, let there be also a transition and shift in our attitudes towards one another. Let 2011 be a year of healing.

Happy New Year!

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Girma Kassa. Girma can be reached muziky68@yahoo.com)