Those who fight with pen should die by the sword ?
http://www.eaglewingss.com/fight-pen-die-sword/
If you ask where the quote is about “who lives by the sword shall die by the sword” I would answer and refer to you the bible. A verse, from Matthew 26, 51 and 52;-
“ 51st ….and behold one them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand ,and drew his sword and struck a servant of the high priest ,and smote off his ear. “
“52nd ….Then said Jesus unto him, put up again the sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” I think we don’t see any ambiguities here with what bible says about the sword, right?
The sword ambiguity with dictators;
As many of you may know back in 1993-1994 in Algeria, there was a movement of intellectuals against religion extremism and fundamentalism that took many scholars lives with the slogan and order -“those who fight us with a pen should die by the sword” ? And these days, again this slogan and order took a new return, with a new version of the E.P.R.D.F those who fight with pen and protest for their right automatically subjected as terrorist and been end in to the very dangerous prison cells and/or murdered with ammunition and bombarded in a broad day light.
If you ask more over again who is in fear of pen ,and who is terrorist and extremist ,and who is using the slogan and order “those who fight us with a pen will end up in solitary confinement and in a hollow prison” ? For torturing, killing and intimidation of journalist, poets and writers, believers, and bloggers? I assure you, it is the extremist E.P.R.D.F regime in Ethiopia!
Ethiopia and Ethiopians are still fighting for the freedom of speech and expression and for freedom of civil right and for a better tomorrows Ethiopia. Here, I write this article to pay tribute to the patriots of pen, to those who were even sharpened their pens and words to the best of their generation, and most of all, to Ethiopia and Africans peace and integrity. In general, to those who were, and those who are still a prominent in pens entities; – his Excellency Dr Leul Kebede Michael, his Excellency Abe Gubegna, his Excellency Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedhin, his Excellency Paulos Gnogno, his Excellency Negadras Tessema, the legend Bealu Girma, and the all time classic Sebhat Gebre-Egziabher and many more who had penned numerous novels and volumes of poetry and words of wisdom. I still want to pay my tribute to those who are still a prominent poets and writers; his excellency poet Abera Lemma, his excellency Dinaw Mengistu, an outstanding award wining Ethiopian-American writer his excellency Dirbdil Assfa Akriso, her excellency Hiwot Teffera and many more… .
I still rant and rebel against of all those evils who are besieged our pens, paper and the soul group of pens entities. I will bleed and conduit it to my ink as much it needs to speak out for those who are recently killed in Ambo university’s students of Ethiopia, to those who were imprisoned and tortured, to those who are still in prison with their all courage in pain, physically and mentally, for freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of journalism, freedom of self political standing, beliefs, and conscience: Andualem Arage, Eskender Nega, Bekele Gerba, Olbana Lelisa, and many more hundreds … who are towards the abyss.
Reeyot Alemu (a prominent critical columnist) now rounded with the new victims the “zone 9” bloggers. This logo, in fact these days, reflects a political sarcasm and is highly chewing on the streets of Ethiopia and reaching the layers of fb, twitter. The phrase has been quoted by Reeyot Alemu while the bloggers were at visit ‘zone 8‘ to see Reeyot, interesting political metaphor. By the way, who gives legacy for Dickens book the ‘tale of two cities’? Why not we? to Reeyot. We hope she will tell in the near future the tale of two prisons ‘the zone 8 and zone 9 ‘.
Befikadu Hailu, Atnafu Berhane, Nathnael Feleke, Mahlet Fantahun, Zelalem Kibret, and Abel Wabela, Tesfaye weldeyes, and Edom kassaye. Eyerus Tesfaw, Yonas Kedir, Yeshewass Assefa, Emebet Girma, Abera H.M., Abebe Mekete … I said to you all, don’t worry! Zone 8 has the power in intertwined you more than ever as number ‘8‘ looks. I mean, no one can unleash us simply.
Though, men and women may be imprisoned and gunned down but words of freedom and pens will never die. You guys taught us how that we must be entirely lucid and unwavering towards the struggle of civil liberties. You know what? Albert Camus asked “what is rebel“? and answered his own question as “A man who says No.” It is at this point, when fear is gone that whole nations say no, and it is when tyrants fall.
I felt blue with infinite pain in seeing these young men who fought for us for freedom of speech, civil liberties, and for the rule of law. All these heroes had suddenly caught up only with their pens and become subjected as super chief of terrorist and their pens and blogs are subjected as mass weapon destruction W.M.D. Let me humor you slightly here if not enlighten. Thank God, the Nobel peace price winner Mohamed Elbaradie did not listen to this, because he may get angry on the E.P.R.D.F in getting other W.M.D with out his knowledge and /or acknowledgements.
And of course, likewise, this could be considered as attacking his legacy. And hope this Norwegian Nobel peace prize committee would not select and Nominate the Ethiopian regime for his discovery and his effort in weakening the ‘zone 9 ‘ WMD and announce it with out telling first to Mr. Mohamed Elbaradie.
But, who knows, still there is a gossip that John Kerry visiting is a double standard and might be connected to the “zone 9 “W.M.D apparatus and its made in, whether from Egypt or Iran. Hello world..? do not be naive in expecting John Kerry visiting the universities were to make other round students debate or to take a list of attendance who were active at his presence on previous debate and are now absent from the debate and their whereabouts?? Who cares that? so long as the increasing human double digits in Ethiopian Guantanamo prison cell are drowned by so called double digit economy booming. Kerry knows where he ends, because he is a good Catholic in bringing peace and baptizing these two Nile boys to the best of his or Egypt interest?? Anyways, so long it isn’t yet the dam finished, it is us to pay all those myriads of damn things because of this damn dam politics!
We know that those who are in solitary confinements and in a hollow prison of Ethiopia’s Guantanamo are those who are most deeply and clearly understood the nature of the beast. But Pens and words of truth and liberties will never die, they are already clinging into the web of the world and or /with the flesh and souls of freedom fighters, courageous Ethiopians cheetah.
My condolence and condemnation towards the Ambo massacres;
However, I knew that the issue of Addis Ababa political and economical expansion and urbanization plan could strike the blow to divide political groups, ethnic nationalist, and local individuals into just many opposing factions towards Addis Ababa. Not in preserving its multi-ethnic society and rich in diversity and not in just regarding the poor farmer?? I would be on the side of the common people who believe that Addis should remain as the queen to all others Ethiopians state. Having said that, I strictly condemn the unfair displacement of the farmers and local residents not only for those who are located and exposed around Addis but including those who are displaced from many part of Ethiopia. And I condemned the dictatorial regime of Ethiopia of its act of barbaric killing, detaining and torturing Ambo university students and the local society; its masscare of at least forty Ethiopians Oromo students and local individuals that has been reportedly killed on the protest against Addis Ababa expansion and urbanization plan.
The students were unarmed and only exercised their pure human right on freedom of speech and freedom of expression, but the return from the tyrant regime were ammunitions and bombs with excessive use of force to disband the peaceful protest. And these all inhuman actions are unacceptable in any norm of political aspect. All this political frustration indicate that the time has come for its ending the rule of repression; the time has come to us to establish a free nation of Ethiopia based on respect human right and a spirits of solidarity.
I urge to the world to condemn with me both the ruthless action of the dictators and those who are creating ethnic divisions and ethnic abhorrence among Ethiopians and driving the path of the struggle to civil liberties into bloody civil war. The responsibility for the human loss that are happened in Ambo rest on the dictatorial regime and on some narrow nationalist groups who are instigating ethnic abhorrence, and xenophobia. The people of Addis Ababa have not even entitled to determine its own fate regarding the region, and it is totaly absurd to assume as if the people of Addis Ababa have a hidden agenda in expanding the city or marching for a land grab from Ethiopian Oromo farmers.
Here the author want to stress that the question of the Ambo university students are correct and fair. But what we mean is that those who are jeprodising the protest and playing behind the student crowd made their point to shift the student demand into other regional conflict and creates unnecessary ethnic political division and suspision among peoples towards this fair and correct political and human right question of the students. This group has to take into concideration by the student and as whole citizen. All this human loss are deliberetly orchestrated to target those innocent students. This groups of monger and hate are not easily identified as they are inside universities, they are within the regime political party groups and they are within the political dissdent groups there in homeland and here abroad among the diaspora. Here we need to understand as citizen that we all have to protect the student political demand and human right question from the inhuman action of the regime; protect all those who are displaced without their will, concideration, and appropriate compensation, and stand togther for a nation solidarity against the dictatorship in Ethiopia.
I speak my mind the concept of human right violation and the political demand of urbanization plan is two different things. However we believe, it is a right for any body to express himself and protest in showing his political stand and demand in a peaceful way, and whoever ethnic political demand is on the air, we are always there to support the crowd in respecting their human right freedom of speech. But that doesn’t mean that all Ethiopians in homeland and here in diaspora and/or the people of Addis Ababa are there and /or should be there to support the logo of the protesters? No! We are opposing only and condemning the evil act of the regime against the human right violation on freedom of speech and the unfair displacment of the poor farmer. This doesn’t mean that we are all having the same political stand and opinion to envisage the Ambo Ethiopian Oromo students as it is representing me and you. In that sense there are things that split us indifferent ways of political aspect and self standing in terms of the logos of the protesters. What we mean is, here, the logo of the demonstration and the right to protest is two different things. Here the author want to clear himself to his readers that his condemnation is directly focused on the human right violation against the dictatorship of Ethiopian regime on freedom of speech and freedom of expression, the unfair displacement of the poor farmers, and its inhuman and barbaric act of killing towards those innocent Ethiopian Oromo students.
We are advising here those who are narrow, noxious ethnic politicians and those who are whimsies, created as T.P.L.F dolls to ask themselves and be faithful atleast to show political civility for those they claim to reprsent; to take time and think the right way in order not to bring other unwanted human loss, specially the lives of innocent peoples and students. I do believe this struggle needs only nation wide solidarities to face the dictators and fight dictatorship against all those evil narrow ethnic federalism politics, injustice, suppression of freedom of speech, and freedom of expression.
Mingling civil liberties questions with narrow ethnic politics could not take us in to any further and would not help for the ninety millions multi cultured divers society. Whenever there is more splitting and division based on ethnics, the mess would be more helpful to the regime for divide and rule plan, for power elongation, and for other more human slaughtering. So wake up from your erroneous, narrow ethnic beliefs and adhere to the nation wide needs in wiping out dictatorship and poverty from Africa once and for all.
In the end,
I would even like to assert my standing to those internet trolls who are jumping like a mad dog and/or a busy venom spider from web to web and spreading and spiting hate among readers and among peoples by misinterpreting individual’s ideas, opinion, into their cheep ethnic- abhor, by pretending awareness to those they don’t even belong and which they don’t dare to come to the field to face the challenges of practically of their preach. I said to you, you will never and ever cheat us, and you will never ever be able to dismantle the real affinity that have been established and clinging within culture to culture, religion to religion, land to land, and people to people.
I will whisper you to go and ask the Ghadda God, to go and ask the Axum God, to go and listen to Bilal and see the minarets in Ethiopia from north to south, east to west. They will tell you that all their Gods calls and knows them as they are Habesha Ethiopians.
So those of you who are assuming yourself as not Ethiopian, leave us please and let us be continue in who we are. No one can give me and no one can choose the ethinic prescription to which I belong. I am already made of a menu mingled of diversified culture somewhere in Ethiopia. I declare to you that I am a city boy somewhere in Addis even though I been living in here indistance. If you think in that way, I am cold to my country issues, then you are wrong. Those of you who came right from sugar cane and sorghum farming by leaving your sickle behind and happened here in Europe by chance to create this narrow ethnic divisions by loading yourself with a ferry tale asylum case and indulging your delusion by fake name and playing like a ding dong person with a rose, queen, and a king of pal talks and forum patriot, …. p l e a s e e e e? You are in way off base to play with us! Stay there with your ethnic dolls and leave us alone! We know it very well that this new campaign is deliberately concentrated to shift directions and wreck the spirits of united movement against dictatorship.
I assert you that Addis Ababa is a free land; free of hate and free of ethnic division; we born free in there and grown-up freely. With the love of all those different fathers and mothers, different cultures and traditions, with the melody of a city, with the essence of multi cultured fresh air. I can say a lot about my city: Addis is the core of unity and diversity; Addis is the core of mutuality and fraternity; Addis is a lounge to the rest of state; Addis is a market for millions; Addis is an office to the world; Addis is a library to those who explore about symbol of freedom for Africans against the colonialist; Addis is a desire to arise a sense of humor; Addis is a shore to a poor; Addis is my home, my love, my every thing … Addis is not rigid that she doesn’t belong for some few rigid people. Rather, she remains as she was belongs to all. Dear all Ethiopians, Addis needs our sound and help in this critical time to protect her from this narrow ethnic plague and greed of selfishness and overindulgence of a few elites and corrupted political feudals.
The need for our mental strength;
Our movement and struggle for freedom of speech and independence from a long aged ghost dictatorship needs to look back and realize the intuition, courage, and philosophy of ancient India the “Abhaya Mudra” or the “No fear”. The gesture of fearlessness, the sign of non-fear by stretching the right hand and five fingers up, and turning the palm outside and believes by “face the world with a peaceful mind” , to say No ! to the fear. To say No! to dictatorship. To say No! to Poverty. To say No! to Illiteracy. To say No! to narrow ethnic chauvinism. To say No! to Hate monger among ethnics. To say No! to those venomous spiders who are hiding in web sites and spiting their evils on characterization of individuals and peoples thoughts, standing, and opinion with cynicism.
Our heroes are practically applied it and still the blue party young cheetah are on the move with the spirits of ABAHAYA in shaking and cracking the four decades ghost of dictatorship in Ethiopia. The generation of change and possibility as it has been quoted in good ways by professor Alemayehu .A, Africa the continent of the “Afr-I-cans” is on the move. The third eyes of this generation, the brave, visionary and practical young citizens are an example to those who are in politically rambling in homeland and here in diaspora. Whether we, willy nilly, these are creating awareness through facing imprisonment, execution, torture, intimidation. I said to those who are imprisoned on behalf of the millions: here I am to continue your words of freedom even though, you stuck in for a while.
All this inhuman repressions of free speech and freedom of press that have been reported recently ignite the world which evokes the question: is this dictators Ethiopian regimes reaching the point of political crisis ? Of course yes! It is the sign of cracking. Believe it or not, pens only knows where the weakness of dictators. Whatever kind of power and armament are covering them in and out, it is only pens that know how to penetrate in to their weaken part of evil system. It is very wise to remember at this point, somehow, the ‘Achilles heel‘ in Trojan War. Our arrow is only the pen and civil disobedience to weaken dictatorship and for the down fall of dictatorship.
In spite of that we are in aberration of execution, prisoning, and intimidation by those dictators to shrink and weaken those merging strong pens entities, but this incite us for another mass rebellion. Intimidating students, journalist, bloggers, and writers will never be the solution. It is time for the regime to respond the millions’ political demand, its time to listen the people and make way for peaceful transformation of power, to its mass owner and the deserving majority. For a rescuing hundred of thousands of poor children who are throwing in nowhere of the abyss, for a rescuing millions youngsters who are waiting for human trade slavery, for a freedom of every single Ethiopians, for a free Ethiopia, with a fair justice and egalitarianism.
We don’t depend on the John Kerry and never wait any mighty from U.S.A. It is us to bring the freedom. It is at the hands of the new generation, our own political demand and civil liberties can not be an offer, and not even a favor. No one can dare to abridge a single right of ours and /or to interpret it through false noxious narrow political outlooks, and a prejudicial kangaroo court. I swear to you, that this pen and soul mates will never be stay in a giddy. It is always us to be sharp and fair for a better tomorrows and never stop nagging its truth and justice with out any mediator in telling that we deserve the freedom.
A thought to our heroes;
Something is on the air – see up the sky, it is blue and summer is on the run as is freedom’s yellow [deleted] are ready to take my wish to those who are in need of my love. To those, that I truly want to share their grief and happiness through a moment of this foggy distance of my exile. I said to their God and of me: O’ Lord of our, say it is enough! Those souls there and here deserve a freedom. Unity, Unity, Unity! God bless Ethiopia, God bless the pen and God bless the world!