“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”
-Lao Tzu
The same author of the above quote from the ancient past had written one of the most widely read books in the world. In that book he says among other things: “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” I came also to read the following beautiful statements from the author: “ Simplicity, patience, compassion. These are your great treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate towards yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” But who cares seriously about these things? Certainly not governments run by corporations. Not also in Lao Tzu’s country where state capitalism is run by the communist party. Otherwise why should China support brutal dictators in Africa and the Middle East. Just look at it defending the barbarous regime in Syria alongside Russia and the others. The differences among superpowers seem for the time being to melt into thin air? I think the war on terror is only a prelude to an intercapitalist military confrontation in the rat race for controlling resources. I hope I am wrong.
A few days ago an Eritrean friend of mine passed over to me a document entitled, “Report on the Conference on the Future of Eritrea and Ethiopia” by Vision Ethiopia and ESAT. The conference was held last October at Georgetown Marriott Hotel, Washington. It was spearheaded mainly by Amhara academics and former bureaucrats. It was attended by ex-American diplomats and other dignitaries who enjoyed being in the spotlight. Among them was, as to be expected, Dr. Mesfin Abdi from our ODF. The conference represents a U-turn in Amhara political thinking on Eritrea, but not a complete U-turn as yet. It did not renounce, for example, the Amhara or, let us say, “Ethiopian” claim to Asab. Still, one of its organizers, Professor Mesfin Wolde Mariam, lavishly praised Eritrea for not bending to foreign powers!
The story-line of not bending to foreign powers is a myth long cherished and permanently promoted especially by Amharas in Ethiopia. Emperor Menelik’s victory over Italy in Adowa is always cited as a turning point. Indeed that was no mean feat. But it was achieved through French and British involvement on the side of the Amhara emperor. The aim was to limit the sphere of Italian influence in a brutal European inter- colonial competition for more colonies. Yet Professor Mesfin deserves credit for being the first living Abyssinian high academic to my knowledge to admit in an open forum that successive Abyssinian dominated governments in Ethiopia served and still serve the interests of foreign powers. Of course, he could not speak of “Abyssinian dominated” Ethiopia. How could he? That is a big taboo even for the cynically clever TPLF. To admit it is like killing the sacred cow of Abyssinian hegemony or like looking into one’s own brutal ugly face. It is better to hide behind the facades of glory and great achievements. Yet the TPLF, in its determination and haste to recruit slaves from oppressed peoples, has broken this taboo in some ways on paper and in its oral propaganda though it remains empty words in practice. Its double-digit growth, its statues, its dams, its master plan and finally its space agency are meant to divert attention, to deceive the world and exploit the acquiescent masses. I can humbly proclaim: poverty, decease, famine, religious and ethnic persecution and permanent terror still represent the real face of the Abyssinian empire despite the systematic propaganda to the contrary.
Could it be that Amharas are trying to catch up in this endless, tiresome vicious game of rhetoric regurgitating the old stuff? As Oromos, we know too well the political statements and gestures of the Abyssinian elites. They may sound impressive and important to the outside world at which they aim. Mostly they are gimmicks to cover up facts on the ground. Today Abyssinia is as far as ever from admitting the reality of its empire. However, its elites have never been alone. They have learned to adjust or adapt themselves to new world situations manipulating international conflicts. They have become experts at double-talk and double dealing.. Today, more than ever, they have cast their nets wide within an exploitative and aggressive global system that includes Russia and China. Naive Oromos often underestimate this reality.
Coming back to the conference, the aim of its organizers seems to end Eritrea’s isolation and rehabilitate it in the so-called international community ending the embargo against it. This is understandable in the light of the bid by Patriotic Ginbot 7 to oust the TPLF from power with the help of Eritrea. The Western countries have been describing the regime in Eritrea as a brutal dictatorship promoting Al-shabab, while praising and aiding the TPLF regime extensively as a factor of stability in the region! But where is the truth? What is the difference between the two regimes? There is no evidence that Eritrea supported Al-shabab after this group turned to Al-qaida. By the way, the group turned to Al-qaida mainly because the Western countries refused to recognize legitimate Somali interests and patriotism favouring Abyssinia in the most crude manner, in the same way as they favoured Israel and ignored the vital interests of the Arab people looking for solutions to their social and political dilemma, forcing even moderate intellectuals to sympathize with militant extreme religious fundamentalists… Even moderate Muslims such as Mursi who tried to respect democratic standards have no place in a world run by global corporations who dominate all the so-called international institutions. Naive Muslim pacifists in Ethiopia are rotting in TPLF jails.
Back to the point: No doubt that Eritrea is a dictatorship like many others run by a clique. But where is the difference? TPLF is is a highly structured, well armed, and, technically, highly mobile fascist organization benefitting from the logistics of western military machine in the region. But even western governments cannot control all its actions completely. One day they will regret supporting it. It is by far more brutal than EPLF. The last major Abyssinian genocide has taken place under its rule in the Ogaden and Somalia itself. This has been swept under carpet by the mainstream media and the so-called international community. But anything goes when it comes to the sweet pleasures of the financial empires.
To my astonishment even none of the Somali TV channels raise this issue today. This shows partly the extent of opportunism on the part of the individuals running those channels, and partly the extent to which the Somalis are generally being cowed by the Abyssinian terror. Besides, many Somalis in the Diaspora are desperately trying, just as so many Oromos, to compensate for their inner loss and disorientation by trying to get rich as quickly as possible. In the not too distant past many refugees and immigrants to the west, especially the US, could end up earning their living in much less brutal conditions than today. Today the corporate interests have drastically narrowed the space for free employment and self-employment. In this situation, many of us are trying to take shelter behind the appearances of false religiosity.
Recently many Oromos in the Diaspora have been rushing back home with enticements from the TPLF. They include a number of big mouths in Oromo paltalk rooms. Some are already back among the Diaspora with assignments from the fascist Woyane to spy on others and to sow the seeds of division.
It worries me a lot that many Somalis, generally speaking, are slowly becoming like Oromos in every way succumbing to apathy, fatalism, selfishness and carelessness, to the satisfaction of the Abyssinian hegemony. Our nations will remain victims of Abyssinia and its global masters, as long as we keep ourselves devoured by regionalism, clan hatred and religious fanaticism.
Many of our women are persuaded by weak-minded opportunist preachers to wear the ugly wahabi hijab thinking it would somehow help to lessen our pains! It is complete non-sense. The way is ahead forward to greater freedom, more awarenes and better education, not backwards to religious tyranny and hypocrisy. All those circles in the west who exploit the images and metaphors of terror to advance their own aggressive interests are speaking of reforming Islam, even after they have sabotaged the Arab movements for democracy represented in the Arab spring. Some of these circles intentionally go to the extreme point of hiring highly opportunist individuals, lacking imagination and the knowledge of history, from muslim backround, to disqualify and defame Islam as a religion. They inflame and hurt the feelings of large number of good, peaceful ordinary followers of this great faith among great faiths, to provoke them into mindless actions . Religions, like many other issues, must be seen, among other things, from historical perspective as well. Muslim societies can be reformed only by rational moderate Muslims from inside far from western aggrandizement and dictation. We must be able to examine coolly and honestly the shady side of our history like many followers of other religions… We cannot challenge western corporate hypocrisy by retreating to our own medieval hypocrisy of the era of the corrupt sultans and caliphs. Today’s kings, sultans, emirs and their vassals, protected by western interests and military bases, are having fun exploiting our women as housemaids and sex objects slaving to make ends meet in a brutal struggle for survival. All in all it is a shameful saga.