[elias]

By Helen Epstein

Today, Western nations give $3.5 billion a year in aid to Ethiopia, most of it for health care projects, food aid, and other development programs. Of this, the US alone provides roughly $700 million—an amount that has quintupled in the past decade, even as the nation’s human rights record has deteriorated to the point that Freedom House now designates it one of the least free countries in the world. The Ethiopian government has rigged elections, taken control of the economy, and outlawed virtually all independent media and human rights activity in the country—including work related to women and children’s rights, good governance, and conflict resolution. Thousands of political prisoners languish behind bars and dozens of editors, journalists, judges, lawyers, and academics have been forced into exile.

But when Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died last summer, then-US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice praised him as a personal friend and a “talented and vital leader.” When she remarked that “he had little patience for fools, or ‘idiots,’ as he liked to call them,” some in the opposition believed she was referring to them—and approving Meles’s sentiments. Rice’s support for authoritarian leaders in Africa was highlighted by critics who opposed—and ultimately derailed—her nomination to be secretary of state.

Perhaps most worrying of all is the unwillingness of Obama and other Western leaders to say or do anything to support the hundreds of thousands of Muslim Ethiopians who have been demonstrating peacefully against government interference in their religious affairs for more than a year. (The Ethiopian government claims the country has a Christian majority, but Muslims may account for up to one half of the population.) You’d think a nonviolent Islamic movement would be just the kind of thing the Obama administration would want to showcase to the world. It has no hint of terrorist influence, and its leaders are calling for a secular government under the slogan “We have a cause worth dying for, but not worth killing for.” Indeed, the Ethiopian protesters may be leading Africa’s most promising and important nonviolent human rights campaign since the anti-apartheid struggle.

Yet the United States, along with other major donors to Ethiopia’s government, including Britain, has stood by as women and men have been hideously beaten by police, hundreds have been arrested, eight people have been killed, mosques have been raided by security forces, and twenty-nine Muslim leaders, including lawyers, professors, and businessmen, remain in jail, charged with trying to use violent means to create an Islamic state... read more

Then in 2011, on the pretext that the Islamic community was being radicalized by fundamentalist groups, Meles invited a Lebanese Islamic sect known as “Ahbash” to Ethiopia. The group, which was founded in Beirut by an Ethiopian exile in 1983, preaches obedience to government and opposes politicization of religion. All of Ethiopia’s Imams were required to go to meetings to listen to these newcomers, and were threatened with imprisonment if they refused. In the meetings, government officials were invariably present, and would lecture the imams about “Revolutionary Democracy,” the ruling party’s particularly rigid political doctrine. Most Ethiopian imams are volunteers, who work mainly as farmers, teachers, or in other trades to support themselves. But those who resisted taking part in the meetings and refused to preach the “Ahbash” version of Islam soon found themselves replaced by government-appointed, salaried adherents of the new official religion. The imams and their defenders began organizing nonviolent demonstrations that have since spread across the country.

“We have a cause worth dying for, but not worth killing for.”

the Obama administration has given priority to US military aims.

I believe the weyane regime is in big trouble. The Muslims are not going to blink nor to shut their mouth. The demonstration will continue and most of Ethiopians will join the movement. The Era of weyane regime will be over sooner than we expected.
A very interesting article. Every one must read. Thanks Elias.

Ojr

Be honest and tell us the truth. now the question is what is yes ur religion?

Why are we looking or waiting for the American or British to care about Ethiopian issue?? As long as there is somebody willing to do business with them they won't speak up it's us who's supposed to speak up. If we always run to them then they can manipulate us. Even if the west become against the Ethiopian government it's not gonna be for Ethiopians but because they are not co operating with them.

Ojr

Be honest and tell us the truth. now the question is what is yes ur religion?

I don't believe in heaven and Earth philosophy . Is that a crime? To be honest with you I don't care about religion.

Ojr

Be honest and tell us the truth. now the question is what is yes ur religion?

This is the most popular religion these days. You can bet Brother OJ is doing his prayers five times a day for this beloved god of the masses.

Obamajr: the worst form of religion is "ignoring God" and saying he doesn't exit. You seem to relish and proud to tell us you don't believe in God the Almighty. It is not a crime but lack of brain. God loves us all and wants you to love him. He created you and you will stand in front of his throne whether you like it or not. So I beg you to wake up and accept God the Merciful into your life. Stop this nonsense. Yes we are living in very troubled time where humanity is running away from God by its own choice and that is recepie for disaster. God wants you to love him in your own free will not agansit your will and whether you acknowlegde or slander him, he still loves you and wants to you to love him in return. Hope you wake up and I will pray for you.

You can have as many gods as you like. But no theocracy in Ethiopia at all No Mulas No Ayatolas will assend to the highest post. No sister fucckxxnnng nor dead wife fucxxkinng. That is taboo in the past it will remain the same

Obamajr: the worst form of religion is "ignoring God" and saying he doesn't exit. You seem to relish and proud to tell us you don't believe in God the Almighty. It is not a crime but lack of brain. God loves us all and wants you to love him. He created you and you will stand in front of his throne whether you like it or not. So I beg you to wake up and accept God the Merciful into your life. Stop this nonsense. Yes we are living in very troubled time where humanity is running away from God by its own choice and that is recepie for disaster. God wants you to love him in your own free will not agansit your will and whether you acknowlegde or slander him, he still loves you and wants to you to love him in return. Hope you wake up and I will pray for you.

expert, where have you been? Do you have another nick? God loves every one.
Don't try to lecture me about religion. I don't need any one to tell me what to believe and not to believe. I don't need your prayer. You do it for your self. I hope you got my message.

Ojr

Be honest and tell us the truth. now the question is what is yes ur religion?

This is the most popular religion these days. You can bet Brother OJ is doing his prayers five times a day for this beloved god of the masses.

I don't have to pray to make money. I bust my butt to make money.
I am not a lazy like you wasting my time going to Church or Mosque. I don't waste my time with empty building..