By Agere Mekuria
Dr. Getatchew Haile, the pen, indeed, is mightier than the sword. Of course, this is not a foreign concept to you; since I have witnessed you wield it with expertise to combat your ideological, political, philosophical, and religious adversaries expertly (as seen in your bickering with Orthodox clergy in the past and Kinijit.Org postings). It is also a known fact that you are an Ethiopian scholar who is extensively published and are considered an authority in your field. Having said that, your tendency to play the “renaissance man” and overreach the boundaries of your expertise often makes you appear to be a demagogue who relishes the limelight as a detractor instead of an elucidator. Given your wealth of knowledge and experience and if you were able to exercise some impartiality, you would have been regarded with the deserved reputation of a scholar and a force for unity instead of division. As it stands, your writings leave one with the impression that you are being used as a vanguard attack dog or that you yourself are fueling the flames of division.
Increasingly, your writings, political and otherwise, can be categorized as either casting aspersions or defending yourself as a result of the venomous verbal volleys you lob with impunity.
I was prompted and induced to write to you after reading your most recent piece on the Kinijit.Org website, where, once again, you are defending criticism, deserved or otherwise, that has been directed at you. As a truly impartial observer, that reads postings, articles, analyses, open letters, etc… from various websites that purport to espouse issues relevant to Ethiopia or disseminate news or propaganda, I have noticed time and time again where your writings resemble those of a cadre, adept in the art of diatribe, as opposed to a level headed elder scholar sharing his views and analysis in a manner befitting that description. It was, once again, the case in your latest piece entitled “Response to My Critics.”
Permit me to expound…
1. Your insistence, possibly derived out of your belligerent chauvinism, to insist to repeatedly refer to the current despotic government of the EPRDF, yeTigre Weyanewoch, does not serve any purpose except to inflame and alienate. This is the equivalent of a prosecutor, making the state’s case, continually referring to the ethnic background of the defendant; e.g. the alleged Mexican murderer, etc… You should be wise enough to know that repeatedly using the ethnic group when you attack the ruling government gives the impression, even when unintentional, that your main opposition to it is based on ethnicity, rather than its track record and policy. As such it serves to inflame and exasperate an already fragile situation and makes you play right into the hands of those you oppose vehemently. Wisdom dictates otherwise.
2. In this same piece, “Response to My Critics,” you state unequivocally that Ms. Mideksa is a usurper or has designs in taking power illegitimately because she oversteps her boundary and apologizes for any offensive remarks written on Kinijit.Org.
Dr. Getachew, apologies are not the means by which one usurps power who has thirst for it. If ‘ye siltan timat’, as you refer to it, can be quenched by apologies, more of our politician would be issuing them. Apologizing is the greatest act of humility and detracts from no one and is known to heal wounds and not cause them, as it has seemed to have wounded you and those you speak for. You say that Ms. Mideksa, has “[crossed] the line and [undermined] the power of the chairman” by merely apologizing. Is it in the KINIJIT by-laws that only the chairman can make apologies? Has there been a division of responsibility as to who slings mud and who apologizes (although it is becoming abundantly clear)? It seems that YOU are overstepping your boundary and give the impression that you are speaking for the chairman when you engage in character assassination and attack Ms. Mideksa for daring to apologize. You also asked whether Ms. Mideksa has apologized for “un-KINIJIT websites” for the same offenses. If you considered this a bit before letting the ink fly, you would determine that she aptly only apologized for the website that has KINIJIT in its name and banner, an organization for which she is the elected First Vice Chair.
In explaining about your review of Mr. Tsige’s book and trying to clarify any misinterpretation, you ask “But can’t you trust me at least this much if I say there is not?” and ask us, as the readers, to take your word for it. The answer is a resounding no! You have lost credibility in the eyes of many ‘tazabis’ who have witnessed you become increasingly more belligerent, less effective, and only capable of casting aspersions. That wealth of knowledge you possess is no longer being used to educate, liberate, and enlighten but to wound, divide and exasperate. So that knowledge has become ‘ye gaan mebrat’; lighting no path and useful to none. You should have chosen to take the moral high ground and become impartial and beyond reproach; instead you chose to ally yourself with one ‘group’ and attack with impunity everything that hints at criticism of this ‘group’. One thing life and religion teach us is that redemption is never out of reach… Dr. Getachew, it is never too late to redeem yourself.