[This the third piece of the series on Eskinder Nega. (Please read the first here (link) and the second here (link)]
The mindless repeated praise of Eskinder Nega’s newspapers is not necessarily a conspiracy against Ethiopia or the Jewish.
A number of short-sighted considerations as well as mediocrity partly explain the matter. There are several factors that undermine Ethiopian-related statements of otherwise respectable Western rights-groups: Mainly, ignorance and arrogance. In fact, given the know-it-all, self-righteous and opinionated stance of most western activists and journalists, it is not hard to imagine why they routinely commit gross mistakes. Of course, there are some, though well-informed, choose to toe the wrong line, either due to convenience, personal grudge or peer-pressure.
The situation among Ethiopian opposition activists is a bit mixed: There are the extremists and there are those who see the extremists’ rhetoric as a justified tactic. There are some, who might deserve some sympathy: Those compelled to sleep with the extremists under the pain of losing assistances from some western groups and the well-endowed camp of the extremists.
Perhaps, a comment on my Facebook Timeline by an academician, Nahusenay Belay, sums the matter well:
“Let me ask why those guys who were telling us Eskinder Nega is an innocent victim of EPRDF and is a demonstrative instance of the press situation in Ethiopia are silent to denounce his genocidal and racist publications put in front of their eye. …..
Eskinder Nega’s newspaper genocidal propagation was framed as if within the liberal conceptions of freedom of expression and freedom of speech. They were consistently striving to prove his innocence and his victimization of EPRDF’s “cruelty”. The question is why? There are at least two probable objectives embedded in it.
First, as active participants of the struggle against EPRDF they have to make sure that they are in line with like minded comrades- simply whatever is said by a comrade from within is right and if consequently some legal prosecutions followed it is to be considered as a deliberate attempt by the government to muzzle ‘alternative’ voices. Simply it is a matter of configuration of force.
Second, in the case of some individuals who are sentenced in absentia, there is a strategic move in it. It is very simple, by denouncing the government claims in its totality you are telling others that your case is also baseless, politically motivated and then you claim innocence implicitly. For instance, Mesfin Negash’s relentless innocencization of the Swedish Journalists by referring to the “Kangaroo Court” concept is very illustrative. Here I am not proving innocence or criminality of someone but I am claiming that the deliberate mystification of Eskinder Nega is happening for a defined political objective. My claim is strengthened by the silence of those guys even after this explicit exposure of Nazi like publications of their hero Eskinder Nega. This exposure is a good hindsight to the nature of those who praised him and wish to be like him.”
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I shall directly lead you to reading the translated extracts from Eskinder Nega’s newspaper, Askual, May 15, 2004 edition. (it is continued from the May 8/2004 translated and published in part two of this series).
As this is the third part of the series, I assume you read relevant introductory and clarifying notes in the previous pieces. (Yet, I shall note that the original texts is repetitive and presents history in the present tense, thus the reason I made a word-to-word translation of lengthy quotes.)
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Get Lost Judae
(May 15/2004)
Patience is not alpha and omega. It has a starting and an end point. A human being cannot go beyond his biological nature. That requires divinity. No one has the right or the mandate to intervene. Yes, we are correct. The German people have stood resolutely. Who can hold them back? By whom can they be stopped? The German people have realized a poisonous tribe or a scheming community is a cancer to a country. They have taken a solid position not to give a fraction of a faction minute to the Jewish. From now on, the economic superiority of the minority in German will cease. Every German will hold its legal citizenry share from the national economy. The majority shall no more be bystanders! The majority shall win! It has become necessary for the Jewish to hate the day they were born. No one is more powerful than the majority. It is hoped that swift action will deliver victory. The destruction of synagogues has escalated. Let’s quote what was recorded in Nov. 10, 1938.
[Then, it makes a long Amharic quotation, without citing a source, about the destruction and burning of Jewish synagogues and cemetery in the German towns of Darmstat, Eberhardt, Grieshiem, Graefenhausen, Oberramstadt, Bernsheim, Lorsch, Heppenheim, Rimbach, Birkenau, etc.]
This is an achievement of the German’s struggle. The bees are stirred. The tigers are on the move. The bee knows what to do when its hive is messed with. The German lion is angered. It is on fire. It has no patience to tolerate the Jewish anymore. What about us, Ethiopians? How long are we to tolerate the Judaes? When will we stop petitioning to serve as underlings of our Judae rulers? How long will we be ruled by the enemy of the country and the people? How long will we buy goods from their businesses? How long shall Ethiopia continue pouring honey and milk for our ruler and their people? Why is our slavery limitless? Why don’t we understand that we are waiting our death, though already as good as dead? Get closer and listen to them. You will listen our rulers’ peoples discussing which model of heavy-truck to buy, while you and your friends talk about a warning letter from the servants of our rulers for failing to pay utility fee on time………..
Our rulers bring excuses to lengthen their time. Judaes have never lost an excuse. Show them your manhood in action. In what way are you unfit to rule them that they are ruling you instead? How come Bandas are on the terrace, with a crown, looking down at you? Learn passion from the Germans. Learn unity from the Germans. Learn determination from the Germans. It is possible to change the status quo in Ethiopia. Let’s resolve not to live tolerating racists. Let’s have a gut. Let’s be smart. Let’s have the determination to halt the political and economic privileges of traitors. Let’s notice the lack of national feeling is what killed us. Let’s stand by firing a national feeling amongst us. No one can stop a people who lost patience. The fervent German people shall be cited, as it is an exemplary one. Let’s quote in the original language:
[Then, it repeats, this time in English, the above-quoted narration about the destruction and burning of Jewish synagogues and cemetery in German towns.
This time the source is cited as – “The Case Against Adolf Eichmann”, Henry A. Zeiger. A Signet Book, The New American Library, Page 41]
The German people have achieved a miracle. It held the Jewish accountable for the evils that befell on every aspect of the German life. A people has the right to go in any direction it believes in. Who can hold it liable? The German people’s experience proves the need for popular participation to eliminate a tribe or community in a country. Like it or not, ethnic cleansing is carried out with popular participation. It is a lie to attribute an act of genocide to a single party or group, leaving the people alone. That would be covering up the truth. A genocide campaign always essentially represents the stand of the people. In any country, a cancer race, tribe or community shall be exterminated. It shall be done whenever it is necessary for the preservation of a country.
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Stay tuned for the next part of this series.
[P.s. – I will upload scanned copy of the original Amharic edition as soon as my internet connection gets better.]
Check the Human Rights archive for related posts.
Previous posts:
* On Eskinder Nega | Setting the record straight
* Eskinder Nega’s newspaper justifying the Holocaust
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Note:
(As I said previously, your queries will be addressed in detail in forthcoming posts. Yet, I need to briskly note two points)
*The comment (made by a few Ethiopians and westerners under the previous posts and elsewhere) claiming this blog receives funds is not a new thing. I always ignored the claim as writing a proper response would be time-consuming, while they are unlikely to change their mind. Plus, I didn’t want to give the impression that I would decline if offered a support. Thus, the fictional claim should not discourage you if you (as an individual or a group)wish to assist in any manner, including becoming a co-author in this blog.
2. The reason I started this series on Eskinder Nega is partly indicated in the first part. I might also elaborate in the future. However, as per your request, I pledge to start posting, a series regarding the court verdicts, past and present, against him and other opposition activists.
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For the scanned copy of the May 15/04 Askual newspaper edition (PDF|249 kb) – Click here.
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* Some grammatical corrections have been made and I switched the order of my note above the translated text. (Monday, Oct. 22, 2012)
Next part: Eskinder Nega’s paper: Let’s learn from Nazi heroism [final part]
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