(Hallelujah Lulie)
Last week witnessed an interesting turn of events surrounding an alleged comment artist Teddy Afro gave to the Enqu magazine in an exclusive interview.
The first soft copy version of the magazine quoted the singer saying: ‘For me, Menelik’s unification campaign was a Holy War’.
The cover carrying the above comment was distributed by the editors of magazine through their email database. That led to an uproar of anger and criticism on the already controversial Teddy .
Later on, another cover of the hard copy emerged with a completely different header – where Teddy emphasizes his trademark rhetoric of – ‘understating history and the past to create the future’ (not a direct translation).
Then some groups who kept quite or defended Teddy on the first comment started bashing the Teddy critiques. They claimed that it was a conspiracy to destroy the good name and will of the singer. Some claimed that it was a Photoshop.
Subsequently, another revelation surfaced.
The editors of the Enqu magazine sent an apology letter to their subscribers explaining that it was all a ‘technical’ error and claimed Teddy did not make the ‘Crusade’ remark.
That is where things stand so far as far as I am informed.
What do I make of the saga?
First, I have worked in the print media at least for three years and understand the basic and simple procedures of publication, especially the front page approval process.
I can claim boldly that the cover page was not distributed without the approval of the managing editor, editor-in-chief or other high ranking person in the magazine. It could not be a technical error that slipped through. That raises the possibility that the editorial team agreed to send it through but later decided to alter it.
Second, Teddy Afro is very capable of making such comments.
His unreserved love and appreciation for Menelik, his unexamined and narrow knowledge of history, and the existence of a fan base that swallows whatever comes out of him without chewing are the three most points that facilitate such a statement.
I was as usual disappointed by the people who said nothing about the ignorant and insensitive comment (even at the time it was sure that he said it) or those who even tried to defend it. Shame on You.
Teddy’s preaching on peace, love and unity is a uninformed, shallow and naive. There can’t be love without truth. And at this moment he doesn’t look like he is able or willing to face the truth and preach it.
I restrain myself from commenting on such incidents, but I am forced to do so now because of his huge following the unimaginable hypocrisy of people who preach love and unity.
It is sad that our debates and discussions are not informed and is initiated by a confused and mis/uninformed singer.
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* The author Hallelujah Lulie is a researcher at Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and a guest writer on this blog.
you are the biggest monkey than others since you have written nothing here from the history!
very exciting articcle! thank u alot for peace genarating news! uuuff…….! i got peace of mind!
In this stupid country, there are ‘beers’, but the reality is there is one beer. That is BEDELEE!!!!!!!!!!This is because it is owned by son of men, not son of bull shits. Heineken!!!! You truely stand for NOT just beer but MAINLY for universal human values!!!!! Beers like Georgis, they are condoms, cant imagine this
God bless you Hallelujah, the writer of this article. The greasiest enemies of the Poor country of us are those with shallow knowledge who pretend as if they have investigated back into our past history and those who are aware but sold their soul for money and cheap popularity.
For me Teddy is a very simple man not even popular, not knowledgeable but attempts us to tell us the ‘’good works’’ or Minilk , not loving but plans a concert entitled the ‘’journey of love’’ , not knowing Ethiopia at all. He is a mere and blind worshiper of ancient monarchs , regional lords , war lords .In doing so he attempted to create some association with those people and share their part fame that means he is always coupling himself to kings and so the applicators of the kings shall appreciate him too.
He is a weed thrown to us from Devil in the unexpected period, the 21 century in the mid of rapid growth, reforms to our country Ethiopia. What is that for God’s sake is worshiping or praising dead stinky feudal regime what has left us millions of dead remnants, a bare land, a huge and remarkable poverty, ignorance, inter ethnic conflict, hatred back from the dead file, back from the garbage pit.
Those of you who call yourself literate and knowledgeable and yet friends of Teddy please council him not to activate black files for our Beautiful Ethiopia.
Long live Ethiopia but go to hell teddy’s stinky feudalist and Hitlarian thoughts
The singer and magazine are both confused.They couldn’t hide the truth.Good work from the blogger&writer ( Daniel&Halleluya)!
Hello everybody. What is Ethiopia for Amhara people. The people are still backward, wear shorts, walk on bare foot, and extremely poor. Instead of looking for a united Ethiopia, try to work hard to change the lives of your fellow beggars. No one has benefitted anything from Menilik’s unification of Ethiopia except few. So let us fall apart and try our best. Detach yourself from Ethiopia. We all had been living with all our problems before Minilik’s expansion; he hasn’t improved this country as you may think. I hope we will continue to live in the future in the absence of Ethiopia. How shame to be called Ethiopian. Where is humanity?
This controversy is created by Woyane and its mercineries. The magazine might did the error intentionallly. Woyane is everywhere and pays any amount to fight Ethiopianism. Who are the Duches to similariaz Minilik with Hitler? The Dutches are the ones who introduced appartied in South Africa. So who are they to comment on black freedom. The colonizers of Africa are always remeber badly the conquer of black Minilik the white Mussoloni. Please Ethiopians forget small issues and focus on the main freedom march. Do not pass your time on unnecessar things. The time is not to focus on the issues to divide us. Woyane Works hard and paid a lot to make this an issue.
Haile Fida
You venom vampire. Oromos are your pain?? Before you go lunatic, let me tell you that Solomonic Dynasty is only Habashan megalomaniac dyslexic masturbation. Are your anscestors Farange? Your Qene dabtaras ejaculated their venoms to you—shame on you!! You are like the rest of Habasha, in identity crisis, inferiority complex, sucking up to white Europe fucking your ass.
Dear Hallelujah
You are right. People like Tedy–Habashans for that matter–will denounce Minilik, Hitler, Stalin, Meles and praise Mandela, L. King, Gandi, JF Kennedy only if belly turns head. From them Qene dabtaras–their professors– expect empty balloon and bursting to laughter on human suffering/bleeding to death. That is Habasha!!!!.For them war is as sweet as orgasm…truth is as bitter as venom. That is Habasha mentality!!For the coming many centuries to continue
Mr. Kasahun should only make noise to sing. Leave the rest to the intellectuals . DEDEB.
King of Kings, Emperor Menelik-ll of Ethiopia is the father of modern Ethiopian history also glorified as the icon of black nation resistance movement for freedom. Menelik is a part of world history who changed the power balance & white race supremacy mentality. He contributed much to make our world the best place to live.
Those who cry loud against Menelik are well known, ruminants of jihadists and puppets for factious islamic oromia state which will never ever happen even in their dreams. Their evidence is fake story, lie fabricated by shabia-olf-tplf based on rumors and speculations. Those are blindly denying the contributions of Ethiopian Oromos in the nation building and trying to inject inferiority complex to the new generation
We don’t forgot 1990s’ mascaraed and ethnic cleansing committed by OLF in Arsi, Harerge, Assosa, Welega. Ethiopians will hunt after those criminals residing abroad & those hiding behind computer screen to justice.
I would like to share those sensitive documents to aware Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia what those jihadists are plot in the name of oromo. Just click (copy and paste on your browser) and listen
Tedi Afro is a true Son of Ethiopia,
Ayizon Anbesaw Tedi
Omg do u have a proof minelik had comported genocide u bubble heads what r u u never grow up or learn
He means well but why is those parites twisting his words it’s a dame shame
Chala, you are missing the point…you have no evidence to show Menelik’s committing genocide on any ethnic group, except speculation…and mentioning Nazi as a parallel is despicable!! Menelik, if you can read a bit of history (read foreign books, if you don’t trust the locals), is a renowned black hero who successfully defended his land and his people against foreign power one way or another. He was a powerful king, and thus defeats any resistance by force… but he is a good negotiator, too! [just read!]. Tigray at the time was at its weakest following Yohanes’s death…he negotiated with Alula and Mengesha, and he kept them as rases…with all their power. whereas those who resisted paid dearly. Nobody can justify the act of war of the time, and nobody can condemn it, either. We are in a different time and mind set. In those times, victory, irrespective of the human cost, was all that matters. Human life had very little significance. Kings cut breast, hands… burn whole villages, etc. We still praise them for the good thing they did, not for the bad…Some Oromo scholars, either with a political intention or not, get exceptionally emotional and against Ethiopias past. We can praise those who defended their village or ‘gizat’ against the fight with Menelik. But we can’t stop praising Menelik for the vision he fulfilled either. restoring the great Abbysinia. The Oromo, given its resourceful populace and reach cultural distribution, can create new history by leading the country towards a more equal and a more prosperous future, rather than trying to lament on the past. And majority simply is useless, unless it is a unifying majority…A unifying majority is one that systematically expands its impact culturally, linguistically and economically by coexistence, the very principle of your own Gadda system, assimilation. A continually non-embracing and divergent, anti-Ethiopian Oromo sentiment may also loose place on tomorrow’s Ethiopia. If you don’t embrace the past, in its entirety [its ugliness as well as its beauty] and try to move on, you will remain marginalized…others will get nervous to entrust power to you only to see that you won’t care about their Ethiopia… So wake up, no ethnic group owes nothing to any other ethnic group in this country! Good or bad, we accept them as they are!. We didn’t refrain from praising Tewodros in spite of what he did to Wollo or Gojjam. We don’t hesitate the bravery of Ahmed Giragn in spite of what he did all over the central and northern highlands…[or do we have to erect a statue of a burning church on Shimbra Kure??]. Embrace the past, embrace the future, or don’t look for excuses before declaring your intentions! If you are sick of being Ethiopian, so be it…we love being one! By we, i mean the ones, irrespective of our ethnicity, who take pride in being Ethiopian in its unique multi-ethnic and multi-cultural facet. Long live Ethiopia! Hallelujah passed an embarrassing judgement on a large mass of population who love Teddy-Afro…it is this “I know better than the whole mass…they are wrong, i am right because I went to school” mentality that is the very root of the evil in this country these days… sick, sick, sick!
Dear Hallelujah [the informed], we are looking forward to be informed but i thought that it has taken your lot of time collecting and analyzing such matter….by the way please be reminded that you have also the responsibility of explaining the other truth you seemed to know..if you are informed enough actually.
I feel that what is written above has come out of a sick mind…full of nonsense. I personally have a positive attitude for Menelik considering especially his leadership in the fight against colonial power…i am highly proud of this history and it had a great influence on black people’s struggle for freedom, be it in Africa or United States…i assume that you do not know history at all…you seem you are filled with hatred and despise. However, i am not pro war and i am against the human suffering of war, thereby condemning whatsoever evil deeds done to the Oromo people. There is nothing holy in any war.
Let me ask you a question. Do you really know the history of the Oromo people? If you do, you would have known that the Oromo people occupied lands through war and expanded their territory to the North by weakening the Solomonic Dynasty and even enslaving people through the process [See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Yom/Great_Oromo_migration%5D. Why do you make your case so special and different from the reality? You seem you are under the spell of hate propaganda and single-mindedness. Such stance does not help anyone and do not by any means fool yourself by thinking that all Oromo people think the same way like you…I know there are a lot who are far rational and thoughtful unlike you.
Some Oromo activists are pecking on every trivial matter and trying to silence public emotions from honoring a renowned king of his times. Kings were not, by definition, human rights watchdogs …from cutting hands in Wollo, to burning huts and people in Gojjam to cutting breasts in Arsi…everything probably more happened. So what now?? We are going to keep silent from talking good of, or celebrating one of black people’s pride, Emperor Minilik, just because the Oromo will get emotional? Get yourselves together and move on guys! You are acting like babies who can’t get enough of anything. Nobody owes you anything. Your ancestors fought bravely, yet, were sadily defeated. And they assimilated to the empire and lived for generations. You want to change that…go find a way to change that. But don’t tell us not to praise our global heroes. And some of you ‘boot-licker’ semi-literates like Hallelujah, get life…you are studying security, if that means anything, and not history. Don’t insult Teddy Afro, and the least the Ethiopian public, of being ignorant about history. Drop an alternative grain of truth, before assuming there is a different truth ‘out there’…or before opening your ‘khat-stuffed’ mouth. Pricks!
Keep the peace up bro! I like it. Peace doesn’t come through hatred, holy war and making up of history. The king’s and his successors failure to understand that led us to hundred years of misunderstanding and suspicion among the ethnicity making up the greater horn.
Dear Halleluja,
The print edition of the magazine did not have the alleged comment that Teddy is quoted as saying. How so?
In the main interview, of the email circulated version, there is no mention of the holy war. How do you explain that?
iT IS REALLY FUNNY TO SEE SOME KUNTS HERE PRETENDING TO STAND FOR A FREE SPEECH. I DIDNT SAW A MAGAZINE IN GERMANY PRAIZING HITLER OR APARTHID IN SOUTH AFRICA. HIS COMMENTS IS RATHER LIKE SCRATCHING A HEALING WOUND!! IT IS A DISRESPECT TO PEOPLES MUTILATED BY MINILIK AT PLACES LIKE cHALANQO(HARAR), ANNOLE (ARSI) WALAYITA….
I wasn,t offended by what Teddy said because I knew who he is from the beginning and never expected anything good coming out of his mouth. I know he loves Menilik . For me, Teddy is baby Menilik and he supported the murder of millions.
@Adonay, Dont you think that you are wrong, calm down and learn theory from scholar rather than telling us what you dabtera told u. If you didn’t hear Aanolee and calanqoo genocides, I would not consider you as a part of this empire. Read this http://www.codesria.org/IMG/pdf/Mekuria_Bulcha.pdf and come back.
How can a person throw a comment of substance on this hotch-potch?
“Current Ethiopian people”! Is there such a thing as current and past Ethiopian people!!!??? What a stupidity!
Considering Menelik as a hero is unacceptable bay any standard. Millions lost their life because of this idiot and dullard man. He was not a man of virtue as most of his fanatic fan use to call him. He was fascist and very cruel. He made an expansion to different direction to bring the different people under control using the machine guns that he received from European power. His aim was not to form modern Ethiopian empire as most of his follower claim rather it was to expropriate and embezzle the resourceful areas of the south, west and east. In the expansion process he irresponsibly went to the extent of using ‘small pox’ that resulted in the total depopulation of the various ethnic groups. killing 12,000 and more in a day. Even after succeeded in occupying various independent entities, he inhumanly treated especially amputating of hands and breasts were a common phenomenon. In this regard the case of Arsi-anole is an exemplary figure. Same happened in Chlenko, Kaffa, Wolayta,… Considering the aforementioned evil deeds, he was not a hero for most of the current Ethiopian people rather he is a man with brutal personality.
fuck u tigre new netsa yawetahe air head.
U missed the very point. U can’t live agonizing. That’s what history teaches us. Be brave and try to calm urself.
Just think what’s going around urself instead of lamenting about a century ago. How dare u think about urs father while u r languishing in this despicable situation.
Again, calm down and observe what’s happening. With all due respect.
For the the blind lover of our shameful Teddy!
I wonder how we got divided even on this point! It needs not to be historian, economist, politician,etc. ,but just human being , to judge the inhuman killing that our peolple have faced during that time. The problem that we are facing, i think , is making ourselves the forfather or father of that histroy and as a result takes it to ethnic line which i think is nonsense. We were not and are not expected to be jews to judge the deeds of Nazi, Hitler! That histroy, by its own stand, can be judged! I don’t think we have to be smphtizers of wrongdoers and become an apologetic on the act that are against humanity, whether it is committed yesterday, today or will happen tommorrow! Life is just life! The price of the life of one person in 19th century is not less than the life of an individual in 21st century. The philosophy that you are trying to tell us is just that of Machaevelli i.e “the end justifies the means “. And therefore, Menelik is said to be a great unifier, if we can only agree on this principle. However, remember, why Nazi killed million jews was to creat a greatest Germany! But they are denouncing that today,condemn his action, b/c the way he tried to achieve that was wrong.They have worked/ are working to rectify that wound! Not praising the brutal killer. That is what we have to learn from them.
Long live Ethiopia, the land where all its people should get equal respect!
Hey, Tedy Afro is far better than monkeys like you. It is not about whether Teddy is a singer or not. One doesn’t have to be a university graduate in political science to be a leader or to bring people together for a common good.one of the best American president, Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor. It is all about your quality and good vision. Not having evil vision like the dead rat ( Meles zenawi) . The messenger of devil ( meles zenawi) preached hate and racism from the very beginning. There is nothing good in the weyane philosophy of ethnicity and tribalism. Weyanes draw a line and made a zoo for every tribesmen. If you are tigre go back to kilil tigrai. That is the zoo where you belong to.
Hey man first of all try to respect the ideas of other people because @ this time any one has the right to say what he or she thinks whatever it is true,assured,reasonable or not so it is rude of you just to insult some one for his ideas rather putting your opposite idea which you think is correct. so as a researcher and guest writer try to behave mannered. Next whoever had the power to rule a country has his own bad and good sides the same is true for Minilik so as of me the better thing to do is just remembering good of him and working not to repeat bad of him! Long live To Ethiopia!
@halelule, your piece is half-baked and failed to blame the root cause of the saga-as you put it. To me, Teddy is not the problem; he is a result of a big problem.
Yes, it sad that our national discussions are initiated by a singer not by our political elites. But it is also sad that our political landscape is too narrow to standout and ideologically divided, the country doesn’t even have respected and influential political figures that can ignite a national debate which can resonate across the country. So what the country left with? The country left with a signer for its national consensus and dialogue.
It is also sad to see that while our political ‘researchers’ and ‘scientists’ are busy with their own concealed agenda; the country missing out opportunities to be engaged in a civil discourse. Instead of initiating a national debate they are busy with their toxic and contagious Facebook posts and tweets. Not to mention their persistent character assassination, from their counterpart blogger to past King (really?), from party leaders to party members, and from political activist to you name it.
By the way, you forgot to mention that the quote: ‘Menelik’s unification campaign was a Holy War’ was not in the interview and it should have never been used as a headline. And the Editor-in-chief sent out the e-mail to apologize for the mistake. Don’t you think this could be one way to look at the situation and move on?
“the existence of a fan base that swallows whatever comes out of him without chewing”. how do u know? did you conduct any sort of research to claim this bold statement? this is an insult. besides, teddy can say anything and what you have to do is just ,literally, reason out why you disagree instead of making a number of uneducated hypothesis. You are so so Hippocrates. because you have the psychology that you are educated & informed and u dont comment on incidents unless you’re forced. once my teacher said:- when you get a degree, you think you know everything about the world and when you get a master degree, you realize that you know nothing coz you read a lot of other people research and at phd level , you and other people as well, do not know anything. save your self from embarrassment Mr informed one.
To the informed:
If you are enlightened enough please drop us a few lines about what you think on this issue. I do not expect such remarks from a researcher like you.
“….his unexamined and narrow knowledge of history…..I was as usual disappointed by the people who said nothing about the ignorant and insensitive comment (even at the time it was sure that he said it) or those who even tried to defend it. Shame on You…Teddy’s preaching on peace, love and unity is a uninformed, shallow and naive. There can’t be love without truth. And at this moment he doesn’t look like he is able or willing to face the truth and preach it….”
We cannot judge Menelik with today’s thinking. As to me, we Ethiopians need idols badly as we have been killing a lot of them in the past years. You talk about truth…truth is relative, especially in such kinds of political and social realms. As Ermias says we need to fight thought by thought.
I feel that Menelik did great to his country in many ways including expansion cognizant of the fact that there was limited resource in terms of technical, intellectual, etc… War and expansion are not new things to the mankind….may be Abraham Lincoln might be your hero…may be because he abolished slavery….but on whose land was he governing? Do not fool yourself.
To me, what Teddy said is much better than what you said about him. Do not make yourself big by insulting and downgrading others! This should be a takeaway for you! Be realistic.
It is good and a must to have the attitude you expressed well in your comment. But i think you missed out on Teddy Afro’s intentions. As I see it , he is actually acting and has been acting as a mouth peace of some political agenda. He was deceiving many with his preaching of “peace and tolerance”. But now I think he just made a big mistake of revealing himself and annoying the majority with his “Menelik ” propaganda.
I believe that at the time of unifying the country and expansion many people suffered in different ways. This is the truth in many countries and history. Trying to understanding the situation for better future is one thing and advocating the wrong things only for the sake short term political agenda is another thing. Some people said, It is difficult to evaluate the early Ethiopian leaders action with today’s Social, cultural and political thought. Time, place, culture, religion, development, civilization….affects their decision. In contrast some said we can judge their leadership in respect of human right and so,,,.The issue of Menelik is a paradox of this thought.
We all have our own thoughts and believes. In my understanding Tedi Afro expresses his own opinion on what he is believes. That is his personal thought. We have to respect that. We can not learn by insulting and blaming his personality. We need to fight thought by thought. Any one can give his own analysis and explanation for Tedi.
After all he is an artist not a historian. This days many historian keep silence in this hot issues. I am happy in Tedy’s opinion, because he touches the untouchables in this nasty political arena. This is the 100 anniversary for king Menelik II. We can discuss on the pron and cons of his administration in today Ethiopia.
It is a big question how he got a place as a researcher at Institute for Security Studies (ISS) while he is writes such article with full of speculations, hasty generalizations, and without concrete evidences. I don’t know what his research articles could look like and what journals would accept his research articles would be ready to publish. It is good he using this blog to improve his writing capacity but he is too immature to be a researcher in a big research institute like ISS.
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He has every right to air out his opinion, be it informed or not. Mr. Hallelujah, the informed one, why don’t you enlighten us, the herds, on the core mistakes of the singer vis a vis your version of Ethiopian history?
Well said (y)
Left winger Daniel, it’s a shame you couldn’t twist his word. It’s a lost opportunity for you and Mencha Jawar. You lost again.