IHMS COMMENTARY
Ethiopia at a cross-road
To perish or flourish?
Written by
Dr. Abdulfetah Khalil Abougn and Amira Aboubaker
John F. Kennedy once beautifully summarized what peace means and how to strive for peace.
We quote, “Peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So, let us not rest all our hopes on parchment and on paper, let us strive to build peace, a desire for peace, a willingness to work for peace in the hearts and minds of all of our people. I believe that we can. I believe the problems of human destiny are not beyond the reach of human beings.”
Currently, what we are witnessing in Ethiopia clearly indicates that, we are at a cross-road ones again, and which road we choose dictates the future of our people. From the ethnic conflicts brewing all over Ethiopia, the one road we see leads to a possible civil war, and this war without a doubt would paralyze and devastate the country politically, economically and socially for many generations to come. The other road we see leads to peace, political, economical and social growth, prosperity, equity and equality. Though it might seem like it is the government that decides which route to take, fortunately it is the general public who decides which road to take and the government would not have a choice but uphold people’s choices. Unless the blissfully unaware and the innocent general public wakes up, we are really in dilemma! Predicament! Really political mess, indeed!
With inhumanity at brim, ethnic conflict is nothing new. It has been seen around the world and in human history, devastating as it is, many countries have gone through what we are going through right now. However, some had managed to come out victorious in building their country, in maintaining peace for their people and become well developed countries. Right now, in Ethiopia, it is clearly being seen that, few power-hungry leaders in many Ethnic groups that are galvanizing their people to shed blood and put them on power. Unfortunately, due to sever poverty and misguided brain wash, these power hungry “leaders” are using their people to inflict pain on their neighbors. The people themselves are the victim of the political rhetoric! It is unfortunate that many because of the deep pain, injustice in all areas of their lives, are being used as a fuel to cause harm, to lead Ethiopia towards the road of a civil war. Behold Ethiopia!
The eerie smell of war is felt in the pits of many Ethiopians, if you ask the Ethiopian people whether that is what they want. The majority would categorically say absolutely not, but the very minority of power hungry who have a loud voice, a media presence would tell you ‘yes’ that is what we want, unless ‘we” meaning “ME” sit on power, the war will be eminent, the “Me’s” are very few, most are those who say “MY Ethnic should lead” meaning “I” should lead. They are willing to sacrifice their very own people, sacrifice their very own country just so they sit on power. Though on their own, there is nothing much they can do, unless the people also follow them and do shed their bloods for them to put them on power. The most influential at the moment, is the notion that the numerical large, ethnic superpowers vying for power without politically including most minority social groups in Ethiopia. These types of political move or ethnic superpower mode is not only a roadmap to genocide, but also will lead to national destruction.
We only really have two choices, either we participate in creating the paradigm that leads to war or contribute in the peace process, the choice remains to be in the hands of the collective Ethiopian People, if the majority are conscious and not fixated to inhumanity. It is worth remembering that what seem impossible today will be possible tomorrow, but that needs our active participation to make the nearly impossible possible. Our history alone teaches us that everything changes, and no one can wipe out a nation or an ethnic group or groups. Many of the small Ethnic groups in Ethiopia would have been wiped out a long time ago, hundreds of years ago, but we are still here multiplied, and exist all over the world.
Here is a call to all Hararis, know that previously many times, some powers tried to wipe us out, yet we are still here, that is because above all human or governmental powers, above all wishes of some groups over others, their exist the Divine power that rules everything and everyone. Divine Power ultimately has a say who lives and who dies. It is worth remembering not just our human rights but also our Divine Rights that supersedes any other justice written by a human hand. At the same time, this does not mean that we should passively watch and being wiped out; rather reach to each other, hold our hands, come together and defend ourselves with Divine interventions. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) will help those who strive for the right causes! Strong determination is a characteristic of those who are righteous, just and sincere, while arrogance is a sickness that is predominant among ignorant, self-glorifying, self-degrading or witch hunters. Determination carries us upwards, while arrogance, ignorance or passivism will make us fall and drag its victims down to the depths of humiliation and extinction.
Current situations, however, show the public is asleep to their power and just chose to follow the power hungry. This is very concerning and something we should not ignore. The difference between what we as people do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve the current problems in Ethiopia. Begin with people-to-people relationships! We can change the course of history, that is the cross road we need to look into very closely. Analyse it, study it, discuss it and as people make a conscious decision to not take the road that leads to a civil war. Besides largely asleep segment of population, however, some are largely awake but unwilling, disorganized and unpatriotic with frozen capabilities to curb the dismal conditions in Ethiopia.
For politically wide awake people, power is and will always be in the hands of the general public, whether they choose to be used by the war mongers, power hungry leaders to bring civil war, or alternatively they choose to use it to bring peace, justice and prosperity. It all depends on the General Public how much the public is aware, awake, organized and determined for peace. Mind you, politicians often speak with no substance, however, people-to-people speak with substance, that is, winning hearts and minds for peaceful co-existence.
Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose. Power used properly is the strength required to bring about social, political and economic changes; however, we currently are not witnessing power being used properly, we see abuse of power all over Ethiopia. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and cannot achieve purpose. Power at its best can be used to implement the demands of justice, equity, equality, peace and prosperity for all, that kind of power is in the hands of the People.
Not last but at least, let’s wrap today’s episode by quoting another political guru, Mahatma Gandi, who made distinction between higher courts in the land and the courts of mind sets. We quote, “There is a higher court than courts of justice, and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” This applies at both individual and authority conscious levels. Let conscious govern to have peace!
Until we meet again, remember that if Ethiopians know each other better and focus on the common good, we will be so much better, defend individual rights and causes, as well as abide by humanity and justice for all. Let’s not direct our energy against each other, blaming and defending; rather direct our energy against the problems. Peace from the city of Peace!
Aselam Aleykum