Selamat everyone,
Sometime last week the host (Bill Maher, white) of one of my favorite shows
("Politically Incorrect") which airs in the early morning hours (so, I tape
it) asked his four (black) guests (not verbatim): looking at the miserable
state Africa is now, aren't you glad that your ancestors were made to take
that trip as slaves some 300 years ago?
Take the above however you want to take it.
Back to the issue at hand, Tesfay Yohannes wrote:
>I have been extremely proud of the significant accomplishments of our
>people and government. However, one thing that annoyed me the most was
>to see the unequal treatment of citizens compared to foreigners, by our
>own citizens. This problem is not only in Eritrea, it is worse in most
>parts of Africa; it has to go! at least something needs to be done in
>Eritrea.
>...It is splendid character treating
>outsiders (guests), fairly, regardless of race, religion or color;
>however, we should not forget that our citizens also deserve to be
>treated equally.
Agreed! However, I have seen how other foreigners who happen to have a
little darker complexion are treated, which makes me believe that red
carpet is not laid out to all foreigners, either.
Yes, it does upset me to hear Eritreans facing such kinds of "unequal
treatment," whether it is at the airport or in the beach. Or to be told by
a hotel receptionist that my wife and I "have to check out because the
hotel is expecting guests today." When we asked if we were not considered
guests in this 150 birr/night hotel, quite a chunk of my salary at the
time, we were told "nsom `qWa SeAdu'yom!" (but they are white!). My wife
was visibly shaken by the incident; but, for some reason, no for multiple
reasons, it didn't really disturb me except to demand to see the manager,
who was unavailable (for the next three days). I told the receptionist that
unless I meet my luggage outside when I return in the afternoon, I am not
checking out (which I didn't) and if they need to talk to me I would be 7
kms away, at the Gurgusum beach.
These things speak volumes of the mentality of those individuals, and
probably of the society at large--which I leave for others to analyze, but
they don't have the strong biting stings. However, I am not sure if "the
unequal treatment of citizens compared to foreigners" is "by our own
citizens," acting out individually, only. Here is one that hurts every time
I think of it, institutionalized "unequal treatment," if you will:
What would you say to the fact that, even in the mid-1990s, in an
Independent Eritrea, Eritreans were required to pay more**, at some point
close to three-times more, for an apartment than their foreign-national
colleagues pay; an apartment run by an institution where both groups work.
That institution is the one that is supposed to be the training ground of
our younger brothers and sisters, a place where future-generation leaders
are trained, the only University in the land we all love and cherish, the
University of Asmara.
**I believe they are still required to pay more; the shock doesn't even
stop there...but it would be going out of the topic.
Yohannes had this commentary:
>If the impact of such a treatment has that much of a
>psychological effect on us (see Tewelde), I cannot imagine the effect it
>would have on our kids, especially those who were born or raised abroad
>and who always thought that they will be treated better in Eritrea than
>the country they currently live."
Beautifully stated; couldn't put it in any better way myself.
Tewelde Stephanos closed his open letter to the Egyptian ambassador with:
"May God save Africa from itself." What a powerful statement!
Mobae
PS: In dehai-talk, Maher is the cloned-evil-twin of McGua :-)
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