Selam Amanuel and seb dehai:
I thank Amanuel for reviving the old dehai tradition of " I am sorry. I
didn't mean to hurt you." I just hope some of the new Kids on the Block,
I call them the Karate Kids, learn that they do not need to go after the
kneecap. There must be some other ways of qualifying for the Black Belt.
As one who was "discomforted" by Amanuel's posts I reacted swiftly and
forcefully, and as a dear friend reminded me, perhaps unfairly. My friend
said I misread Amanuel's posts. If I did, I am sorry. I never intended to
attack Amanuel, the person.
On second thought and second reading of the entire exchange, it wasn't so
much Amanauel I was after, rather the ahistorical conjecture that we can
blame one religion, or one denomination, for the dominant role the
unionist played in the forties. My argument has been they (both
religions and the three christian denominations) were up to their navel in
the muck.
It's true the finger print of the tewhado heirarcy was all over the place,
but just because the others didn't leave detectible prints did not mean
they were not involved. They were involved in ways much more subtle, and
perhaps more devilishly effective. The hidden impresarios of the methodical
effort that subverted the growth and development of the independent movement
was composed mostly of a handful of highly placed mission educated Eritreans
employed and handsomely paid by the emperor. In fact if one really wants to find
someone to blame, what one has to do is skip over the semi literate
cleric, and fix his gaze on the mission educated elite, the emperor's
emissaries, who, against their best judgement, sold us barrels of snake oil.
Yet even the interference of the emissaries from Addis would not take
away the essential truth about politics inthe forties--we were up aginst
the machinations of an evil genuis, Emperor Haile Selassie. Regardless of
what we did or didn't do, he was not to be denied Eritrea. No way.
One final observation on Amanuel's apology. I wished he had declared a
general amnesty, including those he said undermined him and distorted
his views. I think that would have been most magnanimous. He could still
stand firm on his views, but saying I forgive you even to his most trenchant
adversaries is consistent with the central teaching of his faith--charity.
It would add a lot of weight, a lot of meaning to his I Am Sorry note.
I have been placed on forlough by Saleh. I shall abide by the edict. You
wont hear from me for a while. I am going to Asmara the third week of May.
Although it's billed as a business trip, I will be there for the
Independence Day celebration. I intend to celebrate the Day in my own
way: I will stroll up and down the side walk by the Egyptian Embassy. I
wont write a report on it though. Remember : I am on sabbatical.
tekie
On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Amanuel Melles wrote:
>
> * Dehai Retreat '97 in Eritrea: contact pnatnael@nodc.noaa.gov *
> * Win a round trip ticket to Eritrea for a $10 raffle and help Eritrean *
> * War Vetrans get a computer: contact yonasa@ibm.net *
>
> Selam,
>
> Following a frank and open discussion with a friend of mine for whom I
> have great respect, I was left with questions to ponder about the recent
> thread on "Catholicism & Eritrea".
>
> My strong and unyielding views have caused uneasiness and disillusionment
> in a number of Dehaiers. While the views I maintain about the role of the
> tewaHdo Church are always open to instructive criticism that is manifestly
> magnanimous in upgrading my knowledge (without degrading to distort my
> views or my intent), I could have used more benign terms in describing
> the role of the leaders of the Church. Some of you have elected to add
> fuel and have basked in the pleasure of castigating when I jumped in to
> express my displeasure on the extended bashing of Catholics. I've no
> respect for such people and frankly speaking I care the less if by doing
> so they feel comfortable with being the "monitors" of Eritreanity.
> Eritreanity is in Eritrea not in cyberspace!
> I do believe in critical and honest discussion, however sensitive or
> bitter the title of discussion is. Noone can undermine my desire to air
> my views except my conscience. It didn't happen in Asmara and it will not
> happen in cyberspace. All you can do is to help keep my conscience within
> the sanity of civil discourse.
> People of magnanimity have tried their best to read my words and my
> views for what they were. Few have tried to capitalize and have made
> quite a deal about it. I have made my points and I stand by them.
>
> However, as I said above, I could have used better words without offending
> people, even die-hards. Thus, without going further, I apologize for
> disappointing dehaiers. I thank those who went the extra length to
> either explain my views or send me commending views in private.
>
> As far as I'm concerned, the thread on religion is over for me. Anyone
> who wants to hear anything about religion from me has to enter the private
> channel at aa608@torfree.net :-). As I said sometime in 1995 (?),
> religion is best left to the believer, and unless I fail to resist
> unfairness, wherever I see it, I will not jump in any topic that will give
> ammunition to few to have field day in Dehai.
>
> Again, my apologies to those who felt discomfort.
>
> amanuel
>
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