AZEB MESFIN:

A Wife of a Prime Minster or a Symbol of Heroines?

Dejat Kassa

January 16, 2007

As we the cyber people know, the First Ladies of Zambia Mrs. Maureen Mwanawasa, Rwanda Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, and Ethiopia Mrs. Azeb Mesfin have received the ‘Let Freedom Ring’ award from Georgetown University on behalf of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS. Georgetown University has made a commendable job for honoring organizations and individuals who are working to bring Africa out her ills.

Unfortunately, a number of groups and individuals who claim to have interest in Africa are not pleased. One of which is a self-acclaimed group by the name of Ethiopian American Civic Advocacy (EACA) that goes as far as writing Press Release condemning the University for honoring the first ladies for their contribution. The press release was also sent to members of the US Congress and/or lobbyists. It argued that the action of Georgetown University is an insult to Dr. King’s Legacy.

Even though it is up to the authorities of Georgetown to respond to the Press Release of this ‘civic advocacy’ group if they find it worth to do so, one point deserves to be noted. There is a serious syndrome among various self-proclaimed civil advocacy groups, apostles of democracy, shepherds of human right, and armchair experts in and out of Ethiopia, a syndrome characterized by lies, deceptions, dishonesty, disinformation, fabrications, abhorrence, and blackmail. They go as far as interfering in the internal affairs of institutions they are clueless about. They always jump to tell other groups are not doing their jobs, are misinformed, and have wrong perceptions. This is proved to be incurable syndrome that prevailed for the last 40 years among Ethiopian used-to-be and would-be-politicians. It may be named as the Fano Tesemara Syndrome. It is deadly syndrome that is destroying the avenues for healthy political discourse.

Georgetown has been there for nearly 230 years. And this by itself has a clear message for any sane person. Anybody should be cautious to communicate to such kind of reputable institution let alone to write an insult. Nevertheless, in the house of the Generation of Fano Tesemara, moral responsibility, mutual respect, dignity, honesty, decency, and similar healthy attributes have no place. It would have been helpful for this ‘advocacy group’ to learn the behaviors of the society wherein they are living before they try to make a disgraceful attempt. It would have been wise to learn that authorities of such kinds of institutions are knowledgeable and sophisticated than the people of the ‘advocacy group’ would comprehend.

The ‘advocacy group’ has made a futile attempt to show that Azeb Mesfin is the center of gravity of all actual and imagined problems of Ethiopia. What did Azeb does wrong to us? What did Azeb and her selfless comrades do awful to us?

For this self-acclaimed ‘advocacy group’, Azeb Mesfin is nothing but an individual, a member of a parliament, a wife of the Prime Minster they dislike, and a chairperson of a committee in a parliament. For respectful, trustful, concerned, compliant, freedom-loving and patriotic Ethiopians, she simply symbolizes the countless selfless heroines who brought Ethiopian out of dictatorship. Through her we see myriads of Marthas, Kahsas, Aregashs, Adanechs, and Ayantus who paid their lives to tear the blanket of tyranny under a handful. She is beyond blood and flesh. She is more than beautiful. She is a symbol.

In fact, through the eyes of the advocacy group, this is her problem. She and her comrades fought the bloodiest wars and won the mightiest army in Africa, dismantled an incompetent system and brought all Ethiopians into equal footing. There wouldn’t be anything more annoying than loosing 100 years hegemony. She is one of the heroines who fought the real war against the real and potent enemy. She didn’t flee dictators. She is one of the heroines who faced the evil with courage and freed us from terror (white, red, you name it). She is one of the heroines who march from the territory to the center, while many self-appointed apostles of democracy run from the center to territory to save their coward soul.

She is one the lionesses who dismantle a half million army and send its leaders to Refugee camps in the outskirts of Nairobi. She and her comrades didn’t lobby. They fight and win! They don’t hide themselves behind a PC and cry. They give little credit to Press Release. They take action. They confront the enemy face to face, fight and win. She is one of the living legends who made the impossible happen right in front of our eyes. This is the lesson the Congress people and lobbyists the advocacy group referred to should learn. One of the individuals referred to by this group, Mrs. Nancy Peloci applauded herself to be the first woman to assume Speaker of the House position in the US Congress in 300 years. What would Azeb and her comrades say, and what could Mrs. Peloci learn from the Ethiopian women who are known to make history from Sheba to Taitu to Martha and to countless Azebs.

Azeb is not a kind of first ladies who drive through the streets and throw nickels and pennies to fellow citizens. She works to change the live of her compatriots. She is one of the heroines tested with fire. She is one of the selfless heroines who did give us freedom and children for future Ethiopia: Freedom Fighter, Mother, Wife, Civil Servant, and Community Activist.

It would have been civil to criticize the lady based on tangible evidence, if any. But this so-called civic advocacy, self-proclaimed disciples of democracy are trying to blackmail the whole Africa because the wife of a man they dislike is an honoree. Their problem is something else. When Ethiopia progresses at the hands of her children, these endangered politicians have nothing to do but to act like mad dogs. For this group and the likes, the more Ethiopia progresses under the leadership of their perceived enemies, the more they feel gotten naked.

No sane African would be satisfied by the situation in Africa. But, this wouldn’t lead any sane African that far to make such detrimental offense against her/his Motherland either. We Africans have enough enemies over the years. It is very unfortunate for Africa, some of her turn-white, disserted children in western countries work tirelessly to rub her wounds with salt.

Dr. King’s didn’t teach lies. He didn’t preach hatred. He didn’t advocate divisions or mistrust. He called upon all humans to live in love and harmony. He preached for mutual respect. He taught for peace and solidarity of the human races. Contrarily, this advocacy group is advocating hate, lies, divisions, and mistrust in the name of the Legacy of Dr. King within an ideal society where such evils are least possible to happen.

It would have been helpful for such groups mushrooming on every other street on western cities to learn the core concept of democracy. Democracy has rules. It is not open ended. It has boundary and context. It has meaning within the rule of the land. It develops by popular participation over a long period of time.

There is a generation of Ethiopians that strives to bring our democracy into some sort of perfection through dialog and mutual trust not through lies and deceptions. We believe that we can work out our differences through peaceful and engaging political dialog, not though conceit and mistrust. We have learned much from Ya Tiwlid. We have learned enough of hate, mistrust, lack of self-confidence, and all other evil attitudes that can exist in a society. We are saying enough is enough. We are echoing the dream of Dr. King be realized in our country in our watch. Leave us alone!