By Yilma Begashaw
Julius Caesar had a very famous and loyal General called Brutus (like Gebriye of Theodros). During his last moment Caesar was hand-cuffed, tortured and bled. At this critical moment of his suffering and sighs, he saw his loyal army General approaching. He thought that the General was approaching to give him the usual comfort and protection. Instead, Brutus pulled out his majestic sword and pushed it into Caesar‘s heart. The totally surprised and dismayed Caesar uttered a last word before he fell on Brutus‘s shoulders – ‘Etu Brutu? - Meaning, ‘And you, too, Brutus?
Gemoraw Kassa and his groups can never have a moral duty to treat Dr. Taye, the way they did. This refers to their statement to suspend Dr. Taye, published on Ethiopian Review, dated 15 August 2007. Not only the suspension, but also the shameless blasphemy contained in their statement.
As the readers all know about Dr. Taye, it would be necessary to go into the details of invaluable contributions Dr. Taye made to the Ethiopian Trade Union movement in general and to the Ethiopian Teachers Association ETA) in particular. He struggled day and night. He campaigned all over the World. He paid heavy sacrifices. He never gave priority to his private life like others – no house, no wife, no children, no property, nothing. Had it not been due to his campaign, leadership charisma and charm, the casualties on the members of the ET A would not have been limited to Assefa Maru and few others.
Dr. Taye‘s charismatic and persuasive leadership brought the international teachers associations and international trade union movements to their feet, whether they liked it or not.
It was due to Dr. Taye that the mere existence of Gemoraw was known. It was in the name of Dr. Taye that Gemoraw has met the ranks and files of the international trade union dignitaries. It was in the name of Dr. Taye that Gemoraw has been making personal business and gains in the name of the ETA, including homes and schools for his family in London. It was in the name of Dr. Taye that substantial sums of money was raised world-wide to support the ETA members in need - how much of it really reached those in need? - I cannot comment - it should be the responsibilities of their own members to investigate it. But this is not his first time. He is well known for biting the fingers that fed him (yagoresew ije nekash)) ;‘ Yebelabet wechit sebari’.
2. Their Wrong Allegations
2.1 Non-respect of the Ethiopian Law
As shown in their introduction, they imply Dr. Taye for lack of respect for the Ethiopian Law. Which Law?
Ø The law that sophisticated the ETA properties?
Ø The law that massacred young Assefa Maru in broad day light?
Ø The law that caused the displacement of thousands of heroic ETA members?
Ø The law that degraded the standards of the Ethiopian education system?
Ø The law that threw millions of children on the streets after completion of just 10th Grade?
Ø The law that steals people’s votes?
Ø The law that throws the winning political party members, members of the free press and the civic societies to jails and concentration camps?
Ø Which law, for goodness sake?
What does this allegation imply? To appease their pay masters – the Woyanes. This is the repetition of what Gemoraw’s friends such as Lidetu Ayalew (sorry, Kihdetu Afyalew) have done to the genuine leaders of the CUD – betrayal, betrayal, betrayal – hod aderoch. Now a new name – Gemo Kihdetu (the Gemoraw – Lidetu Alliance for Woyane).
2.2 ‘Lack of Moral Values’
They label the respected man of integrity for lack of moral values. Following his decision to join of the CUD leadership, Dr. Taye wrote a sensational open letter to the members of the ETA. In this open letter, he expressed his gratitude to all the ranks and files of the ETA during the ups and downs of their struggle for democratic and trade union rights. What is wrong with the President of ETA writing an open letter of appreciation for the members he represented and struggled for such a long time, at the time that he is departing to join a political struggle? Did they want him to just ignore them and walk away? What moral values do they have themselves, to question the integrity of such a genuine hero?
2.3 Joining a Political Party
Personally, I would have preferred to see Dr. Taye’s continued non-partisan trade unionist. But if he genuinely thought that he could make a better contribution to the struggle for democracy and to the strengthening of the leadership of the CUD at the time when the true leaders were languishing in jails, I should be obliged to respect his decision. That is his basic human right and his own choice. History will judge us on what we do than on which mode of struggle we choose to follow. Are the Gemoraws trying to tell us that they are distant from the Woyanes? They cannot full us.
3. Malicious Public Announcement
If the Gemoraws were genuine enough, this is not the right way to treat a self-less and heroic Leader. If they were sincere enough to the causes of the ETA, they could have terminated their formal ties with Dr. Taye through a simple internal memo and wished him good luck in his new and chosen capacity. The public announcement they made to ‘suspend’ Dr. Taye and to ‘spoil’ his good name is not for the good sake of the ETA, but rather to the benefit of their newly found masters – the Woyanes and their law. How can they suspend a person who has already left them to join an other political mode of struggle? How can they question his moral values because he sent a humble and sincere message to his members following his decision to leave the ETA to join a political struggle? He made his position abundantly clear to the ETA when he wrote an open departure letter to the members, including his kind and humble appreciation.
4. Small Message to ETA Members and Supporters
Dr. Taye and the genuine members of ETA have made historical contribution to the struggle for trade union rights and have paid huge sacrifices. Please do not get misguided by the venom, malicious, and politically calculated words of the Gemoraws against your hero. Please follow the moves of the Gemoraws day and night, to find out for yourselves, who are in the camps of your political enemies, under a hypocritical cover. Expose them and throw them in the dirty bin, where they belong. Find another genuine hero to lead you to your trade union and human rights victory.With your genuineness you will win. Maliciousness, fabrications and distortions will only serve the interests of your enemies. This is not the right way, at all, to treat a genuine and self-less hero. What kinds of examples are we setting to guide school children? By defaming and killing genuine, internationally renowned and highly educated heroes and dedicated leaders? No, No, No. That is not what we learned from our parents. That is not the way we were taught in schools during the good old days. This is not what is expected from respected educational establishments, but only from the vagabonds, hooligans and bunch of idiots, whose only motto is their selfish stomach – hod aderoch, hager shachoch.
Our silence for so long was not because we did not know the hidden political agendas of the Gemoraws, but for the sake of the integrity of the famous ETA. Now that the Gemoraws have shamelessly started it themselves, we cannot afford to sit idle without responding. But it is good to know your hidden enemies.
I Wholeheartedly appreciate Yilma Begashaw for his right action in defending an Ethiopian hero. It is sad to see insatiability, vulgarity, decadence, ignominy and demeaning plagued our society from top to bottom. A one time hero and respected figure is thrown as a bagasse once the sweetest part of him is sucked away. It looks like we are simulating the blind folded horse that pulled the cart without looking back. What a shame!
It is high time to realize that we can not simply win by instinctive advance without protecting and safeguarding our friends and allies. Make no mistake, the evils are skilled to pinpoint our vulnerability (physical and psychological weaknesses) and to divide and conquer us. We have to wake up and protect our leaders (I mean real Ethiopians) if we aspire to guide us and deliver spectacular triumph. Let’s honor the past and move incrementally forward!
With respect
We must know the tactic of Woyanne which they used it for long period of time how to silence democratic and patriotic struggle.
Among their way to obstruct our struggle toward justice and democracy is alienation of heroes similar to D/r Taye from the struggle by defaming their good name which they built under difficulty circumstances.
What Ethiopian review and Hod Ader Gemoraw did is the same way what we know from their tip payer.
As to me, we should not spend much time in forwarding response for such cheap propaganda.
We should only focus on alienation of members of Woyanne within our self and on the issues how to advance the struggle by outlining new ways of struggle.
Great Ato Yilma;Gemoraw has no moral position to attack the revered Dr.Taye.Gemoraw is EDP with Kihdetu Lidetu.The attempt to spoil the name of Dr.Taye shows how low and cheap this fellow is.Shame on him and his gang.Thanks Yilma.
What can be said about Gemoraw’s exept,
The wicked feels important when defamed heroes and prominent.
“The heroic is supreme, the greatest thing for a man is heroism and bravery, the worst cowardliness and injustices done to a man’s pride. This is what an ideal society centers around. Homer”
When does this statement works for Ethiopian?
Dear yilima
I think you are so shallow that is why if some one has different idea you are trying to lable them as a `Banda` as you did it always.That is better for you to try to be a broker not politician.Ato Gommoraw is the respected person for what he did for Ethiopian ppl.For you if some one do not follow your dead stratagy or old ideaology he /she are wrong.Ato Gomoraw knows what is good for our Nation and to be honest with you he is in the right way.pleas try to be more conciderate and fair when you write such bold enemity towards Ato Gomoraw and others.Thank you
Thank you Yilma Begashaw for your invaluable contribution. I have learnt two major things the article.
1. Gemoraw by writing about Dr. Taye in the way Yilma described and ER by posting this on its website make both confirmed enemies of Ethiopia. In other words, they are collaborators of Woyanne only pretending like anti-Woyanne to “fool” the rest of us. This latest action has exposed them who they really are. It is important to expose these enemies of Ethiopia whenever they pop-up by telling the truth as Yilma did. If not, since they are not smart and without a sense of shame and concoius, they continue with their barbaric and destructive actions.
2. All of us should shoulder the responsibility of propecting precious Ethiopian teasures, which I believe Dr. Taye is one of them. We cannot afford lossing him or see him hurt. Again, Yilma has has fulfilled his responsibility. Let us give a warm support to our hero and a true son of Ethiopia Dr. Taye. We should do the same with other Ethiopian heros while exposing the enemies.
Thank you.
i sure time will tell us that i can say confidently is he is a staunch follower of lidetu
Dr. Taye is a daring and courageous Ethiopian who proved his worth to the Ethiopian people at the critical time of the struggle. He never ran from the struggle even in the face of Woyane’s threat to imprison and kill him.
His recent decision to join the pro-democracy group and stand at the helm of the fight is nothing but a renewed commitment to further deepen the struggle for democracy and civic liberty on a wider scale.
Please, stop the dirty campaign against the national hero. Do you realize that you are acting as a catalist for Woyane’s wiecked policy of divide and destroy.
I Wholeheartedly appreciate Yilma Begashaw for his right action in defending an Ethiopian hero. It is sad to see insatiability, vulgarity, decadence, ignominy and demeaning plagued our society from top to bottom. A one time hero and respected figure is thrown as a bagasse once the sweetest part of him is sucked away. It looks like we are simulating the blind folded horse that pulled the cart without looking back. What a shame!
Ayee Ethiopia ….Aylefilish yetebalech Ager…
EPRP is envious of CUD’s triumph, sends Taye to steal the momentum, it failed…and now it is crying
EPRP what is your problem it looks like everything you touch becomes futile like AIDS.
Kinijit is leading the opposition why do you want to sit “IN” Kinijit’s seat,why do not you wait for your turn?When you were young you were young crazy like any society,now you are yeleyelet ebd or ibd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woyanne is doing all its best against D/r Taye Woldesemayt through its string-puppet as has been proven BY Ethiopian review and Gemoraw.
Woyanne has become able for the past years on how to paralyze popular movement thanks its bible Stalin on the opposition and its doll [the Amharic and oremifha versions of TPLF].
Nowadays, the puppets are extremely exposed and highly undermined by the respective people whom they falsely claimed to be a true representative of them, thanks to the hero and heroines of the Ethiopian free press.
The only remaining tactics of Woyanne are the followings,
A/ exploiting the weakness of the opposition groups,
B/ bribing the weak individuals to their purpose as they did to Wurdetu Ayalew,
C/defaming of heroes as what they are doing against our precious D/r Taye who does not turn back his face, during enduring experience.
D/ aggravating minor political difference, especially, those who organized themselves in ethnicity rather than on social, economical and political issues are vulnerable to the cheapest types of TPLF propagandas.
E/ making poorer the population, as the saying of TPLF goes “poverty eradicates human dignity”,
F/their brutality,
These are the means that they are using in hour and daily bases to survive on power.
I think it is extremely advisable to know the tactics and techniques of our enemy in order to prepare our counter defenses.
dr taye him self comferm that he do not vote for cud and he reject the movment,as we all know.for that matter when you comment about his good side what about the other side of his wrong move,which he chenge his stand and look for easy way to be more fam.i think that is not right time poor taye let’s engoy your profile get out of this do not trp your self with lebba,the group you join ,they are not good bro.they are not,get your self out of this and wet for some time.
I can understand the writers frustration. But to come up with the suggestion that Ato Gemoraw promotes TPLF’s agenda is laughable. No one will doubt that Dr Taye have paid immense sacrifices to promote ETA. He has been tortured and locked down for six years. His contribution to the struggle at home is written boldly in our history book. But in order to protect his name we don’t have to sling mud on others. Ato Gemoraw has played a pivotal role for the struggle in general the release of Dr Taye. He has worked day and night to promote ETA and get the support they need from Trade Unions all over the world during those critical periods. He has integrity, committment and love for his country and job. No one, who sits in his comfort zone, eating his sausage and burger, can accuse Ato Gemoraw of being a Woyanne. Those of us who has nothing to show up in terms of our contibution, don’t have the moral authority to accuse or bad mouth others. I think the article of Ato Yilma is not different from what Brutus did to Ceasar. His venomous article demonstrates his intention of trying to kill dedicated people who toil day and night to make our country a better place for our childrens.
Gemoraw may be were at one time at the side of our people, like others who joined our enemy and start defaming our hero. But if he is against our hero at this critical time and become a tool for our enemy’s, we have a moral obligation at least to protect his good name.
Gemoraw may be were at one time at the side of our people, like others who joined our enemy and start defaming our hero. But if he is against our hero at this critical time and become a tool for our enemy’s, we have a moral obligation at least to protect the good name of our heros.
I do not understand why so many people are trying to take Dr. Taye’s freedom to do whatever he wants. If he wants to join politics, that is a God given right and he shouldn’t need the blessing of those idiots who are trying to tarnish his image.
for not voting for CUD, he has the right to vote or not vote. Anyone has the right to change their old way of thinking and join forces which they beleive will help the poor Ethiopian people. It is sad to live in a generation that didn’t complete 12th grade trying to teach a well educated individual like Dr Taye. It is also sad to live in the generation that didn’t struggle and suffer in jails try to tarnish individuals who dedicated their life for the Ethiopian struggle and spend their precious times in jail away from family and beloved ones.
Truly it is shame no a days even to be Ethiopian