Negarit

One morning Jemal and Khalid were strolling around when they saw armed soldiers leave Shishita garrison on speeding trucks. It could have been another trip to search a house or arrest someone, only their number was large. An army car stormed Khalid’s house and hauled his father while they watched …

In Germany a friend surrendered to the German police:  A long time I go when visiting Germany, I heard a joke of a struggle era veteran who wanted to apply for asylum there. His friends showed him the nearest police station and told him to just surrender there. The veteran, …

When I heard people calling the workers at a coffee chain, I cringed. It took me some time to get used to the job title ‘Barista’; It was a cultural shock because where I came from, barista (usually women who work at bars), is not considered a respectable job. It …

Hormuz Rassam was well known in Europe after he made important archeological discoveries in Iraq between 1877-1882. He found the Nimrod collection, the Hanging Garden of Babylon, the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, and the clay tablets in which the Epic of Gilgamesh was curved in cuneiform—the oldest written story. Then he …

Freedom of Expression Forum in Oslo About a decade ago I attended the exquisite Freedom of Expression Forum in Oslo, Norway, where many dignitaries and activists from around the world flocked. As a skeptic, I observed the activities of the event critically—blame it on my experience with political NGOs operating …

Until the 7th century, Abyssinia flourished under the Axumite Kingdom which replaced other kingdoms including Damot Belew, and others. It had good relations with the regional kingdoms as well as with the Romans, Persians, Indians. Then it collapsed. Abyssinian presence in the Arabian Peninsula was so visible and the two …

In today’s Negarit 129, I will tell you some additional information about Tedros and Kassa Mirach. For instance, not many know about the differences in the Abyssinian church in the time of Yohannes: Karra Haymanot, Sgga, and Qebaat. Here are ten additional bits of information. After the battle of Magdala …

This is part 1 of a series of four episodes of summarized history of the era in which Atzie Tedros, Queen Victoria, King Yohannes IV, Ambassador Hurmuz Rassam, General Napier, Ras Alula, King Menelik II, and King Umberto of Italy were the main actors. Part 1 is about King Tedros, and …

Ramadan Kareem. This is a special month, and it brings memories though most of my childhood I lived under curfew. Someday I will tell you about characters I associate with Ramadan—Amm Bekhetiay Mohammed Drar Hella, Saleh Ewaale and others. But for toady a simple wish will do; Ramadan Kareem. In …

“I and my siblings against my cousin, I and my cousins against a stranger.” An old Arab clannish saying. The above saying doesn’t promote a principled support of what is right and rejecting what’s wrong but reinforces clannish mentality. It is good to support your relatives provided it is to …

ባጽዕ ትመስክር – The Testimony of Massawa – فلتشهد مصوع Colonizers and occupiers of a country influence its people and impose new ideas and languages. The Italian colonization didn’t only introduce Spaghetti to the people but also tomatoes which has now become an integral part of Eritrean cousin in the …

Does God consider those who reject slavery as sinners? However, many offshoot narrations from the original divine books promote slavery in different forms. They could have been acceptable practices in ancient times, but they are repulsing by the moral standards of today. As far as religions are concerned, their timeless …

A misfit blaming me in your presence It is a testimony that I am perfect It’s a fact that Italy named our country Eritrea. Colonizers or their agents named other countries, including Aetopia. The Greeks called Africa as Libya—anything below it was Sudan or Aethopia. Some smart guy proposed to …

As Isaias repeatedly reminds us, we are still a primitive subsistence society, but he forgets his system has shackled us in that state unable to break free. But if he was a caring enlightened leader, we could have advanced incrementally, not regressed to where we are now. We are living …

On Friday, February 19, 2021, Adhanom Gebremariam passed away in the USA. His funeral will be held on Saturday February 17, 2021. Adhanom was a veteran of the Eritrean struggle. As a senior commander in the army, Adhanom commanded and fought gallantly in major battles of the struggle era. After …

There are many instances of governments that are overthrown, pushed out, reclaiming their authority or totally dying out. In the Horn of Africa, there were many such change of governments. Some short-lived, others permanently die out. Ethiopia In 1960  the Ethiopian Brigadier-General Mengistu Neway led a coup with his younger brother Germame Neway …

In the Senhit region, all the way to the West, there are rock mounds, there are ancient conical tukul-shaped pyramids covered in fist size stones scattered in many places. They are covered in black stones, rarely with white. I discovered they were graves of notable warriors or clan leaders. The …

How do people keep their composure despite an anger? I will start with a Tigrayan Lady whose views I really liked. Principled, to the point and very genuine. Obviously she is in pain due to the current situation in Tigrai; I would be as angrier if I was a Tigrayan. …

I am not  sure who the president of Sudan was then, but I think it was Ismaiel AlAzhari when a propaganda war followed the 1967 Arab-Israel war. Soon a joke circulated quoting claiming the Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, said, ‘we can occupy Sudan while the people are eating their …

Happy New Year, Aamkum Mubarek, RHuus Haddish Aamet, Bekitet Haddas Senet lideyya, Feliches neues Jahr, Feliz Agno Nuevo, Felice Anno Nuovo, Bonne Annee, Melkam Addis Aamet The following are today’s topics of Negarit 114: 1. The Arab and Abyssinian counting of time is similar, and the origin of Gregorian calendar. …