Author: Semere T Habtemariam
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Miriam Was Here: A Book Review
As the last glint of hope vanished, they whimpered, fully aware that death was closing on all of them. They have never been so sure of the inevitable. There was neither a sudden surge of fear rippling through them nor a riot of doubts crashing on them; they just were sure and clear of what…
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Interview with Dr. Bereket Habteselassie (Part 2)
“In my view, accepting even an imperfect constitution (imperfect both in terms of the process of its making and its content) and using it as a unifying or rallying point would be a wiser way, leaving to another day the task of improving or substituting it by another constitution.” Dr. Bereket. This concludes the part…
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An Interview With Dr. Bereket Habte Selassie
The idea of interviewing Dr. Bereket was triggered by the feedback I received from the many people who have kindly shared their opinions with me. One of my primary goals in writing is to promote a healthy discourse, serve the truth and the cause of justice and hopefully play a minor role in enhancing our…
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Speak Or Hold Your Peace Forever
If you didn’t speak then, please forever hold your peace. A priest officiating a wedding asks those gathered if there is any just cause why the marrying couple may not be joined together; and exhorts them to speak or forever hold their peace. If no one speaks, the priest then declares the couple husband and…
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My Fears and Paulos’ Views On Seyoum Haregot
Two of my worst fears are that one day we will wake up and discover we were ruled by a clinically insane person. Two Eritrean medical doctors who have known Isaias for a long time and have closely observed his behavior have already indicated that he suffers from some sort of mental illness. The fact…
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Seyoum Haregot’s New Book: A Critique
The Bureaucratic Empire Serving Emperor Haile Selassie Red Sea Press For over a century, successive regimes in the Horn of Africa, have served their respective populace the Tantalus cup of freedom and prosperity. It has become a vicious cycle; a never-ending season of conflicts which has rendered many much worse off than they were a…
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“Massacre At Wekidiba”: A Survivor’s Book Review
A review of a new Book by Dr. Habtu Gebreab (Aka, Fr. Athanasius) Some events are destined to be part of the collective psyche of a nation. No time or healing can blot out the indelible imprints they leave behind. They remain an integral part of a society either in their physical, cultural or psychological…
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Lessons Of January 21
Nothing sours the mood of dictators like the appearance of not being in control. A total loss of control is preferable just as a quick death is to a slow death. According to the logic of dictators the fear of government is the beginning of security. History amply attests that when fear is eliminated, dictatorial…
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Dying vs. Killing In The Name Of Faith
Where is my anchor? For some inexplicable reasons, I was inspired to go to church last Saturday evening. Glad I did; it was an awesome experience and like to believe that I came back home, at least, a little bit more spiritually and morally uplifted. The few times I had been to the house of…
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Zenawi’s Mixed Legacy
Unlike his predecessor who was widely condemned for his failure, brutality and poor governance, the late Prime Minister of Ethiopia has a mixed review of his legacy and that is, frankly, an achievement we cannot ignore. Meles Zenawi has been praised for his economic and educational policies by almost everybody (at least those who matter…
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Got Dignity?
If you’ve lived in the US as long as I’ve, then, you would remember the old milk commercial. Two simple words followed by a question mark: Got Milk? The commercial is credited for increasing milk sales in the US. The dairy industry later came with an equally catchy message: Milk: it does the body good!…
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An Eulogy Of Naizghi Kflu: A Translation
This morning I read an eulogy of Naizghi Kflu’s published at Meskerem.net in Tigrinya and it moved me so much and overwhelmed me with sorrow and indignation. I applaud the people who prepared the eulogy; they succeeded in capturing the true sentiments of the overwhelming majority of us. There are certain things that transcend politics…
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The Devil In God’s Land, A Play By Bereket Habte Selassie
The Devil in God’s Land: Paperback, $19.95, 130 pages, 229×152 mm, Mkuki na Nyota Pulblishers, Tanzania, 2011. ISBN 9789987081615, “Have you forgotten your vows to the martyrs? Can you honor your vows while in the cruel embrace of the powerful?” Zegonfo II asking Senai in Act One, Scene One, Page 3.) Who is “The Devil” and “Where…
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More Reflections On The Eritrean Opposition
Not fit to lead Isaias is mentally unstable and unfit to lead. He is stuck in a cemetery of dead ideas and it’s foolish to expect him to change. His arrogance and ignorance knows no boundary. Who among us could have imagined any head of state to openly boast: “I don’t have an employment contract…
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Some Reflections On The Eritrean Opposition
* No human creation lasts forever; and, surely, the tyrannical regime in Eritrea will come to an end. But it is naïve to think time alone will put a dagger in the tyrant’s throat. A proactive, action-oriented and results driven struggle is way over-due. A future does not come with a guarantee but we can…
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Walk, Be Brave And Strong
What guides us to be on the right path and how do we know we are on the right path? Is it our history, our religions, our philosophies, our prevailing realities or a mix of all? Where are the sign-posts on the road and the light-houses on the harbor? These are the questions in the…
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Perspective On Fessehaye Woldu’s Perspective
Last Thursday, a panel of 19 eminent people of the Global Commission on Drug Policy issued a report on the global war on drugs. The report concluded “the war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world.” It further recommended to the Secretary General, “To initiate a truly open…
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Obama Slays Osama, But Did The Terrorists Flee In Terror?
Abraham Lincoln towers in American history because, among many other accomplishments, he appealed to “the better angels of our nature.” Although he came to prominence almost a century after the Founding Fathers, he was, indeed, the last one of them. He steered the nation amid the worst violence and brought it to safe harbor by…
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Not All Is Quite On The Nile Front
Oh, old Pharaoh Moses asked you, “let my people go.” But, you turned a deaf ear, Ten plagues fell on every house and borough. The people found out That you were neither god nor savior And your power was far from thorough. Oh, new Pharaoh After decades of misrule, and…
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Wounded Nation : A Book Review
Rarely does one find a serious and intelligent book that is totally engaging, but the author of a new book, “Wounded Nation: How a Once Promising ERITREA was Betrayed and its Future Compromised,” did just that. “Wounded Nation” takes up on where the first volume, “The Crown and the Pen,” ended. The book according to…