Press Release:
Ethiopian Heritage Society of North America
For Immediate Release – March 24, 2012
Ethiopian Heritage Society Alarmed by Government Plans
In yet another egregious assault on its own Ethiopian citizens, the regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) are preparing to raze 18 ancient churches, to bulldoze the surrounding forests and pastures, and to force the indigenous people to relocate to substandard environs far from their heritage homelands. The regime wants the land to lease to large international corporations from China, Saudi Arabia, and India.
Deeply concerned about preserving the heritage of the Ethiopian people, the Ethiopian Heritage Society of North American (EHSNA) is especially troubled to discover that the Waldba Monastery in Gondar is among the church-lands chosen for demolition. One of the oldest monastic teaching institutions in Ethiopia, countless religious leaders have been educated within its walls for over 1000 years. Waldba also holds an important archive of scriptures and texts in ancient Ethiopian languages, many of which are very important to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Ethiopian religious and cultural history.
“Villagization” and Theft of Millions of Acres
At least 8.8 million acres of land in Ethiopia have already been leased to foreign and state-owned firms since 2008, and the bandit regime will lease another 5.1 million acres presently. Ancestral pastoral and forest lands and church properties are among them. According to a recently released Human Rights Watch report, around 70,000 people from western Ethiopia have already been forcibly relocated under the government’s “villagization” program. The people are forced to move to environs that lack adequate food, farmland, healthcare, and educational facilities.
Any leasing money will go directly to the Ethiopian regime; none will go to recompense the displaced people who are torn from their heritage forests and pasturelands. The prime minister and his ruling elite will benefit directly from the betrayal of their homeland and the betrayal of their fellow citizens. Much of the lease monies will eventually be funnelled into off-shore bank accounts held by elite members of the regime.
The Ethiopian regime has denied any human rights violations and says “villagization” is vital to the nation’s development plans. In most cases the indigenous people who have lived on these lands for generations have not been consulted about the land leases. Water rights regarding these lands may have implications beyond the borders of Ethiopia and seemingly beyond the concern of the present regime. The leasing companies need large tracts of land to exploit without any ecological oversight. The bull-dozed heritage lands will be used to grow soy, sugar cane, and other soil-depleting crops.
P.M. Melees, Church Primate, and TPLF Cadre Suspected of Arson in Church Burning
Recently, the important Ziuala Monastery burned to the ground and the fire originated under suspicious conditions. The fire department of the local government was said to be unavailable while the chapel turned to ashes. People in the area speculate that the fire was set by TPLF cadre.
The current head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Aba Paulos offered no regret and no condolences for the loss of the religious heritage site. Claiming to be the patriarch of Ethiopia, the primate shares the same district background of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and it is suspected that he is in collusion with the corrupt regime. The Ziquala Monastery was in one of the many areas marked secretly for “villagization” by the bandit regime and its TPLF party. The war against religion is not limited to Christians and Christianity, the TPLF government interfering unjustly with Ethiopian Muslims as well.
Horrific Assault on Ethiopian Christian Heritage
Ethiopia has a long-held religious tradition tracing back to the biblical Queen of Sheba and the Judaic King Solomon. Ethiopia has many monasteries. There are Zuquala Abo and Debre Libanos monasteries in Showa Province, Wegeg Asobot Gedam monastery in Hararge Province, Waldba (previously mentioned) and Mahbere Selassie monasteries in Gondar Province, to name some among many others.
Over 1000 monks live in the Waldba region and their displacement alone will cause a sizeable upheaval for the local population; not to mention the disruption in the religious expectations of their followers and the destruction of their places of worship. Many of the churches and monasteries have been designated World Heritage Sites by the United Nations due to the religious art and archives preserved therein.
Crimes Against Ethiopian Humanity
The land leasing schemes by the government will produce an ecological disaster that has already been played out in other areas of the globe where forestlands have been stripped. According to the legitimate Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church in exile, the government’s assaults on its own Ethiopian people, their freedom of speech, their heritage, their ancestral homes, and their religious and national histories, could make the regime hard-pressed to ever defend itself against charges pertaining to crimes against humanity – Ethiopian humanity.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA
June 22, 2012 at 1:31 pm
RISE UP ,OH GREAT PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA,AND STAND STRONG WITH GOD TOGETHER AGAINST ALL YOUR ENEMIES. MAY GOD BLESS YOU. OH HEAVENLY FATHER,I PRAY THAT YOU SURROUND THE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND THEIR CHURCHES WITH YOUR ARCH ANGELS~MICHAEL,GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL AND LET NO HARM COME TO THEM.I PRAY THAT YOU KEEP THEM SAFE AND PROTECTED AT ALL TIMES. AND SHOULD ANYONE WISH TO HURT THEM OR HARM THEM OR THEIR CHURCHES IN ANY WAY,I PRAY YOU BRING YOUR FULL WRATH DOWN UPON THEM AND SHOW THEM NO MERCY. AMEN. KING SOLOMON DESCENDANT OF KING DAVID AND FATHER OF THE SON BORN TO THE QUEEN OF SHEBA OF ETHIOPIA ,I BESEECH THEE TO HEAR MY PETITION IN BEHALF OF YOUR MANY DESCENDANTS PAST AND PRESENT WHO CONTINUE TO ABIDE BY THE HOLY WORD OF GOD,HELP YOUR PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA. PROTECT THEIR LANDS,AND CHURCHES AND KEEP THEM OUT OF THE CLUTCHES OF FOREIGNERS AND EVIL LEADERS. THIS IS A HOLY LAND OF MANY CHURCHES,AND HOLY PEOPLE WHO ONLY WISH TO FOLLOW THE WAYS AND LAWS OF GOD. UNLIKE THEIR ENEMIES WHO ARE LOVERS OF MAMMON. AND WISH TO SELL EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING INCLUDING THEIR OWN SOULS FOR A PRICE. MAY GOD DELIVER HIS PEOPLE FROM OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE DEVIL AND BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE RIGHTEOUS AMEN. MAY GOD’S PEACE BE WITH YOU
Save Waldiba
March 28, 2012 at 6:47 am
Please sign the petion setup for Saving Waldiba at
http://www.change.org/petitions/government-of-ethiopia-stop-the-burning-of-historical-ethiopian-churches-and-monasteries
beya
March 27, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Look, here guys, TPLF started to kill and destroy churches, mosques and the Ethiopian people 21 years ago. some people seem to be alarmed that this is the first time TPLF have done such an act. When they started their killing destructon of Ethiopia the monasteries and churches were on the agenda 21 years ago. It was only a matter of time for the TPLF.
The TPLF’s destructive agenda is long and exhaustive. THEY WILL KILL ANYTHING THAT HAS ETHIOPIA WRITTEN ON IT.
If only, we arose in unison when the TPLF did their killing, we would have stopped them in their tracks a long time ago. But we waited and waited because we did not see the suffering of the amhara, or the oromo, or the gambellan as a prelude to our own destruction.
Don Hartley
March 25, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Alas, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” (Pro 29:2)
Ethiopia, stretch out your hands once again to God as you have done in the past so as to triumph over your enemies. This time your enemy is within your gates so great discernment is needed to avoid unnecessary bloodshed but yet to bring about the righteous change that all require. (my humble opinion)
Challew
March 25, 2012 at 1:21 pm
The Ethiopian Ortodox church followers in the diaspora need to get together with their evangelical counterparts and contact North aAmericn and Europian Chrstian Ministries in protest aginst the TPLF destructive policy against every thing that is Ethiopian.The illegitmate regime has a limitless desire to auction Ethiopia, even her monastries.The planned destruction will not come to passif the ortodox belivers call for some meeting of Ethiopians of Othere denomination members and expose the deeds of the regime.The Ortodox Church is not anisland it is part of the body oc Christ which includes all exsisting churches.I want to be clearly understood here.No one is saying join other churches,but there are somethings such as staging protest that Ortodox church members need to hold jointly with other body of believers if we have to stop the destruction of the country,at least for now.We may use the follwing organizations help us press charges about the ongoing destruction of the monastries.
1-ACLJ(American Center for Law and Justice)
About ACLJ – The American Center for Law and Justice
Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the ACLJ focuses on constitutional and human rights law worldwide. Based in Washington, D.C., with affiliated offices in Israel, Russia, Kenya, France, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, the ACLJ is pro-life and dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights for all people. The ACLJ engages legal, legislative, and cultural issues by implementing an effective strategy of advocacy, education, and litigation that includes representing clients before the Supreme Court of the United States and international tribunals around the globe.Its chief TVand Radio host to contact is
CALL JAY SEKULOW LIVE
1-800-684-3110
Lines open Mon-Fri noon to 1pm EST
2- Billy Grham Evangelical association
Toll-Free: 1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426) Call Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Eastern Time
Local: 1-704-401-2432 Call Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Eastern Time .
The United AStates office
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
1 Billy Graham Parkway
Charlotte, NC 28201
Phone: (704) 401-2432
Selamawit Solomon
March 24, 2012 at 8:59 pm
What surprised me is why we always amazed We know more than 30 yrs ago TPLF(Tigrean People Libration Front0 as its name stated is all about one Ethnic Libration and luckily since they held power over the rest of Ethiopia their main goal is to Disintegrate dismember and distroy the Ancient nation of Ethiopia and simmultaniously build “The Greater Tigrai nation ” . There is no Single person in current Ethiopia beside TPLF cadres and benefciaries who are not Victimized looted family member killed ,arrested any shape or form victimized by TPLF .
Our discussion must be focused on how to topple dismantle and abolish the narrow Ethnic minority Unelected and dictatorial regime of TPLF.
koster
March 24, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Meles and his ethnic party told us 20 years ago openly and clearly that their aim is to disintegrate Ethiopia and build greater Tigrai and they are doing accordingly. So why cry now after spending 20 years fighting each other instead of fighting the invading fascistic force. Mussoloni massacred innocent Ethiopians after a death attempt on their general/governor but Meles massacred Ethiopians just to remain in power by force without the will of the people to implement his grand goal of disintegrating Ethiopia, fulfilling his greed for money and eventually build greater Tigrai.
T. Goshu
March 24, 2012 at 4:30 pm
As far as the very nature and behavior of the illegitimate and tyrannical ruling party (TPLF) , the lifeless ( ruber stamp )parliament , the punishing chamber of the the ruling elite( the judiciary-court system) and the political groupings which are parasitically and deadly subservient to the dirty political game of TPLF are concerned, it is not neither surprising nor shocking if all religious and historical heritage insitutions which are not part of the players in the bloody political crime would be destroyed by members of the top ruling elite who are infected with the a very dangerous political and socio-economic philosophy of ” Nobody should worry about anything beyound or after death.”
Now, the very challenging question is not how to describe and tell the horrible actions taken by the evil-guided regime . The people have experienced it more than enough and are continuing to experience it in a much more devastating manner. I think the people are sick and tired of hearing about all kinds of miserable situtations in which they themselves are experiencing in their day-to day lives. I am not saying we are not in need of any effort of gathering information and organizing ,describing, analysing the day to -day happenings in our country , and creating a well-informed public . What I am saying is in most of our writings and talks we do not seem that we are taking the question of ‘what is to be done ” as deep as and as far as it should be.
I hope we will…!