Al Mariam’s Commentaries Archive
22 Jan 2007
IT’S TIME FOR US TO SAY “THANK YOU!”
Never was so much owed by so many to so few… How does one thank those who put everything on the line to stand up for justice, truth and the Ethiopian way? How does one express appreciation to those who left their families, friends, neighbors and country to expose the truth about unspeakable crimes committed
04 Jan 2007
Poof! The Magic Jihadist!
In the 1979 animation adventure, Puff the Magic Dragon and the Land of Living Lies, the Dragon takes a little girl called Sandy, who has a vivid imagination and lies a lot to escape the problems of her troubled home, to the Land of the Living Lies, where she meets such famous fibbers as Pinocchio
18 Dec 2006
Kestone Cops, Prosecutors and Judges in a Police State
A Personal Note to the Reader: Here I go again, talking about human rights! Everyone else is talking about war and rumors of war. I am still talking about human rights in Ethiopia. Again! Do I sound like a broken record? I don’t mind. Ah! Yes. 12 years — very long years — later, we
28 Nov 2006
The Jihadists are coming!
Here we go again! Trot out the Somali jihadist bogeyman (aya jibo). Get out the smoke machine and mirrors. Show time! Act I. Narrator Zenawi: “Somalia is becoming a haven for terrorist. The sheiks of terror have declared an unholy war on Ethiopia, and the U.S. of A. They are on the outskirts. This is
10 Nov 2006
Farewell, Mr. Hastert! Good Bye, Mr. Armey! So Long, Mr. Zenawi!
How the tables can turn… When Mr. Hastert bottled H.R. 5680 in the International Relations Committee just before the midterm recess, most supporters of the bill were deeply disappointed, and angry. We had labored long and hard to get the bill to the floor, and done a marvelous job of generating unanimous bipartisan support for
23 Oct 2006
STATEMENT OF ETHIOPIAN /AMERICAN LAWYERS IN THE UNITED STATES
ETHIOPIAN AMERICAN AND ETHIOPIAN LAWYERS IN THE UNITED STATES CONDEMN THE REGIME OF MELES ZENAWI FOR PERSECUTING ETHIOPIAN LAWYERS AND FOR ITS CONTINUING PRACTICES OF GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS Ethiopian American and Ethiopian lawyers in the United States strongly condemn the regime of Meles Zenawi for its recent unlawful arrest and detention of Ethiopian civil/human
16 Oct 2006
Clone H.R. 5680 Everywhere!
Alemayehu G. Mariam and Obang Metho In all of the excitement surrounding H.R. 5680, it seems we have overlooked some simple but critical questions: Are Ethiopian Americans the only group in the Diaspora who have the duty to defend and promote freedom, democracy and human rights in Ethiopia? Do Ethiopians living in Europe, Canada and
25 Sep 2006
Open Letter to U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert
September 24, 2006 The Honorable Dennis Hastert Speaker of the House 235 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 BY FAX Re: H.R. 5680 (Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006) Dear Mr. Speaker: I write this letter on behalf of hundreds of thousands of proud and loyal Ethiopian Americans who have
20 Sep 2006
Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam’s Special Message to Ethiopian-Americans in Illinois and in the 14th Illinois Congressional District
My friends and fellow Ethiopian-Americans in Illinois, and those of you particularly in the 14th Illinois Congressional District: I thank you for inviting me to join you in discussing the fate of H.R. 5680, and what you can do to help it get to the floor of the House for a vote. I regret that
19 Sep 2006
Betrayal of Democracy
(Text of Prof. Alemayehu Gebre Mariam’s speech at the premier of the documentary “Betrayal of Democracy” at the University of California, Los Angeles, Ackerman Union, September 16, 2006. “Betrayal of Democracy,” Obang Metho, Producer, in association with the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.) *** This speech followed immediately after the showing of Betrayal of Democracy.*** Thank