Al Mariam’s Commentaries
Posted June 13th, 2006 by almariamforthedefense. INTRODUCTION Over the past several months, there has been much discussion and debate over House Resolution (H.R.) 4423 and the two substitute amendments[1] offered by New Jersey representatives Christopher Smith (R) Chairman, House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations and Donald Payne (D), ranking minority member…
MARTIN LUTHER KING Part III “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time — the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression,” declared Martin Luther King (MLK) in his Nobel acceptance speech in 1964. A trained theologian and Baptist minister, MLK was…
GANDHI Part II “Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong. With the weak, it might easily be hypocrisy…,” declared Ghandi in 1891. Over the succeeding decades, Ghandi proved time and again the irrefutable truth about the efficacy and morality of nonviolent civil disobedience in resisting unjust laws and colonialism, culminating in Indian independence in 1947…
There is rumor of mass civil disobedience in Ethiopia. Over the past month, the U.S. Embassy has been reminding and urging Americans in Ethiopia to “avoid demonstrations intended to be peaceful [which] can turn confrontational.” On April 22, Sudan Tribune online published a press release purportedly issued by Tegbar League Addis Ababa announcing the initiation…
There is much confusion and consternation in the Ethiopian community in North America over the fact that the democrats on the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations of the House International Relations Committee voted against a bill in subcommittee titled the “Ethiopian Freedom, Human Rights and Democracy Act (HR 4423), introduced…
Originally appeared in Ethiopian Review, December 1992 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/1992/Article_AbiyeSolomon_December1992.html Under the pen name: “Abiye Solomon” One of the truisms of American life is that anyone from any country can come to America and assimilate into the society. The idea is that America is a land of immigrants naturally hospitable to new immigrants. In many ways,…
Originally appeared in Ethiopian Review Magazine November 1992 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/1992/Article_AlemayehuGMNov92.html The Council of Representatives of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia last month approved a “Press Law” authorizing government officials to exercise sweeping censorship powers over the press and persons associated with the press. This law is unnecessary and unduly burdensome on the traditional and universal…
Originally appeared in Ethiopian Review, July 1992 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/1992/Article_AbiyeSolomonJul92.html Under the pen name Abiye Solomon I am one of those guys who has never really been into sports. I used to Like soccer and I played and watched a lot of it in my younger days in Ethiopia. There really was not much to…
Originally appeared in Ethiopia Review Magazine August 3, 1991 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/index/345 By Alemayehu Gebre Mariam The July Conference Objectives Just three months ago few would have predicted the downfall of the Derg or the sneaky departure of its brutal chieftain to Zimbabwe. The suggestion that Ethiopia’s warring factions would assemble for a dialogue in Addis Ababa…
