Sunday, January 29, 2012

Al Mariam’s Contradictory approach to the Right of Free Speech


የሚታየው የወያኔ ገበና ማህደር አዲሱ መጽሐፍ ለመግዛት $30.00 ዶላር ሲሆን ይድረስ ለጎጠኛው መምህር መጽሐፍ ደግሞ $25.00 ሓይካማ የሚለው የትግርኛ መጽሐፌ ደግሞ $15.00 ዶላር ብትልኩ መጽሐፎቹን ማግኘት ትችላላችሁ።Getachew Reda P. O.Box 2219 San Jose, CA 95109 getachre@aol.com Phone (408) 561- 4636



Al Mariam’s Contradictory approach to the Right of  Free Speech

           Getachew Reda getachre@aol.com www.ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com


I have tow topics for you today.

 1-Al Mariam

2= Tesfaye GebreAb

As you have been following lately different critiques against EPRP and EPRP personalities accused of scanning /duplicating the new Mengistu Hailemariam’s book intent to distribute it via online free for readers is been the talk of some individuals.

The critiques were using such opportunity to attack EPRP personalities for their own personal reasons. Some of those are Derg personalities involved in the killing and torturing of EPRP members during the Derg era, where they still showed  rumors nor taken to court  for their crime.

The second critiques are from group members of OLF/Ginbot 7 (The Pal Talk guerrilla fighters) and EPLF agents wearing Ethiopian opposition garb to cover themselves assigned from EPLF for different agendas.

The EPLF agent I am talking is obviously whom many of us knew is Tesfaye GebreAb (the hero of the Tigray hater Pal Talk room ECADEF), involved in the business of actively attacking EPRP lately. I will come back later on this matter.

What made me wonder most from the group of critique is not those little minds mentioned above with missions of their own. But, Professor Al Mariam a University Professor and a Prominent Attorney who is furiously critique against the issue of EPRP’s action in regard to Mengistu’s book.

 As I explained it earlier, I have no problem if one showed sympathy or concern for Tsehay Publisher who took the contract to publish Mengistu Hailemariam’s book.
But, the issue I don’t like is when I reacted to some of Al Mariam’s irrational commentary, some of the Ginbot 7 cults were crying why I react against Al Mariam’s on which he vowed himself to defend any terrorist, any dictator including Mengistu Hailemariam , Benladen or Meles Zenawi, based on the principle philosophy of law on which even dictators have the right to address their case/grievances/ agenda to the public/audience/court …. Without restriction.

At the same time Al Mariam forgot and contradicted himself when he insulted us as “a Dog-like” (cynics) in support to his hero “Seye Abraha” of TPLF stating Seye has the right to express his view without any one to criticize  him or to oppose him.,

When we similarly exercised our freedom of speech to criticize in reaction to Seye’s arrogant responses when we asked him to release hidden information and crime that he knew or participated while he was as one of the leaders of TPLF as Gebremedhin or Asgede exposed TPLF’s secrets, Professor Al Mariam a popular Attorney and a professor of Law insulted us with intent to “shut our mouth”.


 when we the family victims of TPLF referred by Al as cynics for exercising using America’s freedom of speech with the right to react/write/ talk/complain/oppose/ condemned Seye Abraha during his tour to the United States to address the injustice he faced by the system he himself established, surely Al got it messed up the meaning of freedom of speech when it comes to the victims right to react.  

Al Mariam defended Seye’s the right to complain /condemned TPLF/Meles Zenawi’s injustice exercised against him as JUST, and stood with him and advocated for Seye Abraha  the right to speak, while ridiculed us as “cynic” is not only fair and a balance advocate of law, but ignorance of the meaning of the term VICTIMS’ Right to also react against their present or x- abusers and torturers. Al clearly showed to us his BUDINTENGA/WEGENTENGA/pick and choose discriminatory defense.

If I and Al Mariam could have debate in court or anywhere for this matter, what could have been Al’s  response to this inclination of siding with one party while telling the victims to shut their mouth contradictory to his preaching of “Speech of Rights” just because there is no established court where we can try Seye for his past crime? Abusers and their defense attorney always have this escape goat mechanism hiding behind the IRON FENCE called “everyone is innocent until proven guilty in the eye of the law unless proven guilty in a established court” their likes argue with us by telling us do not be critique of abusers/tortures/mercenaries/Meles Zenai/… until they are taken to court.  All torturers, abusers and tyrants, racists use this excuse as escape goat to shut us up! Al is one of them who use this none sense fence to protect abusers and tyrants. If we do we are ‘cynic’

I asked him on my previous articles in reaction to his support for Seye saying:- “Al Mariam, I have a great respect so far for you. But, you need to watch out the words you
used in defense of  Siye.
ou said :- “I am sure there are many cynics who would rather
condemn him for his past acts and omissions, and just as soon ignore his
manifest of transformation and commitment to do the right thing”.  

(Now, we saw where Seye’s transformation ended- Harvard University?! Isn’t it?)
I  responded:-

“Mr Al, cynic means “a sneering dog”, “a dog like”, “selfish”, “faultfinder” . Mr.Al, we are none of that. We are not looking for faults, it is there, and it was there for 17 years in the jungle and 10 years as one of the powerful government figure for anyone to see .So what, if we the people ignore /doubt his manifestation? Don’t we too have the right to reject his transformation after he failed to answer our concern, the injustice, the secret and the ingenuity of  his organization, the crime he hide from us with a full knowledge knowing what took place while he was in power?

I asked Al -What is wrong with asking him to tell us what went wrong, and where our beloved once disappear?  Mr. Al, Most of all, you vowed to defend his Speech of Rights, while you described us as cynic to shut our mouth by disrespecting our Speech of Rights is a total bias and discriminatory on your side…….”
This was some of the responses I did years back to Al Mariam, and still updating this issue of the Right to Speak he used it when he needed it as long as it fits him.

Here again this week, he is sick to his stomach Mengistu’s victim’s react the way they chose to react. When victims lost hope with justice in this world, Al Mariam forgot that victims have also the right to revenge when justice failed to serve. Why do the protesters of  “Occupy Wall Street” Occupy Oakland” Occupy Oklahoma City Hall” Occupy…..Museum” Occupy abandoned for closer houses” “occupy Free Ways” ….campaigners are doing?  People started to react that way because victims get frustrated while bourgeoisie are living comfort with the blood and sweat of the victim and poor? Will AlMariam defense the Wall Street, because the protestors are also blocking accesses to other business owners located nearby from customers coming to their business? Will Al Mariam stand in defense to Wall Street or nearby business owners against protesters if business owners file a law suit against protesters for causing the business broke or for causing havoc in the business area ?

Professor Alemayohu seemed to forget that victims felt hurt.  we are just victims as Seye with felt hurt by his comrades in power. We have no one to defend our patriots, friends, brothers and sisters disappearance. Our family was tortured with fire. Shot dead with bullet while asleep in the jungle prison, suffering just as Siye suffered and even worst.”

We expected you as a lawyer to see this side of the issue as the Right to Complain in our side also. ?  Where is Tsegaye Debteraw? I asked one day to Guru and his friends while they were  touring the US. NONE of them gave it a value. Why? We have Layers who defended them day in day out with disregard to victims cry. The time is now; the promise and transformation starts answering question as the public too has the right to know secrets of Seye and TPLF.

It is a shame that no one including Al Mariam the champ of Human Rights price winner advocated for those victims. Berhanu Negga was dedicated his book for Seye not for his former party leader Tssegaye and his friends or to Asefa Maru, Mekonnen Dori, Abera Yemaneab, Bahtawi Fekadeselasie!  
Check the following what Al Mariam In his latest topic “Copyrights and Copy Crimes” had to say :-
 “One can disagree deeply with Mengistu and the facts or lies contained in his memoir. Having read the book, I am critical of the accuracy and selective recollection of many of his “facts”; and disagree with his attempt to avoid personal and regime accountability for his gross violations of human rights. But that is the way of all dictators. They always try to tell their stories in heroic terms and attempt to justify their crimes as patriotic acts.”
 Did you hear him? I will repeat it for you

“…But that is the way of all dictators. They always try to tell their stories in heroic terms and attempt to justify their crimes as patriotic acts.”
That is exactly how we explained Seye and the rest of the liars when they tried to tell us only their side of the story without telling us the crime they committed. Our demand to Al’s hero Seye and his other groups was similar. We asked them to tell us secrets, disappearances before we trusted them as one of our own or a genuine opposition to Meles Zenawi. But, instead “They always try to tell their stories in heroic terms and attempt to justify their crimes as patriotic acts” or if they do they acknowledge there were wrongs done without detailing the wrongs.”
Al Mariam continues,


Although I disagree with Mengistu on numerous facts and unreservedly condemn his human rights record, I will be the first one to stand up and defend his right to write a book and publish it.”

Why then, Professor Al Mariam called those who complained about Seye as “cynic/ Sneering Dogs” or provocateurs, with their mild reaction if  Mengistu has the right  to write his book defended by Al Mariam? To me this a joke and discriminatory that failed to apply fairness of defense in equal footage to all. Note- I declined many media interviews and and invitation to be a guest speaker, but now I will offer myself to debate Professor AlMariam publicly on this matter at any media he wanted,if he disagree with my argument. Part 2 topic about Tesfaye GebreAb will continue next week. Stay tune.