Zenawi’s Death: The Futility of Enlarging an Enclave Hero

[Abtigiis]

The day cruel conscience suppressed compassionate impulse

 

Art has a fascinating way of simplifying complex political ambiences, anxieties and idiosyncrasies. And an event as significant as the death of Meles Zenawi on 21 August, after 21 years of ruling Ethiopia, was sure to create the necessary artistic atmospherics. On Aigaforum, a pro-TPLF website, an enigmatically poignant new Tigrigna song mournfully wails “Ye may mootoow moote” (the one that shouldn’t die, died). It is a distraught elegy for Zenawi – an intelligent but divisive ruler, who successfully punched through adversities, punched above his tribes’ numerical value to rule Ethiopia for over two decades. On other Ethiopian websites, a gleeful Amharic poem “Ye Geddelen Simot” (When the one who killed us died) is getting viral. The poem is an imaginary soliloquy of a Zenawi victim, who is suppressing a nagging humane impulse of grieving for the dead because, as he says, “his own conscience and the bones of the dead victims of Meles will resurrect and strangle him if he sheds a drop of tear for the dead dictator”. The poet, Dawit Kebede, emotionlessly croons in charming Amharic:

 

“If it was not for my refractory conscience,

I would have spanked my chest, I would have shed tears

But for who? For what? How can I cry when the one who killed me dies?”

 

Regardless, anguish and anger must not infuse immorality into our soul. It is not normal to rejoice the inexorable demise of a human life. And therefore I say “rest in peace” to Meles-the-person, although I know he denied rest and peace to millions. I take issue with Meles-the-politician and his politics. After all, beating the dead is an occupational hazard for political commentators.

 

Multiple identities in Politics

 

The divergent messages expressed in the exalting song and scathing poem above reflect the conflicting views of the beneficiaries and victims of Zenawi’s 21 year-old autocratic reign. It is also a vivid reminder of the omnipresence of multiple identities in politics. A hero can be a villain; a villain can be a hero. It is all a matter of perspective. Someone’s freedom-fighter is the other’s terrorist, the old cliché goes. That is the beauty of politics’ multiple identities, is it not? But such multiplicity of political identity need not lead to moral nihilism or conceptual solipsism. Perspectives aside, there are commonly agreed principles that define heroism. Or the obverse: there are moral benchmarks that delineate who cannot be a hero. Ghandi is an Indian hero, possibly a villain for the British at some historical point too. But Ghandi is a universal hero because he did not espouse the transferring of tyranny to others (including his erstwhile enemies) once he freed his people. Mandela is another case in point. Crucially, the rule is a ruler who inflicts pain and misery on his subjects can never be a hero. The story of Meles Zenawi is an odious exception to the cases mentioned here.

 

Gramsci disobeyed

 

Zenawi is a Tigrayan hero, and a villain to the majority of Ethiopians. Having done everything in his power to build and sustain Tigrayan hegemony, he can have little gripe if he remains an enclave hero. A sectarian celebrity! He cannot stake a claim to the mantle of a national hero, for he had not worked for a national agenda. “Heroism” derived from petty ambition of pursuing personal grandeur, tribal supremacy, and vindictive conquest can never sire an inclusive national idol. Zenawi disobeyed Antonio Gramsci’s counsel that a leader not only needs to be ambitious, but also needs to differentiate between “lofty” ambition and “petty” ambition. The first locates itself in the lifting of entire social stratum, the latter grabbing power by all means including “scorching everything around” - the burnt villages of ******, Oromia and Gambella included. Zenawi did not embrace a lofty ambition of ethnic neutrality, national harmony, and compassionate political ideals.

 

Whatever heroism Zenawi may have done to free the Tirayan people from Derg oppression is undone by his oppression of the Oromo, the Amhara, the ****** Somalis, the Sidama and other nationalities who challenged his autocracy. Fighting tyranny against “your own” to impose tyranny on others defiles the sanctity of the initial struggle. He, therefore, is neither an Ethiopian nor an African hero. Domestically, he oppressed, killed and arrested his own people. In the neighborhood, he destroyed Somalia, a fellow African country, through meddlesome scheming, for the sole purpose of selling himself as an indispensable ally of the West.

 

Victimized Ethiopians will not glorify Zenawi because the BBC and Susan Rice flattered a loyal despot. There lies the futility of sewing big national and global heroic robe for a small enclave hero! Nigerian promoter of black orientalism, Chinweizu, in “What the Nobel is not” accuses the “The Nobel Prize” of “conning its way into acceptance as the world prize for intellectual excellence”. He laments “but it is neither a world prize nor a reward for excellence; it is a western European reward for those who render specific kinds of service to Western power and Western global hegemony”. Need we write a book on “What Western tributes Are Not About” in repudiation of the alien homages to a callous abuser of human rights?! It is tempting.

 

Read More on

http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/23/ethiopia-zenawi-s-death-the-futility-of-enlarging-an-enclave-hero?blog=15

[xiinfaniin]

Wallaahi you beat it to me --I was gonna post it in the other thread where NGONGE was looking for your take on Zenawi's death.

 

welcome back and Ciid mubaarak

[A_Khadar]

Wlc back oday ATT. I thinking you prading where Ileys and Co were mourning..

[Abtigiis]

Dear Xinn, A_Khadar and asxaabta SOL,

 

Baryaan kala maqneeynoo,

Waan idiin basaasee

Bulshoyahay ma nabadbaa?? :D

 

Xinn, hedde adigu nin exile ah oo long-foot ah xidhiidhkiisa wax ku falimaayo tidhiyee, miyaadan ka yaabayn in aan waa dhow dawlad kugu noqdo. Seriously though, baryahan Alpha ayaa warkayka hayaa. Soow a menopause Hargeysaawi ah ma meherin oo qalee badan la igama jarayo? :D

 

ngonge, salaan sare saaxiib meeshaad joogtidba. Che mooye intiina kale salaan diiran iga gudooma.

 

Midda kale there is no way I will accept Abdiweli as a Somali president. I prefer Sharif if it comes to that. We have no appetite for the continuation of the old futile H Vs D petty politics. And Abdiweli lives for that cause. He is petty and I have seen too many things to know Sharif is a better Somali.

[xiinfaniin]

^^ :D

 

The big foot has evolved in many ways. The next decade is shaping to be theirs. Perhaps, as the Faroole well spurred water instead of oil, I shall reconsider my next move.

 

Sharif and Abdiweli are two Somali politicians, one is armed with western credentials while the other is clearly inclined with Arabic literature and some degree of Islamic knowledge. I am afraid I will have to wait before I show my hand

[Che -Guevara]

N here I thought you would invite me for toast on demise of our nemesis.. Caku iyo cagdheer.

 

 

Belated Ciid Mubarak sxb.

[Faafan]

A great piece, this should go on the opinion page of Aljazeera as that mediocre one there now from that foolish Harry Verhoeven(Meles Zenawi: The titan who changed Africa) is giving me a sore eye.

[Daqane]

Excellent article +1 to brother abtigiis for finding it.

[Che -Guevara]

He didn't find lool

[Daqane]

Then its an even better article in AWE.

[Yunis]

^^I always had sense Mukhtar Omer was none other than our own here, By far the most in depth piece on the subject, well done Abtigiis.lol.

[LANDER]

The only difference between you and Hailu Shawu, your mentor is that you write (probably speak) sound English. Other wise you both are shallow minded intellectuals. It would be better for you to come out of your inferiority complex and hatred or it will only make you even more inferior than the names you mentioned on your inferiority fiction. I would rather give a chance of leadership to a confident super hero than a coward like you who lives in a state of fear and fearful of the likes of Sium Mesfin. Whoever you are, please, please, please don't pass this fear, inferiority and hatred to your offsprings

lol..Meel bu ka heelay kasii walee.

[NGONGE]

As ever, a very good and readable article. Though I'm surprised at the slight dig with regards to the ONLF's statement.