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Report: Eritrean Americans in Seattle determined to fight back: Today, Eritreans in Seattle discussed the unjust accusations
that are being spread by the US assistant secretary for African Afairs
(Jandayi Frazer) against Eritrea and the threat of putting Eritrea on
the list of states that support terrorism. They have voiced their concern
that regional politics and misguided policies on the part of State Department
may have disastrous consequences to Eritrea and the region in general.
The participants agreed that the issue is not about punishing the government
of Eritrea but the Eritrean people and in particularly Eritrean Americans
directly. In light of this, they decided to sign petitions in order
to avoid being labeled as terrorists. Please, sign as well as ask others
to sign this
FORM and drop it at the community center in Seattle by
Oct 7. Powerful ally against terrorism: Eritrea and its people have never and will never support terrorists.
To the contrary, Eritrea’s record when it comes to fighting terrorism
is undeniable. Even during the years of struggle for dependence, Eritreans
have never resorted to terrorism as a means of achieving a military
or political objective. In fact, in the early years of Eritera’s independence,
Bin Ladin and his fanatic followers have attacked Eritrea from their
hide-outs in Sudan. Before the world was awaken by the Sept 11 events,
Eritrea was the first to cut off diplomatic relationship with Sudan
sighting the support Sudan provided to Bin Ladin and its ambitions to
use Jihad as a means of waging war on non fundamentalist countries.
After September 11, Eritrea again was the first to declare its support
for the US struggle against terrorism. Also, Eritrea fought and is still
fighting the “Eritrean Jihad Movement” that is financed and armed by
Ethiopia, ostensibly a US ally. Tolerance and Respect: Eritrea simply is one of the most liberal and peaceful nations
on earth that can never be used as a breeding state for terrorists. The Eritrean people, Muslims and Christians,
have coexisted for generations with at most respect and tolerance to
each other’s believes. The respect and tolerance that exists in Eritrea
should be considered by the US as a powerful weapon against terrorism.
This being the reality, it is mind-boggling for the US to even contemplate
equating Eritreans with terrorists. As for the Eritrean government,
it can be blamed for many other issues ranging from freedom of speech
to democracy, but the one thing that it can never be blamed for is its
resolve to fight terrorism in the region. The border war: True, the border war with Ethiopia has been a source for tremendous
suffering for both people. This war has also prevented both countries
from making progress in democratization and human rights. However, a
peace treaty under international law has been signed and there should
be no reason for both countries to go to war again. Unfortunately, the
relation between Eritrea and Ethiopia is still hostile. Both countries
are reported to have supported the other side’s opposition groups. With
its main goal being to see the demise of Eritrea, Ethiopia has been
using its powerful diplomatic relations with the US to put pressure
on Eritrea to surrender. The US, overwhelmed by the Somalia events and
its paranoia for terrorism, has blindly supported Ethiopia. In the process,
the US has disregarded international law and justice in favor of Ethiopia.
This has cornered Eritrea and forced it to react angrily at the US,
at times it may have even taken erratic measures. Yet, this has nothing to do with terrorism. From Eritrean perspective
it is a fight for justice and its very existence. SomaliaThe support the Somalis gave during the Eritrean struggle for
self determination has always been appreciated by Eritreans. It is therefore
natural that Eritreans will support Somalis in their struggle to re-institutionalize
their country. Any support Eritrea may have extended to any faction
in Somalia has to be seen from this perspective. If there are individuals
within Somalia that the US has problems with, it is none of Eritrea’s
business since the area is now under complete control of the US and
its ally Ethiopia. The support for the Somali people however is a genuine
one. What is next for the US? Putting Eritrea on a list of states that support terrorism
is not justified. It will not achieve any objective other than to cause
more suffering to the already impoverished Eritrean people. To force
a government change in Eritrea, as is advocated by Jandayee Frazer,
simply will result in more chaos and create fertile ground for terrorism
in the region. The US must learn from its experience in Iraq, Afghanistan
and Somalia, that regime change is not a prescription that works. The
US must engage the Eritrean Government constructively and live up to
its commitment to finalize the border demarcation so that no tension
exists between Ethiopia and Eritrea. What is next for Eritrea? The Eritrean government must also avoid the path of diplomatic confrontation with the US and be tactful in its approach. It needs to take concrete measures to show goodwill and create conducive situation for negotiations by compromising on certain key issues and avoiding inflammatory language. This is not about face-saving any more, this is about live saving. What is next for the Eritrean Americans? This is not about supporting the government or not. Eritreans
who support or oppose the government will equally be affected by the
measures against Eritrea. You will not be “Eritrean” any more, you will
be a feared person “from a country that supports terrorism”. Therefore,
you will be flagged and subjected to all kinds of scrutiny that will
affect your life and that of your children badly. Time to trash your
narrow-minded approach and fight for your right to live freely as an
Eritrean American. We already
have seen shameful acts from some “Eritreans” in Seattle who not only
support Jandayi Frazer but even dared to provoke Eritrean Americans
who want to make use of their First Amendment’s right to gather and
confer (Read
this shameful letter) |
