Harvard Professor Defending Menelik's Legacy and Bravery

Thanks Harvard for making my day for hitting the canon after all these slander and blunder of Ethiopian history by those haters who tried unsuccessfully to assassinate the character of one of Ethiopia's progressive and anti-colonialist leader of his time; Menelik II. Hmm, let me guess these disillusioned group who are riding on TPLF's bandwagon, may try also try to boycott Harvard university for 'glorifying' this evil leader haha. Jawarian & co please rest your case and direct your fight against your master at Arat kilo palace who are incarcerating millions of Ethiopians including the Oromos you allege to represent instead of being a laughing stock.      

In March 1896 a well-disciplined and massive Ethiopian army did the unthinkable—it routed an invading Italian force and brought Italy’s war of conquest in Africa to an end. In an age of relentless European expansion, Ethiopia had successfully defended its independence and cast doubt upon an unshakable certainty of the age—that sooner or later all Africans would fall under the rule of Europeans. This event opened a breach that would lead, in the aftermath of world war fifty years later, to the continent’s painful struggle for freedom from colonial rule.

Raymond Jonas offers the first comprehensive account of this singular episode in modern world history. The narrative is peopled by the ambitious and vain, the creative and the coarse, across Africa, Europe, and the Americas—personalities like Menelik, a biblically inspired provincial monarch who consolidated Ethiopia’s throne; Taytu, his quick-witted and aggressive wife; and the Swiss engineer Alfred Ilg, the emperor’s close advisor. The Ethiopians’ brilliant gamesmanship and savvy public relations campaign helped roll back the Europeanization of Africa.

Figures throughout the African diaspora immediately grasped the significance of Adwa, Menelik, and an independent Ethiopia. Writing deftly from a transnational perspective, Jonas puts Adwa in the context of manifest destiny and Jim Crow, signaling a challenge to the very concept of white dominance. By reopening seemingly settled questions of race and empire, the Battle of Adwa was thus a harbinger of the global, unsettled century about to unfold. 

Source: Harvard University Press 

Ethiopia: Dark side of Oromo Expansions and Menelik II's Conquests

Abera Tola penned the following piece on January 3rd 2014 following the infamous and deceptive boycott campaign by TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front) cadres in Ethiopia and their hate-mongering  foot-soldiers from abroad who bullied Bedle/Heineken breweries to cancel sponsoring of Teddy Afro's aka Tewodros Kassahun nationwide concert in Ethiopia alleging the Ethiopian Pop star glorified Menelik II's expansion as a holy war. These bullies and their gullible victims campaigned for weeks on social-medias despite the fact that the "leaked" fake story was refuted by the singer and the publisher. Ironically, TPLF,  the mastermind behind this "boycott" is incarcerating over forty thousand of our Oromo brothers and sisters in various prisons of the country; the emotionally charged campaigners from abroad never succeed to free their compatriots who're languishing in jails set-up by the TPLF mafia since 1991. All these mambo jumbo was to  meant discreet Menelik II,

Menelik II Established compulsory Free Education throughout His Dominions: NY Times 1909

Haters will hate this historical fact but The New York Times (last time I checked it's not owned by Neftegna Amharas, pun intended) published originally the story about Ethiopia's revered progressive statesman aka Menelik II's ambition and his unique entrepreneurship skills for his time a century ago on November 7, 1909. For those myopic and hate-mongering FaceBook tigers, this is Ethiopian History 101, you should check before you spite your vile based on fabricated and bankrupt rumors by TPLF/EPLF/OLF "elites" about this historical figure who is not only a pride for Ethiopians but for the black race and other freedom lovers all over the world.    

 

Abyssinia's Ruler Said to be a Heavy Buyer of American Railway Stocks

Ethiopia ranks again Second Worst Place For Journalists: CPJ

The International Press Freedom Watchdog, CPJ ( Committee to Protect Journalists) in its annual report for this year released today disclosed that 2013 is  the worst for journalist worldwide and Ethiopia is one these places where the safety of journalists is under extreme threat. Our country again named the second journalist jailer in Africa and our competitor, Eritrea is clinching its first place by holding twenty-two journalists behind bars for another reason doing their job - journalism. What makes our country is unique that it is incarcerating not only Ethiopians but two journalists from Eritrea who were captured in Somalia during TPLF's military adventure back in 2006. The whereabouts of these two Eritrean journalists are unknown, according to CPJ's report. In the meantime, our rulers are denying that there are no journalist who are jailed due their profession; an insult to our intelligence. But, I still wonder why is my colleague Shifferaw Insermu, who is the longest serving Ethiopian journalist since April 2004 and whose whereabouts is still unknown to these days,