It has been now ten days after the young Ethiopian brothers thirty of them were beheaded and massacred at Libya coast. Unfortunately this brutal action by ISIS is going to remain part of us for a very long time. As professor Getachew Haile told the large crowd of Ethiopians three to four hundreds gathered at Times Square yesterday night this is not new to Ethiopian Christians. He said historians are now finding ancient books that tell such story following the ancient track of pilgrims from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. The less than thirty minutes ISIS video shown on April 19, 2015 is going to be part of our generation of Ethiopian Martyrs. It will not be the last !!!!
Following ISIS video the protest and the anger was spontaneous back home and here in the Diaspora. Tuesday April 21 Addis Ababeans largely youths from schools, universities, employed an unemployed went out in thousands to denounce ISIS barbarity and the regime responsibility in driving our youth out of Ethiopia in millions to their death and suffering under the hands of traffickers who make huge profit.
On last Wednesday government organized day of mourning turned to huge protest against government where large numbers of people were beaten and jailed. The government who boasted of double digit growth was exposed for the whole world in front of its foreign supporters and foreign media.
The Diaspora Ethiopians staged prayer vigil all over the world for the last ten days. In New York at St. Mary of the Tsion at Yonkers last Saturday and Medhanealem Ethiopian Tewahedo Church in Bronx past Sunday. In both places sisterly churches were present to show solidarity with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
At Medhanealem, The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, The Syrian Orthodox Church in North America. The Armenian Church, The Syraic Orthodox Church, The Coptic Orthodox Church, the Dioceses of New York and England, The Malankara-Syriac Knanaya, The Council of Church and the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church New York, Northeastern and Central United States with priests, deacons and large numbers of Ethiopians and non Ethiopians together. It was a blessed service of two and half ours. Similar service was conducted at St. Mary of Tsion a day earlier at Yonkers.
The public gathering yesterday in New York spring night was the “end ” of the ten days of sorrow for Ethiopians in New York Tri State area. The place where you see joy and laughter in day and night turns into a rare night of prayer and renewing the bond between Ethiopian Christians and Muslims which ISIS targeted on its Sword and AK 47 on April 19, 2015.
The Muslim representative told the crowd that included good number of fellow Ethiopian Muslim brothers and sisters that the pain that was inflicted on Ethiopian Muslims by ISIS brutality is a two fold. One, ISIS violated the teaching of Islam using Sword and Gun for conversion. The death of these young men is also the loss of part of us as Ethiopians he said. The Ethiopian Muslim who chose to be with fellow Christian brothers and fall on ISIS hand speaks for itself about the relation of Ethiopian Muslims and Christians. The solidarity between Muslims and Christians was reinvigorated once again following ISIS brutality back home and here in the Diaspora.
The Christian speakers from Ethiopian Orthodox and protestant representatives took the death of the young men as a call from God to die for the cross. The Killers might have succeeded in taking the bodies of the Libya Martyrs but they said that they are now high above in the heaven as Martyrs praying for all of us.
Young Ethiopians fleeing their country estimated in thousands each week both legally and illegally for last decade need to be stopped speakers said. Young Ethiopian women who are the victims of slave trade, young men and women who are now in dangerous situation in Libya and Yemen need a Strong Action from the Diaspora. A call for United Action is overdue according to the speakers.
The prayer and the singing in this service had attracted large tourists. The candlelight in the night of Times Square was more sparkling than the neon lights of the Times Square tall buildings. Our light was the Martyred light that will shine forever free from any blackout.
Long Live One Ethiopia !!!
God Bless Ethiopian Martyrs !!!
