Thursday, 10 December 2009
Journalists are the most hated people in Ethiopia
It must be rather frustrating for the journalists of Ethiopia they have very limited topics to talk about incase it offends the rulling party who have a iron grip on the country in everyway from the economy to the choice of music thats played from their cars. Patriotic music is banned and superstar singer like Teddy Afro are thrown in prison and released to subdue him and join the oligarchy and stop giving free public uplifting conerts. Journalists are persecuted if their article has a hint of insulting the government in anyway, they must write articles that praise the governements work only and ignore the negative things around like the extreme hunger and poverty the sale children to every tourist who can buy one child get the sibling free. The jouranlists are banned from reporting the high number of Ethiopian maids murdered or comitting suicide due to inhumane working conditions in Arab countries. These women are routinely picked and promised work by government agencies that exports the women for a fee. So many Ethiopian private magazines are closing down because of a word or an article or a picture of the lion judah, its becoming hard for them to ignore the lack of freedom of speech and freedom to support another political party so they are the prisoners of all because they are being told what to write with a gun pointing at them. Journalists are good informers and keep politicians in check and in line they are the windows to what is going on the governement which politician bought a yatch using food aid money. In England is a country which respects journalists. They are currently grilling insulting holding public debates with politicians that are using public tax payers money to buy a duck house refurbish their second homes and taxi fares. see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6364799/MPs-expenses-duck-house-MP-refusing-to-pay-back-40000.html Yet in Ethiopia journalists can not talk about stolen food aid money kept in swiss bank accounts, monopolisation of the ethiopian economy and land to benefit the people in power. The farmers are treated like serfs in their own land feeding the city dwellers with no profit for themsleves at all. Politicians of Ethiopia are the richest not only do they rule with mafia like behaviour, they also own lots of businesses. Private investors have no chance with government owned businesses. The government owned businesses create bogus laws such as taking away of land and rebuking licences, if they feel somonelse is a threat to them. They misuse the law and take advantage of their postition, journalists are forced to ignore these injustices and accept it. Most journalists are supporting local business ran by hard working members of the public, who are not pouring in bribery money or have soldiers to scare the competition. They operate in covert ways of informing the public in what is happening, their meanings have a double meaning like the ancient Ethiopian tradition of sem ena work which means wax and gold. However on the internet its a different story Ethiopian political refugees grill the ethiopian rulling party EPRF on banned websites that cannot be seen in Ethiopia. Webizines such as Nazret.online are great sources for current news on Ethiopia they are not propaganda based and the writers have no guns pointing at them. People of ethiopian backgrounds are visiting the site on a great basis and people from outside Ethiopia also visit the website to get a clear veiw of whats happening in the country if they choose to invest rather than the painted rosy biased governent flashy websites. http://nazret.com/blog/index.php?title=ethiopian_paper_quits_under_government_p&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 this particular article is very interesting because the governement would deny they shut down the news paper through some fancy tax payers food aid funded webiste like thishttp://www.aigaforum.com/
Monday, 7 December 2009
Letoya Luckett featuring Ludacris Regret
I love this girls album Lady Love if you dont have it already then you need to buy it; guaranteed jamming from start to finish. Letoya's latest single is called Regret and its about her ex fella that looks kind of lame and wants her back after she has moved on with her new fella. The lyrics are very good and must sting for anyone who has been taken advantage of their partners feelings by doing whatever they want, cheating and leaving thinking the other person will take them back. I dont know if its coming from experience but Letoya s basically saying NO 'shes moved on she gave him 2 or 3 years of her life and she aint gona let him drag her down. Letoya is the only RNB artist I actually listen to Im tierd of these porn/stroke puppets by the name of Beyonce and Rhianna they are on a mission to be the sexiest women in the world and they need to chill and realise some people like me dont care what you look its how you sound like that matters and trust me it isnt all that. So heres the new videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSgkrl0h4HA
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Office Parties and Dramas
In the office you have to behave a certain way, being emotional is not encouraged and is seen as a weakness unless your leaving to say goodbye. Office christmas parties are a continuation of work poltics however under the influence of alcohol it becomes very hard to keep up with the jones's. So it becomes a dragons pitt to see who falls on the floor first, who flirts and gets turned down but styles out. Its a glass house where one is very aware of their surroundings and is trying not to look desprate and awkward so, they will make some one else who gives them a chance make them look stupid and create a scene. I remember one christmas party I went to a couple of years ago, a very pretty naive girl decides to come to the christmas party lets call her Helen. Helen had on her nice cleavage showing top and let her long black silky hair down. Now none of the girls wanted to stand next to her so they ignored her, the problem with this girl is she doesnt know how to play office christmas party politics, she wanted some of the guys attention but didnt do it in a smart way she would be very loud and liked the attention the guys gave her. Now they wouldnt mind flirting with her alone, but when they spoke to her she made it a show and the guy involved didnt like that attention from the rest of the wall flowers, who were not happy this pretty flower was stealing their chance of getting a guy. So the guy in the party realising his moves are causing a scene decides to step back and talk to the office ugly bitch who controls the show. So what happened was poor Helen felt rather isolated and was not used to being treated this way, she normally gets what she wants and couldnt understand why all the guys even the average looking guys, would not flirt with and are avoiding her. Could she have turned ugly in that past hour? She goes through emotions and also backed by alcohol makes a scene. The office hunk decides to look for his coat on the pile of stacked coats and accidentley drops Helens clutch bag on the floor. As it fell the bag opened and the contents fell out, of which was her pink lip gloss a tampon and her sparkly pink blackberry. Now Helen realises her sacred pink possesions where on the floor for the preying eyes to see, panicks and rushes to the floor when she realises it was the office hunk who threw the bag she yelps my bag! Thinking he will rush to pick up her items he simply says 'im sorry it fell off by mistake.' Now Helen already was feeling upset at the whole night and just bursts out crying. Now the office hunk, panics as all eyes turn on him as Helen cries her eyes out from a distance it looks like a lovers tiff oh and Helen did cry him a river. The girls ran to Helen and comfort her. What happened? they ask, she couldnt speak as she was wailing and gulping, you wouldnt think it was because her bag fell on the floor. The office hunk is seen as the villain, he panics and says 'I havent done anything all I said was it was a mistake that her bag fell, Im not apologizing! He gets even more frustrated with every crocodile tear she cries, the office party becomes a scene from the Bold and the Beautiful with a damsell in distress and villain in the side line huffing and puffing.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Are Black Women Slaves To Their Hair?
Some angry black woman had a right old rant on News week online website yesterday about Zahara Pitt's hair being unruly and a 'hot mess'. She said how Angie had no idea how to handle black hair and when Zarah looks at her pictures when she is older, she will feel neglected. Just who does this woman think she is insulting a 4 year olds hair because it is not relaxed? Zahara has lovely curly hair that most mixed raced children and most Ethiopians have. It does not require perming or hot combing it is soft. Is she envious and wishes she had the 4 year olds hair? As she sounds very bitter and darn rude. Its a fact a lot of black women are slaves of their hair they spend every minute weaving perming going through hours at the hair dressers, to disguise its natural texture, its like they have a fear or a denial of it. Its so sad that they put their young daughters through hours of agony and dunking of hair grease and perming and relaxing at such a young age. No wonder why when they reach 20 they hardly have any hair left and resort to weave. Tell me what is wrong with natural kinks and curls what God intended you to have? What is wrong with rocking a natural fro? Didn't India Arie say I am not my hair so how come a large population of black women have become that a walking hair?. Ive heard stories how black women have put weave before food most of their pay cheque goes on their hair, an over styled heap of dead woman's hair or synthetic hair from Korea.
I actually have long curly hair but like Zahara hated it being over styled as I have a sensitive head, so would have lose pony tails and would have a curly fro just like her when I was a toddler. Can someone tell me what is wrong with that? Black women need to understand it is only hair, protein, if you cut it it will grow back what is the big deal? There is more to a black woman than her hair yet there are ignorant small minded people like the author of that article who judge black women and babies on the texture of their hair how foolish.
Here is the foolish womans article her name is Allison
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2009/10/09/Zahara-Jolie-Pitt-and-the-Politics-of-Uncombed-Hair.aspx
I actually have long curly hair but like Zahara hated it being over styled as I have a sensitive head, so would have lose pony tails and would have a curly fro just like her when I was a toddler. Can someone tell me what is wrong with that? Black women need to understand it is only hair, protein, if you cut it it will grow back what is the big deal? There is more to a black woman than her hair yet there are ignorant small minded people like the author of that article who judge black women and babies on the texture of their hair how foolish.
Here is the foolish womans article her name is Allison
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2009/10/09/Zahara-Jolie-Pitt-and-the-Politics-of-Uncombed-Hair.aspx
Eri TV is it Hate TV?
Eri TV besides Osama Bin ladens/Alshabab TV and North Korean TV is the only TV that encourages open racism towards other countries. Since its opening in 1991 it has managed to brainwash a large population of Eritreans to hate Ethiopia to enlist the nation to kill Ethiopians after 30 years in the jungle wasn't enough. Its a government tool used to brain wash the younger generation to create a fear and hate of their neighbour to continue being reserve army people to kill and maim. Propaganda has been used throughout history. Fascist Italians used it to promote the Invasion of Ethiopia in the 1930's for hurting Italy's pride by defeating them in Adwa. How dare these inferior blacks defeat us Mussolini said? Fascist Italians also managed to brainwash their colony Eritrea by saying their were better because they were colonised. Eritreans were so brainwashed they sided with the white Italians than their neighbours Ethiopians who are of the same race. The influence of Propaganda was used in Nazi Germany in the 1940's they managed to convince the German population that Jews were inferior Jews were evil that the people actively began to hate Jews and turned a blind eye to the jewish murders. Eri TV is a model of Fascist propaganda with the aim of creating hate to fulfil military expeditions. Hateful propaganda can create sheep like people who will not question but will follow the leader;who is usually and ignorant man who has no alternative resolutions but to kill torture or imprison his opponents or anyone who doesn't have his ignorant views. Some people lack intelligence to question and those that are smart usually desert the country or are probably dead.
Propaganda has also been used in Ethiopia under Mengistu, he however wanted the nation to absorb Russian propaganda under Lenin Marx and Engels. Mengistu also has Esyas's charachter he killed his opponents who didn't agree with him and lacked intelligent resolutions for dissidents. Esyas does not follow any ideology but other than 'Eritreans are the greatest people on Earth' like Mussolini who has a brain the size of a peanut. The other ideology is Ethiopians are inferior and must be killed and must be used?' Anyone who wants peace or doesn't have this view is a traitor and must be stripped of Eritrean nationality. Free thinking and individuality is not encouraged as that will lead to people questioning the autocratic hold on the country, and must be labelled as deserters and enemies of the state immediately followed by a witch hunt. With fear and ignorance creates simple small minded individuals who will not dare question the status quo for fear of torture lack of growth and war war war is always the answer. The brain is terrible thing to waste and Eritreans are simply becoming puppets of propaganda unless they question, question and question. What is also sad is those that have escaped from the repressive regime continue to uphold their racist views by tuning into the Eri Hate TV and pass on racist ideology to their children. They write on websites and encourage more of a divide between Ethiopians and Eritreans, create a 'we are better than them attitude' and uphold the hostile attitude which was told to them day and night growing up in Eritrea and listening to relatives. If only these people researched a little bit more and read history they will know that all this hostility resulted because of white colonialists creating hostility and war so they can rule the land and steal African resource's. The Italians have done it and the Russians have done it too. The Russians are the biggest hoovers of them all, while Ethiopia and Somalia where at war in the eighties they were busy taking all the gold in the country. Africans have always been receptive of foreigners coming in bringing their ideologies changing their religions from paganism to Jesuits to Muslim to Catholics and to extreme islamists like al queida to fascism to socialism and every darn ism's in the whole world. When are they finally going to stand up and say, no I will not be your sheep, you are not my master, I will not kill my black brother. I don't want to follow your strange custom of chopping hands and marrying up to ten wives; or grow a beard and smoke weed. I want to live in peace I want to see nice buildings and educate our nation, not with your racist propaganda crap!
Propaganda has also been used in Ethiopia under Mengistu, he however wanted the nation to absorb Russian propaganda under Lenin Marx and Engels. Mengistu also has Esyas's charachter he killed his opponents who didn't agree with him and lacked intelligent resolutions for dissidents. Esyas does not follow any ideology but other than 'Eritreans are the greatest people on Earth' like Mussolini who has a brain the size of a peanut. The other ideology is Ethiopians are inferior and must be killed and must be used?' Anyone who wants peace or doesn't have this view is a traitor and must be stripped of Eritrean nationality. Free thinking and individuality is not encouraged as that will lead to people questioning the autocratic hold on the country, and must be labelled as deserters and enemies of the state immediately followed by a witch hunt. With fear and ignorance creates simple small minded individuals who will not dare question the status quo for fear of torture lack of growth and war war war is always the answer. The brain is terrible thing to waste and Eritreans are simply becoming puppets of propaganda unless they question, question and question. What is also sad is those that have escaped from the repressive regime continue to uphold their racist views by tuning into the Eri Hate TV and pass on racist ideology to their children. They write on websites and encourage more of a divide between Ethiopians and Eritreans, create a 'we are better than them attitude' and uphold the hostile attitude which was told to them day and night growing up in Eritrea and listening to relatives. If only these people researched a little bit more and read history they will know that all this hostility resulted because of white colonialists creating hostility and war so they can rule the land and steal African resource's. The Italians have done it and the Russians have done it too. The Russians are the biggest hoovers of them all, while Ethiopia and Somalia where at war in the eighties they were busy taking all the gold in the country. Africans have always been receptive of foreigners coming in bringing their ideologies changing their religions from paganism to Jesuits to Muslim to Catholics and to extreme islamists like al queida to fascism to socialism and every darn ism's in the whole world. When are they finally going to stand up and say, no I will not be your sheep, you are not my master, I will not kill my black brother. I don't want to follow your strange custom of chopping hands and marrying up to ten wives; or grow a beard and smoke weed. I want to live in peace I want to see nice buildings and educate our nation, not with your racist propaganda crap!
Friday, 25 September 2009
Ethiopian influence on Arabia before Islam
Ethiopia and Arabia had pleanty of history before Islam and there is historical evidence that the ancient Ethiopians introduced christianity in Yemen and Saudia Arabia. There was also a large settlement of Ethiopians living in Arabia. Everybody has this idea that it was the ancient Arabs who moved to Ethiopia to create the Axum empire when it was the other way round. The Ethiopians came from the highlands and migrated to Arabia for trade and war purposes. What makes this also interesting is Ethiopia was christian before most of the world so a missionary didnt come on the basis to save an unbeliever nomads life. The king embraced Christianity changing the state religion to christianity and was so touched he tried to bring it to the middle east, imagine a black missionary they must have been miffed? (an ancient toga wearing one) At this time the only people that were christian is the people of the ancient world around Nubia Egypt Syria and in Rome. The ancient Ethiopians had an established empire and that stretched from the whole of the horn of Africa till halve of Egypt and India. Yet the world historians are adament to destroy history and associate anyone who is dark brown and from Africa with slavery. It just shows how the western world is not willing to accept the truth. Any free standing statues that are clearly in Africa are explained to have been built by invaders sometimes aliens as Africans are not capable of building such sophisticated sculptures, they live the simple life of throwing spears at rabbits and running away from lions. Its even sad when people that are not african such as Arabs take credit for such manual invloved tasks as building pyramids and of stocky men with broad noses. When I saw the frankinsence trail on the BBC the presenter went to Najran where the famouse Ethiopian and Persian battle took place. I even spotted old GEEZ writing on the walls and was amazed to find the inscription still there which proves the Ethiopians had lived there she did however mention the massacre of 20.000 Ethiopian christians but did not mention that they were Ethiopian nor did she mention that the Ethiopian Emperor at the time was so horrified he got a large army of Ethiopians and Nubians soldiers under Abraha and defeated the persians jewish Himyarits that did this and controlled Yemen and Saudi for 70years before they got ousted back into the highlands after the rise of Islam. The presenter made no mention of the fact there was ancient amharic on the bloody rocks and the ignorant guide would not even mention it. I also heard to this day that in Najran Christians still live there and it is a holy city because of the Ethiopians.
Ancient Ethiopian Invasion of Southern Arabia
About one century before the birth of Islam, Abyssinia played a significant role in the region of Arabia, more influencing than that of the other neighbours. Two centuries before Islam, namely at the end of the fourth century A.D., the king of Yemen embraced Judaism, and thereby Judaism became the state religion of that land. Then a man named Dhunuvas in Yemen decided to put pressure upon everyone who did not follow the Jewish faith. Then reports reached him that in Najran, a city in neighbouring Hejaz Christianity was spreading. Dhunuvas launched a campaign against Najran, and started persecuting and killing people. He had trenches filled with fire and cast the Christians of Najran into those. One of the Christians of Najran fled to the court of the Roman emperor, and said to him "You call yourself the emperor of Christians, see what are they doing to us Christians there." The Emperor answered that he was too far from that land, but "We have a coreligionist in the Emperor of Abyssinia to whom I will write to come to your assistance." This incident has been recorded in Islamic as well as European sources in an identical manner. The Emperor of Abyssinia dispatched an army to Yemen under a commander named Eryat. among whose officers was a man called Abraha. The army entered Yemen and Dhunuvas was defeated, who in his flight jumped into the sea with his horse and met his end. In this way Yemen became a colony of Abyssinia, and Eryat. its governor. They tried to propagate Christianity in Yemen which led to an incident between Eryat. and Abraha which we will proceed to recount in the following.
d) The Story of Abraha
Abraha was a competent officer in Eryat's army who did not think much of his commander, and so he decided to wrest power from him, and with the aid of his subordinates rose against Eryat.
The Abyssinians got divided into two groups: one group supported Abraha, while the other favourcd Eryat, and got ready to fight. On the day of battle Abraha sent a message for Eryat, saying that it was futile for the Abyssinians to kill each other, and added: "As the dispute is between you and me, let the two of us have a man-to-man fight, and let the victor take the command of the army " Eryat w agreed and in the fight he was killed and Abraha took the reins of power in his hands. Negus, emperor of Abyssinia, was enraged on hearing that the second in command has killed his appointed supreme commander, and swore that he would not rest until he had trampled upon the soil of Yemen and pulled off the hairs of Abraha.
The report reached Abraha that the Emperor was greatly annoyed with him. He filled a box with the soil of Yemen and ordered the hair of his head be shaved off and sent it to the Emperor along with a number of gifts and presents. He sent an accompanying message that he was sorry that the Emperor had become annoyed with him whereas he remained his loyal servant. He added that two of the Emperor's officers had a fight and one overcame the other and that the honour of the Emperor was in no way involved. He appealed that in order to honour the Emperor's oath, he was sending both his hairs and Yemeni soil for. the Emperor to trample on. The emperor was so pleased at this cleverness that he confrrmed him in his appointment as commander in Yemen, and Abraha proceeded to impose Christianity upon the people.[68]
He decided to spread Christianity in Yemen and uproot Judaism and every other faith in the land. Abraha's close associates told him that all his efforts were just confined to Yemen whereas the people of the Arabian peninsula were devoted to another place, namely the Kaaba in Mecca, owing to its age old standing and high prestige and that he should take steps in that direction. Incidentally Abraha had built a very fine church in the capital of Yemen and has adorned it with the most beautiful stones, including the stones remaining from the ancient palace of the Queen of Shiba. But when he noticed that his beautiful church had little attraction for the people against the simple stone structure in Mecca, he decided to do whatever possible to end the influence of the Ka'aba.
e) The Event of Aam-ul-Feel
Meanwhile a rumour spread among the people that Abraha had decided to demolish the Ka'aba. This caused a commotion among certain Arab people, and one Arab, hearing of Abraha's intention, went to Yemen, entered the church at night and polluted it with- his urine. This incident enraged Abraha and the Christians. They told him that, that was how much the Arabs respected his Church! Abraha asked what was the reason for that? They replied because they were devoted to Ka'aba in their heart of hearts and the news that you intended to destroy the Ka'aba had reached them. Abraha said that if that was the way it was, when it was no more than a rumour, then he was decided to destroy Ka'aba. He mobilised his forces and proceeded towards Mecca, and on his way vanquished all the Arab tribes that offered any resistance. On approaching Mecca he sent a messenger to find out whoever was the chief of Mecca and to summon him. He was informed that the chief of Mecca was an old man named Abdul-Mutallib. But before he could be contacted, Abraha's soldiers plundered all the sheep, cows and camels around Mecca including two hundred camels belonging to Abdul-Mutallib. After consulting his friends Abdul-Mut.allib decided to pay a visit to Abraha. The latter arranged a formal audience, sitting upon a throne and surrounded by his officers. It is said that when Abdul-Mutallib entered, Abraha was so impressed by his dignity and bearing that he descended from his throne, sat down on a mattress and asked Abdul-Mutallib to sit beside him. This dignified carriage is what the historians call the radiance of prophethood in the bodies of the prophet's ancestors.
Abraha said to him: "I have no issue with the people of Mecca. I have only come to destroy the Ka'aba, and if you do not confront me, I will carry out this task and turn back, without shedding any blood." Abdul-Mutallib advised him against his intention, but he refused to change his mind. Abdul-Mutallib then asked him why had he been summoned there, Abraha said that he had come to see him, did he want anything of him. He had thought that Abdul-Mut.allib might come up with some bargaining to save Ka'aba. Abdul-Mutallib said that he had no request to make except to demand the return of his two hundred camels which had been seized. Abraha expressed surprise at this trifling request, and said that he had expected him to intercede for the city and its people and Ka'aba. Abdul-Mutallib answered the reason why he did not intercede for the Ka'aba was that he realised that the people of Mecca had no power to resist Abraha's forces, and Ka'aba had its owner who is Allah and He would take care of His own house. Abraha was moved at these words, but he felt that he had come to carry out a mission. So he ordered the return of Abdul-Mutallib's camels to him, and warned the people of Mecca to evacuate the city and take refuge in the neighbouring hills. The people evacuated the city at once to prevent the loss of life, and Abraha prepared to demolish the Ka'aba with the aid of his army and the elephants which he had brought with him. This story has been narrated differently by Arab and European historians. The Greek and European version is that an epidemic of typhoid and smallpox at that time so annihilated Abraha's army that they could not carry out the attack. But the Islamic historian's version which is based on the Qur'an and what eye-witnesses had reported, is, according to the Arab captives in Abraha's army, that a vast flock of small birds like swallows, carrying pebbles in their beaks darkened the sky and pelted them down upon the heads of Abraha's army causing deep puncture-like wounds killing many It is also said that at the same time for the first time in Arabia, the diseases of typhoid and smallpox appeared in Arabia affecting the whole army. Abraha himself suffered from smallpox, and remained alive only until he reached Yemen and died there. This is the theme mentioned in the holy Qur'an, Chapter 105 'Feel' (Elephant) as follows:
"Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant? Did He not cause their war to end in confusion, and send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks, casting stones of baked clay, so He rendered them like straw eaten up?"
There is a perfect harmony between what the Greek historian who is the original source of European version, and Islamic historians who have narrated this episode except that the Greek historian makes no mention of the birds. It needs no emphasis however, that the report of eye-witnesses would be far more reliable than the narration of a historian sitting hundreds of miles away from the scene of occurrence and above all the text of the holy Qur'an itself leaves no room for doubt.
Anyhow, Abraha and his Abyssinian army returned to Yemen, and this part of Arabia, namely Mecca and Medina, remained as before.[69] But despite the strained relations between the Abyssinian government and the people of Mecca and Medina, trade relations continued between them until the birth of Islam.
Ancient Ethiopian Invasion of Southern Arabia
About one century before the birth of Islam, Abyssinia played a significant role in the region of Arabia, more influencing than that of the other neighbours. Two centuries before Islam, namely at the end of the fourth century A.D., the king of Yemen embraced Judaism, and thereby Judaism became the state religion of that land. Then a man named Dhunuvas in Yemen decided to put pressure upon everyone who did not follow the Jewish faith. Then reports reached him that in Najran, a city in neighbouring Hejaz Christianity was spreading. Dhunuvas launched a campaign against Najran, and started persecuting and killing people. He had trenches filled with fire and cast the Christians of Najran into those. One of the Christians of Najran fled to the court of the Roman emperor, and said to him "You call yourself the emperor of Christians, see what are they doing to us Christians there." The Emperor answered that he was too far from that land, but "We have a coreligionist in the Emperor of Abyssinia to whom I will write to come to your assistance." This incident has been recorded in Islamic as well as European sources in an identical manner. The Emperor of Abyssinia dispatched an army to Yemen under a commander named Eryat. among whose officers was a man called Abraha. The army entered Yemen and Dhunuvas was defeated, who in his flight jumped into the sea with his horse and met his end. In this way Yemen became a colony of Abyssinia, and Eryat. its governor. They tried to propagate Christianity in Yemen which led to an incident between Eryat. and Abraha which we will proceed to recount in the following.
d) The Story of Abraha
Abraha was a competent officer in Eryat's army who did not think much of his commander, and so he decided to wrest power from him, and with the aid of his subordinates rose against Eryat.
The Abyssinians got divided into two groups: one group supported Abraha, while the other favourcd Eryat, and got ready to fight. On the day of battle Abraha sent a message for Eryat, saying that it was futile for the Abyssinians to kill each other, and added: "As the dispute is between you and me, let the two of us have a man-to-man fight, and let the victor take the command of the army " Eryat w agreed and in the fight he was killed and Abraha took the reins of power in his hands. Negus, emperor of Abyssinia, was enraged on hearing that the second in command has killed his appointed supreme commander, and swore that he would not rest until he had trampled upon the soil of Yemen and pulled off the hairs of Abraha.
The report reached Abraha that the Emperor was greatly annoyed with him. He filled a box with the soil of Yemen and ordered the hair of his head be shaved off and sent it to the Emperor along with a number of gifts and presents. He sent an accompanying message that he was sorry that the Emperor had become annoyed with him whereas he remained his loyal servant. He added that two of the Emperor's officers had a fight and one overcame the other and that the honour of the Emperor was in no way involved. He appealed that in order to honour the Emperor's oath, he was sending both his hairs and Yemeni soil for. the Emperor to trample on. The emperor was so pleased at this cleverness that he confrrmed him in his appointment as commander in Yemen, and Abraha proceeded to impose Christianity upon the people.[68]
He decided to spread Christianity in Yemen and uproot Judaism and every other faith in the land. Abraha's close associates told him that all his efforts were just confined to Yemen whereas the people of the Arabian peninsula were devoted to another place, namely the Kaaba in Mecca, owing to its age old standing and high prestige and that he should take steps in that direction. Incidentally Abraha had built a very fine church in the capital of Yemen and has adorned it with the most beautiful stones, including the stones remaining from the ancient palace of the Queen of Shiba. But when he noticed that his beautiful church had little attraction for the people against the simple stone structure in Mecca, he decided to do whatever possible to end the influence of the Ka'aba.
e) The Event of Aam-ul-Feel
Meanwhile a rumour spread among the people that Abraha had decided to demolish the Ka'aba. This caused a commotion among certain Arab people, and one Arab, hearing of Abraha's intention, went to Yemen, entered the church at night and polluted it with- his urine. This incident enraged Abraha and the Christians. They told him that, that was how much the Arabs respected his Church! Abraha asked what was the reason for that? They replied because they were devoted to Ka'aba in their heart of hearts and the news that you intended to destroy the Ka'aba had reached them. Abraha said that if that was the way it was, when it was no more than a rumour, then he was decided to destroy Ka'aba. He mobilised his forces and proceeded towards Mecca, and on his way vanquished all the Arab tribes that offered any resistance. On approaching Mecca he sent a messenger to find out whoever was the chief of Mecca and to summon him. He was informed that the chief of Mecca was an old man named Abdul-Mutallib. But before he could be contacted, Abraha's soldiers plundered all the sheep, cows and camels around Mecca including two hundred camels belonging to Abdul-Mutallib. After consulting his friends Abdul-Mut.allib decided to pay a visit to Abraha. The latter arranged a formal audience, sitting upon a throne and surrounded by his officers. It is said that when Abdul-Mutallib entered, Abraha was so impressed by his dignity and bearing that he descended from his throne, sat down on a mattress and asked Abdul-Mutallib to sit beside him. This dignified carriage is what the historians call the radiance of prophethood in the bodies of the prophet's ancestors.
Abraha said to him: "I have no issue with the people of Mecca. I have only come to destroy the Ka'aba, and if you do not confront me, I will carry out this task and turn back, without shedding any blood." Abdul-Mutallib advised him against his intention, but he refused to change his mind. Abdul-Mutallib then asked him why had he been summoned there, Abraha said that he had come to see him, did he want anything of him. He had thought that Abdul-Mut.allib might come up with some bargaining to save Ka'aba. Abdul-Mutallib said that he had no request to make except to demand the return of his two hundred camels which had been seized. Abraha expressed surprise at this trifling request, and said that he had expected him to intercede for the city and its people and Ka'aba. Abdul-Mutallib answered the reason why he did not intercede for the Ka'aba was that he realised that the people of Mecca had no power to resist Abraha's forces, and Ka'aba had its owner who is Allah and He would take care of His own house. Abraha was moved at these words, but he felt that he had come to carry out a mission. So he ordered the return of Abdul-Mutallib's camels to him, and warned the people of Mecca to evacuate the city and take refuge in the neighbouring hills. The people evacuated the city at once to prevent the loss of life, and Abraha prepared to demolish the Ka'aba with the aid of his army and the elephants which he had brought with him. This story has been narrated differently by Arab and European historians. The Greek and European version is that an epidemic of typhoid and smallpox at that time so annihilated Abraha's army that they could not carry out the attack. But the Islamic historian's version which is based on the Qur'an and what eye-witnesses had reported, is, according to the Arab captives in Abraha's army, that a vast flock of small birds like swallows, carrying pebbles in their beaks darkened the sky and pelted them down upon the heads of Abraha's army causing deep puncture-like wounds killing many It is also said that at the same time for the first time in Arabia, the diseases of typhoid and smallpox appeared in Arabia affecting the whole army. Abraha himself suffered from smallpox, and remained alive only until he reached Yemen and died there. This is the theme mentioned in the holy Qur'an, Chapter 105 'Feel' (Elephant) as follows:
"Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant? Did He not cause their war to end in confusion, and send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks, casting stones of baked clay, so He rendered them like straw eaten up?"
There is a perfect harmony between what the Greek historian who is the original source of European version, and Islamic historians who have narrated this episode except that the Greek historian makes no mention of the birds. It needs no emphasis however, that the report of eye-witnesses would be far more reliable than the narration of a historian sitting hundreds of miles away from the scene of occurrence and above all the text of the holy Qur'an itself leaves no room for doubt.
Anyhow, Abraha and his Abyssinian army returned to Yemen, and this part of Arabia, namely Mecca and Medina, remained as before.[69] But despite the strained relations between the Abyssinian government and the people of Mecca and Medina, trade relations continued between them until the birth of Islam.
Supermodel Liya Kebede in 'Desert Flower'
Supermodel Liya Kebede has starred in a new film which premiers this month called Desert Flower' Its based on the best seller book about the Somalian super model Waris Dirie's life in war torn Somalia and her FGM that she went through and her rise into a Supermodel status. She talks about the painful ritual of FGM which is practised in Somalia heavily and most Moslem countries around Africa. Liya Kebede is actually a good actress and she suprised me I've never heard her speak and I am looking forward to her starring in more films. This film highlights the backward custom of FGM and will hopefully raise awareness stop such a practice that has been passed on generations in rural African countries. People should not look at the film with an ignorant judgement and it doesnt mean everyone in africa has gone through this but it does happen and more work should be done to stop it.
Watch the trailer
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