In the Middle Eastern religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the origins of martyrdom can be traced to the story of the prophet Abraham who wanted to put his child, under the knife to sacrifice him, at the request of God. God (or his angel) saved the day by presenting a lamb instead. Sacrifice is an obligation of humans to God.

The willing acceptance of a father to kill his son, and the son accepting to lay dawn to be killed by his father is a deeply rooted story in the memories of all who follow Abrahamic (Christianity, Islam, Judaism)faiths.

It is a shared value of humanity that people should stand up against the violation of their dignity, their family and their property. A violation of a people�s rights, the desecration of their property rights and the subjugation of their freedoms invoke in them the will to stop the injustice at any cost. That leads to risking one�s life in the struggle to regain the lost rights. With such human instincts, Eritreans left their homes to rectify the injustices that befell on them. The era of martyrdom of a few heroes was followed by an era of mass martyrdom.

How much did we lose to martyrdom?

What we lost to martyrdom is not only the number of sacrificed lives; we lost more in terms of torn families, orphaned children, widowed spouses and weeping parents. We lost more to martyrdom: lost eyesight, paralyzed youngsters, amputated limbs and deformed faces.  A third of Eritrea's population exiled, displaced, making a home away from home. We lost yet more to martyrdom: scorched landscape, dilapidated environment and a destitute society laden with sadness -- all in the pursuit of dignity, justice, stability, prosperity and contentment. We lost tens of thousands of lives to end the era of martyrdom.

Now, Eritrea must bring the era of martyrdom to an end.

A hero is a person who risks his or her life to safeguard the life and security of others.  And a hero does this voluntarily.  Eritrean martyrs define heroism.  Eritrean martyrs are very much revered by their people, and justifiably so. They are mentioned with utmost respect and are given a holy status. There is no doubt in the hearts of believers that those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of their country are true patriots worthy of every reward by God. Our martyrs died facing an occupational army that disrupted the lives of the people, their honor and their properties. They paid their lives so that we, the living, those who survived, would live a life without fear for the safety of our families, our freedom and our dignity and the future of Eritrean children. They died so that future generations don�t have to die prematurely by sacrificing their lives. They paid the bill.

Every Eritrean knows a martyr. The passing away of a martyr has touched every Eritrean family. Every martyr has left a legacy of courage, bravery and humanity. Every martyr has left lessons on heroism and stories of daring bravery. Every martyr has passed to us the spirit of rebellion, rebellion against injustice and oppression. As a people, we have paid too much to give a blind eye to injustice and tyranny. The bill for freedom and dignity is overly paid.

Many Eritreans remember martyrs' on Ona Day. Others refer to other dates. Still, many others remember June 20 as Martyrs Day. Politics aside, this is a technical issue. Remembering our heroes is not dictated by a proclamation or a whim. Though commemorating a day is customary, our remembrance of our martyrs is not limited to one day in a year. We remember them year round. We remember them proudly when we rebel against injustice and carry on their mission. We shamefully remember them when we bow dawn in submission to the forces of tyranny. We follow their example when our conscience is awake. We betray them when our conscience goes to sleep. We feel honored when we uphold their legacy and defend issues they sacrificed for; we feel ashamed when we betray what they died for. But we always remember them because their spirit floats over our heads and we know we have to be true to their legacy. We have an obligation to advance Freedom and the respect of human rights. We have an obligation to live as a Free people.

Martyr's Day is not a routine ritual of candle lighting vigil. It is not an event where unpatriotic-patriotism is displayed. It is not a day to promote anti-martyr values. It is a day to be true to the values of martyrs. It is the will to continue fighting for what they fell for. It is a day to contemplate about their wishes, aspirations and their  dreams that they never realized. It is a day to take stock: did we betray them? Did I betray them? How would they feel of what I am doing? What would they think of what I am doing?  What would they think about how the nation they died liberating and safeguarding is governed? A peaceful and honest self-assessment would offer a satisfying answer. And we should end the era of martyrdom.

General George Patton had a famous line: �don�t die for your country, make your enemy die for his�.  Though we didn�t have the luxury to follow this wisdom in the past, for our enemy was bent on dying for his country and making us die for ours, we love to see an ideal world where no one has to resort to violence. But our heroes proudly died for their country and their people. Our country and people deserve a peaceful life for which our heroes died. We have to do our part and contribute to humanity by trying to bring an end to the era of martyrdom. Let�s all pursue an era of extolling life. An era where people do not have qualms for wishing to live a peaceful life. And let�s help those who think that life is all about killing and dying � their lives shamefully excluded from the act � to promote life. Let�s bring about an end to the era of death.

We need to reconcile. We need to believe in the virtues of reconciliation, inclusion and compassion. Let us, for a change, superimpose Justice on top of martyrdom. Let us promote justice instead of martyrdom-- with justice, we wouldn�t need martyrdom. Let�s usher ourselves to an era of freedom, justice, peace, stability and prosperity. We have been martyred enough.

We have been martyred for ages. We were forced into martyrdom for ages. As awkward as it sounds, we have even martyred each other in civil wars and power struggle. We have promoted martyrdom for wrong ends. We have treated life so cheaply. We have convinced ourselves that martyrs never die. Yes. They never die in spirit; but they die in flesh. They die away from their children and parents. Yes, martyrdom creates orphans and widows. Yes, martyrdom creates suffering and agonies.  Yes, martyrdom leaves and irreplaceable hole in the lives of those left behind.  It�s martyrdom but at the same time, it is death. It is a life lost. It is happiness turning into sadness. It�s a warm home thrown into pitch darkness. It is a happy child who can no more have a father -- or mother.

We have to end the era of martyrdom.

In this day, we appeal to all Eritreans to be understanding and compassionate to each other. To be guided by justice and fairness. We appeal to them to be reconciliatory. We appeal to our politicians to believe in compromise and practice the art of give-and-take. We appeal to you all to shun splitting because of petty issues. We appeal to you all to narrow down the chances of confrontation. We appeal to you to be true to the legacy of our martyrs. They might not be visible but just imagine that they are watching all our actions! We are certain no Eritrean wants to betray our martyrs, we appeal to you on the honor and sacrifice of our martyrs to think of Eritrea and its people first and foremost.

In the Eritrean future, sacrifice is a constant.  But let us make sure that what we are sacrificing is our time, our energy, our goodwill, but never, ever again our people.  Eritrea has paid more than its share in human life just for the honor of existing and future generations who must be spared because past and present generations have already paid the price.

May the era of Martyrdom end and an era of peace and reconciliation be ushered. Amen

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