As Eritreans we looked forward with zeal to get our independence to be able to live in a country of our own free from occupation. It was a long bitter journey full of obstacles. During this arduous journey we failed to notice and neglected one important component part that plays a crucial roll in the making of a nation: we neglected our historical, social, cultural, traditional, religious and moral values.

We failed to tackle it properly at that time and today it is failing us- a failure that no remorse can undo.

For this reason sister Sophia's article of defamation against brother Saleh Johar (Gadi) comes within this context.

It was the EPLF leadership's culture of doing things, so today it is EPDJ'S and their cronies.

Saleh, in your article Their Waterloo, you explained every thing clearly for those who have ears to hear.

Life in Diaspora.

I hope many will agree with me if I say that, under the DIA rule, life in Diaspora is not the same for all of us, because the dictator's rule is not confined inside Eritrea only. He is applying it wherever he can reach with his tentacles.  Let me give one example that can shed light in this respect.

If we take Diaspora Eritreans in the USA, Europe, Australia, or other democratic countries, they have many opportunities to develop themselves educationally and economically and bring up their children in good environment. They are at least guaranteed by a tax payer's money to live decently with respect and dignity.

However, if we take the Diaspora Eritreans who are living in the Middle East or part of Africa, their situation is very different. For example, if we take a shipment of cargo destined to Eritrea, anyone who doesn’t pay the annual 2% tax imposed by the dictatorial regime, is denied the right of helping his parents, relatives, family friends or the needy.

For a long time it is not possible to ship cargo shipments from the Middle East to Eritrea due to the faulty administrative methods the dictatorial regime follows or applies.

If we go back a little, during the revolution years, EPLF members and voluntary nationals were going from house to house to collect used clothing to send it to Eritrea to help the needy. Today, as if the Eritrean people are living in heaven under their dictatorial rule, they have put a ceiling for the number of items of each category one can send to Eritrea. For this reason people who travel to Eritrea go to cargo offices with their cargo and hand it over to the cargo officer showing the items one by one and preparing a list that shows that he is sending 3 bikinis, 2  bras, 4 underwear, 5 socks, etc. of which a copy of it is sent along with cargo shipment. When it reaches its destination the excise customs man at the port of entry, be it Asmara airport or the port of Massawa, checks the items one by one as per the shipment list. If by chance any item is found unlisted either they will confiscate it or if the excise man is a humane he will release it.

The normal working procedure is that taxable materials are taxed at the port of entry. For the Middle East Diaspora Eritrean it is different. For any taxable item he has to pay the tax at the port of origin to cargo handlers as per tariffs provided to them by the regime. Again, as indicated above, if the excise man at the port of entry thinks that the tax paid to a certain item at the port of origin was not enough, he would impose additional tax on it and ask the owner to pay that additional amount. If he is not able or he is not willing to pay, his materials will be confiscated.

He is not even allowed to return it to its place of origin as is normal in the handling of such cases.

This destructive system of handling shipments is denying people from helping their families, relatives, friends or neighbour and many other needy people. In addition to those who knew the Middle East in the late seventies and early eighties when it was the bread basket for our people and the economic power house for our revolution, things are totally different today.

People are facing immense economical problem to the extent that some are not able to renew their residence permits or pay their house rents or send their children to school. For some, the situation is not better than those living inside Eritrea.

On the other hand, if we look how they handle the Diaspora Eritrean whose purse is filled with dollars and euros, I think the following story will suffice to tell it.

I think it was during the last winter vacation when as usual, many nationals were traveling to the homeland, of course for different purposes, to pass their vacation there. Many of these people had a complaint about the unsatisfactory service provided to them by their Queen Bee, mainly the handling of their luggage.

As a Middle Eastern Diaspora, I was astonished to watch an official of the on-and-off-the-ground Eritrean Airlines appear on ERI-TV to apologize in response to their complaints. This is the simplest of examples how the dictatorial regime handles its people, in case they consider us as human beings.

The question here is: is the well placed Diaspora Eritrean using his knowledge and economical strength to the advantage of the Eritrean masses as needed?

Because if united, the above mentioned and the many other advantages can well place him to be the political powerhouse to shake and move any dictatorial force and be a guarantee to civil and  democratic rights.

However, generally speaking, except the many dedicated Eritreans who are fighting the dictator on all fronts and the many who devoted their time and energy and sacrificed their family life for the wellbeing of their people but were rebuffed by the dictator, what we are witnessing is a divided self-lamed Diaspora. In fact some are seen to promote, propagate and support the dictators immoral rule vehemently.             

That said, the above examples clearly show that the political fight, which is going on among Eritreans today, is between those who support such a destructive regime and those who are bravely challenging it.

Dear Saleh.

Let me quote you a story I was told while I was a student. The story was about Great Britain of the nineteen sixties when it lost its colonial domination of the world. At that time, while commenting on Britain, an American senator said that it was played out. One British parliamentary who heard this answered him by saying that Britain was like a giant dog who, while passing through a village, the village dogs bark at him but confident of his strength and knowing the dogs will not dare to bite, he continues his journey undeterred. So is Saleh Johar the man I knew for the past seven years through this august medium awate.com.

Dear Saleh, the purpose of the attack on you is just to divert your attention and engage you in petty squabbles with their cronies to deny the democratic Eritrean forces the full service of the Awate.com battleground: the battleground for the rule of law, social justice, civil rights, morality, unity and territorial integrity.

Therefore, here, what I want to suggest humbly and honestly is that (of course I understand your position and the position of the many sisters and brothers who are supporting you morally and are ready to render their financial help in case you take this case to court), to refrain from doing that. You know our fight against dictatorship is still a long way, which asks determination and dedication. It is better if we concentrate our efforts on how we can come together and bring the erroneous brothers and sister who are beating drums for the dictator to our fold.

As usual, history and wisdom speak for themselves; therefore there is no one who can deny Zerai Deres his heroism, Bitweded Asfeha Weldemicael his wisdom and Awate.com its dedication to the well being of Eritrea and its people.

Dear Saleh, people say the poor man's tool is prayer, so I will pray for you and for the beloved country - that some people are trying to dominate it - to be the country of all of us as soon as possible as you have wished in your last article, Their Waterloo.

I fully agree with the establishment of the Awate Defense Fund and Awate Defense committee, but not to go to the court of law but to make it help escalate the media propagation against the dictatorial rule to bring it down to its knees at the earliest possible time and for strengthening civic societies.

God bless us all.