Ethiopia's Ancient Legacy

Ethiopian Paintings Remind Us of What is Important

St. George and the Virgin Mary with the Infant Christ, 17th century

(Click image to see a bigger version)

The Washington Post's recent article "Ethiopia gripped by fear of regime" is slowly uncovering the atrocities of the current Ethiopian government.

Finally, the paper has alluded to its international and American readers that this is a type of ethnic vendetta against the Amhara.

There is also a more insidious activity going on. My observations have been that the current leader Zenawi, a former communist and quite likely atheist and a Tigrean, is infiltrating the country with Muslims, promoting them into high-level positions such as judges and ministers.

He seems also to be skirting around Muslim countries like Yemen, as though aligning himself with the Arab Muslims of the region.

I’m not sure what his long-term goals are. But, I would argue that he is attempting to annihilate the centuries-long leading and ruling Amhara tribe which is staunchly Christian and probably one of the few Western allies that could be established in the region.

By placing all his bets on vendetta, Zenawi is courting disaster. This might ( I would even say will) lead to severe repercussions for his Tigre people. After all, it was the short sighted visions of his predecessors which continually undermined their people in favor of antagonism with the Amhara – and the Ethiopian people at large – that led to one of the worst famines of the continent in the 1980s. Most, if no all, that were affected came from Zenawi’s Tigre region.

Here is a beautiful 17th century rendition of Mary, the infant Jesus and St George, to show that the lasting legacy of the Amhara, as leaders and protectors of the Ethiopians, is of faith, beauty and peace.

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