By Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)
Tragedy as the word implies is a devastating consequence of untimely death, unexpected breakup or divorce, which leads to a longstanding sadness, unconsummated love, a decision with a bad ending, murders and rapes in broad day light. These are some of the features of Tragedy. There are many more which I cannot list here, even if I want to.
However, we humans have a tendency to see, hear, touch and smell selectively and then respond. I contend , however that this kind of response is gravely mistaken.
Note that the features of tragedy cannot be compared, although we do that all the time, consciously and unconsciously. Doing so is a meaningless exercise. Each form of tragedy must be treated as a sacred event, that must be acknowledged and respected for what it is. That it uniquely is and must be treasured equally uniquely, which we humans do not do. A tragic form of unexpected death cannot be compared with a rape. A premature death of a child cannot be measured against the death of an eighty year from a horrible form of death. We must respond to both uniquely and respectfully. Comparison has no place, compassion and understanding of both, is the right response. These different forms are unique in their own right, and they must be cherished as such.
I say all this to simply note that the tragedy in Tigray is an event by itself with a standard of respect which uniquely belongs to it, as is the tragedy in Ukraine, which must and does command a standard specifically its. These tragedies must be treated differently. What they share in common is the horror of war. What is different about them is that they are taking place at two different regions of the world. Also, that the bearers of the tragedy wear radically different skin colors, in a world which looks at others with conditioned sense and particularly conditioned, therefore, damaged brains.
The world is conditioned to see, touch, hear to a reasonable degree only those wear the same garment of skin color, or are members of the same tribe, as the African response indicates. All those who wear a different racial appearance or tribal background, are not seen, heard or touched, and this is exactly what is happening in Tigray,
Tigray is not being seen or heard by the world, or other Africans for that matter. Most people cannot even locate it on the map. The media which can locate it on the map, has not registered it in the brain as something important to think about.
Superficially and as a consequence of historical conditioning, the media and the world to whom it writes is close minded, and some might say is racist. Sincerely speaking, the media’s five senses are already damaged by deep conditioning. It has been socialized not to see all those whose skin colors are different from the media, and the people in power, for whom the media works and for whom it writes and to whom it reports.
Seeing deeply begins with the decision to see those who do not look like you, but with whom you share the world. You must first look for them, because they are not in your neighborhood, but now thanks to the air waves, you can see them in a second on TV, hear them on the radio, and read about them, however, scant the material is.
That is how Ukraine is seen, heard and touched, when Tigray is not, and yet the tragedies are occurring simultaneously.
When you do not want to see, although you can, you decide not to see, hear or touch all those who are dying in thousands in Tigray. The Tigrean women who have been raped, the babies who have been bombed, and the elderly who have been slaughtered and dumped in ravines are neither seen or heard. They are there. But they are not seen by you. You have made them visibly invisible.
You have decided not to see them. You have only compared tragedies, only if you succeed to elevate Tigray to the level of a tragedy, and still decide not to see, hear or touch the tragedies which are unfolding there relative to tragedies elsewhere. Tigray deserves the attention and humane action equal to what is being given to Ukraine and other global tragedies.
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Is it not futile to compare the tragedies in Tigray and Ukraine, when the correct response would be to embrace both and be outraged to act?