By Teodros Kiros ( Ph.D.)
One of the truisms of life is that life is impregnated with death and that all of us are nothing more beyond a steady movement toward death. The question is always when and how. Both these questions are crucial features of the human condition in Tigray at the moment and I would like to address these two questions separately.
Biologically we are meant to die at different times, relative to age, health condition, way of life, place and time. Thus it is always reasonable to expect that the younger you are the longer you will live, under ideal conditions, and the older you are the sooner you will die. This is the biologically determined understanding of birth, maturity and death.
In Tigray, when the whole nation is under siege and the Ethiopian and Eritrean regimes have developed a systematic strategy of genocide, the fate of Tigreans is in their hands. This biological understanding of death is being violated every second. They cannot die at natural time, as youth. Their very life is at stake. They cannot choose to live. That natural right is not in their sphere of control. The killers have taken that right away, by refusing to give them food, shelter and clothing, by bombing their homes, displacing them and then killing them in thousands.
It has been determined that they must die. It is now even the case that a strategy has been developed by the evil forces in Ethiopia and Tigray,
that once Aksum, Mekelle, Adwa and Shire are occupied, they will provide, food, medicine, open all the services which were blocked and try to feed and clothe Tigrean youth, so that they can be swayed from joining the Tigrean fighting. What is even more, conferences will be held to brainwash them, and block news about the unraveling war and feed them like sheep, hoping that they will stop storming to the Tigrean war for dignity.
I strongly advise you Tigrean Youth not to respond to this call and join the war in thousands and defend the human principle of dignity with love. Cleanse your hearts from hating those who are planning to feed you and then kill you. They are not worthy of hate, but strategic love, as is being done with the Ethiopian and Eritrean prisoners of war.
The time to fight for your country is now. When your parents with open arms are encouraging you to leave, you must do so and fight for the dignity of every living Tigrean, who has been chosen for death.
I realize that it is not your time to die, but to live, mature, prosper, build family and then die. Sadly, you will not have this privilege, when others have decided to annihilate you from the face of the earth It is time to be outraged, be angry and join the war.
Every Tigrean Youth must stand up and fight. Join the Tigrean Youth who are already dying for us. They are like you, who would like to live in the comfort of their families, but they are fighting for us, defending our God given right to live and die in God’s time.
Do not accept their food and medication. Choose a spiritual medication and join the war with a loving heart. Or else, they will come to your
dwellings, feed you and then kill you. Distrust them when they say we are brothers and sisters. The killers are only our enemies.
When you join the fight, as is being done now, you must emerge victoriously. Say categorically No to their food. Choose to fight and return home victoriously by putting an end to the siege in Tigray.
We have rendezvous with Victory.
Of course I write as a philosopher and not a Military General, who knows best, and in a position of minimizing the deaths of youth, the backbone of Tigray, once they join. My preference is to end this war by peaceful means, which is not what the Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders are not willing to do. In the absence of this desired possibility, the only solution is self-defense on the behalf of human dignity.