As a regular reader of Eritrean websites, I was recently searching for interesting news about Eritrea as most Eritreans in the Diaspora do. During my search going from one website to another, I stumbled onto a disgusting article full of fabrication of someone I know and respect. The article posted on the websites of Dehay and Asena, did not include the name of the author nor any address. In this case the respected websites are fully responsible and accountable for this article.
This fabricated article is about the courageous Eritrean Human Rights activist Meron Estifanos. Apparently, this article was written with the intent of humiliating and discouraging Meron from her noble tasks of saving lives and advocating on behalf of Escapees from Eritrea via Sudan to Sinai.
As many are aware, thousands of Eritreans are fleeing from Eritrea for a number of reasons, some political and some economical. If the writer is disputing this fact, he/she must be from another planet or have their eyes closed to reality. Regardless of why Brother and Sisters are escaping Eritrea, they are still our Brothers and Sisters and therefore need our help. So Meron took the initiative and put help into practise, not only by writing about their plight but physically and morally involving herself as well.
The article is obviously not worth a response from Meron herself, but for those of us who know Meron closely and have worked with her hand-in-hand the article is frustrating and mind bugling to read. Based on this morally insensitive article, I had to ask myself, are some Eritrean websites in the Diaspora totally bankrupted, and what is the merit of writing and posting such worthless articles? We all know there are more pressing issues to concern ourselves with.
Meron in the eyes of many is a hero, a role model of a generation, one that is committed and dedicated to her principles and ideals. It is because of her commitment and dedication that many have been saved from the hands of human traffickers. Equally, she has created an awareness of human trafficking in the Sinai. This awareness was made also to members of institutions like the European Union and the United Nations.
Most of us have not lifted a hand to do what she has done and continues to do, but for some very negative individuals instead of encouraging Meron or joining her to save Brothers/Sisters of Eritrea they falsely criticize.
How do we know that the unsigned writer is not one of the human traffickers trying to use this article to maintain his/her mis-guided investment?
As they say in Tigrina (I SERHU I ASRHU). He/She who wrote this article must be ignorant of the law, that defaming someone without fact is a crime, but the bigger crime is that this coward hides him/herself.
The writer places Meron at the age of ten working in a bar with her mother, and at the age of fourteen as a rebel addicted to alcohol and drugs, this timeline speaks of falsehood. I am wondering, if this writer is sick or insane, equally, I am wondering even if the writer was in Eritrea during 1980, let alone at an age to be addicted to anything? This crap also serves to undermine the culture of Eritrea and how Eritreans were and are proud and protective of their culture and their loved ones.
There are many positive things to write and speak about Eritrea and indeed Eritreans, and Meron is part of the positivity.
Meron in here radio arena has always advised Eritreans not to run from home because there is a dire price to pay, that is incarceration and even death at the hands of human traffickers, day in day out this is her word of advice. yet to someone this is not enough.
The best thing I can say to Meron is do what you are doing there are many behind you. To the writer, I would like to offer a bit of advice, if you have proof that Meron is what you claim is, please come and face Meron via Voice of Eritrea 88.1 FM CKDU, in other words I am inviting you on the show to confront Meron if you are man or woman enough. If you do not have any evidence, please find a better hobby.
Naz Yemane
voice of Eritrea@88.1 FM ckdu
Halifax,Canada.
