From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sat Aug 22 2009 - 08:31:51 EDT
Dear Almas Haile!
Even though I don't know Thomas Mountain personally, I can almost
guarantee you that he is not a racist, but that's not the point. The
point is, who is Dr. Rashidi to lecture Eritreans on identity, female
circumcision and HIV/AIDS? What evidence does he have to support his
claims? Does he live in Eritrea? Is he better informed than the
Eritrean government and UN agencies in Eritrea? I doubt it. You see,
just because Dr. Rashidi is a prominent American historian, doesn't mean
he has the right to insult the intelligence of the Eritrean people with
his "I-know-best" attitude. And that's the bottom line.
Biniam Haile
From: almas haile ( <mailto:almashaile@yahoo.fr> almashaile@yahoo.fr)
Date: Fri Aug 21 2009 - 02:58:36 EDT
Dr.R.RASHIDI is a renowned historian on Africa and Africans in
antiquity. I read Dr. RASHIDI's and the late IVAN VAN SERTIMA's books
(African Women in Antiquity, They Came Before Colombus, African Presence
in Early Asia etc) twenty years ago. Dr. RASHIDI came to Eritrea in
order to visit the Pre-Axoumit archeological sites. Ofcourse, he is old
enough to understand that culture and traditions do not change
overnight, inspite the efforts made by the government during the
liberation struglge to present day.
Native-Indians in America were exterminated by the whites, and those who
survived, were only good enough to be kept in reserves, just like wild
beasts in a zoo. Unlike the Native-Indians, African-Americans fought and
won so many battles against enslavement, discrimination and injustice.
People like F.DOUGLAS, W.E.DUBOIS, G.PADMORE, M.GARVY, KING are some of
the so many African-Americans who fought for their rights. The same
system that exterminated the Native Indians in the past, is detaining so
many African-Americans in prison today. But I also know that
personalities like ANGELA DAVIS and some other progressive activists are
courageously fighting against this particular injustice.
But one wonders why Mr. MOUNTAIN is so irritated and disturbed by Dr.
RASHIDI's visit to Eritrea. And please keep your racist and
paternalistic appraoches away from Africa in general and Eritrea in
particular.
Almaz G/AMLAK
Asmara