TO THE EDITOR:
I would like to take this opportunity to commend Georgetown University for the honor it bestowed upon Azeb Mesfin, the first lady of Ethiopia, in memory of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 14 (“Protesters Disrupt King Ceremony,” THE HOYA, Jan. 19, 2007, A1).
It gives me great sadness that your school has received unnecessary and undeserved scrutiny from the Ethiopian diaspora for recognizing an individual with an irrefutable life of service to Ethiopian society.
Contrary to what members of our vocal diaspora might have you believe, Azeb Mesfin has championed the cause of the poor and completely neglected majority across rural Ethiopia. I am sure those who gave her the award on behalf of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS are well aware of her lifelong struggle and sacrifices, but for those of you who know very little about her, don’t be fooled by the elegance with which she graced your stage on that day.
She epitomizes the very meaning of the word hero. What has brought her to your attention is her AIDS activism. And she is also respected for the relentless struggle she has waged to be a voice for the voiceless women across Ethiopia.
Hateful politics couldn’t rewrite the truth. Surely a lot of Ethiopians have afforded themselves a right to judge, but who is judging whom? Spare me the hypocrisy of those who were selfish enough to abandon their country for the comforts of the West at a time when it most needed their services.
Mesfin and her husband, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, have given much of their lives to a struggle to bring Ethiopia from the annals of misery. Am I the only person who sees the irony here?
ALEMSHEWIT A. WELDEARAGAY
SEATTLE, WASH.
Jan. 26, 2007
