Avengers neither forgive nor forget, and the naïve forgive and forget; but victors forgive but not forget

Mulugeta Aserate Kassa

The response to my “We must live for the future, and not for the past and in the Past” (Aiga and Tigraionline) has by and large been positive with a great majority of respondents believing that the time is now ripe to forgive the repentant former Derg officials who have remained behind bars for close to 20 years. I am however saddened by the fact that my own kith and kin – who, incidentally, used to curse me for attending the Derg officials’ court proceedings – have now deemed it appropriate to voice their opposition to the very idea of forgiving them. 

I must admit I simply cannot stand hypocrites. Here you have my own kith and kin who usually attend regular church services in Addis, no doubt, beseeching God to forgive them, the very same God who demands of them, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive you.”

According to the Amharic version of The Reporter of the 22nd December the Group Representing the families of the 60 officials – one of whom is my father - who were summarily killed without trial, has taken umbrage by the fact that it had not been party to the Religious Leaders consultative process. While this may be a cause for complaint, it does not in any form or shape prohibit them from exercising their Christian duty to forgive. I continue to have high regard to the leadership of this Group, but it cannot claim to be the inner voice of each and every member of the 60 martyrs. The call to forgive has to be answered individually. I, for one, do not require a spokesman to put into words what I passionately believe to be the core value of my Christian faith.Read More