Tag: #ethiopia

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Haile Selassie I - Laws and Government

A Short Biography of Hapte Selassie Tafesse

A Biography written and printed by SEED (Society of Ethiopians Established in Diaspora) in 2013.

“HAPTE-SELASSIE TAFESSE

Lij Hapte-Selassie Tafesse was born in the 1930 in Addis Ababa. Because of the Italian attempt of colonization in Ethiopia, Hapte-Selassie’s father left Ethiopia and fled to France and Hapte Selassie had to be separated from his family when he was only two years old, and was taken to Greece by a refugee Russian family. In Greece, he completed his elementary and pursued secondary education at Athens college. In 1947, Lij Hapte-Selassie came back to Ethiopia and rejoined with his family. Able to speak only Greek and Russian, he attended Teferi Mekonnen School for a year mainly to learn Amharic language.

After Italy left Ethiopia, Hapte-Selassie’s father became Ethiopia’s ambassador to Egypt which gave Hapte-Selassie an opportunity to travel to Alexandria and reunite with his father. There he attended Victoria College in 1950, where he also learnt French. In 1954, however, Hapte-Selassie left for the United States and entered Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and graduated with B.A. degree in International Relations and Government.

The then Emperor of Ethiopia, His Majesty Haile Selassie I, considering Hapte-Selassie’s gift of language, offered him a job as Assistant Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hapte-Selassie reached the limit of what can be done within his Department and he proposed that a special organ be set up to handle the little developed sector of tourism.

Soon he was transferred from the ministry of foreign affairs to an office under the prime minister’s office with no budget and staff to start his new assignment of establishing and running Ethiopian Tourist & Trading Organization. However, ETTO was formally decreed and with Hapte-Selassie’s sole effort, minimal budget was secured, appropriate office acquired and the necessary staff hired. Consequently, Hapte-Selassie was charged with inventing and organizing all aspects of the tourism industry in Ethiopia from the scratch.

In an effort to raise funds for the sector, Hapte-Selassie then introduced Duty Free Shops and with a personal borrowed money of 25,000 USD he went to Aden for shopping. Luck was with Hapte-Selassie, and all items were sold instantly and within short period of time the Duty Free Shop expanded and became one of the world’s leading duty free businesses and the international weekly magazine – Newsweek, featured it in a full page article as one of the world’s largest duty free enterprises.

Lij Hapte-Selassie’s innovative work continued in introducing the modern concept of tourism to Ethiopia and for creating an image of the country under the slogan ‘Land of 13 Months of Sunshine’. Similarly, he created operational mechanism, services, practices and institutions in the tourism industry such as Ethiopian Tourism Trading Corporation (ETTC), Tour and Travel Operation which created the present pioneer state owned (just privatized recently) tour operator, the present National Tour Operator (NTO), the first tourist class and tourist oriented hotels, the Catering and Tourist Training Institution (CTTI), and many more.

Not only this but Hapte-Selassie produced a range of international standard tourist literature covering all parts of all aspects of the country from taking pictures for posters, to organizing tours operated personally by himself.

In association with Ethiopian Airlines and Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce, Lij Hapte-Selassie took part and played significant role in many national expos and exhibitions held in Addis Ababa, Asmara, Jimma, and elsewhere. Working as travel consultant, Lij Hapte-Selassie took part in the constant modernization and expansion of Ethiopian Airlines. He was also part of the inception and subsequently a member of the organizing commitee for the establishment of both ECA (Economic Commission of Africa) and OAU (Organization of African Unity, the present African Union, AU) in Addis Ababa.

Moreover, he also took Ethiopia and Ethiopian products to international expos in Canada (1967), Japan (1970), and Nairobi (1972) where he conceptualized, designed, constructed ideas and even financed expenses.

Working under the then Ethiopian Tourism Commission, he also played a role in the organization of the Gold Mercury Trade Fair Center and attended and participated in annual tourist trade fairs and conferences held in major cities around the world, such a Miami, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Sydney, France, Athens, Hong Kong, Spain, and others.

Working all this for his country however, Lij Hapte-Selassie was imprisoned in 1974 on 50 false criticisms and was released in 1982 only to continue the job he started.

Lij Hapte-Selassie started tourism industry when tourism was perceived by people as selling the country’s pride and name, and when there were no adequate tourist class hotels and service providers. With the massive improvements of infrastructure, roads, airports, hotels, resorts, communications in the country, which are very encouraging for the development of the industry, Lij Hapte Selassie, now age 81, wonders why tourism in Ethiopia hasn’t achieved at least one million tourists every year.

And that’s the reason why he doesn’t rest from immerging new innovative ideas, even in his pension. And this great man has plenty projects in mind to bring up his country’s reputation, and most recently he started designing quality neckties and scarves with features the country’s beauty paintings and alphabet to promote Ethiopian art in international level.

He is also trying to make Ethiopia host coffee carnival as a country which introduced coffee to the rest of the world which also will generate many tourist numbers.

This never resting man has the hobby of travelling, photographing, playing tennis and swimming and have been awarded on several occasions with medals, decorations, certificates from both past and present Ethiopian governments, and foreign governments for personal service, merit, and participation in major events.

In February 2011, Lij Hapte-Selassie is recognized as ‘the Father of Ethiopian Tourism’ by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Culture and Tourism. True, Lij Hapte-Selassie will always be remembered and respected by generations for his invaluable contributions to where the Ethiopian tourism sector is today.”

For further information, visit

www.hapte-selassie.com

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Haile Selassie I - Anecdotes

The Library of Enrico Cerulli

“I had travelled to Ethiopia via Rome and had visited Enrico Cerulli (born 1898), the greatest living master of Ethiopian studies, scholar, diplomat, and proconsul. In that last capacity he had been Vice-Governor General of Ethiopia during two years of the short-lived Fascist occupation. (…) He was then (and, for that matter, has remained ever since) one of the very few foreigners to possess a fluent command of Amharic. When I was received by the Emperor during my 1958 visit, one of his first questions was about Cerulli. In fact, this was the occasion of a royal repartee which I remember very clearly. His Majesty had asked me about my library of Ethiopian books; I told him that it was quite good but could not compare with Cerulli’s splendid collection. ‘Ah’, he replied, ‘but you have bought your books !’ (irso gin matsahifton baganzab gaztawal – in the rather more telling Amharic original).”

(Taken from “The Two Zions”, E.Ullendorff, Oxford 1988, p. 202-203)

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Ethiopian Icons

Adam and Eve’s Expulsion From Paradise

A seraphim chases away Adam and Hewan from Paradise (Gennete Edom).

They committed their sin on Friday and were expelled in nakedness (while before they were dressing garments of light) at the end of the same day, prophecy of the Crucifiction of Christ and His Entrance into Paradise on Friday.

Although apparently they just took a forbidden fig fruit, their sin was a symbolic concentrate of all human wickedness and rebellion, infringing all the 10 commandments of God:

1) “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” – for Eve ate the fruit with the intention to become God.

2) “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” – for Eve vainly speak about Him with the satanic snake

3) “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” – for they entered the Sabbath in impurity and sin.

4) “Honor your father and your mother” – for they disrespected the fatherhood of God.

5) “You shall not murder” – for Eve killed his husband giving him the fruit to eat.

6) “You shall not commit adultery” – for Eve was seduced by the devil against the authority of his husband.

7) “You shall not steal” – For they stole the fruit of God against His will.

8 ) “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” – for when God went among them, Adam accused Eve, lying about his own responsibility.

9 and 10) “You shall not covet” – for Eve coveted the power of God.

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Ethiopian Icons

The Burial Of Christ

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wash and embalm the body of the Lord, using Myrrh and Aloes (John 19,39), envelop it in a linen shroud with spices, as it had been prophecied by the Scripture:

“All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia” (Psalm 45,8)

Five wise virgins (nuns of Christ) weep for His death: Maryam Mother of God, Mary of Magdala, Mary of Cleophas, Mary of Bethany (sister of Lazarus), and Salome. It is thus realized the gospel parable:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise” … “bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut” (Matthew 25). They are considered spiritual wives of Christ.

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Haile Selassie I - Testimonies

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the U.S. President F.D.Roosevelt – 1954

New York – Friday, May 29 1954

“This country is happy to be visited by the courageous Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, and to entertain him as an honored guest.

Older people will remember his passionate plea to the League of Nations for the protection of his country against the invading Italian forces in 1935. And it will also be remembered that Ethiopia sent its contingent of soldiers to Korea. The Ethiopians were among the finest groups of soldiers who visited the United Nations General Assembly in Paris in 1951 to be congratulated by that body for their services in Korea.

In my short address to them at that time, I quoted from a speech made to them by Emperor Haile Selassie when they left for the front. It was one of the finest statements I had read of the purpose for which the U.N. was fighting in Korea, and it held high standards up for these soldiers to live by.

I hope those who greet the Emperor here will remember the fine record of his soldiers in Korea, when they fought side by side with our own men.

Ethiopia is largely a Christian country, with religious traditions going back to the earliest days of Christianity. Our citizens will be anxious to learn more of conditions in the Emperor’s country and of the ways in which our two countries can cooperate for the improvement of world conditions.”

Hyde Park – Tuesday 2nd June 1954

“On Sunday morning we had the pleasure of having the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visit us here at Hyde Park. He laid a wreath on my husband’s grave, then paid a short visit to the home and the Memorial Library. He was much interested in my husband’s variety of interests, looked at the model ships and went through the stacks where papers and books are kept.

He reached my cottage just at 1 o’clock, when the recording of his appearanee on the television program, “Youth Wants to Know,” was shown. The young people had asked him many questions and he had answered them willingly and cordially. Naturally, he wanted to see and hear the recording as it was going out over the country, so for half an hour we watched television.

Since his schedule required him to be in New York City by 4:30, he had to leave here between 2:15 and 2:30. You can imagine that a buffet lunch served to 40 persons in three-quarters of an hour is rather hurried! But I think several people had a chance to talk to the Emperor while he ate; and I had a few minutes of conversation with him quietly before he left. (…)

I found the Emperor a most delightful person. His son is very unassuming and charming, and so is his granddaughter. In fact, I have rarely had a more enjoyable official party here. Though they were hurried, they behaved as though everything was just the way they wished it to be, and I hope they will carry away pleasant memories of their short time with us.”

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Haile Selassie I - Teachings

Education must be the Principal

“The general happiness of mankind today is rather scant and insecure; but We should have to live and do Our best to ameliorate it. Education of the youth is the surest guarantee of a better life. Therefore, among the many projects undertaken for the welfare and prosperity of Ethiopia, We have planned that education be the principal. Many foreign teachers have been brought in to feed the youth like a gardener feeds his plants with fresh water.” #QHS

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Ethiopia in the Bible

Moses, Jethro and Zipphora

Even Moses testified the prophetical relevance of Ethiopia as motherland of Mankind. He is the greatest prophet of old, about whom it has been said in the Scripture:

“And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34, 10)

When Moses realized his own calling and racial identity as child of Israel, he departed from the idolatric and oppressive court of Egypt: he killed an egyptian man, as symbolic denial of that system, and took refuge in Midian, at that time an Ethiopian colony ruled by the Ethiopian Priest and King Jethro (Yotor):

“Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock…” (Exodus 2, 15-16)

Jethro was a descendant of Melchisedek and Ethièl: in fact, he was priest and king in the same time, and the validity of his priesthood was acknowledged by the children of Israel, who participate into his rite and sacrifice (Exodus 18). This valid priesthood, existing before the Levites, was the Order of Melchisedek, he had inherited from his forefather. Similarly to Abraham with Melchisedek, Moses bowed down unto Jethro the Ethiopian in submission:

“And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him” (Exodus 18,7)

Having dismissed the pagan robes of the Egyptians, Moses rebuilt his own identity following the authority and education of Jethro the Ethiopian, that taught him all the secrets of Priesthood and Kingdom also. It is a good example of this when he told Moses to rationally organize the administration of justice, establishing subordinate judges to solve the disputes of the people (Exodus 18). This is said in the same chapter where Jethro leads the liturgy of the children of Israel.

Moses married the daughter of Jethro, that thus became his father-in-law. Therefore, Moses was completely adopted by an Ethiopian family and was filled with Ethiopian knowledge to face his prophetical ministry. There, among the Ethiopians, God revealed Himself:

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed (…) God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” (Exodus 3, 1-4)

Zipphora, his ethiopian wife, became the queen of the nation of Israel, companion of His greatest prophet and Law-giver, as symbol of the divine motherland and physical racial essence of the kingdom of God.

When the Levitic family of Moses saw his Ethiopian wife, they became jelous and hostile, for Moses had taken as wife a stranger. But it was not a stranger indeed, therefore Egziabhier sent a terrible punishment of leprosy against those ones without understanding (Numbers 12). Their doom is allegorically the same of all those trying to deny Ethiopia her rightful divine place as original biblical motherland.

And talking about Christ, the second Law-Giver, Moses prophecied about the coming of a Prophet of Ethiopian Knowledge and Order, like himself, saying:

“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18, 15)

 

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Haile Selassie I - Anecdotes

The Age of the World

“One evening at the dinner table a conversation was going on in French between some of the guests. Suddenly the Emperor turned to me and asked, ‘What do you believe? How old is the world?’ #QHS

‘If we are to believe the Bible,” I said, “it is about six thousand years old.’

‘Impossible,’ someone spoke up. ‘It is at least six million years old.’ This person attempted to explain how scientists had discovered certain animals in artic regions and how they reasoned that the world must be millions of years old to allow time for all the changes in the earth to come about.

‘To me it is not a question that concerns my salvation,’ I replied ‘and I never argue with anyone as to how old the earth is.’

The Emperor agreed at once, saying, ‘That is true. Salvation is sure, and these things really do not matter.‘ #QHS

(Taken from: “For God and Emperor”, Herbert and Della Hanson, 1958, page 150)

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Ethiopian Orthodox Church

The 14 Sufferings of the Cross

፲ ወ ፬ ፡ ሕማማተ ፡ መስቀል ።
ASERTU WE ARBATU HEMAMATE MESQEL
The 14 Sufferings of the Cross

1) Capture – Te(e)hazot ተእኀዞት

– Christ was arrested at 9:00 PM of Thursday (the third hour of the night of Friday, according to traditional counting). He died at the 3:00 PM of Friday (the ninth hour of that day), thus facing an agony of about 18 hours.

2) Back Binding – Teasrote Dehrit ተአስሮተ ፡ ድኅሪት ፡

– His hands were tied behind the back. They also tied 5 ropes around His neck, and by those they pulled and dragged Him in the places of His passion.

3) Slapping of the Jaw – Tetzef’ote Melthat ተጸፍዖተ ፡ መልታሕት ፡

– He was slapped 41 times, in turn, by the Jews, that willingly lost many times their counting, and had him in derision.

4) Flagellation of the Back – Teqeshfote Zeban ተቀሥፎተ ፡ ዘባን ፡

– He was whipped with 41 slashes (the Law of Moses set a maximum of 40) and all the bones of His body were exposed.

5) Spoliation of dress – Te’arqote Lebs ተዐርቆተ ፡ ልብስ ፡

– He was completely naked, though the icons desplay Him with covered genitals for respect.

6) Crown of thorns – Aklile Shok አክሊለ ፡ ሦክ ፡

– He was crowned with a crown having 70 thorns. They placed it above His head, and hammered down it against His head.

7) Plumming of the head – Tekwer’ote Rees ተኰርዖተ ፡ ርእስ ፡

– He was beaten by staff and iron 6666 times

8 ) Bearing the cross – Tzewire Mesqel ጸዊረ ፡ መስቀል ፡

– The Lord bore the vertical staff of the Cross, the “trunk”: it represented Divinity. The horizontal staff was borne by Simon of Cyrenes, and represented Humanity. The Cross was made of 8 different woods, mainly fig tree, but also vine and olive tree.

9) Weakness – Dekam ድካም

10) Falling (3 times) – Wediq ወዲቅ

– When He fell down, the Jews trampled him and walked over His body.

11) Drinking Vinegar with Bile – Sheribe B(e)hie Mesle Hamot ሠሪበ ፡ ብሒእ ፡ ምስለ ፡ ሐሞት ፡

– They gave Him to drink vinegar with elephant bile.

12) Crucifixion – S(e)q(e)let ስቅለት

– He was crucified with 5 nails: two for His hands, one for both His feet, one to merge together the two staffs of the cross, one to sustain the tablet above His head. The 5 nails are called Sador, Alador, Denet, Adera and Rodas. These names are the same of the famous latin magic palindrome: SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS.

– He was perforated with 5 wounds: hands, feet, and side.

– He was crucified on Golgotha, where there was the tomb of Adam, and from where God took the soil to create Him (Elda). He was crucified among two thieves (Diemàs and Ghiestà), the first was pagan and the second was jew. The first converted and was saved, the second was damned.

13) Thirst of Water – Tzema May ጽምአ ፡ ማይ ፡

14) Dieing – Mewit መዊት ፡

– Dieing as an ordinary man, the Lord came down into Siòl (Hell) for 3 hours, and had Satan undergo tremendous tortures and sufferings: he freed the spirits of the fathers, kept as prisoners by the wicked, and entered with them into the Paradise at the sunset of Friday.

From the Cross, He pronounced 7 words:

1) “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
2) “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
3) “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
4) “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
5) “Woman, here is your son…Here is your mother.”
6) “I am thirsty.”
7) “It is finished.”

7 Terrible Signs were manifested:

1) The sun darkened
2) The moon turned into blood
3) The stars shone
4) The veil of the temple was cut
5) The earth was shaken
6) The tombs opened up.
7) The dead rose again.

 

Categories
Haile Selassie I - Laws and Government

Ethiopia: 13 Months of Sunshine

“Ethiopia: 13 Months of Sunshine” was an official motto of the Imperial Government to powerfully summarize the unique climate of the country, ideal for man as it is the original Paradise of Adam.

At the same time, the sentence would show an intelligent reference to the special cultural antiquity and vitality of the nation, having a peculiar system of calendar made of 13 months (12 months of 30 days + Pagumiè short month of 5/6 days).

Prophetically, it recalled to I&I the words of Saint John about the Kingdom of Christ:

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.” (Revelation 21, 23-25)

Few people know that behind that intense motto, spiritual and temporal alike, there was a great ethiopian genius, minister of His Majesty Haile Selassie in building up the foundations of modern Ethiopia, Hapte-Selassie Tafesse, Founder of Ethiopian Tourism.

His legacy represents an essential cultural, artistic and technical wealth for Ethiopia and mankind, that his descendant is now striving to keep alive in these times, speaking about his deeds and carrying on his projects. They are coming soon with very interesting and useful educational works that deserve to be supported, you can find further information here:

www.hapte-selassie.com