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THE
HAGUE COURT’S VERDICT … UNJUST AND DETRIMENTAL TO THE IROB MINORITY: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The purpose of this article is to critique, in the light of biblical truth, The Hague’s Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission’s verdict of 13 April 2002, which denied justice to the Irob people in the Irobland, as well as to condemn the hasty UN Security Council’s endorsement. The Irob ethnic minority was victimized by the Ethiopian-Eritrean border war of 1998 and more recently by the heartless injustice of The Hague Court’s decision. This Court ignored the voiceless Irob ethnic minority in Northeastern Ethiopia who could not defend themselves and stand for their civic and political rights. Although the Irob Diaspora strongly protested the injustice of forced division of the Irob ethnic minority into two nationalities of two hostile countries, the Court ignored the Irob people’s plea for justice and peace. What did the Court want to achieve by denying justice to the victimized Irob minority in those disputed borders? Certainly those border peoples were not expecting a compulsory separation from their families, relatives, and friends and a forced citizenship of a country which oppressed them with emotional and physical torture during the invasion and occupation. Then, I ask where is justice? Wasn’t Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. correct when he stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”? Justice, in order to be fair and right, must be guided and enlightened by divine wisdom. Wisdom is not merely acquired human knowledge. It is a gift endowed by our Creator in order to discern right from wrong and good from evil. It is attained by humble submission to the will of the Omnipotent and Omniscient God and by faithful requesting and trusting in his guidance. Whenever there is arrogance and pride, however, there is the absence of divine wisdom. As a result, we fail to render justice in accordance with God’s mandate and his divine will. In order to illustrate the nature of injustice done to the Irob minority, I will utilize biblical references which help us to reflect and understand injustice from a theological perspective. Let’s look at the divinely inspired word of God concerning the enlightened wisdom of King Solomon and his deliverance of justice. In the First Book of Kings (The New Jerusalem Bible), we read the following biblical accounts: 7. Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king in succession to David my father. But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership. 8. And here is your servant, surrounded with your people whom you have chosen, a people so numerous that its number cannot be counted or reckoned. 9. So give your servant a heart to understand how to govern your people, how to discern between good and evil, for how could one otherwise govern such a great people as yours?" 10. It pleased Yahweh that Solomon should have asked for this. 11. `Since you have asked for this," God said, "and not asked for long life for yourself or riches or the lives of your enemies but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, 12. here and now I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as no one has had before and no one will have after you. (NJB) In this biblical passage, we see that the authority to govern and lead people comes directly from God who is the Creator and Governor of the whole universe. Solomon accepts this tremendous authority and responsibility of governing God’s people. However, he acknowledges his own inadequacy and lack of confidence in his ability. The king humbles himself before the Almighty God and prays for the gift of wisdom that would enable him to discern right from wrong in the process of governing the people of God and in making rightful judgments on their behalf. 16. Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17. `If it please you, my lord," one of the women said, "this woman and I live in the same house, and while she was in the house I gave birth to a child. 18. Now it happened on the third day after my delivery that this woman also gave birth to a child. We were alone together; there was no one else in the house with us; just the two of us in the house. 19. Now one night this woman's son died; she overlaid him. 20. And in the middle of the night she got up and took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep; she took him in her arms and put her own dead son in mine. 21. When I got up to suckle my child, there he was, dead. But in the morning I looked at him carefully, and he was not the child I had borne at all." 22. Then the other woman spoke. "That is not true! My son is the live one, yours is the dead one"; and the first retorted, "That is not true! Your son is the dead one, mine is the live one." And so they wrangled before the king. 23. `This one says," the king observed, " `My son is the one who is alive; your son is dead,' while the other says, `That is not true! Your son is the dead one, mine is the live one.' 24. Bring me a sword," said the king; and a sword was brought into the king's presence. 25. `Cut the living child in two," the king said, "and give half to one, half to the other." 26. At this the woman who was the mother of the living child addressed the king, for she felt acutely for her son. "I beg you, my lord," she said, "let them give her the live child; on no account let them kill him!" But the other said, "He shall belong to neither of us. Cut him in half!" 27. Then the king gave his decision. "Give the live child to the first woman," he said, "and do not kill him. She is his mother." 28. All Israel came to hear of the judgement, which the king had pronounced and held the king in awe, recognising that he possessed divine wisdom for dispensing justice. (NJB)
29. God gave Solomon immense wisdom and understanding, and a heart as vast as the sand on the sea-shore. 30. The wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31. He was wiser than anyone else; …his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. …34. Men from all nations came to hear Solomon's wisdom, and he received gifts from all the kings in the world, who had heard of his wisdom. (NJB) Analytical CommentsIn this biblical passage, we see two mothers locked in a bitter dispute over a matter of life and death of their offspring, one dead the other alive. One mother is honest, and the other is dishonest. The dishonest mother while asleep accidentally suffocates her own baby. Upon realizing the situation, she accuses the other mother of stealing her baby and replacing it with the dead one. She deliberately claims the living infant of the other woman as her own which results in a terrible dispute between the two women. They bring their case to King Solomon for arbitration. Before dispensing justice, Solomon, guided and enlightened by divine wisdom, closely analyzes the case in an effort to find out where the truth lies. He proposes a morally controversial method of solving the dispute by cutting the living baby in half. The true mother surrenders her maternal rights immediately in order to save the baby from execution. The pathologically dishonest and jealous mother, however, agrees to the decision of executing the living son and splitting his dead body between each mother. Through careful analysis, Solomon, is able to discern the truth. As a result, Solomon makes a justifiable decision and gives the infant son to his rightful mother. Relevance and ImplicationsIs there any relevance between this biblical account and the Irobland’s case, among others, which was disputed by Ethiopia and Eritrea at The Hague Court? Is there any similarity between the Court’s verdict of 13 April 2002 and that of King Solomon? In my opinion, there is a striking similarity in a reverse way. Solomon’s judgment was guided by divine wisdom in discerning the truth and in delivering a just decision. However, The Hague Court’s verdict, particularly, in the Irobland’s case does not appear to be enlightened or guided by the wisdom of God. Hence, the Court’s decision cannot be considered or accepted as a rightful justice. In my opinion, the Court failed to make a thorough investigation of the disputed issues and concerns of the border population prior to decreeing their verdict. The Court did not show compassion toward the peoples who would be adversely affected, such as the Irobs. Even though Ethiopia appealed for more clarification on the border delimitation ruling of 13 April 2002, the Hague Court arrogantly refused to rectify the harmful verdict which will disintegrate families, relatives, and friends who have lived together for centuries. Despite the outcry and condemnation of the victimized people, the Court yielded to the detrimental claim of the wrong mother by cutting the Irobland in two. In fact, to the Irob people’s dismay, Eritrea expressed her satisfaction and political victory over Ethiopia in gaining one-third of the Irobland. Yes, the false mother in the above biblical passage wanted King Solomon to “cut the living child in half,” knowing that the child would die. Likewise, the Hague Court unscrupulously cut the Irobland and its people in half, giving political victory to Eritrea while causing grave harm to the Irobs. Despite the bloody sacrifice of tens of thousands of her children in order to protect her sovereignty and national integrity, Ethiopia failed to convince the UN Boundary Commission that the Irob minority is an integral part of Ethiopia. Hence, the Irob people feel betrayed by their true Mother Ethiopia’s yielding to The Hague Court’s unjust decision. The Irob people do not want another war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. They long for a genuine peace. Nevertheless, they want justice from the international community and The Hague Court. The justice that they are crying for is simply not to cut them off from their families, relatives, and from their motherland (Ethiopia) to which they have a passionate loyalty. The Irobs in Diaspora have petitioned the international community as well as the United Nations to investigate abuses and violations of human rights committed against the innocent voiceless Irob peasantry, particularly against more than 90 abducted farmers and business people during the Eritrean invasion and occupation from 1998-2000. I am not aware that any significant attention has been given by the international community or the United Nations to the Irobs’ request and plight. Such apathy demonstrates negligence and lack of justice concerning the voiceless minority’s human rights. It was a deep disappointment for the Irob people that during the visit of Mr. Jakob Kellenberger, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Eritrea and Ethiopia in August, 2002, that the Irob abductees or prisoners’ conditions and whereabouts were not discussed or even mentioned by the concerned party or by the Ethiopian Government. This was a great opportunity for Ethiopia and the international community to show some gesture of empathy and human solidarity with the voiceless Irob minority. Hence, I question, where is human justice and fairness to the oppressed and forgotten? Once again, we must listen to the prophetic words of Dr. King, Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Where Justice Is Misconstrued, There the People’s Rights Are Trodden In the New Jerusalem Bible, according to the Gospel of St. Luke (18:1-8), we read the following parable told by the Lord Jesus: 1. Then he (Jesus) told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. 2. `There was a judge in a certain town," he said, "who had neither fear of God nor respect for anyone. 3. In the same town there was also a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, `I want justice from you against my enemy!' 4. For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, `Even though I have neither fear of God nor respect for any human person, 5. I must give this widow her just rights since she keeps pestering me, or she will come and slap me in the face.' " 6. And the Lord said, "You notice what the unjust judge has to say? 7. Now, will not God see justice done to his elect if they keep calling to him day and night even though he still delays to help them? 8. I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of man comes, will he find any faith on earth?".(NJB). In this parable, we see the human and divine aspect of justice in relation to the poor and the oppressed. The unjust judge’s behavior in the parable is appalling. It demonstrates a corruption of human justice. The judge in the parable does not show concern for the widow who cries persistently for justice against her oppressor. The judge arrogantly claims that he shows neither compassion nor responsibility for any human being nor fear or respect for God. He falsely thinks that there is no other power or authority above him. He seems to believe that he is the only absolute authority. In other words, his behavior reflects a lack of moral conscience and abuse of power. God Is Full of Justice: When and Where Justice Is Abused His Anger Is Provoked In the above parable, God is revealed as a God of justice (Is 30:18) who cannot tolerate injustice. He wants to see justice done speedily, fairly and equitably to his oppressed and victimized people. He abhors human arrogance and pride in treating the weaker segment of his people with injustice. Hence, Prophet Isaiah speaks out against any social injustice: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless” (Is. 10:1, NJB). Similarly, Prophet Jeremiah moved inspired by the word of God utters that justice is done to the oppressed: “To the royal House of Judah. Listen to the word of Yahweh, House of David! Yahweh says this: Each morning give fair judgement, rescue anyone who has been wronged from the hands of his oppressor, or else my wrath will leap out like a fire, it will burn and no one will be able to quench it, because of the wickedness of your actions” (Jer. 21:11-12,NJB). In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes against injustice: “The retribution of God from heaven is being revealed against the ungodliness and injustice of human beings who in their injustice hold back the truth” (Rom. 1:18, NJB). The author of Book of Psalms (58:1) condemning injustice, says: “Justice? You high and mighty politicians don’t even know the meaning of the word! Fairness? Which of you any left? Not one! All your dealings are crooked: you give ‘justice’ in exchange of bribes.” Prophet Habakkuk criticizing injustice, says, “The law is not enforced and there is no justice given in the courts, for the wicked far outnumber the righteous, and bribes and trickery prevail” (Hab. 1:4, LB). Similarly, Psalm (64:6), “They plot injustice and say, ‘we have devised a perfect plan!’ Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.” The Book of Job decries injustice in cheating and moving illegally territorial boundary: “Men move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen. They drive away the orphan’s donkey and take the widow’s ox in pledge. They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of their land into hiding” (Job 24:2-4). In a similar manner, concerning dispute of territorial boundaries, the author of Deuteronomy (19:14) urges the Israelites, “You must not displace your neighbour's boundary mark, positioned by men of old in the heritage soon to be yours, in the country which Yahweh your God is about to give you” (NJB). Deuteronomy 27:17 strongly condemns such an act, saying, “Accursed be anyone who displaces a neighbour's boundary mark. And the people must all say, Amen” (NJB). Prophet Amos as well deplores injustice: “They turn justice into wormwood and throw uprightness to the ground” (Amos 5:7). The Irob people’s cry for justice reminds me of the Prophet Isaiah’s utterance: “Now, the vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the House of Israel, and the people of Judah the plant he cherished. He expected fair judgement, but found injustice, uprightness, but found cries of distress” (Is 5:7). In the Book of Leviticus we read, “You will not be unjust in administering justice. You will neither be partial to the poor nor overawed by the great, but will administer justice to your fellow citizen justly” (Lev 19:15). Similarly, in the Book of Deuteronomy we find the word of God saying, “At that same time I told your judges, ‘you must give your brothers a fair hearing and see justice done…’” (Deut 1:16). And the Book of Exodus adds by stressing, “You shall not pervert justice due to your poor in his suit” (Ex 23:6). Because as the Book of Proverb says, “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker…” (Pro 17:5). Likewise, in the 2 Chronicles (19:6) the judges are advised, “Be careful what you do, since you are judging not by any human power but in the name of Yahweh, who will be with you when you pronounce sentence.” The Hypocrisy of Pontius Pilate’s
Unjust Verdict
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