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The Ethiopic symbolic world is marked by a reverence for order & the rule of law. The reverence for heg (law) and fiteh (justice) ,is evident in the notion of behig Amlak (lit. in the name of the God of the Law) which is invoked to express the value Ethiopians put on the law. 1/
The saying baheg sibal enquan saw wanz yeqomal (when the law is cited even the river stops moving, let alone a human being) shows how deeply felt the primacy of the law is. But when the law is trampled upon by the powerful with impunity, hope for justice is kept alive through 2/
a social imagination that is convinced that injustice sets in motion a cosmic disorder which effects ill omen on oppressors. One way this is expressed is through the notion of “gef” (oppression). Gef is an action that is necessarily committed by the powerful & privileged. 3/
Gef describes an attitude of self-reliance, extravagance & disrespect to natural law. Committing ‘gef’ (i.e. oppressing or exploiting) is thought to bring down the wrath of God, while administrating justice has salvific significance. 4/
this's the bedrock of our resilience & radical hope in the face of untold suffering. Today our shared social imaginary found its vindication in the capture of #SebhatNega a man with a litany of abuse & a myriad of Gef. @AbiyAhmedAli thank you. 5/5 #EthiopiaPrevails #Justice4ENDF
