In the midst of a region overwhelmed by ethnic strife and religious tensions, Eritreans have excelled in understanding each other and living together in harmony despite how divers we really are. We never experienced any of the social conflicts and gynophobia that are rampant in many parts of Africa. Our long struggle for freedom has indeed united us together and gave us a sense of nationalism that transcends every tribal, regional and religious boundaries. Hence, Eritrea has been identified as exemplary nation for the level of cohesion it has attained among its constituents. It is essential that we preserve this golden quality of ours and transfer it as a legacy to the generations to come.

Religion and spirituality are presumed to be ages old. Spirituality is inherent to human beings as we all are spiritual creatures. Everybody has a deeply rooted spiritual needs. Our aspirations as human beings can never be fulfilled unless our spiritual yearnings are addressed. Materialism has become a dominant view today and led many to ignore their spirituality. As a result, many young people have been enslaved by drug addiction, alcoholism and heavy smoking in a futile attempt to numb the pain of loneliness. Scholars predict that the present generation is the most informed and yet the most confused of all generations in the past. Nowadays, young people find it difficult which role model to peruse. The level of frustration inside every body’s heart is unimaginable. As humans, we are so often caught by curiosities that can never be dealt with by logic or rationalism. This prompts us to experiment everything hoping that our need would be met at the end of the tunnel. Young people would always search for the truth and uncover the myth. Such questions as the origin of life and its destiny are so mysterious. No body can fully satisfy such curiosities. Everybody should have the freedom to search and find appropriate answer for his/her curiosities. The government’s attempt of dismantling the structures of minority religious denominations has definitely damaged the social and spiritual lives of many citizens. What kind of selfish leaders are they who attempt to capitalize at the expense of the helpless!

There is also a deeply seated need to identify oneself with someone who is absolutely perfect. Failure to find one with such qualities results in a self-image crisis, which is another by product of modern atheism. In the last decades, people used to believe that “We were created in the image of God who is absolutely loving, righteous and just.” This belief helped them relate their fellow brother with God who is presumed to be good. This outlook had profound effect in our social lives specially the values we attribute to human life. Our people cheer up and shout for joy when that little baby is born because a new precious human being has come into the world. They also express their sorrow by weeping and lamentation when a human being of such infinite value is separated by death. Our people would do everything possible to preserve life and protect it from any potential danger. Where did the act of arbitrary killing of innocent individuals like “sgumti mwsad” originated. I am afraid that we are loosing our values.

Everybody knows that he/she is in the world for a definite purpose because the creator made us for a reason. Every one of us is born unique, original and irreplaceable. None of us is comfortable to be used merely as a means. As one scholar has well said it, “human beings should always be treated as ends in themselves.” We so often make statements like “entay gedisuka” and “Aye-etiwekan eyu” to reaffirm our conviction that “no one should govern me.” We might be shocked by the news of a young man shot dead in the streets of Asmara. But the systematic killing of human soul by the use of deceptive psychological weapons should worry us equally. The sense of identity of our youth is being eroded as they always find their very own life at the command of military people. The current regime is busy building a nation of frustrated people who have lost any sense of purpose in life. What a calamity!!! It is very hard to recover a broken heart and heal a wounded spirit.

Religion still plays a major role in the social lives of many Eritreans. It provides moral guidelines. Our traditional judicial system was largely based on the principles we adhere to in our religious beliefs. Religion is also the only source of comfort for many broken hearted Eritreans who suffered a great deal and lost everything they esteemed highly in the last years. Shouldn’t the government promote religious liberty so that ordinary citizens can get this kind service wherever they wish?

What role should the ruling body play in the religious matters of a society? Can any body in his natural senses attempt to dictate the thoughts of every citizen and channel them into a common level of understanding? Enthusiastic communist leaders performed a social experiment of this kind that resulted in irreversible social disaster. It is very sad to see PFDJ leaders repeating the same mistake. “History tells us that people do not learn from history” and keep on repeating the same mistake again and again. No matter what the motive behind is, political interference in religious affairs will eventually result in social catastrophe. Religion and religious institutions are supposed to be sacred and beyond the reach and influence of any political entity. Otherwise, they can so easily loose their authenticity and originality and become instruments for political ends. Our social values are the first organs to suffer most from such political intrusion in religion. This can profoundly affect our social lives including our marriages and families. A society devoid of social values is doomed to destruction.

Therefore, as responsible citizens, we need to reclaim and rescue our long-standing and venerable values of respect, honesty and tolerance before they extinguish from our sight. We need to call for religious liberty in Eritrea. All sanctioned religious institutions should be reopened. All prisoners of conscience who are behind bars for the cause of their faith should be immediately released. Government should stop interfering in the internal affairs and administrative issues of our religious institutions. Our sheiks, priests, pastors and muftis should be feared and respected by all including the governing body. Every body should enjoy the freedom to uphold and express any kind of belief as he/she wishes. If we keep silent, we will eventually reap the consequences of our inaction on due time.

Abraham Rezene

Pretoria, South Africa

abrahamrezene@yahoo.com