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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Comedy producer arrested

The attack on free speech by the EPRDF continues unabated. Daniel Fisseha, executive producer of "Oppressed Jokes", was arrested on Saturday. "Oppresssed Jokes", the brilliant collection of works of stand-up comedy, had become instant hit in the country last year.

The jokes by up and coming comedians focused on social and political issues, including satires on the personality and rule of Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's dictator. Art critics considered the collection as the first of its kind in the country in content and form.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

what the hell was the comedian doing his comedy in a country that doesn't know how to lauch? If you are a non-tigre, you are NOT allowed to smile on the street let alone laugh. Lauching at your home is allowed but laughing on public place yo have to have a special Tigre-ID. Well, mr. comedian, Next time you know not to make people laugh.

Anonymous said...

These so called oppressed jokes are nothing more than AMARA CHAUVINISTIC GARBAGED DRESSED IN JOKES. THE FOCUS OF THE JOKES IS USUALLY NON-AMARAS, ESPECIALLY GURAGES. LET THAT SOB GO TO HELL. GURAGES SHOULD CELEBRATE HIS ARREST.

Anonymous said...

To the anonymous above:

Your drivel just tells me how much you don't know Gurages. For your information Gurages are intelligent and funny people and they know how to laugh at themselves and everyone else. So please do not preach about Woyanie arresting comedians to save Gurages from the wrath of a hearty joke and a healthy laughter.

Anonymous said...

If insulting people is "free speech", then you must ask your self where your moral stand is! No one should accept somthing for it is enemy of her enemy!

Anonymous said...

He deserves to be arrested though I am afraid whether he can get justice from the current adminstration.

Anonymous said...

Gurages can laugh at themselves? Who the hell are you to tell us that. Go to hell. This Gurage is sick and tired of Amara Patronization. That so called comedian can go to hell. Also, another is a new DVD out called SHEMSU. Zeregna garbage. I urge all my fellow Gurages to tell the Amara chauvinistic attitude to GO TO HELL. DEAR AMARA FREINDS LET US SEE IF YOU CAN LAUGH AT YOUR SELVES. WHY IS BEGGINING AND PROSTITUTION EASIER FOR YOU THAN A FREAKIN JOB? GO BE PRODUCTIVE WILL YOU. THE GURAGES CAN NOT CONTINUE TO SUBSIDIZE YOUR WELFARE MENTALITY. FUNNY HA HA. WE ARE ALL LAUGHING NOW AREN'T WE?

Anonymous said...

To the anonymous above:

Gurages don't need a traitorous Woyanie like yourself to defend them against sick jokes you moron. What Gurages badly need in this day and age is some one who could help them keep their shops open, their children fed and their families safe from AGAZI arrest torture and killing. Ever since TPLF came to power, they have been picking on Gurages to undermine their economic standing in society, closing and confiscating shops, imposing exorbitant taxes on their business thus forcing them to bankruptcy and awarding their businesses and ventures to the so called golden race from the north. Woyanies have been fostering unfair competition against Gurage businesses by incouraging their cadres to open similar busineses in close proximity with the advantage of duty free and contraband goods thus undercutting the profits of hard working men and women of Gurage and most of the time driving them out of business.

Woyanies have been inciting innocent local population in all the regions against Gurages, by intimating that they are usurping the local economic power. We all have been witnesses as to what has happened in Yirgalem, Yirgacheffe, Awassa, Nazret, Agaro, Gore, Jimma etc..etc..

So please don’t tell us you are defending our ethnic dignity and pride by arresting standup comedians and jesters against which you have an ax to grind in the first place. It is bad enough that you are driving our people to the poor house, but to tell us that you are defending our dignity is an insult to our intelligence and much undignified.

Zagol: Thanks for the update.

Anonymous said...

Your prejudice is self-evident. If you are a Gurage, you self-hate is self evident. First, notice one common theme in your entire discussion. MONEY. MONEY. MONEY. The only interest Gurages have is not MONEY. That is your assumption or an assumption that you learnt when you were socialized to equate your self with MONEY. Gurages have a lot more interest than the ZERGEGNA propoganda wants to present us as. Condemning Amara chavinism does not econcurage government unfair competition. You can actually condemn both. A world that you are apparently unaware of. Be that as it may, Gurages don't need anyone else to define us, especially as some money grabing shop keepers. Be it the government or chavinistic garbage via DVD's of entertainment at the expense of Gurages. As much as you condemn the government, I would also urge you to condemn the prejudicial culture that has been promoted as to how people view Gurages. This is the Amara past chavinistic culture promoted as Ethiopian culture. That should be condmened. And I will definately not lose sleep over the arrest of someone who promotes this kind of chauvinism as entertainment.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous above, you seem to be condemning the Amara implying it is zeregna and you imply that the TPLF is ok, as it just murders, imprisons, tortures and impoverishes the Gurages. No body is fooled by you - you are a sycophant TPLF who cannot stand to see our unity against your kind.

Anonymous said...

Hey EZ:

I have always found your judgments on issues reasonable; however, with yetechekonu keldoch, I choose to differ with you. Yetechekonu keldoch collection made fun of various ethnic groups.....I don't really know if arresting the comedian is the right measure, but lauding his works as brillinat and the first of its kind is just stupid, to say the least. The jokes reminded me of arrogant Amharas/Tigres making fun of the southereners and Oromos....It was just stupid!

Anonymous said...

I know it might be very hard for a lot of Ethiopians, especially AMARAS, who have been used to slinging Hateful Prejudice against the Gurage and expecting the Gurage to laugh with you. This Gurage says GO TO HELL. I REFUSE TO. Your entertainment is not at my expense. How the above statement translates into supporting TPLF, only God knows. Well, I do know. It is because you cannot fanthom a Gurage telling you off and saying you should GO TO HELL with Your ZEREGNA garbage. You just can't imagine a Gurage asserting his right unless some TPLF person is instigating him. Your arrogance is amazing. But then again, that is why the modern world has left you behind. Because you are entrenched in your delusional tales of grandeur and degradation of the Gurage, enough to a point that you can't even expect a Gurage to defend his pride. Well, not this Gurage. I SAY TO THE CREATORS OF THE DVD, GO TO HELL. I SAY TO THE "SHEMSU" DVD PRESENTLY OUT, GO TO HELL. I SAY TO THE PAST CHAVINISTIC AMARA CULTURE THAT POROMOTES PREJUDICE AGAINST THE GURAGE, GO TO HELL. DEAL WITH IT. WE HAVE DEALT WITH YOUR ARROGANCE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

Anonymous said...

this is shame for EZ.

How could you say the " Yetechekonu Keldoch" a hit. That was a typical hate comedy and the producer should pay for his racial incencitive "Jocks".

Anonymous said...

Let him pay. Thank God today's Ethiopia does not thrive at the expense of laughing at Gurages and oromos and Tigryans. It is a new day for my fellow Bortchame D.C. vagabonds. They can't fanthom people are getting upset at being told that they are inferior. What a moronic bunch. Again, Daniel, I hope your U rot in Jail. or never set foot on Ethiopian soil again because you are toxic.

Anonymous said...

Everyone should just calm down. People write like as if this is the real world. This isn't. People write stuff just to anger folks and laugh at their reactions. So please don't take all postings so seriously that you start making hateful comments. If you have something productive to share just say so and let your idea speak for itslef. Apart from that, this name calling stuff is really kind of unnecessary and counter productive. Especially because you are responding to someone who can make whatever kind of statement they want hiding behing some computer and angering people. I hope we are not like this in real life.

Anonymous said...

Generalization is one of the gravest mistakes one can commit. So you people, who are calling names and labelling people with a general name, are wrong. Generalizing one nationality to be bad or good is completely wrong. As there are good Amaras, there are also some ill willing ones and this is common to Gurages, Oromos, Tigres and so on. So please don’t categorise all people for one person’s good or bad deed.

Unknown said...

Dineka Teka said…

Guess what haters? Daniel is out of jail and smiling at each and every one of you haters that is outraged at this funny and original comedy he’s created. IT IS JUST COMEDY!!! IT IS EXTEMLY FUNNY AND YOU ALL NEED TO GET OVER IT.

Each and every one of us should be able to laugh at ourselves. Have some sense of humor.

And for all the people that had hateful and outrages comments to Daniel's creative, original, and hilarious comedy, EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!!

Guess who is laughing now 