ሕዝቅኤል ጋቢሳ ከአባሮቹ ጋር በመሆን ቄሮ ሃውልት እንዲያፈርስና ኦሮሞ ያልሆኑ ሰዎች ንብረትን እንዲያቃጥሉ ከገፋፉት ሰዎች አንዱ ነው

Send the message to the president of Kettering University

To: President Rockwell

Kettering University

Flint, MI

email: drockwell@kettering.edu

Dear President Rockwell,

I hope this email reaches you in good health in these uncertain times!

We know Kettering University with its commitment to community and service. We also know how hard Kettering University worked to be a good neighbor and strong leader in Flint. We also acknowledge the University’s role in transforming Flint into a safer, more walkable, and more vibrant city.

However, recently a shadow is cast on the good name of Kettering University. In fact, Kettering was synonymous with: hate-speech, genocide, and terrorism. To many of us who knew the struggles of Kettering to achieve the recognition it has, this scandal was not a light matter. I am sure these allegations are very diametric to the virtues of the University mission.

The culprit in this is not some social media troll slandering the good name of Kettering University. Rather, it is one of your own faculty by the name Professor Ezekiel Gebissa, in the Department of Liberal Studies, whose diatribe on social media platforms has caused deaths of hundreds of Amharas in Oromia region of Ethiopia. This self-proclaimed Oromo hardliner is known for his association with another Islamic extremist, Jawar Mohamed. These activists have called for bloodshed and intra-communal conflicts before on the record.

Recently, Dr. Gebissa and Jawar Mohamed incited violence in retribution for the death of an Oromo activist by an unknown assailant. There is a plethora of evidence on social media and other satellite news archives where the professor and Mr. Jawar spewed their hateful diatribes. Some of the news media outlets he was associated with, such as Oromo Media Network (OMN), have been shut down. In addition, some of the people, including Jawar Mohammed who runs OMN media have been arrested.

However, Dr. Gebissa was not arrested because he resides in the US. Although the university affords him academic freedom, his actions are above and beyond academic freedom—down-right incisive call for genocide. Dr. Ezekiel Gebissa is genocide inciter and unfit to educate in model institutions such as Kettering University. There is no place for a demagogue at a place of higher learning.

There will be legal action filed against him soon, however, we call on you, President Rockwell, to take the appropriate steps against a man who has caused so much pain and suffering to millions of people in his native Ethiopia.

If he is not terminated from the Kettering University faculty, we will mobilize social media protest against the beloved Kettering University as well as a peaceful protest on campus and in Flint. I pray you will have the moral fortitude to side on the right side of history.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,