PRESS RELEASE – Global Public Protest on the Fascist War Crimes Committed on Ethiopia and the Graziani Mausoleum

PRESS RELEASE

Global Public Protest on the Fascist War Crimes Committed on Ethiopia and the Graziani Mausoleum

International public protests in the form of peaceful demonstrations and meetings are scheduled to take place in major cities throughout the world on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 in remembrance of the 3-day Fascist massacre of 30,000 Ethiopians in Addis Ababa in February 1937, as well as all of the Italian Fascist war crimes that took place in Ethiopia, with the support of the Vatican, during 1935-41.

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FASCIST WAR CRIMES IN ETHIOPIA

The Italian Fascist war crimes that were perpetrated in Ethiopia resulted in the following huge losses:

1. The massacre of one million Ethiopians by using various war materials including the  internationally forbidden poison gas that was sprayed by numerous Italian war planes throughout Ethiopia;
2. The destruction of 2,000 churches and 525,000 homes;
3. The perpetration of an environmental pollution including the killing of 14 million animals.

As if to add insult to injury, the Italian Government has recently established a mausoleum and a park for the Fascist war criminal, Rodolfo Graziani, at Affile, south of Rome. In 1947, Italy paid reparations of 6 million sterling pounds – an inadequate amount that is only another travesty of justice.

VATICAN SUPPORT FOR THE FASCISTS

The Vatican, then led by Pope Pius XI and later by Pope Pius XII, was fully complicit with the Fascist war crime in Ethiopia. Evidence for this fact can be seen from the following, among many other reports:

1. The New York Times report dated February 13, 1937 states:

“Earlier today the Pontiff (Pope Pius XI) had given his recognition of Italian

sovereignty over Ethiopia by bestowing his apostolic benediction upon Victor

Emmanuel as “King Of Italy and Emperor of Ethiopia.”

1. The Manchester Guardian report of February 12, 1929 had stated:

“Pope Pius XI is credited with much admiration for Mussolini. That the Italian clergy as a

whole are pro-Fascist is easy to understand, seeing that Fascism is a nationalist,

authoritarian, anti-liberal, and anti-Socialist force.”

1. According to Avro Manhattan, Pope Pius XI had expressed his joy as follows at the advent of the Fascist army at Addis Ababa:

“The triumphant joy of an entire, great and good people over a place which, it is hoped and intended, will be an effective contribution and prelude to the true place in Europe and the World.”

1. The Bishop of Torano had blessed the Fascist invasion of Ethiopia by making the following statement:

“The war against Ethiopia should be considered as a holy war, a crusade” (as Italian victory)

would “open Ethiopia, a country of infidels and schismatics, to the expansion of the Catholic Faith.”

A Vatican clergy blessing the Fascist army

JUSTICE FOR ETHIOPIA

The justice demanded on behalf of the Ethiopian people for all the war crimes committed by the Fascists, with the complicit support of the Vatican, is:

1. That the Vatican express its apology to the Ethiopian people;
2. That the Italian Government pay adequate reparations to the Ethiopian people;
3. That the United Nations recognize the Fascist war crimes committed in Ethiopia;
4. That the Italian and Vatican Governments return the properties looted from Ethiopia; and
5. That the Italian Government dismantle the Graziani monument inaugurated at Affile, south of Rome, in the presence of a Vatican representative.

Rodolfo Graziani’s mausoleum being inaugurated in the presence of a Vatican Representative

For further information please contact:

Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause

4002 Blacksmith Drive, Garland, TX 75044, USA

Tel:            (214)703 9022

Email:        [email protected]

http://www.globalallianceforethiopia.org

Appendix 1: List of participating cities