(written 2005)

It should not surprise you when you hear that when the persianz, romanz and then the greeks came into Afrika, along with the murder and plagiarizm, they helped themselves to the wealth and monumental structures of the Nile Valley.

The limestone from the Pyramidz of Giza, for example, were stripped and used to build virtually all the churches in Rome (read Anthony T. Browder’s, Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization). If you’ve read Browder’s book, you may also be aware of the 14 or so obelisks that were stolen still standing erect today in places like the Vatican and in the middle of New York City ’s Central Park.

The fight for the return of these monuments have been a tumultuous battle until recent when in 2002 Italy agreed to return an over 2500 year-old, 200-ton, 78-ft. Obelisk of Axum which stood in downtown Rome for some 70 yearz. The Obelisk served as a constant reminder of one of the 20th centuries most vicious war crimes as Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, putting under his rule from 1935-41 and introducing the first use of an aerial assault using poison gas on civilianz and soldierz [it must be noted that Mussolini, like Napoleon - who, in 1899 came to KMT and saw the Afrikan features of Her-Em-Akhet (erroneously called the Sphinx), saw that KMT was as, if not more civilized than the land he came from - Mussolini went on what he considered a mission to ‘civilize’ darkest Afrika only to find evidence of a civilization that thrived during the same period as the Roman Empire].

Last July, 2003, after several decades of pressure on Italy to return the Obelisk from the African Union, Italy finally began to dismantle the solid granite pillar to be returned to its native Axum in northern Ethiopia .

A 22-ft. piece weighing 40 tonz was removed from the top for the “eventual” voyage back to Afrika. I say “eventual” because, as of June 28, 2004, according to writer, Nicole Martinelli, they’ve dismantled it, but have yet to send it back home to Ethiopia. Officialz have left the Axum obelisk sitting in three sectionz in an airport warehouse for over six months.

“The trouble?,” states Martinelli, “According to Italian officials, the destination airport in Axum can't handle a landing by cargo planes large enough to transport the pre-Christian era obelisk. Shipping by boat was also considered but nixed because the nearest port - now part of rival neighbor Eritrea - is not considered safe.”

Italy had agreed to give back what Fascist troops took from Ethiopia in the 1930s, but intentionz don't always match actionz as the Afrikan country learned in 1998 after printing commemorative stamps in vain for the expected return of the obelisk. Once returned home, the obelisk would have crowned a UNESCO-protected heritage site of the same name.

Now, as the government ponderz building a monument to Italian soldierz and civilianz killed in the Nov. 12 bombing in Iraq where the Ethiopian obelisk used to stand in Rome's piazza Carpena, those who spent yearz campaigning to get the monument back wonder what will happen as the dust collects.

"To Ethiopia it is like the Statue of Liberty," teacher Nicola DeMarco stated. "All the technical excuses made by the Italian government are delay tactics. If Silvio Berlusconi can build a bridge from Calabria to Sicily , he can bridge the gap between Italy and Ethiopia with this small gesture."

Head of the Axum Obelisk Return Committee Richard Pankhurst says it's time to end the foot-dragging. He says the airport in Axum , recently expanded and reinforced, is capable of handling the precious but weighty shipment. "After so many years we are tired of such excuses, it shouldn't take another half century to get back what is ours," said Pankhurst, 75. "Many of us would like to see it in its rightful place in our lifetime."

The question is, will we? Knowin’ the wicked wayz of YT (including pale-imposter italianz who deny their Moorish origin), many of us won’t.

Read the update here