America has its beloved former president Abraham Lincoln, but
the World has its beloved hero and constant inspiration, Nelson Mandela ~ the
South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and leader who was jailed for 27
years, served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and rightfully won
the Nobel Peace prize in 1993. Mandela today is still a unifying call in the universal
fight against oppression and apartheid ~ a living symbol of hope, unity, love
and peace: Allen L Roland
"As
I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in
prison."
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
I
didn't want to wait to write a eulogy for the world's last Hero, Nelson
Mandela, so I chose instead to acknowledge and share my feelings now about this
giant symbol of hope, perseverance and peace with a world that is running out
of true heroes who are willing to live their principles and carry the same banner that
Mandela still carries.
Here's
Mandela's first video interview on May 21, 1961 after being jailed for 27
years and note how his voice has indeed left the hatred and bitterness behind
as he speaks of his continued commitment to one man, one vote and fundamental
human rights as well as peaceful and non-violent demonstrations. See 4
minute video
And here is Mandela's life story which covers his humble beginnings and his longing for the
freedom from the shackles of the 'legalized
discrimination' of Apartheid and his resultant stormy rise to become the
revered father of South Africa and an inspiration to the world. 13 minute
must see video ~
But
the legend of Nelson Mandela must include his role as the Black Pimpernel where
he went underground and battled for South African freedom as a revolutionary ~
living in seclusion, wearing various disguises and inspiring a nation with his
exploits. Here is Mandela describing his experience in excerpts from the
Black Pimpernel ~ "Under
apartheid, a black man lived a shadowy life between legality and illegality,
between openness and concealment. To be a black man in South Africa meant
not to trust anything, which was not unlike living underground for one's entire
life…. I
became a creature of the night. I would keep to my hideout during the day, and would
emerge to do my work when it became dark …. I would wear the blue
overalls of the fieldworker and often wore round, rimless glasses known as
Mazzawati tea glasses. I had a car and I wore a chauffeur's cap with my
overalls. The pose of chauffeur was convenient because I could travel under the
pretext of driving my master's car…. During those early months, when there
was a warrant for my arrest and I was being pursued by the police, my outlaw
existence caught the imagination of the press. Articles claiming that I had
been here and there were on the front pages. Roadblocks were instituted all
over the country, but the police repeatedly came up empty-handed. I was dubbed
the Black Pimpernel, a somewhat derogatory adaptation of Baroness Orczy's
fictional character the Scarlet Pimpernel, who daringly evaded capture during
the French Revolution."
When
we think of oppression and Apartheid today,
we obviously think of the continuing and illegal occupation of Palestine by
Israel and Mandela saw this ongoing human rights affront clearly ~ as seen
in these excerpts from his memo to Israeli
apologist Thomas Friedman in March of 2001: http://www.keghart.com/Mandela-Palestine
Dear Thomas,
I
know that you and I long for peace in the Middle East, but before you continue
to talk about necessary conditions from an Israeli perspective, you need to
know what’s on my mind. Where to begin? How about 1964. Palestinians are not
struggling for a “state” but for freedom, liberation and equality, just like we
were struggling for freedom in South Africa. Let me quote my own
words during my trial. They are true today as they were then: “I have fought
against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have
cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live
together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope
to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am
prepared to die.” Today the world, black and white, recognize that
Apartheid has no future. In South Africa it has been ended by our own decisive
mass action in order to build peace and security. That mass campaign of
defiance and other actions could only culminate in the establishment of
Democracy…Thomas, if you follow the polls in Israel for the last 30 or 40
years, you clearly find a vulgar racism that includes a third of the population
who openly declare themselves to be racist. This racism is of the nature of
“I hate Arabs” and “I wish Arabs would be dead”… Apartheid is a crime
against humanity. Israel has deprived millions of Palestinians of their
liberty and property. It has perpetuated a system of gross racial
discrimination and inequality. It has systematically incarcerated and
tortured thousands of Palestinians, contrary to the rules of international law.
It has, in particular, waged a war against a civilian population, in particular
children…. Thomas,
I’m not abandoning Mideast diplomacy. But I’m not going to indulge you the way
your supporters do. If you want peace and democracy, I will support you. If you
want formal Apartheid, we will not support you. If you want to support
racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing, we will oppose you ~ When you
figure out what you’re about, give me a call."
And that's what
Mandela would defiantly be saying now to Secretary of State John Kerry as Kerry tells the
oppressed, battered and occupied Palestinians they better hurry up and settle
for peace and formal apartheid, while Israel defiantly announces it will build 1200 new homes, for Jews
only, on occupied Palestinian land.
This
is blatant Israeli colonialization and U.S. blackmail
~ while the world continues to ignore and condone the kabuki theater of the
current Middle East Peace Talks.
Nobel Laureate Nelson
Mandela, the courageous Black
Pimpernel, has conquered fear and in the
process has become a beacon of light to a world that is still blindly groping for
its moral bearings.
“I learned that
courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is
not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~ Nelson Mandela
Freelance Alternative
Press Online columnist and transformational counselor
Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and
private Skype consultations (allen@allenroland.com )
Allen
L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and
lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his web log and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a
monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net
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