Daily Times

Nelson Mandela is dead and he is being praised by all. It would have been alright if it was just praise that was being showered but, very strangely, those people whose words and actions have no connection with his ideals have also started owning him. Hypocrisy rules cyberspace, the airwaves and print. Many of our liberal elite are sharing Facebook statuses supporting Nelson Mandela. For many, this is more to do with doing the ‘in’ thing and less to do with what Mandela stood for. Mandela opposed apartheid, while our urban elite, in self-contradiction, rallies behind those supporting religious apartheid. What else can one say about their support for the PTI, which does not even name the Taliban mercenaries spreading violent religious apartheid as the enemy within? While Mandela opposed child labour, though being unsuccessful in his own country to eliminate it, the number of our liberal elites having children as domestic servants in their homes is not too difficult to guess. Gandhi was Mandela’s inspiration while Gandhi admitted inspiration from Imam Hussein. While the great learn from their heroes, what have we learnt from Mandela who stood for equality, liberty and struggle?

The self-styled liberal elite is not alone in this hypocritical outburst of praise. Other supporters of right-wing, pro-Taliban parties like the PTI, JI and PML-N are eulogising Mandela while also praising their own leaders who have completely contradictory views on human rights. Mandela, dead or alive, and what he stood for does not need such support. He had real support from the people who could give their time and money for his cause. I would like to give just one example of this: on April 19, 1986, the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group launched a non-stop picket outside the South African embassy calling for the release of Nelson Mandela. In addition to campaigning for Mandela’s unconditional release, the picket demanded the release of all political prisoners in South Africa and Namibia, and called for the closure of the South African embassy in London. Picketers carried placards, which declared their solidarity, and commented on topical events and campaigns in South Africa. Some in the picket would hand leaflets and petition passers-by, whilst others made impromptu speeches on a megaphone or sang South African freedom songs. Friday evenings saw larger themed rallies while on Thursdays the picket’s numbers swelled as supporters danced to the music of a group of street musicians, Horns of Jericho. The picket conveyed the message of solidarity to people thousands of miles away. The non-stop picket lasted nearly four years until Nelson Mandela was released in February 1990. This is real support.

When it comes to Mandela, hypocrisy is not limited to individuals and parties alone. Even governments are demonstrative of this malaise. While Mandela may be the sanitised icon of today, the same Mandela had to apply for special permission in order to be able to visit the US as late as 2008. It was just days before his 90th birthday that the US gave Nelson Mandela a special present. On July 1, 2008, more than 18 years after his release, the then US president, George W Bush, signed the bill removing Mandela from the US’s terror watch list. Mandela and other South African leaders had been added to the list at the request of South Africa’s apartheid regime, which designated the African National Congress (ANC), fighting racial segregation in the country, a terrorist organisation. John Kerry, the current US secretary of state, said at the time, “He had no place on our government’s terror watch list and I am pleased to see this bill finally become law.”

The British ‘Iron lady’, Margaret Thatcher, also described the ANC as a “typical terrorist organisation” in 1987, leading to general condemnation from human rights supporters. Israeli President Shimon Peres has called Mandela “a leader of immense stature who changed the course of history”. He has further said, “On behalf of the citizens of Israel we mourn alongside the nations of the world and the people of South Africa, who lost an exceptional leader. Nelson Mandela was a fighter for human rights who left an indelible mark on the struggle against racism and discrimination.” US President Obama has said, “I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s life.” He continued, “And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set.” Yet do these men share his vision for the Middle East?

People like Mandela are born once in centuries. They are humans yet they rise above their constraints, forego personal gains and work for the common good of all. While they need the support of fellow human beings for their causes, they have the determination to do it all alone. They believe in liberty and freedom for all. To achieve this goal, they place their own lives at risk. Likewise, Mandela remained in prison for 27 years. When asked about his resolve during those brutal years at the Robben Island prison he remarked, “Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose because I will not part with it at any price or under any pressure.” Mandela said his faith in humanity was “sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair”. When Mandela walked out of prison, he said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Do those who now eulogise Mandela with hypocrisy, respect and enhance the freedom of others? Ask any Shia whose Ashura processions they want banned, any Ahmedi who cannot even refute an allegation concerning his faith, any Christian or a saint-loving, shrine-going common Sunni and you will get the answer.

The writer can be reached at thelogicalguy@yahoo.com