Most people see Nelson Mandela for what he truly is: one of the most important figures of the twentieth century and a statesman who never wavered from his mission.
As he lies seriously ill of what could be a fatal bout of pneumonia, probably derived from the deep scarring the tubercolosis he contracted in prison wrought on his lungs, some people in the world have brought up ugly sentiments that should have been long forgotten.
Only last week, a British politician rejoiced at Mandela's renewed fight with the illness, calling him a 'murdering terrorist' whose place in hell awaited him.
If anyone was shocked at these words, they should not be. This is exactly how many extreme right wing people feel about the aging statesman. To them, he was a petty terrorist who took down the principled and orderly state of apartheid that governed South Africa for decades.
In fact, Mandela was on a US terror watch list until 2008. Margaret Thatcher, no liberal left leaning sympathizer herself, called the ANC, the African National Congress, a 'typical terrorist organization'.
It is amazing then, that the man not only survived, not only became president of South Africa, but that he was able to keep the country on a steady course instead of taking revenge and let a blood bath ensue.
A concert 25 years ago, was in the minds of many, how Mandela's image was redeemed. But was it? It is true that the aging Mandela has basked in the glory of a heroic status for a while, but its detractors still seethe.
It was however, only 19 months after that concert that Mandela was finally freed after 27 years in prison, most of them spent in hard labor quarries.
What is left then, is that some people are willing to discount his achievements and those of all the black constituency in South Africa. To the detractors, apartheid was a good system that kept order and functionality. They cite the incredible amount of violence in South Africa, and the lack of prosecution of many crimes to bolster their ideas.
In truth, however, violence is born of oppression. There is no other way to escape the kind of oppression and injustice that was apartheid other than to enact a revolution. And revolutions are always harbingers of a change that may or may not engender violence.
For all of those however, who so many years later, still see Mandela as a terrorist and murderer, as he is called by the right wing extremists, his death will do nothing to diminish his fame, or to tarnish his glory. That alone should bring him some satisfaction.
Partial Source : France 24/6.12.13
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