As the world mourns the passing of Madiba, I thought I would share with you this beautiful tribute to him. It is a creative work of art consisting of 50 steel rods symbolic of the years in prison.The world has lost one of its greatest leaders who was undeterred in his fight against apartheid and when the struggle was won when the most horrific of revenges would have been “justified”, he demonstrated even greater courage in forgiving those who had carried out the wrongs and injustice of the apartheid system. He showed the world that there can be justice without retribution and saved his country from anarchy and further bloodshed.
I grieve for the passing away of Nelson Mandela, and I grieve for the fact that my country did not have the good fortune of having a leader like him.
Our President is left for S.Africa to attend the memorial service in Pretoria, leaving behind a country burning as a result of a political impasse between the two major political parties. There have been more than 55 deaths in the last one week, mostly ordinary people trying to go about earning their livelihood. Appeals to the President to intervene have fallen on deaf ears, as has a 3 day hunger strike for peace organised by freedom fighters last week.
I hope that the recalling of Mandela’s life on television channels around the world will offer a fresh opportunity for world leaders as well as political leaders in Bangladesh to consider seriously and sincerely what Mandela stood for and struggled for.
Shireen Huq
<shireenhuq@gmail.com>
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