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Even in death, Mandela exposes hypocrisy of Western rulers

Crescent International

Nelson Mandela has exposed the hypocrisy of Western rulers that have made a beeline to join his funeral in South Africa. Kings, presidents, prime ministers and others will be there to proclaim Mandela’s greatness while they indulged and continue to indulge in the worst kinds of crimes against humanity imaginable.

Pretoria, Crescent-online
December 06, 2013, 15:37 EST

“I was made, by the law, a criminal, not because of what I had done, but because of what I stood for, because of what I thought, because of my conscience.” (Statement during trial, 1962)

Nelson Mandela was an international icon who became a legend in his life time. The outpouring of grief at his death, even though expected because of his illness, at age 95, is genuine at least in South Africa. Ordinary people elsewhere were also touched by his humanity.

While South Africans observe nine days of mourning at the passing away of Madiba, as he was affectionately known, leaders from around the world are converging on South Africa to join his last rites. The line up of celebrities is impressive.

President Barack Obama will be accompanied by his wife Michelle as well as other former American presidents. Both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton are expected to be there. George W. Bush may be a no show; just as well since he is not much liked anywhere including in his home country, the US.

Britain will be represented by senior royals, presumably Prince Charles as well as the prime minister, David Cameron. Other western rulers are also lining up to go.

From the Muslim world, President Hassan Rohani of Iran is expected to be there. The Islamic Republic has had very good relations with South Africa and once the Islamic revolution succeeded, Iran gave unflinching support to the anti-apartheid struggle.

The Palestinian leadership will be there although it is not certain whether senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad figures will be present alongside such western rulers as Obama, Cameron etc.

The western rulers’ supposed grief stands in sharp contrast with their policies during the apartheid era. In 1986, Nelson Mandela was put on the US list of terrorists. Former US vice president Dick Cheney, then a senator, was the one who presented the motion on the senate floor.

Madela remained on the US terror watch list until 2008. Prior to that, whenever he travelled to the US, he had to obtain a special waiver to lift the ban on his entry into the US. While Mandela’s name was removed, that of Tokyo Sexwale, a former South African cabinet minister, still remains on the books. He was barred entry into the US recently.

As president, when Bill Clinton visited South Africa he told Mandela not to have dealings with Colonel Muammar Qaddafi of Libya. Mandela was not amused. Following the meeting, Mandela told the press that some people tell us not to have relations with people like Libyan leader Qaddafi who supported us during the anti-apartheid struggle. “We will not abandon our friends in need. Those that don’t like it can go jump in the lake.” Clinton stood there red faced without being able to utter a single word.

He will be there for Mandela’s funeral. One wonders what he will say now that Qaddafi is dead, lynched by US-supported, armed and financed thugs.

It is also important to remember what Mandela said about the US. He called it a country that has murdered the largest number of people anywhere in the world.

Britain never imposed sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa. Margaret Thatcher, the now-deceased British prime minister dubbed iron lady claimed that sanctions do not work. Why on earth impose them on Iran then? There is a conservative government in Britain yet Cameron is heading to Johannesburg to join the funeral ceremonies.

The most hypocritical stand is that of the Zionist regime. It was fully in bed with the apartheid regime. The two cooperated in the military, nuclear and industrial sectors. The zionist regime helped the apartheid regime to bypass international sanctions. After apartheid ended, the Zionists immediately presented themselves as friends of Nelson Mandela.

Agreements for military sales signed during the apartheid era are still in place. South Africa is unable to break them because of stiff penalties it will be required to pay.

The Zionists will now be there to claim there were supporters of the anti-apartheid struggle all along. Their hypocrisy will be visible for all to see because today the Zionist regime embodies all the worst aspects of apartheid in its policies.

There are no limits to the hypocrisy of western rulers.

END


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