Saturday 7 December 2013

Nelson Mandela - a hero of all time

Nelson Mandela has made all the recent headlines since his death two days ago. Television has had nothing but praise for the 'freedom fighter' and world leaders have added their eulogies. This is understandable as he was quite possibly the most significant statesman in the past hundred years. However one person's freedom fighter is another person's terrorist and you don't have to look too far in our internet age to find some adverse comments.

Nick Griffin tweeted that Nelson Mandela was a 'murdering old terrorist'. I am sure that the BNP leader is not on his own in this view and you don't have to go back too far to realise that many prominent mainstream politicians held the same view. If you click on this link you will read that these politicians include Margaret Thatcher, John Carlisle, Terry Dicks and Teddy Taylor. Many in the Conservative Party held this view and some still do, even though David Cameron has apologised for "The mistakes my party made in the past with respect to relations with the ANC..."

I have only searched the internet for an hour or so and there must be significant detail to be found on the acts of 'terrorism' carried out by the ANC but I haven't found it. I have heard about acts of sabotage, but that is all. It is wrong to act violently and the ANC may have done so, but all I have read or heard is about Nelson Mandela the lover of peace and for that reason Nick Griffin, some Conservatives and anyone who can't join in the tributes to this great man are wrong. David Cameron calls him "not just a hero of our time but a hero of all time". I agree with David (and I don't say that very often) but this is not a view held by all his party.

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