Listen to Dr Mohammed Abdul of the Syrian Center for Political & strategic Studies talk about Syria.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Syrian Uprising
Listen to Dr Mohammed Abdul of the Syrian Center for Political & strategic Studies talk about Syria.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Israel's proposed draft law
We Learn More about the proposed Israel Draft Law - Friday, June 29 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Save our future
FORWARD:
I have spent the better part of the past decade as a career radio presenter and in this time I have had a front row seat of the current affairs of the world, particularly, the great land South Africa. What strikes me on this eve of youth day is how much of news is covered with poverty, inequality, pain and protest on this day. This piece is not meant to incite nor intimidate. It reflects the expression of my fears for us as South Africans and marks the pain of our actions as free people who claim to uphold equality, dignity and respect for human rights, yet continue to live a life that reflects the complete opposite. I hope that words alone can inspire us to be better and that true compassion can inspire us to do better...
-------------------------
How much more will this land endure ?
South Africa has been burning for two years and yet everyday she burns more - burning until the very last tale of her glorious history is vanquished.
The glory of that 'new' South Africa is so distant in memory that it is hard to accept it is only 2015.
When the tide of fury rose through this land we were frozen in disbelief but we were not surprised. This future was not an unknown likelihood - it was only we, living in the bliss of ignorance, that denied it.
When the violence began it was difficult to see its roots - it morphed and swirled among all the mighty colors of bitter pain, descending upon the infinite darkness of black smoke - merciless...
Foreigners were first, maimed and murdered - they flooded out of Africa's paradise in their thousands like blood oozing from a wound - but this was not Xenophobia.
Many South Africans fled with them until we were no longer let out.
In the farmlands the Boere fought the locals feverishly until their arms were emptied...they surrendered the lands.
The locals then turned on each other - each blaming the next and hating the other.
It was only in the winter of 2013 that we saw the true face of this tide - this was the 'class struggle'
People killed and bled, not for race, nor national pride. this was the fight for emancipation; the retribution of all our crimes against them.
Against the nameless, faceless poor did we inflict a pain so agonizing it was worse than the slow amputation of a limb.
Selfish; we basked in the glory of the tears and blood of past heroes - heroes who are the forefathers of this land's poorest...we claimed the victory against apartheid for ourselves and consumed the warmth of freedom alone.
We lived lavish in mansions and dressed in money, celebrating the splendor of the 'new' South Africa while in cruel arrogance did we rub it in the faces of millions of marginalized, poverty stricken, deprived and despondent families that suffered day in and day out, each year from one wretched winter to the next - without any hope or prospect of something better to come.
After the lands were purged of the foreigners and the battles with the Boere ended they turned on those of us who were forced into remaining here - the true mark of their anger - the fellow countrymen who rejoiced in Freedom day and Youth day for 17 years, ignoring masses of youth who were never freed.
Strangers walked into our homes and made us their servants - we now live in the zinc shanties...on the earth that not so long ago was our backyards. we now weed and sweep the gardens for others that live in the rooms that cradle our childhood.
However the people that rule are humane and descent...
This is not brutal supremacy nor savage discrimination. This is the the outcry of our victims - but what was our crime ? how could we have harmed a people we never knew ?
Power and greed need not act directly against the weak to hurt or harm.
Had we considered the nature of the suffering of our own, like we did the struggles of our others in lands so far...
Had we cared for the hurt and heart ache of these mothers and sons, like we did for our own...
Had we built for our countrymen what we dreamed for ourselves...
Had we been as sincere in our efforts for these communities, left cold, like we were for ours...
Had we understood their needs, no different from ours...
We are the perpetrators of the crimes we face, we cannot blame these people, who hold in their hands the mercy of our lives.
What crime was theirs, that we left children born to poverty suffering and hopeless ?
What evil did they possess that we punished poverty with the merciless flaunting of fame and fortune before countrymen, who like us, chance bore into economic positions not earned ?
The evil was ours... the crimes; our careless disregard and shameless inaction in their hour of plight.
The colors of the rainbow cannot be, without each other; each shade illuminates the next and when darkness descends upon one, it inevitably fills all.
These are sons and daughters of disparity, inequality and absent opportunity.
These are our sons and daughters - born to our pursuit; self-centered.
Had we appreciated the lessons taught by the death of apartheid, perhaps our own history would not have needed to teach it to us again...
We must now live with the hope of their forgiveness in equal portion to the regret of our blessed and privileged past, wasted only on personal desires instead of invested in others needs..
The crimes of these good people are the evils of our choices.
When the African bush burns, not even the birds, perched high upon the branches, are safe.
I have spent the better part of the past decade as a career radio presenter and in this time I have had a front row seat of the current affairs of the world, particularly, the great land South Africa. What strikes me on this eve of youth day is how much of news is covered with poverty, inequality, pain and protest on this day. This piece is not meant to incite nor intimidate. It reflects the expression of my fears for us as South Africans and marks the pain of our actions as free people who claim to uphold equality, dignity and respect for human rights, yet continue to live a life that reflects the complete opposite. I hope that words alone can inspire us to be better and that true compassion can inspire us to do better...
-------------------------
How much more will this land endure ?
South Africa has been burning for two years and yet everyday she burns more - burning until the very last tale of her glorious history is vanquished.
The glory of that 'new' South Africa is so distant in memory that it is hard to accept it is only 2015.
When the tide of fury rose through this land we were frozen in disbelief but we were not surprised. This future was not an unknown likelihood - it was only we, living in the bliss of ignorance, that denied it.
When the violence began it was difficult to see its roots - it morphed and swirled among all the mighty colors of bitter pain, descending upon the infinite darkness of black smoke - merciless...
Foreigners were first, maimed and murdered - they flooded out of Africa's paradise in their thousands like blood oozing from a wound - but this was not Xenophobia.
Many South Africans fled with them until we were no longer let out.
In the farmlands the Boere fought the locals feverishly until their arms were emptied...they surrendered the lands.
The locals then turned on each other - each blaming the next and hating the other.
It was only in the winter of 2013 that we saw the true face of this tide - this was the 'class struggle'
People killed and bled, not for race, nor national pride. this was the fight for emancipation; the retribution of all our crimes against them.
Against the nameless, faceless poor did we inflict a pain so agonizing it was worse than the slow amputation of a limb.
Selfish; we basked in the glory of the tears and blood of past heroes - heroes who are the forefathers of this land's poorest...we claimed the victory against apartheid for ourselves and consumed the warmth of freedom alone.
We lived lavish in mansions and dressed in money, celebrating the splendor of the 'new' South Africa while in cruel arrogance did we rub it in the faces of millions of marginalized, poverty stricken, deprived and despondent families that suffered day in and day out, each year from one wretched winter to the next - without any hope or prospect of something better to come.
After the lands were purged of the foreigners and the battles with the Boere ended they turned on those of us who were forced into remaining here - the true mark of their anger - the fellow countrymen who rejoiced in Freedom day and Youth day for 17 years, ignoring masses of youth who were never freed.
Strangers walked into our homes and made us their servants - we now live in the zinc shanties...on the earth that not so long ago was our backyards. we now weed and sweep the gardens for others that live in the rooms that cradle our childhood.
However the people that rule are humane and descent...
This is not brutal supremacy nor savage discrimination. This is the the outcry of our victims - but what was our crime ? how could we have harmed a people we never knew ?
Power and greed need not act directly against the weak to hurt or harm.
Had we considered the nature of the suffering of our own, like we did the struggles of our others in lands so far...
Had we cared for the hurt and heart ache of these mothers and sons, like we did for our own...
Had we built for our countrymen what we dreamed for ourselves...
Had we been as sincere in our efforts for these communities, left cold, like we were for ours...
Had we understood their needs, no different from ours...
We are the perpetrators of the crimes we face, we cannot blame these people, who hold in their hands the mercy of our lives.
What crime was theirs, that we left children born to poverty suffering and hopeless ?
What evil did they possess that we punished poverty with the merciless flaunting of fame and fortune before countrymen, who like us, chance bore into economic positions not earned ?
The evil was ours... the crimes; our careless disregard and shameless inaction in their hour of plight.
The colors of the rainbow cannot be, without each other; each shade illuminates the next and when darkness descends upon one, it inevitably fills all.
These are sons and daughters of disparity, inequality and absent opportunity.
These are our sons and daughters - born to our pursuit; self-centered.
Had we appreciated the lessons taught by the death of apartheid, perhaps our own history would not have needed to teach it to us again...
We must now live with the hope of their forgiveness in equal portion to the regret of our blessed and privileged past, wasted only on personal desires instead of invested in others needs..
The crimes of these good people are the evils of our choices.
When the African bush burns, not even the birds, perched high upon the branches, are safe.
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