Mandela was a Terrorist

"When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw." 

-Nelson Mandela

Mandela was on the U.S. terrorist list until 2008. He was a "terrorist" who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his "work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa."

Mandela fought against the greatest evil imaginable and was imprisoned for 27 years. He was tortured and witnessed the violent murder of nearly every person he knew. He never stopped fighting for equality and justice and died at the incredible age of 95 years old. He is a hero for all of humanity. As I think about what his life meant, I am thinking about all of the other great freedom fighters throughout history. Most of my heroes were considered as terrorists by the governments of the countries where they lived. 

Today I am thinking about Zerai, one of the Eritrean refugees I met in a refugee camp in Ethiopia in 2009. Zerai is a gifted musician and he owned one of the two guitars in the camp. He taught guitar lessons to many of the refugees, allowing his students to borrow his precious guitar so they could learn his songs. Zerai is one of the most generous and thoughtful people I have ever met. He has a genuine poet's heart. He could also be labeled as "terrorist" because he fought against the Ethiopian government in the struggle for Eritrea's independence. 

Unfortunately, due to Zerai's role in his country's fight for independence against Ethiopia, his file has been permanently "under revue" for refugee resettlement. While 10,000 Eritrean refugees were granted group resettlement to the United States, his case was not included. He watched as all of his friends, students, and loved ones left the camp. Of course there are new refugees (900 or more) arriving every day. But the psychological impact of losing everyone you love, every year, cannot be underestimated. My heart breaks when I think of brave Zerai, indefinitely stuck in a refugee camp, living off a U.N. ration of one kilo of oil and beans per month. His only option is to remain a refugee forever, or return home where he will face a lifetime of forced military service with a certain prison sentence for his "crime" of leaving. You can read more about U.S. immigration policy and "terrorism" here.

Of course, I also think about the country where I am living today. Mandela visited Algeria and said, "it's Algeria that made me a man." 

Algerians are a courageous and brave people who fought against the occupation and colonization of the French. They won independence in 1962, ending over 130 years of struggle. A estimated one million Algerians lost their lives between 1953 and 1961. Nearly the entire population could be labeled as a "terrorists" for their roles in the struggle against tyranny. 

The list of countries with successful revolutions goes on and on. Mandela spoke against the war the "terror" and the use of the word "terrorist" without a fair trial, "The labeling of Osama bin Laden as the terrorist responsible for those acts before he had been tried and convicted could also be seen as undermining some of the basic tenets of the rule of law.''

Yet, when I think of the word "terrorist," I don't think of the evil acts of the bandits fighting now in Mali, Algeria, Niger and Mauritania, who are no more than thugs, rapists, torturers, drug dealers, and smugglers. I think of freedom fighters, like Zerai, who are stuck in refugee camps, unable to leave due to a label they don't deserve. 

Today, as I think about the legacy of Mandela, I think of his call to all of us to fight against hatred and injustice wherever it is found. His life was a powerful example of resilience and forgiveness. I stand in solidarity with oppressed peoples everywhere. I think of all freedom fighters past and present and I will continue to honor their sacrifices.