South African President Nelson Mandela proclaimed in 1994 that "Never, never and never again shall this beautiful land experience the oppression of one by another." And never did I experience the oppression and apartheid endured by so many South Africans before me. As a South African born in 1994, the year signaling the end of apartheid, I have an immense amount of respect, admiration and appreciation for Mandela and the remarkable legacy he has left.
Many people throughout the world today do not share such convictions about their leaders as South Africans share so strongly about Mandela. Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin are just two of the world's leaders who rule with an iron fist. They have not earned the unequivocal respect that Mandela commanded and gained not only from South Africans but from the rest of the world. Mandela, a man who gave up his life for his country, has demonstrated that to be a true leader means to fight against injustice and inequality. Technically, Assad and Putin are leaders. However, in comparison to Mandela, Assad and Putin cannot be considered true leaders because they do not protect and uphold the basic human and democratic rights of their citizens.
Following Mandela's death last month, an official Facebook post by the Assad regime read: "His history of struggle has become an inspiration to all the vulnerable peoples of the world, in the expectation that oppressors and aggressors will learn the lesson that in the end it is they who are the losers." It is delusional for Assad's regime to speak of oppressors learning from Mandela's legacy, when they are the oppressors in need of the lesson. The Syrian regime is responsible for killing countless numbers of civilians and, as reported by the United Nations, is to be held accountable for using chemical weapons against their own people. The Syrian who severs the bodies of his own citizens is an oppressor. Assad has unleashed a cycle of violence against his opposition simply because they voiced their grievances against him. He has deprived his citizens of their freedom of speech and, since 2011, has carried out countless acts of atrocity against them. Men. Women. Young. Old. No one is safe in Syria under the blood-drenched rule of Assad.
In Putin's September 2013 New York Times op-ed concerning the potential United States strike against Syria, he said: "A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism ... We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilized diplomatic and political settlement." The Russian government has been aiding the Assad regime, supplying them with weapons, money and diplomatic protection. Putin's stance on nonviolence is not credible, especially when Russia plays such a major role in perpetuating the violence in Syria. The Russian who robs individuals of their humanity and rights, and not only in Russia, is an oppressor.
In addition to his claims about nonviolence, Putin does not treat the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) community of Russia as equals. In June 2013, Russia's parliament passed an anti-gay law that prohibits "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations." By validating this law, Putin has ultimately promoted discrimination and violence against the Russian LGBT community. In Putin's op-ed, he even urged the United States to remember that "We are all different ... we must not forget that God created us equal." In spite of this, Putin himself continues to show intolerance towards and discriminates against the LGBT community.
Assad and Putin are two oppressive leaders whose ruthless forms of leadership are also mirrored by other modern-day dictators – from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. There will never be another leader like Mandela, but all leaders can learn from Mandela's legacy that power should be used to positively impact the lives of their citizens.
Mandela's bright rainbow will never disappear, but today it is unfortunately surrounded by the dark shadows cast by the oppressive rule we find in many countries. What the world needs are leaders who mirror the example of true leadership set by Mandela. It is only then that the dark shadows of oppression may transform into the bright rainbows of justice and equality for all.
"When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity."
Rest in peace, Madiba.
Asst. Copy Chief Benazir Wehelie is a College sophomore from Johannesburg, South Africa.
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