“When we hear his refusal to abandon those with whom he shared common cause, do we recognize ourselves?
Or do we recognize only the version of Mandela that asks nothing of us?”
He pointed to hypocrisy: UK Tories who called Mandela a “true global hero” after opposing sanctions in the 1980s; US officials who kept him on terrorist watchlists until 2008; jailers who abused him yet attended his funeral.
“I find myself at a loss,” the mayor said, “and then I remember Madiba—a man with the capacity to forgive, who extended solidarity to all.”
Three days from now, the world will mark Nelson Mandela Day.
The mayor urged reflection on who today is treated the way Mandela was before history declared him a messiah.
“Who else has seen their humanity made conditional, has been told their freedom can wait?
Who else is leading a cause that we will glorify in retrospect, but is being vilified in the present?”
He cited Palestinian freedom, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya's 18-month detention in Israel, and Umar Khalid's six years in captivity in Delhi as examples.
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“Justice is not measured by where we stand after history has issued its verdict. It is measured by where we stand when the verdict is still being rendered.”
