SHAME ON THE SUN TO SHINE ON SLAVERY

IRA President Biram (unpo photo)

By Seyid.O.Seyid

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds”, said liberty voice Bob Marley. Black activist iconic liberator winning UN Human Rights Prize is in jail again. What absurdity! It happens unhappily in haven contradictions when the convention is no conviction.

From slavery background, black activist, Human rights defender, Biram Dah Abeid, President of the Anti-Slavery Initiative for Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement, local NGO commonly known IRA, arrested for receiving a walking caravan protesting against agricultural slavery in Rosso, frontier city in Southern Mauritania along Senegal borders in West African coast. The caravan marched to protest for the ownership of cultivated lands.

The regional security authority jailed the activist in company with some leaders of his NGO promoting liberation of salves by monitoring, providing assistance, demonstrating and campaigning nationally and internationally. Many activists and entities defending Human rights have visited Biram and his confined colleagues. He rejected receiving certain visitors he accused of being intelligence servants.

District investigations judge is about to file his case allegations including charges of incitement and formation of unauthorized NGO. If the veracity proved, such charges could lead to six months sentence. Jail unbearable physical and spiritual sufferance is already revealed in media releases transmitted by his network.

This is his third attestation for different allegations. The most serious was the holocaust of Islamic jurisprudence books in Riyadh neighborhood of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott city. The reaction was violent demonstrations marching the capital streets calling for an execution of the holocaust perpetrators, including Biram and closest circle of key assistants.

Locally, Biram aggressive verbatim and vigor action have increased his unpopularity in the context of multi-ethnic sensitivities. Some of his supporters have volunteered their time to work as his bodyguards. It is unusual here to see national dignitaries in public with bodyguards. It is generally assumed that no one is interested in attacking any public persona for any reason. Human rights issues should be the compelling cases of the commons as well. “If people wanted life, destiny responds; night cleared and chain broken”, wrote Tunisia revolutionary poet Ghassem Chebbi.

Legally, the holocaust court case voided. The activist was encouraged to run for 2013 Presidential Elections. He ranked in third position nationwide. It was sweeping victory for a released prisoner who was about to lose his life under intense pressures.

Officially, Mauritania is denying the existence of slavery in its territory. Remnants of slavery treated accordingly in vulnerable communities. Newly national created solidarity agency works on the base of discriminating socio-economical projects established mainly for more development in fragile zones. Since 1980, many legal acts passed against slavery in the democratic country, according to official declarations.

Internationally, NGOs are calling for immediate unconditional release of the icon and his mates in jail, since November 11, 2014.

Humanly speaking, the bleeding is leading story as we say in journalistic jargon. Please allow me to get out of news reporting neutrality to borrow the audacity of literary writing. I wish to see Biram out soon in a good shape of Mauritanian Mandela. I hope that the Government will arrange for quick fair hearing to nullify his case. Delighted I will be to witness prison closing and opening of more schools.

The issue and its related issues must be contained urgently to avoid being in the shadow of Martin Luther King scornful quote, “Justice too long delayed is justice denied” The time is dreadfully echoing the word of President Abraham Lincoln:  “I am naturally anti-slavery .If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong”.

It is disgraceful on the sun to shine on slavery territory. The time has come for the globe to smile in the face of the oppressed, the oceans to flood for cleansing the earth from the historical darkest sin.