No Palestinian Freedom Charter

Michael Bagraim makes an excellent point in his letter to the Sunday Times that ‘there is no Palestinian equivalent of the freedom Charter’. I felt that his point needed to be further expanded on. Comparing the violence in the Middle East to our struggle for a non-racial and democratic South Africa is not only factually inaccurate but also degrades the remarkable achievements of our New South Africa.

Throughout history every movement for political change has had at its core a document encapsulating the ethical basis for its cause. The Freedom Charter was the cornerstone of our Struggle, and similarly the PLO Charter is the philosophical foundation of Yassir Arafat’s Palestinian Authority. Comparing these two documents highlights just how far fetched and insulting, the comparison between the Middle East conflict and our South African Struggle is. One is a tribute to non-racialism and democratic values and the other a declaration of hatred and oppression.

The Freedom Charter reads:

“We the people of South Africa declare for all our country and the world to know that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no Government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all people; that our country will never be prosperous or free until all our people live, in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities: that only a democratic state, based on the will of the people, can secure to all their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief.’

Now compare this with the PLO Charter. It reads:

ARTICLE 20- Claims of historical or religious ties of Jews with Palestine are incompatible with the facts of history and the true conception of what constitutes statehood. ARTICLE 21- The Arab Palestinian people, expressing themselves by the armed Palestinian revolution, reject all solutions which are substitutes for the total liberation of Palestine... ARTICLE 22- The liberation of Palestine will liquidate the Zionist and imperialist presence.

Our Struggle was based on honourable African values such as Ubuntu. It stemmed from a love for South Africa by and for all the people who lived in it and the desire that one day we would all live prosperously in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities. Unfortunately these values are not the basis of the PLO Charter. It stems from a very different political ideology, an ideology fraught with hatred and violence. It does not speak of brotherhood but liquidation, not of prosperity but destruction and not of compromise but unrelenting confrontation. What does our South African struggle have in common with this?

As a result of the ideology encapsulated in the Freedom Charter, we have created a society with the political values that are envied the world over. But as a result of the ideology encapsulated in the PLO Charter, it is not surprising the type of society the Palestinian Authority has created in its autonomous areas.

A society which has no respect for human life and where unrestrained violence and hatred are legitimate expressions of national identity. A society which defends the blowing up of school buses filled with children and the killing of innocent civilians in a shopping center. A society in which hands dipped in the blood of lynch-mob victims are raised to cheering crowds. A society in which cultural artifacts and holy sites of other religions are destroyed. A society in which education consists of inculcating small children with hatred for other races, religions and cultures. A society in which children attend summer camps where they are taught that to be a suicide bomber is the highest form of religious statement and for which their parents get paid blood money for such child sacrifice.

There can be no doubt that the Palestinian people have endured much suffering. And it is only natural and proper that we South Africans, who have also endured much suffering, empathize with them. But empathy alone is not enough. We, who were wise enough to choose an ethical form of struggle, need to make it clear that hijacking our struggle as a public relations exercise will not bring credibility to theirs. True freedom comes not from Jihad, which has as its core hatred and violence but from Amandla, which is based on brotherhood and purity of heart.

Comments

[James Clark]

Very well said.

Confusing the South African struggle for freedom with the conflict instigated by elements within Palestine is nothing short of grave disrespect for those South Africans who fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy today.

[Steve]

A great addition the the ever growing apartheid category.

It brings about a lesson i have mentioned before. The Palestinians should learn from the ANC. The ANC charter never threatened to "throw the whites into the sea." They specifically mentioned that they should not be targeting civillians.

This allowed the whites to sit down and talk with the ANC with a great deal of trust - without worrying that they would try and "drive them into the sea".

[gersh]

A superb posting. I would like to add the following: The freedom charter was representative of the opinion of the majority of the struggle movement and was accepted in kliptown at a gathering attended by vast multitutdes. It was and never became the domain of one man or a small group of people but represented all echelons of leadership. Similarly, we cannot continue to blame the lack of Palestinian decency and irresponsible decision making on one man (Yasser Arafat). The collective Palestinian leadership have for various generations betrayed their people and the world. Their "charter" cannot but be interpreted as an expression of all their echelons of leadership.

[Wessel]

The Freedom Charter however looks rather hollow today measured against the actual ANC actions. The new and almost ubiquitous racially exclusive Africanism is becomming in Van Zyl Slabberts words “the new dominant ideology”. There ain't even room for colloureds anymore.

The ANC was a broad church, but the driving force above all esle was an African Nationalism vs Afrikaner Nationalism. The real infuence of progressive organisations like the Black Sash is evident today. Where is their legacy to be seen?

Comparisons between Israel and SA work and don't work on different levels. For instance - Arabs have the vote in Israel. Blacks did not. But then Arabs are not a majority. would they have had the vote if they were a significant electoral threat?

Sometimes the opinion is expressed that apartheid was more oppresive because whites exploited blacks for labour etc. In Israel this never happened it is said, in fact complete seperation is sought. South Africa on the other hand was always conceptualised as one country. How watertight this complete seperation is as a moral boat on which to sail is debatable.

There is a simplistic way to see apartheid and the problems in Israel. These are the good guys and these are the bad guys.

Then theres reality which is far messier and with no easy answers. History will judge the Afrikaners far kinder than we care to think now, perhaps we should take stock and learn from their experience.

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