The Crisis of Role Models: Nelson Mandela as an Example
Peace be upon you, dear brothers. One of the most dangerous issues we face today is the "crisis of role models." This is evident in the media's and people's reactions to the death of Nelson Mandela, who long fought to end the phenomenon of racial discrimination in his country.
For example, one of the most widely spread channels—in the Islamic world, if not the world—dedicated the first four news items following Mandela's death to him: "Death of Nelson Mandela," "World Leaders Mourn Mandela," "Mandela: An Icon of Steadfastness," "Mandela: A Symbol of Freedom and Tolerance."
My goal here is not to diminish Mandela's sacrifices for his people. The man is undoubtedly better than the black individuals who aided the white colonizers against their own kin for a few crumbs. However, the question arises: Is Mandela truly worthy of being a global role model for freedom and revolution against injustice?
Slogans of Freedom and Double Standards
To put things in perspective, we say: Mandela raised slogans about freedom, such as his statement, "Freedom is indivisible," and his statement, "A person is not free if they witness the humiliation of another and do not feel humiliated themselves." Was he consistent with these slogans? Did he adhere to them as universal values, or only within the boundaries of his country as drawn by the colonizers?
In places not far from Mandela, even within his own dark continent, freedom was being stripped away and humans were being humiliated; millions were being killed in the Congo and Rwanda through international conspiracy, and peoples were thirsting for liberation from the international system in Nigeria, Somalia, and Mali, only to be attacked by imperialist, capitalist, and African systems. What was Mandela's stance on all of this?
We do not expect him to fix all of Africa, but at the very least—for someone to be worthy of being a global symbol of freedom, rejection of injustice and discrimination, and to be consistent with his slogans—we would not expect him to accept awards from those who humiliate the sons of his continent, let alone those of other continents. Because the medal of freedom that the oppressor places on your chest means you have reconciled with the oppressor and accepted from him a few crumbs of freedom within the boundaries he has drawn for you, which you do not exceed, and you have implicitly accepted that he may then practice his global mischief.
Medals from War Merchants
Mandela received medals of freedom and peace from the global merchants of slavery and war:
- In 1990: He received an award named after "Lenin," who, along with his student Stalin, killed tens of millions.
- In 1990: He received the "Bharat Ratna" award from the Indian government, at a time when India was exterminating, raping, and burning Muslims in Kashmir and Gujarat.
- In 1992: He received the Atatürk Peace Award from Turkey (initially refused, then accepted in 1999) during the military rule that suppressed the freedoms of Muslims.
- In 2002: He received the American Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush, at a time when America was killing, torturing, and imprisoning in Afghanistan, and politically and militarily supporting the Jewish massacres in Jenin.
Did Mandela truly free himself from the orbit of the international system? Did he revolt against imperialism, capitalism, and tyrannical enslavement as universal values, or did he reconcile with them in exchange for some freedom and equality within the boundaries of his country, as drawn by this enslaving imperialism? Afterward, medals of freedom and peace awards, which are an evil that spreads enslavement and destruction, were imitated after him. Would a free person imitate a rat that won the "biggest rat award for cleanliness"?
Hypocrisy of the International System and True Role Models
It is no surprise that America and world leaders stand in a chorus of hypocrisy, mourning Mandela, the "symbol of freedom," while in their prisons in "Guantanamo" and "Abu Ghraib," and on torture ships across the sea and secret detention centers, there are true freedoms who have not reconciled with imperialism but have revolted against it and sought to eradicate it completely.
It is true that Mandela made statements criticizing this injustice, but one who feels humiliated when they see people being humiliated does not accept being imitated by their humiliators with hands dripping with people's blood, with medals named after their teachers in crime such as "Lenin" and "Atatürk." Especially since criminal systems defend themselves from accusations by imitating such medals. If Mandela felt humiliated, he would not have imitated Gaddafi's medal while seeing him humiliate his people and strip them of their freedom in prisons.
Can a Polytheist Be a Role Model for the Monotheist?
How can a "polytheist" be a role model for monotheists? Unless their monotheism is something secondary to them, and polytheism is a minor vice that good qualities force them to overlook!
There is a difference between praising aspects of good in a polytheist on one hand, and taking him as a role model on the other. Their adoption of a role model in valuable human aspects is mentioned more than the Islamic role models who combined monotheism and liberation that knows no reconciliation with the oppressive global system.
Adopting a polytheist as a role model is an indication of ignorance of our history and reality, such that we did not find in them an example to follow, so we went to seek it in people who associated partners with God and lied about Muhammad bin Abdullah, peace be upon him, that he is the Messenger of God. Focusing on examples like Mandela at the expense of the true role models who are marginalized consolidates the psychological defeat and the feeling of inferiority among Muslim generations.
The Islamic Basis for Role Models
It is true that the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, praised aspects of good in Mut'im bin Adi, Khalid bin al-Walid, and the Negus before his Islam, but he did not call Muslims to take any of them as a role model or symbol, not even in a specific human aspect. And when Allah, the Most High, commanded us to follow, He did not say to us: "You have indeed in the wisdom of Plato and the politics of Aristotle a good example," but He said about the prophets: "Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance," and He said about Ibrahim: "You have indeed in Ibrahim and those with him a good example," and He said about Muhammad, peace be upon him: "You have indeed in the Messenger of God a good example." And our Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "So, upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided successors after me, hold onto it with your molar teeth."
The concept of a role model in Islam is a serious one that is not bestowed upon everyone. The Messenger of God and those who followed him with excellence did not come with the values of freedom and rejection of injustice for their country, the Arabian Peninsula, alone, nor did they reconcile with the Persians and Romans on this principle. Rather, their Lord, the Most High, said to him: "We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds." They came to take the servants out of the servitude of servants to the servitude of the Lord of the servants, and from the injustice of religions to the justice of Islam; because they understood very well that they were the fuel of a great flame for all of humanity, as Allah, the Most High, said: "You are the best nation ever brought forth to humanity."
The Need for Contemporary Role Models
I see, my brother, that you say: "The Messenger of God and his companions are on the head and the eye, but people need contemporary role models." I agree with you and understand people's thirst for models of freedom, courage, and sacrifice. But has our contemporary reality been devoid of Muslim role models greater than Mandela, even from a purely human perspective? And if it has not, why do we not hear about them? Who are they, and why does the media ignore them? Is it an involuntary shortcoming or a systematic policy? And what is the danger of concealing the true role models? This is what we will answer in the next episode, God willing.
Conclusion: Pride in Identity and Inviting Others
In conclusion, I say: This is not a call to erase the good aspects in non-Muslims, nor is my intention here to attack Mandela. Rather, I simply say: He does not concern us as Muslims. It is also a call for you to take pride in the great religion you possess, so that if you see someone with good qualities among non-Muslims, you say: "This person deserves to be a Muslim." Therefore, I will invite him to Islam and appeal to the good that distinguishes him, because I have something great, which is my Islam, and I want to offer it to this person.
Who among us has done this? Who among those who will condemn my words and see them as harsh was merciful to Mandela and others, trying to save him from the fire by inviting him to Islam? Or do you doubt that the disbeliever's destiny is the fire?
I know of two distinguished brothers in the field of technology who followed the founder of Apple, "Steve Jobs," and heard from him an unusual talk about death at a graduation ceremony at Stanford University. They wrote him a letter in English before his death and sent it to him, praising the good aspects in him and inviting him to Islam in a kind manner. This is what we try to do with those among non-Muslims whom we deal with and who have good qualities, and praise be to God.
Therefore, my brother, be just and merciful to humanity, and at the same time, be proud of your identity and know the greatness of the Islam that is within you. Strive to offer it to the thirsty humanity that needs it.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of God.