The Troika of Tyranny &The Rise of Populism in Global Politics

Lets Talk Global Apartheid!

In recent years, there has been a regress in global politics with mass violation of human rights characterized by the resurgence of racial politics, segregation and global apartheid. The Israeli apartheid against the people of Palestine, the advents of ultra-right-wing leaders in the United States, Brazil, France, Brexit in the UK underpinned by an Agenda to make America, Britain, France ‘GREAT AGAIN’ could be cited as a case in point. This resurgence of populism in global politics perpetuated by these imperial powers strikes one as a yearning of ‘The Good Old Days’ where colonialism, slavery and apartheid were the DNA of the social fabric of the world society. This yearning for the ‘Good Old Days’ echoed in the rise of populism across Europe and the West is exemplified by the anti-immigration sentiments, a rhetoric to close boarders, building of walls spouted by the First World leaders. In analysing the current status quo in global politics John Battersby,  arrives to the similar conclusion that ‘There is a recurring pattern of exclusion and denial leading to alienation, resentment and eventually fear and violent conflict which exacerbates racial or ethnic tension and, if unchecked, can lead to a race war where interaction is dominated by stereotypes, dehumanisation of “the other” and xenophobia.’

For the benefit of those who are pro-populism or pro-global apartheid and thus have a contradictory perspective on the systemic oppression of the people of Palestine or anti-immigration sentiments as I perceive them in global politics, it is critical to put things into perspective and give clarity for certain terms employed herein. Apartheid is defined in international law as an “institutionalised regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other”. It is about unequal racial power relations upheld by unjust laws that are intended to deny oppressed groups their rights. From the human rights point of view, it is crystal clear that the anti-immigration sentiments evident in the rise of nationalism across Europe and the West embody both racial and segregation undertones – the global apartheid.

In citing Battersby, the exposition of global apartheid as evident in the world politics could not be made more crystal. In his recent address in London Battersby posit that  ‘The intersection of identity, fear and hate is a toxic mix which is very difficult to roll back once it has passed the point of no-return as it did in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict a long time ago and as can be seen today. In Asia it can be seen in the treatment of the million Rohingya’s driven out of the Rakhine State in Myanmar; in the fundamentalism of ISIS and persecution of the Yazidis; the Tutsi’s fleeing from the Hutu’s; the Falun Gong, the Uighurs and the Tibetans in China; the Bahai in Iran; the Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq; and list is endless.

Or we can reach back into recent history to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany or the gulags of Stalin’s Russia or the cultural revolution in China. Or the killing fields in Cambodia. The Protestants and Catholics in northern Ireland; the Crusaders; the era of slavery in which the UK was a major player and financial beneficiary; the US in Vietnam and Guantanamo Bay; the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.’ There is no shortage of anecdotal evidence when it comes to oppression of one group by another or what one refers to here as global apartheid which bedevil the world politics today. John Galtung, decades ago described this phenomena as both cultural and structural violence.

For decades, Apartheid Israel has acted with impunity and in violation of international law. In full view of the international community, it has committed acts of genocide and terrorised children, women and innocent Palestinian citizens posit Mandla Mandela. In his recent Statements the member of South African parliament, Mandla Mandela has argued that ‘ Freedom loving people all over the world and activists in the International Solidarity Movement that stood by us in our darkest days of the anti-apartheid struggle are looking to South Africa for leadership in the call to isolate Apartheid Israel for its crimes against humanity and continued pogrom of Palestinians, many of whom have been shot, maimed or killed indiscriminately. They don’t spare the elderly, women or young children.

The inevitable consequences of embarking in this adversarial paradigm of global apartheid characterised by racism, segregation and violation of human rights by one group against the other is violence and war as  was during the Jewish Holocaust by Hitler led Nazi Germany, the Apartheid regime as perpetuated by Afrikaner and White minority groups in South Africa, Slavery in United State and colonialism in Africa and elsewhere in the world.

Humanity has to make this choice, whether to go along in this adversarial path in the world institutions and its relations or it embarks in a constructive road and steer the world towards reconciliation, social justice, social cohesion where all persons enjoy equal human rights. It is incumbent upon us all to do whatever we can to contribute to Palestinian freedom, justice and equality, and to fight against the resurgence of racial politics, segregation, anti-immigration sentiments and neo-colonialism across the globe.

As a human race we have a collective responsibility to protect the gains made by the civil rights movement in United States of America as led by Martin Luther King, Malcom X, John Lewis, the gains by the liberation movement against Apartheid in South Africa as led by Mandela, Oliver Thambo, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Steve Biko, the gains by Non-violence movement as led by Mahatma Gandhi in India and the liberation movement against colonialism in Africa and elsewhere. We have a collective responsibility to build upon the foundation laid by the generations before us in our attempt to create a better world for all. As Frantz Fanon posit, ‘each generation must, out of relative obscurity discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it’. The onus is upon us as this generation to do the right thing and join forces with those who are displaying unfathomable courage in confronting oppression and violation of human rights. In Following Nelson Mandela one posit that the freedom of the entire human race is not complete without the freedom of all oppressed citizens of this world. 

By Siyabulela Mandela