leader Nelson Mandela has unleashed a chorus of awed
respect from across the worlds of politics, religion, sport and
culture.
Statesmen, resistance leaders, Nobel laureates and prisoners of
conscience have died before, but never has one man united
such global unity in honoring his passing.
Foreshadowing the guest list of what will surely be the most
important funeral of recent decades, world leaders queued up
to issue solemn tributes to the 95-year-old anti-apartheid hero
who became South Africa's first democratic president.
"He no longer belongs to us; he belongs to the ages," Barack
Obama, America's first black president, said in a deliberate
echo of an early tribute paid to Abraham Lincoln, the
president who emancipated the slaves.
In a rare tribute for a foreigner, Obama ordered US flags at
the White House and other public buildings flown at half-mast
until Monday.
Over and over, leaders returned to the dignity Mandela
displayed during his long imprisonment by South Africa's
former racist regime and then later, when he led his country to
majority rule.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared
Mandela a "giant for justice."
"Many around the world were influenced by his selfless
struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom. He touched
our lives in deeply personal ways," he said.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sent her personal condolences to
Mandela's family, saying she "remembers with great warmth"
her meetings with a man who "worked tirelessly for the good
of his country."
Prime Minister David Cameron, who in 2006 apologized for
what he said were the "mistakes" of his Conservative Party in
its response to apartheid in Britain's former colony, said: "A
great light has gone out in the world."
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, in China on an
official visit, said Mandela would "long be an inspiration to
all of humanity" as his government also ordered flags to fly at
half-mast.
India's premier Manmohan Singh hailed the anti-apartheid
icon as a "true Gandhian" who would continue to inspire
future generations after his death, while Nigeria's President
Goodluck Jonathan dubbed Mandela "one of mankind's
greatest liberators."
Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised Mandela as "one
of the greatest politicians in modern times" and a man who
never betrayed his convictions.
And Israel's leaders recognised him as a champion of peace
despite his tireless advocacy of the Palestinian cause.
Retired political figures who remembered Mandela during his
27 years of imprisonment or worked with him after his 1990
release were also effusive.
Former US president Bill Clinton tweeted a picture of himself
with his "friend," and said: "Today the world has lost one of
its most important leaders and one of its finest human beings."
The courage to change the world
Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, shared with
South Africa's last apartheid leader F.W. de Klerk for their
role in ensuring a peaceful transition to elected rule.
De Klerk said though his relationship with Mandela was
"often stormy," they were "always able to come together at
critical moments.
"
Another Nobel laureate paying tribute was Myanmar
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who like Mandela spent
many years in detention. She lamented the passing of a "great
human being who… made us understand that we can change
the world."
The Dalai Lama said he would miss a "dear friend."
"The best tribute we can pay to him is to do whatever we can
to contribute to honouring the oneness of humanity and
working for peace and reconciliation as he did," said the
exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
For its part, the Norwegian Nobel committee called Mandela
"one of the greatest names in the long history of the Nobel
Peace Prize."
Business and religious leaders, the heads of international
agencies, writers, thinkers, entertainers, sports personalities
and activists also joined the outpouring of emotion.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who has turned over his
business acumen and part of his fortune to battling disease in
Africa, said he and his wife had been personally inspired.
"Every time Melinda and I met Nelson Mandela, we left more
inspired than ever. His grace and courage changed the world.
This is a sad day," Gates said.
There were also tributes from Hollywood, where a new movie
based on the South African leader's autobiography "Long
Walk to Freedom" has just been released.
"What an honor it was to step into the shoes of Nelson
Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down
barriers, and championed human rights," British actor Idris
Elba said.
Brazilian football legend Pele declared Mandela "was a hero
to me. He was a friend and a companion in the popular fight
and the fight for world peace."
But for all the sentiment around the world, the emotion was
strongest in South Africa itself, where the celebration of the
life of the nation's greatest leader was tempered by concern to
preserve his legacy.
"Over the past 24 years Madiba taught us how to come
together and to believe in ourselves and each other. He was a
unifier from the moment he walked out of prison," said
Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Via: Vanguard
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