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Mandela is a defender of human dignity, says Fidel

Mandela is a defender of human dignity, says Fidel
By Larry Moonze in Havana, Cuba
Tuesday July 22, 2008 [04:00]

FORMER Cuban president Fidel Castro has said slander and hate proved useless against Nelson Mandela. Fidel said Mandela was a symbol of the most noble of humanity. Congratulating the former South African president and world icon on his 90th birthday that fell last Friday, Fidel said Mandela was a defender of human dignity.

“Glory to you Nelson, who defended human dignity during 25 years of solitary confinement. Slander and hate proved useless against your resistance of steel,” said Fidel. “You managed to resist and without knowing it or looking for it, you converted yourself into the symbol of the most noble of humanity.

You will live in the memory of future generations, and with you, the Cubans who fell defending the liberty of their brothers in other lands of the world.”

Meanwhile, Fidel said the spring of revolutionary ethics was inexhaustible.
He said it was necessary that Cubans introspected so that their dignity was not spat on.

“Let us not expect the forgiveness of our enemies,” Fidel urged. “There are thousands of people who think, talk, act and make decisions. The measures adopted each day are in the hands of all these people.

“Let us pay attention to our enemies and do the exact opposite of what they desire of us in order to continue being what we are. This is an appeal to our conscience.”

He said the revolution rightly demanded all to work more.
“We have resisted for 50 years,” Fidel said. “The new generations are much better prepared. We have the right to expect much more of them.”

He said Cuba might seem to be the one with the most problems in education in the world.
Fidel said all cable news divulged information about many difficult challenges among them, an 8,000 deficit of teachers, rude and bad habits of students and insufficient preparation.

But Fidel said he did not believe Cuba was that bad.
He said no developed country possessed Cuba’s scholar indices and the educational possibilities for all citizens in spite of the “unjust blockade and blatant brain and muscle drain that Cuba suffers”.
Fidel said the United States and other rich countries could not even compare themselves with the island.

“Yes, they have many more vehicles, spend more gasoline and consume more drugs, they buy more jewellery and benefit from our peoples as they have for centuries,” Fidel said.
He said imperialism aspired that Cuban women went back to being goods, objects of pleasure and servants of the rich.

“They do not pardon the fight for the liberation of the peoples,” Fidel said. “They long for the years when entry in recreation centres was prohibited for black Cubans.”
He said then many citizens lacked employment, social security and medical assistance.

Fidel said freedom was costly so much that one had to pay the asking price or be relegated to living without it.
“This is the dilemma that all Cubans must pose themselves every day,” said Fidel. “How much certainty is there in the hopes of our enemies?

The answer lies only in us. Or could we equally ask ourselves if the bureaucratic method is used in education to impart science without conscience? I don’t believe that we have evolved that much.
“Let us not be discouraged by the news from our enemies which twists the meaning of our words and present our self-criticisms as tragedies.”

Labels: FIDEL CASTRO, WINNIE MANDELA

posted by MrK @ 3:36 AM