Remembrance of Slavery vs. Remembrance of holocaust

Again, as I pointed out, some people think we should not talk about the slave trade and that it ended long ago, and we cannot blame anything we are currently going through on slavery. They ask us to “move on” and “stop playing victim”. Interestingly, these same people point to Israel as an example of a people who suffered a great calamity and yet are among the most advanced nations on earth. They do so without acknowledging that Israel is essentially a victim State, that is they play victim at every turn. The holocaust was perpetrated by the Nazis in which about 6 million Jews were massacred. Slavery was responsible for about 17 million deaths and millions more chained and forced to work for free, deprived of their humanity and dignity for centuries. Now note the following;

1. Whereas Germany paid and continues to pay compensation to holocaust survivors for the atrocities it committed. As late as last year, they announced additional $88 million dollars in compensation payments. Other aid programs in other countries including the US are being run for Jews.

No compensation has been paid for the atrocities of slavery. As a matter of fact, the only compensation that has been paid was paid to former slave-owners for losing their slaves after the abolishing of slave trade. Indeed, the last of 20 million pounds pledged in 1833 by the British government was paid off in 2015, yes as late as 2015, payments were still being paid to former slave-owners (I mean their families). This also means that Black people who are British citizens who were supposed to get compensation for the enslavement of their ancestors were actually paying taxes to pay off the descendants of the former masters of their ancestors. WTF

2. Whereas there was a specific effort to resettle Jews who survived the holocaust in various parts of the world at no cost to them, there was no effort to help former slaves and no program to integrate them into society. Rather, they faced decades of racial discrimination, which their descendants still face till date.

3. Whereas Israel, since its founding in 1948 has hijacked the identity of Jews and has played victim at every turn. This victimhood is what has been established today as “anti-semitism”. You cannot say anything bad about a Jew without being labelled anti-semitic and face the consequences. Refer to the recent hullaballoo about criticism of the powerful Israeli lobby group, AIPAC by Ilhan Omar. Just today, the Canary is reporting that some German Jews are being labeled anti-semitic for speaking out about Palestinian human rights.

In fact, in certain States in America, you cannot be employed in the public sector unless you sign a specific undertaking that you will not boycott, divest from or criticize Israel, and there is a bill in Congress that seeks to imprison people who criticize Israel. Yes, you could go to jail in America if you criticize Israel.

But we are told to forget about slavery and move on. It has passed. Let bygones be bygones.

4. Whereas holocaust remembrance is a major part of the world’s calendar and there is no way it will pass without notice

But well, yesterday just passed with little or no notice.

Even the way these things are taught in schools is different. Some schools around the world including in Africa (actually Ghana) teach children about so-called advantages of slavery. Bullshit. Nobody will dare that about the holocaust.

So, you see, when we remember slavery and the slave trade and the devastating impact on our lives and our countries, people should spare us the sermon of “moving on” and “stopping victimhood”. Their beloved Israel is the kingpin of victimhood and it milks it to its advantage at every turn.

So, no. we will not move on. We will not forget. It doesn’t mean we are living in the past. It just means we are putting the past in its proper perspective. And based on that, demanding a just conversation.

Photo: National Memorial for Peace and Justice