ConstantiaCape Town28th February 2002Dear Professor ……It is now months since we all went our different ways after the Durban Conference on Racism (August 2001), and I have been agonising about writing to you concerning your reaction to the proceedings of the final the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS) Symposium, in which the issue of Arab racism in the Afro-Arab Borderlands came under the searchlights of a number of the speakers in that session. I remember your rather abrupt reaction, which I found to be most unfortunate, in view of what I considered to be the rather open relationship of discussion I had established with you in Cape Town. I had initially hesitated to write to you, and tossed the matter over many times in my mind, as to whether it is judicious, or useful, to do this. After months of this process, I have come to the conclusion that, for purposes of clarification of my position and the record, it is useful to go through this exercise of setting forth my views on paper.What you said to me at the end of the session, rather abrasively, was that the views we had expressed in the session played into the hands of the Israeli lobby. I think, this is at best rather far-fetched, and at worst crude and insulting to our intelligence. In the first instance, at no time throughout the proceedings of the Symposia of our Forum was the question of Israel and Palestine discussed. Our Forum was on Racism and the Global African Experience, and it represented the coverage of the African diaspora experience of racism, of which the case of the Afro-Arab Borderlands is prominent, not only historically but also currently.As a person, I am revolted and morally scandalised by the suffering of the Palestinians under the yoke of Israeli occupation and pained by the daily pictures of children throwing stones at tanks and other armoured vehicles which shoot to kill. I find the suffering of the Palestinians unbearable, and I believe it should raise the indignation of any person with a fair human conscience. Furthermore, one would hope that a just peace would come to that area of the world, as soon as possible, so that the suffering of the Palestinians should come to a swift end.Equally, I have little sympathy for the sort of terror which targets innocent Israeli civilians. I think it is always wrong to kill innocent people who have nothing to do with war and conflict. In a war, it is soldiers who fight, and innocent people should never be the victims. I find the Israeli case particularly sad, in view of the fact that, the Jewish people have suffered so much, for hundreds of years, in especially Europe, at the hands of Europeans. The historical tragedy of the Jewish Holocaust at the hands of Nazi hordes is a historical record which should forever teach us what we cannot do, and must never again do, as humans to each other. It is therefore sad to note the insensitivity of some of the Israeli leadership to the suffering and unjust treatment of the Palestinians. But, if you will think through this properly, you would realise that this situation in Israel/Palestine is far away from the realities of racism against Africans in the Afro-Arab Borderlands, on the African continent. And, I am at a loss to understand how raising issues regarding Arab racism against Africans plays into the hands of the “Jewish lobby” in the USA. Indeed, I think it is insulting to suggest that Africans should not raise this issue with forthrightness and moral indignation and I think anybody who does not appreciate that racism against Africans on this continent or in the diaspora is unacceptable plays into the hands of anti-African racists. It is also rather paternalistic or maternalistic to suggest that one knows better than Africans how they should feel, think or react against historical racism.The situation in the Afro-Arab Borderlands cries for solution. You very well know, I would hope, that historically, Arab slavery of Africans is almost a millennium older than western slavery of Africans. Today, throughout Africa and its diaspora there are calls for reparations for western slavery. I think it is about time that such calls were extended to the Arab world for Arab slavery of Africans, which as you may know continues in countries like the Sudan and Mauritania till the present day. This was what our Symposium was about. In an article written by Nat Hentoff in the Washington Post of August 23rd, 1996 (Blind Eye to Slavery), the author exposes the philistinism of some people who would deny against all odds the persistence of slavery in the Sudan. In an Amnesty International Report of the 16th April, 1997 (Mauritania: Government should do more than host human rights conference) there is talk of “… widespread practice of slavery in Mauritania – a practice which has persisted despite its abolition under Mauritanian Law since 1980”.I think it is useful to remember that, Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora, are capable of expressing themselves and speaking for themselves and must be given platforms and a chance to do so in all instances where issues affecting them are concerned. I hope my short note helps you to understand that it is possible to be in favour of the Arab cause in Palestine, and at the same time, oppose Arab racism against Africans in the Afro-Arab Borderlands.Yours sincerelyProf. K.K. PrahContact the moderator/admin for Kwesi Kwaa Prah's contact info;https://theblacklistpub.ning.com/profile/KWASI=
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