THE OPPRESSED versus GOLIATH
Telling the story about the oppressed versus Goliath can be compared with trying to put insanity on paper.
The softest whisper can change your live dramatically.
For you to have some sanity into this insanity, I’ll need you to imagine a world in which we all want to live in. A common goal set by ‘We the people’ to be achieved in our lifetime and which shall carry it’s fruit into the future.
Does it not sound very much the same as the ideology of today’s world in which we all are living in? Still for many, that same ideology seems to be more and more of an illusion.
Why is that? Is it simply, because the world and everything in it isn’t perfect?! Or does the problem lies in the fact that we all want changes, but are less willing to change our ways! When we look into the reason why some-one would be less willing or able to change, we will find many different reasons. Reasons which are not profound nor do they serve the goal of all mankind.
The search of power/domination and capitalism has become very common. For some these are the soul foundation of their lives and was tutored at childhood through parenting. Parenting which will have its crucial moment in any child’s live, starting at a very young age in which it is normal for a child to enter the disobedient phase.
Through studies in today’s world we can distinguish two types of parenthood methods.
- The Time out method; An instrument for parents to firmly set boundaries, respect to others and by giving your child the time to reflect on his own upon his or her action, taken in consideration the punishment for misbehaving.
- The Time in method; In this mostly "West"-approach the disobedient child would get a different treatment when misbehaving. Almost to be pamper with loving and caring words, letting the disobedient child know that you as their parent are there for them, in the hope to resolve the matter.
I need you to take a good look at these two methods and try to create an image of a child been raised by one of these two methods and what kind of personality such a child will likely have as an adult.
These are your neighbours and the people you meet every day, no matter where you are on this planet.
Standoff
Than let us take it a little step further into your daily live. Think of any situation in which you would say to your fellowman: ‘Stop! What you are doing is insulting and degrading to me and to all of my love-ones’. Followed by a response from your fellowman in laughter and anger saying: ‘No, do not go there! We have been doing this all the while, it’s our culture and tradition’.
Would you not feel like been blown away and perhaps in need to smack your head against a brick wall, as you are now face with ignorance in a standoff. I know that a large majority of the world population will take the effort to elaborate, with the knowledge that by reasoning we can reach some kind of understanding.
Victimization
This is exactly the story of many black and white people living in the Netherlands in regard to the Dutch racist caricature ‘Blackface Piet’. In the Netherlands the so called 'Sint Nicolaas' appears every year from Spain accompanied on a boat full of ‘Blackface Piet’. Those ‘Blackface Piet’ are supposed to be ‘Sint Nicolaas’ helpers in bringing around present to children. ‘Blackface Piet’ is been caricaturize as a not too bright, clownish person that will take you away if you have not been good that year. They are supposed to be the mean ones in opposite to the mighty and most friendly normal looking long bearded, white face ‘Sint Nicolaas’. As the master he is the only one who is able to keep all those ‘Blackface Piet’ in gear. Just the sight of ‘Sint Nicolaas’ arriving on his ship, must remind any well thinking, educated adult of slavery and those many slave ships like ‘the Good Ship Jesus’, ‘the Ship Mercy’ and ‘The Grace of God Ship’. The looks of it clearly does not bring in mind to anybody that it is supposed to be an event for children. Beside the families which will bring their young-ones in numbers, you must be made aware that the whole event has been rehearse and performed using actors, volunteers and many children. Even the media is knowingly taking part in it every year for their live broadcast.
Human right
It is only natural that many black people feel like they are been insulted and portrayed in a manner which is in violation with their human rights. The same human rights for which the Netherlands has sign treating, together with other countries around the world, to defend.
Ethnological Exposition / Social Darwinism
This whole ‘Sint Nicolaas’ event and the arguments brought forward by the ‘Pro- Blackface Piet supporters’, claiming that it is their culture and tradition, is very similar to what has been taking place in countries like Germany and Belgium during the 19th and 20th century.
‘Human Zoos’ were public exhibits of black people as if they were museum pieces. These human displays were very popular and shown at world fairs where they drew millions of Europeans and Americans. In these ‘Human Zoos’ the people were often caged and displayed in a makeshift ‘natural habitat’.
The Evil lies not within the word Racism, but in the practice/behaviour of Racism.
Secondary Victimization
The fight against racism in the Netherlands was fan, when a young man called Quinsy Gario decided, a few years ago at the arrival of ‘Sint Nicolaas’, to wear openly in public a T-shirt with the text: ‘Blackface Piet is Racism’. Simply for that he was beaten and arrested by the police and has since been the target of every racist. From then on you could clearly see the activist movement growing together with those many fierce discussions on the internet and in the media. Till today many threat of life and racist remarks are been made to anybody who is against ‘Blackface Piet’. Personal information of the activist are been gather and use to put them out of work or business and to keep them there. Your family and friends are also set as target. During the last three years we have witness many black and white people using their freedom and right to demonstrate against racism. At each of the demonstration many were beaten, arrested, stripped naked and put in a police-cell for hours. Through the many footage that was taken and the help of social media, is been proven that the TV-networks which did cover these events are nothing else but liars for manipulating the real story.
2013 was the year in which the activist hat organized a demonstration to be held at the arrival of ‘Sint Nicolaas’ in Amsterdam. The only way for them to get the permit, was for the demonstration to be held in silence. Videos and pictures taken will show you the images of protesters with duck-tape on their mouth as a sign of protest against this demand made by the city council of Amsterdam. In those same footage made, you can also see how the ‘Pro- Blackface supporters’ are the aggressors against male and female activist. In one of those footage you can clearly see how an adult black female is been attack and beaten by a white male. The media further played his part in manipulating the story and proclaiming how sickening it was to see how a few people, the activist, caused disturbance at a little children event. In social media the heated discussion went from bad to worst. Even the news of the dead of Nelson Mandela was used by the racist ‘Pro Blackface Piet supporters’, mocking him as the leader of ‘Blackface Piet’.
Court of Law
2014 can be called a very active and turbulent year, but with hope for the future. To start with the lawsuit by the activist movement against the city council of Amsterdam on account of permitting the ‘Sint Nicolaas’ parade/arrival in 2013. The court spoke in favor of the activist movement, with the verdict saying that the permit should not have been given by the city council of Amsterdam, because of the proven racist aspect of the event. The mayor ‘van der Laan' of Amsterdam along with a ‘Pro Blackface Piet committee’ decided to appeal the verdict by the court. They won the appeal by the ruling that it was not necessary for the mayor to look at the content of the event, but on the procedure for requesting and granting such a permit.
To many this is simply not an acceptable behaviour coming from the mayor of Amsterdam. He is been placed in function and has sworn to serve and protect all his citizens. And in this clear matter of racism and discrimination, he has turned his back towards one and embracing the other. In some of the media this news falsely publish as a big victory for the ‘Pro Blackface Piet supporters’ and that the court has declared that ‘Blackface Piet’ isn’t racism.
UNESCO
The ‘arrival committee of Sint Nicolaas & Blackface Piet’, filed a request to UNESCO with the motion for ‘Sint Nicolaas & Blackface Piet’ to be place on the list of metaphysical legacy. The national UNESCO committee is the link between the UN-organization UNESCO and the Dutch experts & institutes in field of education, science, culture and communication. They advise the Dutch Government in regard to these subject.
The motion brought forward was rejected and UNESCO send their advice to the Dutch government/prime minister Rutte, pointing out the racial aspect of this yearly event. The Dutch prime minister Rutte, simply ignored that advise as he also is a ‘Pro Blackface Piet supporter’.
Ms' Andrée van Es is since 2014 the chairman of UNESCO and is a former city council member of Amsterdam. Ms' Andrée van Es was one of the first politician back in 2012, to publicly distance herself from the in essence racist phenomenon ‘Blackface Piet’.
European Parliament
On 16th December 2014 the Swedish representative Malin Björk, organized a debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, along with the European Network against Racism, in regard to Black-facing, the Dutch racist caricature ‘Blackface Piet’ and the issue on how to tackle racism, afro-phobia and discrimination within the European countries. Taking part in this debate were prominent speakers from France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands. Among them was also seated the first black minister of Italy, who as well hat to deal with racism. One of the core issues is to start an debate under international attention and thereby for the Netherlands to be held accountable for their action. Several Dutch political parties, such as PvdA and VVD, made it publicly clear that they are strongly against this debate taking place. Hans van Baalen, leader of the political party VVD, labeled this debate as “ridiculous and inappropriate”. He claims that ‘Sint Nicolaas & Blackface Piet’ is a Dutch cultural heritage in which the European Parliament has no business in.
We and everything around us is a part of the universe. Why do some still have the need to dominate, exploit and destroy what’s around them, in spite of the history lessons told. Many lives have been lost at war. A war in the name of democracy and human right, but is it really so! Who are those making the decisions and can you sincerely call them your fellowman?!
Slavery; #PastOrPresent
BINNÜ RODNEY | FREELANCE REPORTER
