Prisoner No. 46664 & The Power Of Forgiveness | The American ConservativeFreedom on the African continent was a reality for which we were willing to fight. Nevertheless, I think we'd resigned ourselves to the likelihood that Mandela would remain a prisoner until his death, and South Africans would not experience equality until well after our lifetimes. Then on Feb. 11, 1990, the miraculous happened; Mandela was released.
The world was spellbound. We wondered what we would do if we were in his shoes. We all waited for an indescribable rage, a call for retribution that any reasonable mind would have understood. Twenty-seven years of his life, gone. Day after day of hard labor in a limestone quarry, chipping away at white rock under a bright and merciless sun — without benefit of protective eyewear — had virtually destroyed his tear ducts and, for years, robbed Mandela even of his ability to cry.
Yet, the man insisted on forgiveness. "To go to prison because of your convictions," he said, "and be prepared to suffer for what you believe in, is something worthwhile. It is an achievement for a man to do his duty on earth irrespective of the consequences."
The Dalai Lama, who has twice since 2009 been denied a visa for South Africa, is not planning to attend his fellow Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela's funeral, his spokesman said Sunday.
"He has no plans to go," spokesman Tenzin Takhla told AFP in the northern Indian hilltop town of Dharamsala where the Tibetan spiritual leader is headquartered.
Takhla did not say why the Dalai Lama would not attend Mandela's national memorial service on Tuesday or the December 15 burial at his boyhood home of Qunu.
But the Dalai Lama was controversially denied a visa to South Africa in 2011 after being invited to give a lecture as part of celebrations for the 80th birthday of Mandela's fellow anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu.
It was the second time that Pretoria had denied the Dalai Lama entry after refusing him a visa in 2009.
The Dalai Lama has been based in India since he fled China in 1959 followed a failed anti-Beijing uprising in his homeland.
China seeks to curb his overseas travels, and warns foreign governments that any visit by the spiritual leader would harm relations.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist and of fomenting trouble in his homeland. The Dalai Lama says he merely seeks more autonomy for his people though non-violent means.
So dragons claws have grown longer and longer.Dalai Lama not to attend Mandela's funeral: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama will not attend the funeral ceremony of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela in South Africa where he has been denied visa.
:shocked:
The Dalai Lama, who is currently away for a winter sojourn, has no plans to attend the ceremony and he has also not applied for visa clearance, joint secretary at the Lama's office, Tenzin Taklha confirmed today.
It seems that the dragon has consorted well with the rulers of Africa but the people there seem to know better....So dragons claws have grown longer and longer.
Nelson Mandela's memorial service: as it happened | World news | theguardian.comChina's vice-president Li Yunchao was booed
@W.G.Ewald Sir please post this new Obama picture (I am not allowed to post pics) for all members to see. I think nobody was sad during Nelson Mandela's funeral.
Barack Obama, David Cameron 'selfie' at Nelson Mandela memorial creates online stir
LINK: ndtv.com/article/world/barack-obama-david-cameron-selfie-at-nelson-mandela-memorial-creates-online-stir-457172?ndtv_rhs
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