Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, protests against Robert Mugabe, and aligns himself with suffering Zimbabweans
A friend in the UK directed me to this story and it has really made my day.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, is the second highest ranking cleric in the Church of England and a fierce critic of Robert Mugabe’s rule and record of human rights abuses. He appeared on a BBC TV programme in the UK this morning, and took off his clerical dog collar, cut it up into small pieces live on air, declaring that he would not wear a dog collar again until Robert Mugabe was out of power.
“As an Anglican this is what I wear to identify myself, that I’m a clergyman.
“Do you know what Mugabe has done? He’s taken people’s identity and literally, if you don’t mind, cut it to pieces. This is what he’s actually done to a lot of - and in the end there’s nothing.
“So, as far as I’m concerned, from now on I’m not going to wear a dog collar until Mugabe is gone.”
It is so refreshing to hear someone simply tell it like it is:
Dr Sentamu hit out at African leaders for not taking a stand against him.
“It is African leaders who seem to say ‘we are backing a revolutionary’. I’m sorry, that is a lot of nonsense. They ought to realise what he has actually done.
“It has become a scourge on the conscience of the whole of world.”
“Why aren’t we, as a world community, uniting against Mugabe?” he asked.
I thank him with all my heart for taking such a public stand.
December 12th, 2007 19:34
I think the action of Bishop Sentamu is hypocritical and opportunistic in nature.When you choose and pick who is a dictator then your message would not be taken seriously.In uganda his home land.president Museveni took power 20 years ago,changed constitution so that he can remain president for ever,Various organisations such as Amnesty Internation,Human right Watch,OXFAM publiched various human right abuse in Uganda.Civil war griped nothern uganda and entire population placed under camps that looks like Dafur,why cant he give the same attention like the way he puts on zimbabwe?
December 14th, 2007 17:55
Dear Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend (John) Sentamu Ebor; peace be unto you and may God continue to bless you.
In reference to the recent headlines “Sentamu cuts up dog collar over Mugabe”. I thought you would alter your collar and tell the people of Africa to not let unapologetic America and Britain break their noble spirits of joy, ingenuity, and ancient integrity. Yes, “Africa must drop the guilt card to strengthen its hand” and play the “Above suspicion card of Judgment Day” for the rape of Africa, colonialism, and the European Slave Trade of which America and Britain has never made compensatory reparations of any sort; except an oral admission of guilt, or a day in court.
Can any African recall a day of restitution, reparation, or compensation equivalent to repairs made to devastated Europe after both World Wars; caused by their insatiability for African wealth? “Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; but when he is found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house” says Proverbs 6:30-31. As you know restitution, reparations, and restoration are the essence of justice.
The opening ceremonial remarks at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by Under Secretary of State Stuart E. Eizenstat said the following concerning compensatory apologies: “For those who, against unimaginable odds, are still alive today, our work must be guided by an urgent resolve to ensure that those who survived the tragedy of the Holocaust will not continue to suffer in poverty and fear. For those who perished, our efforts must be galvanized by an unrelenting aspiration to uncover the truth and to seek justice for both the living and the dead. Only then can we provide a last - albeit inadequate - measure of justice for those who died. As painful as it may sometimes be, we must not sweep these issues under the rug of embarrassment, silence and indifference…By undertaking a moral accounting, by completing the historical record, by providing restitution, by educating future generations, by righting the wrongs of the past and finally by seeking justice for the living and for the dead, we can walk together in the path to that “perfect day.”
And, opening remarks by Mr. Avraham Hirchson, Member of the Knesset, stated “We are not involved in vengeance, but rather a sacred duty. Vengeance is driven by instinct. Duty is driven by the feeling of mission.”
The Guardian, March 26, 2007, reads “Archbishop of York urges PM to apologise for slavery - Expressions of regret not enough, say leading clergy’ and that ‘Mr. Blair did not issue an apology, but expressed “deep sorrow and regret” in Ghana to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain passing an abolition law. Mr. Blair did not issue an apology, but expressed “deep sorrow and regret” for the suffering it caused…”
Your holiness, did you alter your collar for the Church of England’s responsibility in the European slave trade of African people, and or, your government’s participation? Did you alter your collar and demand former Prime Ministers John Blair and Gordon make a compensatory apology to all Africans? If not, why Mr. Robert Mugabe?
We are reminded of Luther, the German reformer, who wrote in the sixteenth century: “He that says slavery is opposed to Christianity is a liar!” And Bossnet, the great pulpit orator of the French Catholics, joined his words with Luther’s, the following century, by declaring that “the laws of all nations sanction slavery. To condemn it is to condemn the Holy Ghost.”
Beloved Most Reverend, when and if Zimbabwe collapse resulting in chaos, civil unrest, death and economic destruction; how will the opposition compensate in revitalizing Zimbabwe’s people and economy other than selling Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth to the highest or lowest capitalist bidders?
Upon the societal collapse of Zimbabwe how will the opposition to the active Zimbabwe government prevent a foreign invasion imposing terms suited for their profitable benefit?
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death…A nation that will keep people in slavery for 244 years will “thingify” them and make them things. And therefore, they will exploit them and poor people generally economically. And a nation that will exploit economically will have to have foreign investments and everything else, and it will have to use its military might to protect them.”
Africans must command economic justice from Europe and America for the past initially and as a prerequisite.
The European Union and AFRICOM, are the modern plenipotentiaries, and according to Wikipedia: “The Berlin Conference (German: Kongokonferenz or “Congo Conference”) of 1884–85 regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period, and coincided with Germany’s sudden emergence as an imperial power. Called for by Portugal and organized by Bismarck, the first Chancellor of Germany, its outcome, the General Act of the Berlin Conference, is often seen as the formalization of the Scramble for Africa.”
Beloved Archbishop of York, as your know, in 1702 Queen Anne instructed the Governor of New York “to give due encouragement to the Royal African Company of England.”
American Abolitionist Rev. John Wesley stated that “The assumed legal relation of master and slave was a cunning fabrication.” And I say the assumed legal relation of former colonizer and former colonized is too a cunning fabrication.
May the Ancestors bless the Archbishop of York and President Mugabe with wisdom, unity, and faith. The people of Zimbabwe have spoken: they have a preference for their Elder Statesman President Mugabe. We Africans should work and quarrel together as a family, respecting our Elders even in criticism. We all should avoid the “ad hominem ad nauseum”. Reconciliation is a proven ancient African tradition of jurisprudence.
Lloyd Whitefield Butler, Jr.
Descendant of African Slaves in America
295 Clinton Avenue – Suite F9
Brooklyn, New York 11205
December 20th, 2007 01:27
Thank goodness Archbishop Sentamu has taken off the 18 inch white clerical collar. it really has no POWER to change anything. It is a badge of privilege in some instances.
Sometimes I explain to some people that the white clerical collar symbolizes the small powerful band of white oppression that rules and exploits the world of color.”Bless Be The Tie That Binds”
I am going to get some black paint to use on a clerical collar to symbolize that the Christian
Minister (Pope, Archbishop, Priest, Elder,Deacon) has no power to stop the evils of the Cross. Jesus had no white collar to stop evil, only a brown crown of thorns to suffer in powerlessness.
January 13th, 2008 15:34
This be the evil kiss of Judas Iskariot. The best way to have Jesus delivered into the hands of his captors and tormentors was to have one among his brothers (Judas) betray him. Likewise Gordon, the bloodthirsty imperial hound instead of baying for the blood of innocent Mugabe directly himself would set Sentamu (an African Brother) against his brother. It’s sad that Sentamu picks up a fight against Zimbabweans for their sake.
May 27th, 2008 19:14
Robert Mugabe needs the book titled: Bush in God’s Hand: Understanding the Fall of Saddam Hussein, published by Red Lead Press, U.S.A.
Archbishop John Sentamu should get him a copy.
Thanks and well done Archbishop for standing up against tyranny.
May 27th, 2008 22:08
I would also like to thank His Grace John Sentanu for his obvious heartfelt concern for the plight of the Zimbabwean people under the despicable regime of Mugabe, and for his prayers and day long vigil on World Prayer for Zimbabwe Day on April 27th.
@ Lloyd Whitefield Butler Jr.
Your lengthy post above concentrates a lot on the slave trades of the past. I don’t see how these historical issues have any relevance to Zimbabwe’s current position under the present leadership. You are obviously one of those misguided people who believe that modern Western leaders and governments have some sort of responsibility, and should apologize, for the barbarious acts of history. Good God man, the slave ships from Africa were 200 years ago and more. Also, it was Western people like William Wilberforce who managed to get the trade abolished, against all the interests of the plantation owners. You must also remember that without the trade by African tribes who rounded up and sold the slaves to the white man to transport, the entire operation would not have been possible. BTW, slaves weren’t officially abolished in Ethiopia until about 1966, yes, that’s right, not 1866, 1966. What have you got to say to that? Also, slavery is still in existence today in the prostitution trade which involves all races, not only blacks. But the notion that Tony Blair, a British Prime Minister of the 21st century, should use taxpayers money of today to somehow directly compensate the indigenous populations of Africa with guilt money for acts committed between 1600 and 1800 is frankly ridiculous in the extreme.
Talking about compensation; because Mugabe’s regime has allowed the farms on the fertile plains of Zimbabwe to be run down and non-productive, countries like America have to send in food aid to prevent the population from literally starving to death. America’s aid program alone is, I understand, running at US$600m per year. And only because of Mugabe’s land reforms which were supposed to provide land ownership for the many, but ended up as gifts to ruling party cronies with no interest in farming.
May 27th, 2008 22:57
I won’t write much — suffice to say it was Archbishop John Sentamu’s well chosen words that provided me with the bigger picture from which I drew the conclusion that we (ordinary people around the world) ought to be doing something to support the people of Zimbabwe.
Sometimes you cannot leave it to the politicians.