Honorary citizenship for Mandela

National Post | June 9, 2001

Calgary MP Rob Anders has at least two legs to stand on, politically speaking, in his opposition to honorary Canadian citizenship for Nelson Mandela: Miami's Cuban and Jewish community. Neither was too enthused by the Mandela visit to Miami during his 1998 U.S. tour. For two, very good, reasons: Mandela's long friendship with Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafy, a diehard enemy of Israel; and his long friendship with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, nemesis of thousands of Cuban exiles. The millions of Canadians who arrived in Canada fleeing communist persecution might also question Mandela's ties to the South African Communist Party.

Orest Slepokura
Strathmore AB

Note: The original text of this letter copied below was sent to 25 major Canadian dailies on June 8, 2001. The article also appeared in the June 12, 2001, issue of the Edmonton Sun.

The Editor,

Calgary MP Rob Anders has at least two legs to stand on, politically speaking, in his opposition to honourary Canadian citizenship for Nelson Mandela: Miami's Cuban and Jewish community. Neither was too enthused by the Mandela visit to Miami during his 1998 U.S. tour. For two, very good, reasons: Mandela's long friendship with Lybian dictator Muammar Khadafy, a diehard enemy of Israel, and long friendship with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, nemesis of thousands of freedom-loving Cuban exiles. The millions of Canadians who arrived in Canada fleeing communist persecution might also question Mandela's close ties to the South African Communist Party. [1]

Mind you, where a Wasyl Odynsky and Helmut Oberlander can be denaturalized and face deportation, after 50 years' residency here, on the flimsy pretext they "probably" lied to immigration authorities, the latter having destroyed all, possibly exculpatory, documents -- hence, the need for conjecture -- without, moreover, any right of appeal, honourary Canadian citizenship may not be such a signal honour, after all. [2] Mandela may want to reconsider our PM's offer.

Sources:

1. Speech by President Nelson Mandela on being awarded the Chris Hani Award at the 10th National Congress of the South African Communist Party delivered in Johannesburg, on July 1, 1998.
[http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1998/sp980701.html]

2. Peter Worthington, Irrational Act, Toronto Sun, June 7, 2001.

Sincerely yours,

Orest Slepokura
Strathmore AB

Letters to the Editor | Orest Slepokura | The Edmonton Sun | June 12, 2001

CALGARY MP Rob Anders has at least two legs to stand on, politically speaking, in his opposition to offering honorary Canadian citizenship for Nelson Mandela: Miami's Cuban and Jewish community. Neither was too enthused by Mandela's visit to Miami during his 1998 U.S. tour. For two very good reasons; one is Mandela's long friendship with Lybian dictator Moammar Gadhafi, an enemy of Israel, and friend of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The millions of Canadians who arrived in Canada fleeing communist persecution might also question Mandela's ties to the South African Communist Party.

Mind you, while a Wasyl Odynsky and Helmut Oberlander can be denaturalized and face deportation, after 50 years' residency here, on the flimsy pretext they "probably" lied to immigration authorities, honorary Canadian citizenship may not be such an honour, after all. Mandela may want to reconsider our Prime Minister Jean Chretien's offer.

Orest Slepokura

(Anders displayed poor political judgment and hurt his troubled party.)