Justification of torture by George W. Bush sends wrong message

In his first interview since leaving office in 2009, former U.S. President George W. Bush shouldered responsibility for authorizing torture, and sent across a wrong message by attempting to justify waterboarding - a form of torture, and other cruel and inhuman practices against detainees.

Watch part of the compelling interview below:



The U.S. is party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) which it ratified in October 1994.

For clarity, article 1 of the Convention defines torture as: "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity."

With the consent and authorization of George W. Bush, detainees in detention facilities like Guantanamo Bay were intentionally tortured for the purpose of obtaining information or confessions.

The U.S. has a moral, and legal obligation under international law to prosecute the perpetrators of torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees. The victims are numerous and the perpetrators, including state agents who destroyed evidence of torture, are within reach. Failure to prosecute the culprits, even after such a public confession and shocking justification of cruelty by former President George W. Bush would further weaken the position of the U.S. in human rights discourse both at home and abroad.

As stipulated in article 2(2) of CAT, there is no exception to the law against torture. Freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is a non-derogable right.

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Different colors by Lucky Dube

This evening, like most Friday evenings, I spent some time listening to music. I must tell you - very few songs impact me like a song by Lucky Dube, an iconic South African musician. The song in question titled, "Different colors" conveys a message of unity and is a commendable attempt to break racial barriers and unite all natural persons, irrespective of race or color.

Sadly, Lucky Dube is no more. But through his music, he continues to inspire listeners.

In the following video and lyrics, Lucky Dube denounces racial discrimination and urges everyone - including governments, politicians and, of course, YOU - to refrain from separating "the people". Watch...



Lyrics (unofficial):

Breaking those barriers
All over the world
Was not an easy thing
Yesterday your mouth was shut yeah
Couldn' t make a sound eh boy
But it' s such a good feeling today
When I can hear them from
Across the ocean singing this song
That the whole world should be singing
All the time

Chorus: (x3)

We' re...
Different colours / one people
Different colours / one people

Hey you government
Never try to separate the people
Hey you politician
Never try to separate the people

They were created in the image of God
And who are you to separate them
Bible says, he made man in his image
But it didn' t say black or white
Look at me you see BLACK
I look at you I see WHITE
Now is the time to kick that away
And join me in my song

Chorus: (x3)

Hey you politician
Never separate the people here
Hey you man hey you man
Never try to separate the people

Some were from America
We were from South Africa
Some were from Japan
We were from China
Some were from Australia
We were from the U.K.
Some were from Zimbabwe
We were from Ghana
Some were from Jamaica
We were from Russia
Some were from Aha-ha-ha
We were from Uhu-hu-hu.

Although bridging racial divide remains an uphill battle, you can't stop trying. And as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South African human rights activist, Christian cleric and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, once said, "... never let anyone tell you that what you're doing is insignificant."

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Ugandan newspaper editor advocates hate and homophobia on CNN

It is no secret that homosexuality is a taboo in many African countries, but recently, a proposed controversial bill that promulgates life imprisonment and the death penalty for homosexuals, as well as the publication of a list of names, pictures and addresses of homosexuals in Uganda catapulted the East African country to the rank of [arguably] the most homophobic country on the planet.

You've probably heard that last month, a two- month old newspaper in Uganda that has adopted the name of a famous U.S magazine - Rolling Stone - published the names and photographs of 100 "top" homosexuals in Uganda and urged the police to "investigate", "prosecute" and "hang them". As if this is not enough, on 1 November 2010 the newspaper published, with impunity, more names and photographs.

Giles Muhame, editor of the newspaper, in a shocking interview with CNN, defiantly justified the publication of names, photographs and addresses of "top homosexuals." Watch...



While it is true that many Africans subscribe to this hateful and homophobic school of thought, it is also true that people of conscience worldwide believe that no natural person should be investigated, prosecuted and hanged on the basis of sexual orientation.

The publication of names, photographs and addresses of unsuspecting Ugandans does not only put the latter in harms way, but violates the fundamental right to privacy and security of persons.

A High Court judge in Uganda ordered the newspaper to stop publishing the names of people it says are homosexual because the publication is "an infringement or invasion of the right to privacy." This is a move in the right direction, but more could and should be done to bring the "Rolling Stone" impostor to justice for violating the right to privacy and inciting hate and violence against a vulnerable group of individuals.

It is worth mentioning that the renown U. S magazine Rolling Stone has condemned the Ugandan newspaper that bears its name and demanded they seize using the name.

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