THE EDITOR, Sir:
MY RESPONSE to the letter from the Queen of England to the Rastafari petitioners for Reparations and Repatriation is to quote from the Final Declaration of the United Nations World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) held in Durban, South Africa in
September 2001:
(Paragraph 13) "We acknowledge that slavery and the slave trade, including the transatlantic slave trade, were appalling tragedies in the history of humanity not only because of their abhorrent barbarism but also in terms of their magnitude, organised nature and especially their negation of the essence of the victims, and further acknowledge that slavery and the slave trade are a crime against humanity and should always have been so, especially the transAtlantic slave trade and are among the major sources and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and that Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent and indigenous peoples were victims of these acts and continue to be victims of their consequences."
In the light of this declaration publicly made by the United Nations Assembly to the entire world, the Queen of England shows that she has not done her research into the issue of Reparations when she states that she cannot entertain the Rastafari petition because slavery was not a legal crime or a crime against humanity and morality at the time her ancestors enriched themselves and their nation at its expense. Sadly, she equally shows a deep lack of spiritual morality and mercy, inconsistent with the role of a true monarch such as has been observed in the life and personality of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie 1.
The United Nations WCAR Declaration "Recognises that these historical injustices have undeniably contributed to the poverty, underdevelopment, marginalisation, social exclusion, economic disparities, instability and insecurity that affect many people in different parts of the world, in particular in developing countries. The Conference recognises the need to develop programmes for the social and economic development of these societies and the Diaspora, within the framework of a new partnership based on the spirit of solidarity and mutual respect, in the following areas: (List follows of 18 ways in which reparations can be made.) (Para: 158).
This shows that the issue has already been decided and agreed on by the entire United Nations of the world in 2001. Had the lady been fully informed, she would have made her response show that the "suitable commemoration" she has set up a Royal committee to explore and report on, takes seriously the United Nations recommendations for repairing the "appalling tragedy" of the enslavement in Jamaica of my ancestors by hers. This would have been a good way for Elizabeth Windsor to show that she is truly a queen.
I am etc.,
MAKEDA BARBARA BLAKE HANNAH
Jamaica Reparations Movement (JaRM)
International Reparations Support
Group (IRSGroup)
http://www.geocities.com/I_makeda
