Abu Dhabi: A photo exhibition featuring Nelson Mandela is on display at the Emirates Palace, remembering the iconic leader who played a pivotal role in ending apartheid rule in South Africa.
The exhibition was launched by the South African embassy in the UAE, and is part of marking the 20th anniversary of the end of apartheid rule in South Africa. Benjamin Gool, the photographer whose photos are displayed at the exhibition, was also present and spoke to Gulf News. The exhibition runs until November 12.
“I started taking pictures before he was released from prison, then it was pictures of protests and people calling for his release, and you always wondered who this person was which started my interest in him. He was eventually released and became this larger than life person. There comes a time in your life when you meet a great person, someone like Mahatma Gandhi, or Martin Luther King Jr, and Nelson Mandela. They come once in a lifetime, and when they speak their voice echoes across the world,” said Gool.
Gool also went on to describe Nelson Mandela as a ‘saint’ who was always trying to help and look after other people, “I believe if there was some person we can call a saint, then I believe Mandela would be exactly that. He would read about a woman in a little place who would have a problem and he would go there and try to sort it out. So I honestly believe that he was a saint.”
“For Mandela it didn’t matter where the injustice was, he would come out speaking against it, like in Palestine, for instance, which is something that is close to our hearts as South Africans. We worry about what’s happening to the Palestinians. He would speak out about it and would continuously encourage us to stand up for what’s right,” he added.
Gool told Gulf News it was important to uphold Mandela’s legacy by following his examples of peace, “He wasn’t a person for war, we could have gone down the bloody road in South Africa. When he came out of prison he said no to violence and that we have to talk to each other. We wanted to fight because we were angry and this man came out and said no, talk to people, because ultimately that’s going to bring peace.”
“That’s the hope he gives us for wars across the world. His legacy must be kept alive, you don’t get these kinds of people every day, so we have to keep this legacy alive. We can either go on killing each other or we can sit and talk to each other and live in peace and harmony, which was his ultimate message.”
Photo exhibitions like the one being held at the Emirates Palace are also important, according to Gool, as it allows the public to learn and educate themselves about Mandela, especially the youth. “I think it is important for people to tell the Mandela story, I think it’s very important to tell people what he said, what he meant, what he believed in, and what he stood for. I’d really like the exhibition to be seen by as many young people as possible, I’d really like them to be able to read and learn about him, because ultimately that’s where we are going to get the next Nelson Mandela from — the youth.”
Sami Zaatari is a trainee at Gulf News
