By: Biel Boutros Biel, Juba, South Sudan
Dear broher Isaiah,
Who will ever forget the DARKEST DAY OF DECEMBER 5, 2012 WHEN YOU WERE MURDERED BY THE AGENTS OF STATE? No one forever; your blood is all over us and it is everywhere in our memories.
December 25, 2012 (SSNA) — Dear brother; as I look at your picture on the wall of my room, my soul is troubled, my mind is filled with anger, my spirit is crippled and I remember the sight of where your blood poured at the door of your room when you gave up your last breath, I see clearly the destruction caused by bullets fired to you through the back and front windows and that other one which destroyed the wall of your room which I believe was fired through the hole on your door . I just can’t help recalling the tears of your mum Rebecca when she looked into the room right to your bed where you were forced to come out to be murdered. Dear brother Isaiah, I recall this day of seeing your blood stained the green grass and how your dear wives poured river of tears as they looked into your room and the broken fans and pieces of papers scattered all over your room, which shows how bravely you struggled with your assassins before they over-powered you and shamefully killed you like a dog when they themselves are true dogs of their stomachs, devoid of any pure conscience all of which you are a true hero. They are cowards and poor souls of this earth whose power is the barrel of the gun and misuse of the public resources to kill a democrat like you; they are agents of intimidations and opression, symbol of injustices, dictatorship and bloody ruling. THANK YOU ISAIAH FOR DYING FOR THIS COUNTRY’S CURRENT AND NEXT GENERATIONS.
To them, you are an idiot, spoiler, sectional and unwanted material fit for elimination little their brainless heads could understand that you remain a true son of South Sudan, a man of conscience, frank and brave soul whose love for the poor of South Sudanese majority caused him his life. You are the best Jesus Christ of the season for you refused to give up and sacrifice at the altar of ignorance the very sacred principles of democracy, rule of law, universality of human rights, good governance and instead, you gave up your life by speaking out for those who could not speak for themselves. THANK YOU ISAIAH FOR DYING FOR THIS COUNTRY’S CURRENT AND NEXT GENERATIONS.
Dear brother Isaiah, as I reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ today, it reminds me of how the ineffective, insecure and incompetent leadership of Jews killed Jesus as they were scared of his teachings but did the Jewish authorities stop the teachings of Jesus Christ today? Never, I wished the Jews realized then that they were idiots and that Jesus Christ was not the enemy of their state and selfish interests but love for power blinded them for they were bogged down by the assumption that Christ was to take up Jewish power. They could be right as Jesus called himself; “King of Kings” but their stupity never allowed them to understand his message when Christ told the hopeless Jewish leaders that he was a “King” but his kingdom didn’t belong to the world of Jews. What did Christ mean? The direct and true philosophical and theological meaning was that, from that time to date, Jesus is a king but his kingship doesn’t belong to:
- Dictatorship,
- Injustices
- Use of soldiers to intimidate poor people
- Use of ruthless brainless sections of the society to kill others
- Misrule and bad governance
- Looting of public resources while leaving all poor people dying in rural areas of Jewis society
- Violations of human rights and abuse of rule of law by the state
In his own words, Christ simply means; his kingship is for justice, for respect of human rights, for unity of all tribes, for protection of human rights and rule of law, for democratic governance, for freedom of speech and expression and a kingdom devoid of any evil. Dear brother Isaiah, as I look at your picture, it reminds me of how Uganda’s Dictator Idi Amin murdered Bishop Luwum for speaking out against evils to which Ugandans were flown into by the Amin’s bloody era of dictatorhsips and lust for power.
Dear Isaiah, as I look at your picture, it reminds me of the first day I met your younger son and daughter Chan and Aluel who because of the fight against injustices, dictatorship and all evils of our time, they lost you their beloved dad and they like Arok your elder son, Ajah and Ajok have remained without dad. Dear brother Isaiah; as tears flow for missing you and for knowing your brain is not longer with us but there is one task for my colleaggues, good hearted South Sudanese and I and it is this’ We will always ask the following questions:
1. Who killed you among the state agents? 2. Where are your assassins now? 3. When are they going to be brought to justice and be convicted?
True as your conscience, the answers to those questions lie with the leadership of South Sudan and until they are answered in affirmative, we will not rest, for we cannot betray you brother since you died for the interest of majority. THANK YOU ISAIAH FOR DYING FOR THIS COUNTRY’S CURRENT AND NEXT GENERATIONS. Dear brother Isaiah, as an assurance, we will never ever betray you and we will peacefully fight on till justice is achieved for your family. Finally dear brother Abraham, your beloved daughter Aluel in her speech during your funeral has made my colleagues and I more courageous to continue your fight for justice to be done for your family; young Aluel says; “It is not because of us that we need justice done, but many people will die the same way if nobody and agency is held responsible for this assassination. When good people die in a country, nobody can do things rightand the progress as a nation is in doubt”. Thank you brother and May God rest your soul in eternity; Lord Jesus Christ, receive him for Isaiah is one of those who does the will of your father, that is fighting for truth, justice and humanity all of which he died for. We must and we will fight on, no matter the price; we are prepared!
Boutros Biel is the Executive Director of South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy and also the Secretary General & official spokesperson of South Sudan Civil Society Alliance but the views expressed are his own views and do not reflect the views of the two institutions. Biel can be reached on e-mail: [email protected].