Jewish Passover tradition: a lesson on freedom of expression

Yesterday 18 April 2008 the Jews the world over observed the Passover – in remembrance of the day Moses lead the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. One of the very important traditions on that night is that the youngest person in the group would be asking questions. Why they all eat bitter herbs on the night, etc.?

Giving children the opportunity to be heard and not just seen is a time honoured Jewish tradition. Of course the same right is granted to everyone- if the lowest and weakest has a voice then so are all those above him or her.

In our African culture, those in position of power and authority take it as a personal affront each time anyone below them question them. It is considered disrespectful. "I did not send you to school to be disrespectful to your elders!" is the standard answer the old generation give to being questioned. There is no room to consider the merits of the question. At heart of it all is the fear of being found wrong. So we shut our mind to different ways of doing things.

It is right that we should fear to know and have other know too that we are not as clever as we think we are. It sure does not do our self confidence any good. But we should fear even more the we ended up at the wrong place when could have got where we wanted only if we were not too proud to listen!
The families, communities, nations, etc. who have embrace right of each and every member, even the weakest and easily overlooked, to be heard have done infinitely better than those who have not.
One danger we should guard against is to be the champions of freedom expression when we look up to those above us only to be the villains when dealing with those below us. Those who honour and value the freedom of expression, the same is true for all the other rights, of those below them on their way up the social ladder often receive it on their way down- which in fact is when we need it the most. And to honour and respect here means grant the freedom not as a matter of privilege but as a matter of cause. For it is not for any one to withhold or worse deny a fundamental right of freedom.
The day every person has the freedom to ask and be heard - like a Jewish child on Passover night - that will be the day Zimbabwe will have its foot firmly on the path to development, peace, justice and liberty. On that day the nation will have become a full paid member of free nation!