Kutheni Ubuhlanga Buyimbambano Engaka?
UKUSUSELA ekuqaleni kwembali ebhaliweyo, ingcamango yokuthi “bona” neyokuthi “thina” iye yayilawula indlela abantu abacinga ngayo. Abaninzi baye baziqinisekisa ukuba bakuphela kwabantu abanengqondo nabenza zonke izinto ngendlela elungileyo. Oku koko izazinzulu zikubiza ngokuba yiethnocentrism, ingcamango yokuba abantu besizwe sikabani kuphela kwabantu ababhadlileyo nendlela abenza ngayo izinto yeyona ibhadlileyo.
Ngokomzekelo, amaGrike amandulo, ayewajongela phantsi “amabhar-bhari,” gama elo ababelisebenzisa kuye nabani na ongengomGrike. Igama elithi “umbhar-bhari” lavela kwindlela iilwimi zabanye abantu ezazivakala ngayo ezindlebeni zamaGrike, njengengqokolela, “yoobhar-bhar” abangenangqiqo. Kuqala yayingamaYiputa emva koko namaRoma azibona engabona bantu babalaseleyo kunabanye.
Kangangeenkulungwane amaTshayina ayebiza ilizwe lawo ngokuthi Zhong Guo, okanye uBukumkani Obuphakathi, ngenxa yokuba ayeqinisekile ukuba iTshayina yayisisazulu sehlabathi ukuba yayingesosazulu sendalo iphela. Kamva, xa abavangeli baseYurophu abaneenwele ezibomvu, amehlo aluhlaza nolusu olubomvu beza eTshayina, amaTshayina ababiza ngokuba “ngoomtyholi basemzini.” Ngokufanayo, xa abemi baseMpuma bafika okokuqala eYurophu nakuMntla Merika, amehlo abo acutheneyo namasiko abo awayegqalwa njengamasiko angaqhelekanga abenza bayintlekisa yaye bakrokrelwa.
Kanti, kukho inyaniso ecacileyo emele iqwalaselwe, njengokuba incwadi ethi The Kinds of Mankind isithi: “Kulula ukukholelwa ukuba [uhlanga] lukabani longamile; ukuzama ukukungqina oko, ngokusebenzisa oko kufunyenwe yinzululwazi, yenye into eyahluke kwaphela.” Imigudu yokungqina ukuba olunye uhlanga longamile kunolunye ngentelekiso yinto entsha. Ingcali ngembali yeentlanga uAshley Montagu wabhala wathi “ingcamango yokuba ngokwemvelo nangokwenzululwazi kukho iintlanga zabantu ezahlukileyo kwezinye ngengqondo nangomzimba yingcamango ebisoloko ingekho de kwaba ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yeshumi elinesibhozo.”
Kwakutheni ukuze imbambano yokuba ezinye iintlanga zongamile kunezinye ibalasele kangaka ebudeni benkulungwane ye-18 neye-19?
Urhwebo Lwamakhoboka Nobuhlanga
Isizathu esiyintloko sikukuba urhwebo lwamakhoboka olunengeniso ngelo xesha lwalufikelele kwincopho yalo, yaye amakhulu amawaka abemi baseAfrika ayethatyathwa ngenkani aze anyanzelwe ukuba abe ngamakhoboka eYurophu nakumazwe aseMerika. Ngokufuthi iintsapho zazisahlulwa, amadoda, abafazi nabantwana babethunyelwa kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zehlabathi, bangaze baphinde babonane. Abo baberhweba ngamakhoboka, uninzi lwabo olwaluzibiza ngokuba ngamaKristu, lwaluzithethelela njani ezi zenzo zenkohlakalo?
Ngokusasaza ingcamango yokuba abemi baseAfrika abantsundu baphantsi ngokwemvelo. Isithandi sobulumko saseSkotlani senkulungwane ye-18 uDavid Hume sabhala, “Ndityekele ekukrokreleni ukuba onke amanegro [abantu abantsundu], nazo zonke ezinye iintlobo zabantu ngokwemvelo ziphantsi kunabantu abamhlophe.” Enyanisweni, lo kaHume wema ngelithi umntu akanakufumana “machule okuyila izinto, okanye amagcisa, okanye iinzululwazi phakathi [kwamaNegro].”
Noko ke, amabango anjalo ayephosakele. IThe World Book Encyclopedia (yowe-1973) yathi: “Kumakhulu eminyaka eyadlulayo ubukumkani bamaNegro obuchubekileyo babukho kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zaseAfrika. . . . Phakathi kowe-1200 nowe-1600, kwakukho iyunivesithi yamaNegro nama-Arabhu eTimbuktu eNtshona Afrika yaza yaduma kulo lonke elaseSpeyin, kuMntla Afrika, nakuMbindi Mpuma.” Sekunjalo, abo babebandakanyeke kumsebenzi wokurhweba ngamakhoboka bakhawuleza ukuba nesimo sengqondo sezithandi zobulumko ezifana nalo kaHume sokuba abantu abamnyama babeluhlanga oluphantsi kunabantu abamhlophe, eneneni, kwaubuntu babo babuphantsi.
Unqulo Nobuhlanga
Iimbono zobuhlanga zabantu ababerhweba ngamakhoboka zazixhaswa kakhulu ziinkokeli zonqulo. Kwangeminyaka yee-1450, umyalelo woopopu abangamaRoma Katolika wavumela ukucinezelwa nokukhotyokiswa “kwabahedeni” “nabantu abangakholwayo” ukuze “imiphefumlo” yabo isindiselwe “kuBukumkani bukaThixo.” Besakuba befumene iintsikelelo zecawa, abahloli-lizwe baseYurophu bamandulo nabantu ababerhweba ngamakhoboka abazange babe nasazela ngokuphatha kwabo ngenkohlakalo ezinye iintlanga.
Incwadi ethi Slavery and Human Progress, ithi: “Ngeminyaka yee-1760, njengoko kwakuza kuba njalo nangamanye amashumi amaninzi eminyaka awayeza kulandela, ukukhotyokiswa kwabantu abamnyama kwavunywa ngamaKatolika, amaTshetshi, amaLuthere, amaRhabe nangabantu beecawa eziHlaziyiweyo nabafundi ngezakwalizwi. Akukho cawa okanye hlelo namhlanje eliye lafuna ukudimaza amalungu alo ukuba angabi namakhoboka okanye kwanokurhweba ngamakhoboka antsundu.”
Nangona ezinye iicawa zazithetha ngobuzalwana bamaKristu behlabathi lonke, zazikwafundisa iimfundiso ezihambisela phambili imilo yobuhlanga. Ngokomzekelo, iEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi “kuphela kusemva kokuzabalaza ithuba elide nasemva kweengxoxo zezakwalizwi abathi abemi bomthonyama baseSpeyin bazigqala iintlanga abazifumana eMerika njengabantu abanomphefumlo.”
Ingcamango yayikukuba oku kokuba nje “imiphefumlo” yabantu bezo ntlanga “yayisindiswa” ngokuguqulelwa kubuKristu, indlela ababephathwa ngayo yayingabalulekanga. Xa kuthethwa ngemeko yabantsundu, iinkokeli ezininzi zonqulo zazisithi kakade babeqalekisiwe nguThixo. IZibhalo zazisetyenziswa kakubi ukuzama ukungqina oku. Umfundisi uRobert Jamieson, uA. R. Fausset, noDavid Brown, kumagqabaza abo ngeBhayibhile, bathi: “Makaqalekiswe uKanan [Genesis 9:25]—esi sigwebo siye sazaliseka ekutshatyalalisweni kwamaKanan—ekuphanzisweni kweYiputa, nasekwenzeni abantu abaNtsundu amakhoboka, isizukulwana sikaHam.”—Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Whole Bible.
Imfundiso yokuba umawokhulu wohlanga olumnyama wayeqalekisiwe ayifundiswa kwaphela eBhayibhileni. Inyaniso yile, uhlanga olumnyama luvela kuKushi, kungekhona kuKanan. Ngenkulungwane ye-18, uJohn Woolman wathi ukusetyenziswa kwesiqalekiso seBhayibhile ukuze kuthethelelwe ukukhotyokiswa kwabantu abamnyama, ukubandezwa kwabo amalungelo abo emvelo, “yingcingane embi kakhulu ukuba ingamkelwa engqondweni yakhe nawuphi na umntu onomnqweno onyanisekileyo wokulawulwa yimigaqo engqongqo.”
Ubuxoki Benzululwazi Nobuhlanga
Ubuxoki benzululwazi nabo buye bafak’ isandla kumgudu wokuxhasa ingcamango yokuba abantu abamnyama baluhlanga oluphantsi. Incwadi ethi Essay on the Inequality of Races, ebhalwe ngumbhali wenkulungwane ye-19 ongumFrentshi uJoseph de Gobineau, yandlala isiseko sokuba kubhalwe ezinye iincwadi ezininzi ezinjengale yakhe. Kuyo, uGobineau wahlulahlula abantu baziintlanga ezintathu ezahlukahlukeneyo ngokokulandelelana kokubalasela: abamhlophe, abamthubi nabamnyama. Wathi iimpawu ezibalaseleyo zohlanga ngalunye zazisegazini yaye ngaloo ndlela ukutshatana kwezo ntlanga kwakuya kuwuhlisa umgangatho kuze kuzitshayele zithi tu iimpawu eziphakamileyo.
Lo kaGobineau wathi kwakukhe kwakho uhlanga lwabantu abamhlophe ngokusulungekileyo, abade, abaneenwele ezikhazimlayo, abanamehlo aluhlaza awayebabiza ngokuba ngama-Aryan. Wathi, yayingama-Aryan awazisa impucuko nesiSanskrit (ulwimi lwakudala lwaseIndiya ekuvela kulo zonke iilwimi zaseYurophu) eIndiya, yaye ikwangama-Aryan awazisa impucuko kwiGrisi nakwiRoma yamandulo. Kodwa ngenxa yokutshata kwezi ntlanga nezinye iintlanga zabantu basekuhlaleni abaphantsi, loo mpucuko ibalaseleyo zazikhe zanayo yaphela, kunye nobukrelekrele neempawu ezintle zohlanga lwama-Aryan. Lo kaGobineau wathi, abantu abasaseleyo abasondeleyo kuma-Aryan okwemvelo, babenokufumaneka kumntla Yurophu, abangaba, phakathi kwamaNordic, yaye ukongezelela, nabantu baseJamani.
Iingcamango ezisisiseko zikaGobineau—ezo zokwahlulahlula iintlanga ezintathu, umlibo wegazi, uhlanga lwama-Aryan—zazingasekelwanga kwinzululwazi kwaphela, yaye ziyathandatyuzwa ngokupheleleyo yinzululwazi yanamhlanje. Sekunjalo, zamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu ngabanye. Phakathi kwabo yayiyenye indoda eliNgesi, uHouston Stewart Chamberlain, owayezithanda kakhulu iingcamango zikaGobineau kangangokuba waya kuhlala eJamani waza waxhasa elokuba yayingamaJamani kuphela awayenokulondoloza uhlanga lwama-Aryan olusulungekileyo. Ngokucacileyo, iincwadi zikaChamberlain zafundwa ngokubanzi eJamani, yaye imiphumo yaba mibi.
Umphumo Ombi Wobuhlanga
Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Mein Kampf (Umzabalazo Wam), uAdolf Hitler wathi amaJamani ayelolona hlanga longamileyo lwama-Aryan olwalumiselwe ukulawula ihlabathi. Lo kaHitler wavakalelwa kukuba amaYuda, awayesithi abekek’ ityala ngokuwohloka kwezoqoqosho eJamani, ayengumqobo kule nkqubela phambili izukileyo bakhangele phambili kuyo. Ngaloo ndlela amaYuda nabanye abantu abaphantsi baseYurophu batshatyalaliswa, sihlandlo eso saba sibi ngokungaginyisi mathe kwimbali yoluntu. Oku kwaba ngumphumo oyintlekele weengcamango zobuhlanga, kuquka ezo zikaGobineau nezikaChamberlain.
Noko ke, le ntlekele ayizange iphelele eYurophu. Ngaphesheya kolwandle kwindawo ekufane kuthiwe lihlabathi elitsha, uhlobo olufanayo lweengcamango ezibubuxoki lwezisa ukubandezeleka okukhulu kwizizukulwana zabantu abangenatyala. Nangona amakhoboka abantu abaNtsundu ekugqibeleni akhululwayo eUnited States emva kweMfazwe Yamakhaya, kwawiswa imithetho kumazwe amaninzi eyayisalela abantu abamnyama ukuba bafumane amalungelo amaninzi awayenanditshwa ngabanye abemi. Kwakutheni? Abemi abamhlophe babecinga ukuba uhlanga olumnyama lwalungenayo ingqondo eyaneleyo yokuba nenxaxheba kwimisebenzi yesizwe nekarhulumente.
Indlela ezo mvakalelo zobuhlanga ezendela ngokunzulu ngayo iboniswa lityala elalibandakanya umthetho owawusalela ukutshatana kweentlanga ezahlukahlukeneyo. Lo mthetho wawungakuvumeli ukuba abamnyama batshate nabamhlophe. Xa yayigweba isibini esasophule lo mthetho, ijaji yathi: “UThixo uSomandla wadala iintlanga ezimhlophe, ezintsundu, ezimthubi, amaMalay nezibomvu, waza wazibeka kumazwekazi awahlukahlukeneyo, yaye ukuba ilungiselelo Lakhe lalingaphazanyiswanga kwakungazi kubakho mfuneko yamitshato injalo.”
Le jaji yakuthetha oku, kungekhona kwinkulungwane ye-19 yaye kungekhona kummandla osesemva ngempucuko, kodwa kwakungowe-1958—yaye kungekhona kummandla okumgama ongaphezu kweekhilomitha ezili-100 ukusuka kwiKomkhulu laseUnited States! Eneneni, de kwaba ngowe-1967 iNkundla Ephakamileyo yaseUnited States yayingazange iyiphelise imithetho eyayichasene nemitshato yeentlanga ezahlukahlukeneyo.
Loo mithetho yocalucalulo—kunye nemithetho yokwahlukahlukana ezikolweni, ezicaweni nakwezinye iindawo zikawonkewonke nocalucalulo ekuqeshweni nasekufumaneni izindlu—yakhokelela kwizidubedube, kwimvukelo nakugonyamelo zinto ezo eziye zayeyona ndlela yokuphila eUnited States nakwamanye amazwe amaninzi. Ngaphandle kokutshatyalaliswa kobomi nezinto zabantu, intlungu, intiyo, ukudelelwa nokubandezeleka kwabantu zizinto eziye zangumphumo woko ezinokugqalwa njengosizi nehlazo kwibutho labantu ekuthiwa liphucukile.
Ngaloo ndlela, ubuhlanga buye bayeyona ndlela inamandla yokwahlulwahlulwa neyokucinezelwa kwebutho labantu. Ngokuqinisekileyo, kufanelekile ngathi sonke ukuba sigocagoce iintliziyo zethu, sizibuze: Ngaba ndiyazichasa naziphi na iimfundiso ezivakalisa ukuba olunye uhlanga luphakamile kolunye? Ngaba ndiye ndazama ukuziphelisa naziphina iimvakalelo ezisenokuba zisekho zokuba uhlanga oluthile luphakamile kunolunye?
Kukwafanelekile nokuba sibuze oku: Liliphi ithemba elikhoyo lokuba utyekelo lobuhlanga kunye nengcinezelo eyandileyo namhlanje, luya kuze lushenxiswe? Ngaba abantu bezizwe, iilwimi namasiko awahlukahlukeneyo banokuhlala kunye eluxolweni?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Abantu abamnyama babejongwa njengabantu abaphantsi ngabantu abaninzi abamhlophe
[Inkcazelo]
Reproduced from DESPOTISM—A Pictorial History of Tyranny
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]
Inkampu zamaNazi zokubulala abantu zazingumphumo oyintlekele weengcamango zobuhlanga
[Inkcazelo]
U.S. National Archives photo