Cry Freedom - A Tale of Struggle For Equality

A couple of weeks ago, I watched a film on Fox Classics channel. It was titled Cry Freedom. The first time I watched this film was about ten years ago back in Malaysia. The film describes the days of South Africa during the Apartheid period.

It focuses on two real-life characters; Donald Woods, a South African journalist cum anti-Apartheid activist who befriended Steve Biko, a black activist.

In general, the film depicts a scenario of segregation among the whites and the blacks by all means of medium (i.e. public amenities, essential rights), and oppression of the security police towards the black community.

Throughout the time frame of this film, Steve Biko has been placed under house arrest; not being able to communicate with more than one person at any given time, ad restricted to travel within a certain boundary.

He was arrested as he was travelling to Cape Town to address a black youth's gathering. Eventually, he died in prison. The government described his death as caused by hunger strike. In reality, his death was a result of beatings while in prison.

Woods, during a visit to the mortuary secretly managed to capture snapshots of Biko's body with the help of a fellow journalist. Having obtained these, he decided to expose it internationally, but was arrested at the airport and was placed under house arrest.

However, Woods and his family managed to escape South Africa and seek asylum in Britain through a series of hitch-hiking, rendezvous to Maseru in Lesotho and then flying to Botswana.

This film really captures the heart of its viewers, judging by what one has to face in his struggle for justice, equality, freedom. Along the way, he risks losing his possession, his ease of life, and to a certain extent, losing his life.

In everything we do in this life, the journey to obtaining it is not always plain sailing throughout the way. There will always be resistances. There is nothing in this world that we achieve without toil and sweat...with the exception of cheating.

Struggling to achieve our goal and purpose is difficult at times. But once we get what we struggled for, victory is at its sweetest. Furthermore, we will appreciate our victory judging by what we had to go through previously.

But always remember, it is Allah and only Allah who decides whether we will achieve victory or otherwise. We as His servants can only struggle and pray for guidance. There is no such thing as success through strategic planning. It is only by His will that we shall ever see victory.

Man could spend endless hours of strategic planning, recruiting geniuses, investing millions. But if Allah does not grant victory, then man will not achieve it. But that doesn't mean Allah will never grant victory. He will, in due time, when the situation is right. We can only struggle and ask Him for success.

It takes one who has such an experience to understand this fact.

The song below, Nkosi Sikeleli Africa was illegal during the Apartheid period, and was sung during political meetings and gatherings. the song used to be a symbol of hope and unity. Today, it is part of the South African national anthem.