Dear Antoun

The premeditated slaughter of Jamal affected me deeply so I can only imagine how terrible it must have been for you, who knew him personally.

It is tragic that the elites in the former colonies of say, Zimbabwe, (where I have a close friend) and in India and Pakistan have mostly solidified the systems of education, media, politics etc that were put in place by the avaricious elites of Britain, and cooperate with the international instruments of a more cloaked power whereby still, resources and peoples labour in the Global South, is benefitting said elites plus a small middle class (that nowadays is growing smaller).

My Zimbabwean friend went back to Zimbabwe after his university studies, in order to 'build up the country in the mid 1980's, soon after the transition from Rhodesia instead of settling into a more comfortable life in the UK.

But as I am sure you. know, the betrayal of people who had fought to get rid of the British colonists, soon followed with the leader now playing out that same predator role. It reminds me of 'Animal Farm'. Sorry to end this comment on such a dismal note. But the point I want to make is, that is why people of the calibre of Jamal, are so precious... and in honour of his memory we have to 'speak truth to power' to the best of our capacity. It behoves me to do so, as it is safer for me, than for someone in say, the UAE.