The vast majority of leaders who have realized revolutionary changes in their countries had moments of exile---whether self-imposed or forced. Nelson Mandela whom Salah mentioned was out of South Africa for a while but his focus was on the struggle. Fidel Castro, Lenin, De Gaulle, El Cid, Shaka, Napoleon, Ayatollah Khomeini etc. Exile has often proven to be a place of recuperation; a moment of distant observation and judgment of situations; a moment of stock-taking, and buildup of resolve, resources and even ideas; and above all exile has been a place of refuge for exponents of change who are on the verge of defeat or extinction.
It is a lot more honorable for an exponent of change to accept exile and continue to provide guidance to society from exile rather than to stay at home, compromise the values of a struggle, relinquish the role of moral leader of society and assimilate into the corrupt anachronistic system.
July 2002
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