billyjeff

We are scheduled for South Africa and Botsana in July. Some in our party are concerned about safety for Americans once we attack Iqaq. I know that Mandela has made some inflamatory comments, but will there be a backlash against Americans. I am particularly interested in responses from the South Africans who are always so helpful on this board.

Roccco

I, too, will be in South Africa after Bush wages his war against Iraq. I will definitely not be wearing the stars and stripes or a NY Yankees baseball cap, that is for sure.<BR><BR>Cape Town, I believe, has more than a 25% population of Muslims.<BR><BR>Fortunately, my wife and I are not usually identified as Americans, at least not by our looks. <BR><BR>I seriously doubt that South Africans will be as petty as Americans are when another nation defies its Manifest Destiny (first North America, next the world).<BR><BR>I will enjoy my trip to South Africa, and either Zambia or Botswana, immensely. I am not bound by any borders and I am capable of listening to Mandela's words with the same open mind that I am able to listen to Bush's words.<BR><BR>Perhaps if you are able to just consider yourself a world citizen instead of an American, you will have a fine holiday.

traci_local_in_sa

My immediately reaction was &quot;Of course you'll be safe!&quot; Then I sat down and tried to explain why ...<BR>Discrimination and racism were so much a part of life and institutionalised for so long in SA, that now most South Africans tend to go out of their way to see people as individuals rather than as members of groups. As Rocco mentions, there is a large Muslim population in SA - and also a large Jewish population. And they co-exist quite peacefully. There is absolutely no reason to believe that you will be targeted when in SA just because you are a US national, whatever happens in Iraq. Tolerance and peaceful co-existence really are the order of the day. In the extreme you may find that some locals will want to engage you in debate about policies and actions, but will be quite content if you politely refuse as you will be on holiday.

Selwyn_Davidowitz

Well said Traci - A 100% answer of EXACTLY how things are in SA with regard to anybody, let alone our very welcome American visitors.<BR><BR>Selwyn Davidowitz<BR>[email protected]<BR>

billyjeff

Thanks for the responses - but Rocco- I asked a simple question - I do not need a politcal lecture on the merits of the war - that is irrelevant to my question - this is not a political forum.