Albinism is a disease in which a person has partial or complete loss of pigmentation of the skin, hair and eyes. It is caused by a genetic mutation that affects the production of a pigment called melanin. A person with albinism is called an Albino.
Albinos all around the globe on daily basis face discrimination, but in African, they have a bigger problem. Don’t be surprised if you read in the course of this post that an African country killed albinos for ritual.
My questions are; Are albinos not human? Do they not deserve some respect like every other person? Have they made a mistake by coming into the world as albinos? In an African setting, if a mother gives birth and people realize the baby is an albino, their perception towards the mother and baby changes instantly. …. Why???
I need someone to show me where it is written that albinism is a sin or a crime. If anyone can’t, then I think it’s high time the world, most especially Africans, start according these people with the deserved respect and right.
To support my argument that albinos are not well treated or respected in Africa, on February 16, 2009, The New York Times reported that “over 17,000 albinos have either been killed or mutilated in Tanzania by gangs who sell their body parts to witch doctors and according to rumor, albino blood, skin and hair have magical powers.
Wait a second, what did I just read? Are you kidding me? Why kill albinos for rituals? Why?.... I am sure that most of you would agree with me that this is nothing but absurdity.
Immediately an albino appears in our midst, we look and act towards them like they are nothing. Excuse me, they are human like us for crying out loud, we need to start doing better on how we treat, act or perceive them. Try putting them in your shoes and see how it feels when the public looks at you like an outcast.
Henceforth, please, please and please, let’s treat albinos come our way with respect, love, kindness, humility, care, affection, understanding, dignity, compassion and human feeling because they are and will always be human like us.
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References
medlineplus.gov
wikipedia.org
scientificamerica.com
nytimes.com