We were slaves in Suriname

Anton de Kom's goal when he wrote his book "We Were Slaves in Suriname," which became a classic and spread all over the world, was not only to eliminate the chains of Dutch rule in his country Suriname, but he also expressed his broader goal and conviction saying: "No nation can reach full maturity as long as it remains burdened with a inherited sense of inferiority." The feeling of inferiority, admiration for the victor, and the "Khawaja complex," are no less destructive in their impact on peoples than the lethal weapons of the occupier. Through starvation, intimidation, division, and attempts to break the will, the occupier works to control the peoples whose blood and resources it absorbs. Therefore, resistance to occupation, whether military or economic, must begin with eliminating the feeling of inferiority. This wonderful book takes us through Suriname, a country of multiple religions, ethnicities, and languages in northern South America, which was under Dutch occupation. Between its lines, we hear the voices of the oppressed and the sounds of their struggle against injustice.