“To the xenophobes, I say: Mohamedou is not going anywhere,” says “The Mauritanian”: Mohamedou Ould Slahi. After a turbulent life full of injustice, that’s only fair. He was born in Rosso, in southern Mauritania. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, he was kidnapped on the street. “That day is burned into my memory. Two plainclothes officers asked me to come with them. There was no arrest warrant, no trace of the rule of law like there is here.” His mother, filled with fear, grabbed her prayer beads and prayed as he was taken away. “After two hundred meters, I saw her disappear in the rearview mirror. I never saw her again. She died while I was still in custody.”
Guantánamo Bay
Mohamedou ended up in Guantánamo Bay, where he was detained and tortured for years. “I was even sentenced to death. I had no feelings anymore, I lived only in my head.” He filed a lawsuit, which he won. But he still had to serve seven more years. It was only after fifteen years that he was released.
In prison, he wrote his diary, which was later published worldwide: Guantánamo Diary, later made into a film called The Mauritanian. Back in Mauritania, he was not allowed to leave the country. “They didn’t want me to share my story.” With the help of lawyers and human rights organizations, including some from the Netherlands, he fought and got his passport back.
180 mentalities
“I was asked by a singer from Rotterdam, Rajae El Mouhandiz, to participate in the ‘Operation Freedom’ project.” He did so. He obtained a visa for the Netherlands. “At Schiphol Airport, I was singled out by the military police, who didn’t want to let me in. Once again, I was the usual suspect. But I kept my mouth shut and let a friend speak for me.” That helped.
In the Netherlands, he did not see a uniform country. “There is no Dutch mentality. There are 180 mentalities. I want to embrace that diversity. I don’t have to be someone else. That’s the beauty of it here.”
The place to be: Rotterdam
Through the Verhalenhuis Belvedere, he found a place to live in Rotterdam and has been living here for a few months now. “I think it’s a really nice city. It’s perfect for walking, and the nature is beautiful too. You see so many different faces: Europeans, Africans, Arabs, Turks, Moroccans. The food is great and the supermarkets have everything. Rotterdam is really ‘the place to be’.”
He also compared the Netherlands with Germany, where he previously studied. “Germany is bureaucratic, everything has to be perfect. In the Netherlands, not everything has to be perfect, but everything has to work. That’s my Nirvana.”
‘I don’t speak Dutch’
He quickly decided to learn Dutch. “My first sentence was: ‘I would like to order a sandwich.’ I practiced it endlessly, and when I finally said it to a young man, he said: I don’t speak Dutch. I was speechless.” Still, he didn’t give up. He taught himself Dutch using Google Translate, books, television, and YouTube. “The Dutch quickly switch to English, but I stubbornly continue to speak Dutch. My broken Dutch is part of who I am.”
Culture and customs
He carries his Mauritanian culture with him: the music, the clothing, and above all, the friendliness. “Being nice to everyone, saying hello to strangers. In the Netherlands, that can be difficult sometimes; people immediately think: what does he want from me? But I just want to say hello.” He even notices the details: “After 12:01 p.m., you’re not allowed to say ‘good morning’ anymore. You’ll be corrected immediately. Very Dutch.”
His advice to newcomers is simple but powerful: “Embrace diversity. The many faces and cultures here are your chance to learn something new. Seize that opportunity.”
Future
Today, he feels at home in the Netherlands. “I love the Netherlands, I also love Rotterdam.” He only goes back to Mauritania for vacation. “To the xenophobes I say: Mohamedou isn’t going anywhere.”