What are the Facts?

Portrayed in Alberto Cantinos’ map of 1502 and also known as The Cantino planisphere or the Cantino world map is the first recorded topographical depiction of our islands existence.In which our country is titled as Dina Arobi, translating to 'Island of desolation or the Abandoned Island.' This was the Islands name (at least) 96 year before its colonial alternative that has no meaning was taught as the founding name. 

A simple google search will bring up a relative abundance of predominantly English & French created articles on the history of the former Dutch colony. However, there is very little information or seemingly interest into the non-European explorers, some of whom sighted, acknowledged and landed on the island. Some of these Potential discoverers include Semitic People, the Phoenicians, the Persians, the Egyptians, the Indians and the Chinese, while Austronesians travelled west, past Dina Arobi to inhabit many islands which reflect their original homeland including Madagascar, which is much further west of Mauritius. All of these examples far predate European knowledge of this Indian Ocean region by many centuries.

It is a fact (however dimly documented) that Arabs travelled south and settled in much of East Africa up to Mozambique including small isolated islands similar and surrounding us in geography such as the Comoros,Réunion,Rodrigues and Mauritius; naming the latter three Dina Margabin, Dina Moraze and Dina Arobi, yet to discover a history that suggests anything other than a European Colonial creation of a previously populated island is to almost suggest something unfathomable. One untaught fact for instance that our History classes don't teach is that when the first Portuguese sailors landed on Dina Arobi they found several wax tablets with Arabic inscriptions, lying on the beaches.

On that note may it be reminded that there are many artefacts that’s suggest a settled community surpassing European settlement such as the seven pyramids located in the South East of our Island that resemble almost identically those of Tenerife, another Island off the Coast of Africa and again a site of great scientific interest that may offer an alternative past of that written in the Western and OUR history books.

Why then, may this be the case? 

It must be noted that the time in which Dina Arobi was 'discovered' and the history thereafter it was common practice by Europeans including Portuguese, Dutch, British and French to enslave and murder in a genocidal manner any persons of non-white appearance, which worked successfully across two entire continents until today and with particular success on small islands such as across the Caribbean due to the lower populations inhabiting such remote countries. Point being that history can be manipulated, re-written and in many cases erased.

This may be the case with our island. Where whitewashing history is commonplace it almost always serves a purpose in which the people who live with it do not see an alternative past beyond those painted for us and in this case with roots of Suppression.

With this in mind is it absurd to suggest that we as a people should not feel more endearment and attachment with identifying our national origins with another name such as that of Dina Arobi than that of a colonial power, particularly the Dutch, arguably the most vicious of all colonial powers or even the French translation ile Maurice, the colonial power that was forced into abolishing slavery or the British who in turn introduced indentured servitude, a system that can be equated to slavery in many aspects, certainly resulting in abject poverty, disproportional rights and false promises of returning to a home one day. Now this is our home. and i do not want our children to be of Mauritian descent. Named in Honour of Maurice de Nassau,named after a Prince from a land of which we bear no affinity, and who never set foot on our island, It would be as if to Name Britain Great Gengis Khan and having our nationality associated forever in an subconscious manner to the very people who took us through the darkest chapters of our history as if to suggest we remain always in some form of dependant state.

and what are the societal and psychological implications?

From the above,it would appear fairly simple at this point. To change the name of our island is to wash the false history given to us as truth. A history surpassing enslavement and servitude and one in which to an extent a European was our creator. Again, to take the Caribbean as an example which suffered a similar fate to our region, it is widely believed that its inhabitants were all descendants of slaves, where in fact there was a population on most islands such as the Taino that was systematically destroyed by its 'discoverers'. This no doubt would have an adverse effect on its peoples notion that in fact long before a foreign foot laid print to the land there was prior life, life and history of which for us to ignore is to aid our oppressors narrative.

Thankyou for reading 

Finally and for those that feel the name has negative religious connotations, Dina Arobi comes from a language not a religion and to compare both is not only irrelevant and unconnected as the name  recorded in the map which is over half a millennia old but also enhances this very argument as our name only reflects a European, Protestant title which doesn’t represent the populace demographics. Also  the Arabic language has more relation to Indians and Africans than the Dutch, and not to mention also reflecting a Western European ideology of what an Arab name represents.

If you too believe that you, your family and more importantly our future generations do not identify ourselves with the name Maurice de Nassau, a Dutchman and what he represents, then please sign and lets change History for the good of our people.To deny truth of our past is to reshape the expectations of our future. We can start with our name.