Simon Mol

African Pope

The Cardinals have spoken and we have a new Pope. Tough to tell if a better choice could have been made. If I were one of the Cardinals voting for a new Pope, perhaps my vote would have been for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as well for one good reason; he comes from a country that opposes the use of force in resolving conflicts. Perhaps this was among the factors that influenced his victory?

Of the different comments about the election of Pope Benedict XVI in the Polish media, I was abashed by the statement of Artur Pruzinski published in Metropol of April 20 (Page 17); ‘It’s a good choice. I am happy that a ‘black-skin’ wasn’t chosen, because there would have been speculations about the end of the world’.

The Chief Refugee

To jest test

"New Warsaw Express"

Poland is not known as a very welcoming place for immigrants, but Simon Mol is among those working hard to change things. A published poet, journalist and the chairman of the Association of Asylum Seekers in Poland, he's been striving to get local bureaucracy to alter its generally unsympathetic treatment of refugees for almost five years now.

Murder Most Foul (1)

On a cold Monday morning (9:00a.m.) as it was in Warsaw on Sept’ 20. 2004, you struggle out of bed reluctantly, sleepwalk to the computer to expire a leftover of the previous day’s task. Just as you make to sit down, the phone rings. The caller yells at you: “We are here at the Nigerian embassy…. Where are you!?”

“Home of course! Are you mad? Why are you shouting!?”
“Haven’t you heard that a Nigerian has been killed? Everyone is waiting for you here!”—
to such an imperative command, what would you do? I did the most obvious; dropped everything, entered into my autumn jacket and made a dash to the taxi rank.
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Murder Most Foul (2)

Following the murder of Joshua Ehitoya, the Association of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Poland , through Simon Mol its Secretary General, wrote the following letter of appeal to the Polish Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration.

Dear Sir Minister;

It is with a heavy, grief-stricken heart that the African Community in Poland through the Association of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Poland present this letter to you. This follows the tragic death of Joshua Ehitoya, originally from Nigeria, who was heinously murdered in his apartment in Saska Kempa last Monday 20 of September at 21:30p.m. We write this letter with the support of 90% of Poles and other nationals residing in Poland, who we believe stand on our side against such an appalling, terrifying and barbaric act that threatens the very core of respect for the law, social harmony, public security and human evolution.

Journeys of a journalist

By Velina Nacheva - Sofia Echo, Bulgaria

CAMEROONIAN Simon Mol has an eye for ordinary things, which led him to see resemblances between his native country and the beauty of Sofia. Bulgaria's capital city reminds him of his hometown Buea, which was the capital of Cameroon under French rule. "Buea is the most beautiful place in the whole world," said Mol who is a journalist, writer and poet.

Warsaw Voice Journalist Awarded

Simon Mol (Simon Moleke Njie), a Cameroonian writer and journalist freelancing with the Voice, was granted the Antifascist of the Year 2003 award by the Nigdy Więcej (Never Again) social association, which monitors and combats trends such as neofascism, racism and xenophobia.

April 2003 - PGF Person of the Month

PGF [Polona Global Fund] honors Simon Moleke Nije (pen name Simon Mol) as its Person of the Month for April 2003. It is difficult to cite only one reason for honoring Mr. Mol. We believe the greatest accomplishment of his young career is the story of his survival and the beauty the world has received as a result. How can a person who has endured so much continue to evoke the wonder of human life and culture? Perhaps the the translator Edward Osiecki says it best: "Reading Simon's poetry is an adventure. Caged birds do not sing. It is awesome indeed to see such a bird singing, and Simon in this case sings in an extraordinary style that deserves recognition."