Now I don’t want to entirely discount the reality, which is that he did save many lives during the genocide while risking his own life—something that was extremely rare. However, what seems to be the complete true story is that he only let people stay at his hotel if they had money—turning away anyone that couldn’t afford the nightly fees (which was very expensive as it was the nicest hotel in the entire country) to be killed as soon as they walked out onto the street.
What is a little scary and happening now is that Rusesabagina is using his popularity and international fame to promote opinions that aren’t so different from views and comments of the extremists in the Habyariamana regime (or the “masterminds” of the genocide). I have come to this conclusion after reading several articles written by credible and objective sources as well as talking to many Rwandese individuals. I think Paul Rusesabagina is not a harmless or even misguided publicity seeker involved in self-promotion because respected news agencies use his celebrity status and deem it acceptable to quote him without really knowing the facts.
So he claims that the genocide is the fault of the army (the RPF) led by Paul Kagame, the current president. In his view, the genocide was a direct result of Kagame’s forces and that those actions forced the government into killing Tutsis. This statement appears to somewhat justify the actions of the Habyarimana regime and the death of one million Rwandans! For me—the distinction is very important—the RPF, an army composed of mostly Tutsi refugees from Tanzania, the Congo, and Uganda (their families left Rwanda after smaller massacres dating back to 1959) is an entirely different entity than innocent Tutsis living in Rwanda—something that extremist Hutus and apparently Paul Rusesabagina ignore. I don’t understand how anyone can justify the killing of innocent people (this is a very very brief history of the conflict…. seriously read up on it if you have a chance…. gist: serious problems with colonialism and the repercussions that followed).
My opinion is that both the RPF and the Hutu extremists are to blame for what went on in Rwanda. Kagame (president) is by no means perfect and I can see problems developing in the near future of this country. He seems to be a bit of a dictator, but is working to decentralize power. He has such control of the press and so much of what is written is censored (some of this is very necessary to ensure ethnic clashes don’t flare up). That being said…he has implemented some very good programs to get kids in school, promote HIV protection and de-stigmatization, and provide food and water for the poorest families. Additionally, he has done a remarkable job (maybe too much so because there is little to no discussion about ethnic identity…) at abolishing the ethnic identity cards and really any conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis. For example, today I was talking with Joy about Hutus and Tutsis and the conflict, and Steve, her five-year-old son asked what are Hutus and Tutsis. Here is a picture of Steve. He is adorable and is obsessed with cellphones. I found the phone he is holding in his hand in the house I am staying at-and he can't put it down!
That was long winded….and probably made little sense….but thought it was interesting to see how Rusesabagina is viewed here and a little glimpse at what the government is like here.
5 comments:
it's scary that a child can be innocently born into the world and already be stamped with a dark history that precedes his arrival.
I read your last three blogs. There is so much pain in the country. It comes out on every page. The movies so want to make heroes- the story of hotel rwanda-makes more sense the way you tell it- but it's sad if it's true.
I just read your whole blog. I really needed to catch up! I can't believe everything you have experiened so far. It so terribly sad to read about the pain that so many of the people you have met have endured. But, it sounds like you have met so many nice, strong and resilient people. Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry I didn't really respond to this particular post. I miss you! love, Jacquelyn
I think it is interesting what you say about the movie Hotel Rwanda, after seing Resusabagina speak at CU I left feeling very unsatisfied with the story he told and a little bit critical of the information I recieved. Mainly because I felt that he talked only about the events of the movie and did little to shed light on the situations of the past and even the present. I think the movie and his fame is a classic example of the American tendency to glorify and freeze figures in history. It is sortof like a scapegoat, a way that people can feel less guilty for something they could've or should've done. It is so important to think critically about what is handed to us, it is this sortof questioning that does the most good, love
Katie (spi)
Well said.
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