RWANDA Like the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide of 1994 was an act of extreme violence that involved all people from every age group and social standing. After the assassination of President Habyarimana, a Hutu, the Hutu population, led by the Hutu-dominated government, decided on the extermination of the Hutu population. In around 100 days, hundreds of thousands of Tutsi lives were lost to their Hutu neighbors in one of the most violent bloodsheds ever to see Africa. While the forms of rationalization may differ in some ways, there was still a level of Christian involvement in the Genocide. The question is, how could Rwanda, one of the most Christian nations in Africa, be a place of such violence and distaste for human life? What factors …show more content…
By this I mean that, due to the highly centralized government and the tendency to be obedient to authority in Rwanda, that resistance by individual Rwandans was not as widespread as in the Holocaust. Resistance came in the form of general pleas from the Pope to stop the violence that didn't actually address the direct participation of the catholic church in the genocide (Waller, Deliver 10). Another form of resistance came from other church leaders who, when faced with the theological problems of the genocide and the violence, often publicly despaired of murder in general (Waller, Deliver 10). The leaders of both Protestant and Catholic churches wrote a letter calling an end to the violence but did not go so far as to condemn the actions of those participating (Waller, Deliver 10). Based on this overview, the resistance in Rwanda to the genocide did exist, but it proved to do little good to ease or help the situation. Overall, Christian participation in the Rwandan genocide was widespread, common, and expected. The history of the church in Rwanda and it's close ties to the national government, when met with the other factors of the genocidal regime and the centralized authority and tendency towards obedience, makes Christian involvement in the genocide understandable. While the Christian participation is saddening and explicitly un-biblical, it was an almost inevitable product of the factors that were all present in Rwanda in
Since Burundi’s independence in 1962, there have been two instances of genocide: the 1972 mass killings of Hutus by the Tutsi-dominated government, and the 1993 mass killings of the Tutsis by the Hutu populace. Both of these events in Burundi received different levels of attention by the international community and the western media due to a lack of foreign governmental interest, political distraction, and an unwillingness to acknowledge the severity of these atrocities in Burundi. Interestingly, events of genocide occurring at times without these distractions received more foreign attention than those ignored due to these factors. Because of this, much of the western world is unaware of the Burundian genocide and events similar to it.
It is impossible to even imagine the scale of hate, destruction, and massacre that occurred in Rwanda during those 100 days. Linda Melvern, on the International Development Research Centere website, describes in an article the Gikondo Massacre, one of the bloodiest mass-killings during the genocide. On the third day of the turmoil, about 500 Tutsi, many of them children, gathered at a church in the middle of Kigali, having stepped over the bodies of their neighbors to get there. They pleaded the clergy for protection. The priest did his best, but presidential guard soldiers arrived and accused the church of harboring evil. He then left, telling soldiers not to waste bullets; the Interahamwe, he said, would arrive with...
The genocides of the 20th century which occurred in Rwanda and Germany had striking similarities, something that should have alerted the world to stop them. At the core of these two massacres, patterns existed that outlined how similar thinking and reasoning could lead to something as horrible as these two events. One can see how both groups used their command of knowledge as a way to control the people, how the rest of the world refused to step up to stop the killings, and how the people were thought of as less than humans to provide a just cause for such terrible acts.
The Rwandan Genocide was a terrible event in history caused by a constantly weakening relationship between two groups of people. The country of Rwanda is located in Africa and consists of multiple groups of people. Majority of Rwanda is Hutu, while a smaller amount of people are Tutsis. The genocide started due to multiple events that really stretched the relationship between the two groups to its end. One of the starting factors was at the end of World War 1. Rwanda was a German colony but then was given to Belgium “who favored the minority Tutsis over the Hutus, exacerbated[exacerbating] the tendency of the few to oppress the many”(History.com). This created a feeling of anger towards the Tutsis, because they had much more power then Hutus.
Africa has been an interesting location of conflicts. From the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea to the revolutionary conflict in Libya and Egypt, one of the greatest conflicts is the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide included two tribes in Rwanda: Tutsis and Hutus. Upon revenge, the Hutus massacred many Tutsis and other Hutus that supported the Tutsis. This gruesome war lasted for a 100 days. Up to this date, there have been many devastating effects on Rwanda and the global community. In addition, many people have not had many acknowledgements for the genocide but from this genocide many lessons have been learned around the world.
"Rwanda Genocide." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Global Issues In Context. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.
As the news reported that Islamic State committed genocide against Christians and other minorities had suffered serious defeats from recent battles against the allied forces, the images of piles of dead bodies shown to the world in Rwanda about a couple decades ago emerge once again and triggers an interesting puzzle: why did the Rwandan Genocide happen in one of the smallest nations in the African Continent? The documentary film, Rwanda-Do Scars Ever Fade?, upon which this film analysis is based provides an answer to the puzzle.
One half of the people in Rwanda are Christian, and most of the Christians are
The field of study which collectively examines religion and how it relates to historical instances of genocide is a relatively new one in the academic world. Two early scholars in the field are widely accepted as penning some of the most influential essays in the field: Leo Kuper and his essay, Theological Warrants for Genocide: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity; Leonard Glick and his essay, Religion and Genocide. These two works would go on to be considered seminal in the field and many following scholars would utilize the notions within them to further the study of religion and genocide. Kuper and Glick, respectively, focus in their essays on the concepts of theological warrants for genocide and the interconnectedness of religion and ethnicity
During the first half century after the crucifixion of Jesus, the Roman government including governors in the eastern provinces took no active measures against Christians. The attitude of the higher Roman authorities had always been that Christianity was merely a sect of Judaism, and as such, were entitled to share in its privileges as a recognized religion. In 64 A.D. this attitude suffered a severe alteration. On July 19, 64 A.D. occurred the great fire of Rome. Half a million people were left homeless. Popular rumor persistently asserted that the fire was started by incendiaries acting under the orders of the Emperor Nero. It was said that Nero wanted the city burnt down so he could build a new city which was to be re-named after himself. Nero felt that something must be done to deflect the public indignation against him. To do this he contrived that accusations should be brought against the Christians. So Nero began an aggressive persecution of the Christians in Rome. Those who confessed their guilt were brought to trail. During these trials a great number of other Christians were uncovered and were also brought to trial. Oddly enough, these people were not charged with starting the great fire of Rome, but rather for “hatred of the humankind.”
When the Rwandan Hutu majority betrayed the Tutsi minority, a destructive mass murdering broke out where neighbor turned on neighbor and teachers killed their students; this was the start of a genocide. In this paper I will tell you about the horrors the people of Rwanda had to face while genocide destroyed their homes, and I will also tell you about the mental trauma they still face today.
Baur John. 2000 years of Christianity in Africa: An Africa Church History. Nairobi: Pauline’s Publications
The Conflict between the Tutsis and the Hutus The Hutus occupied the Rwandan area prior to the Tutsis arrival in the 14th century. The Hutus were a large population who govern themselves. The Hutus were farmers by nature and a passive people who allowed the Tutsis to settle there without any provocation or resistance. The Tutsis on the other hand, were cattle-herding warriors from the Ethiopian highlands.
Christianity came to Africa during the first century in Alexandria by Mark The Evangelist. To elaborate, at the year 46 C.E Mark, who is one of the four apostles, arrived to Alexandria in his advent to Africa. Subsequently, the seeds for Christianity was planted. Although it was first stagnant, it eventually formed into one of Africa’s most prolific religion. On the account of that, Christianity had a grand influence on African politics, economy,trade, and conflict.
Genocide, destruction, poor infrastructure, Rwanda a recovering country that cannot shed it’s bad reputation. Before Belgium colonized Rwanda there were Hutu’s and Twa’s, later on in the 1300’s the Tutsi’s migrated over. When these ethnic groups met they created a common culture and language, they were equals. However the ethnic divisions perpetuated by Belgium resulted in a Genocide that tarnished Rwanda’s global image. People can note that Belgiums reign created chaos and terror, in addition politic issues regarding government power and the treatment of it’s people shaped modern day Rwanda.