Fear and Hate (and why we should remember)

Today, April 6th 1994, the former President of Rwanda died in an attack on his plane as it landed in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Africa. The next day moderates in his Cabinet are killed including their families. During the colonial history of this beautiful country, Belgium instituted a strict ethnic identification dividing the country into the minority Tutsi and the majority Hutus. There were no such division before. In fact, majority of Rwandans share a religion, Roman Catholism, the universal Christian Church.

The very next day the systematic (mostly) killing of the Tutsi (and some Hutus) by Hutu militias, Hutu extremists in government and military began. It lasted 100 days, The United Nations Commission on Human Rights estimate 800 million Rwandans died within 3 months. While some deaths are due to disease and the appalling conditions in refugee camps, most died at the hands of Hutu militias and their Hutu neighbors.

Possession of an ID card like this meant death to the bearer.
From Prevent Genocide International

After the Tutsi rebel force regained control of the government, the Hutu militias crossed into Zaire and left these machetes and spears, knowing it would identify them as executioner of the genocide.

Women and girls were raped repeatedly and humiliated before being killed. The killers prized the heads of their victims so decapitation was common.  Months before, the Hutu extremists intimidated the Tutsis and the moderate Hutus using radio. They broadcast hate propaganda and told their listeners to arm themselves. The broadcasts combined fear and hate while pointing to violence as the only solution.

The United Nations and the world in general failed the people of Rwanda. We turned our backs and looked away unlike in Bosnia where a genocide was prevented. Not too far away, Nelson Mandela was assuming power  as the first black man to rule a multi-racial South Africa. Man soared to dizzying heights of accomplishment only to dive again to depths of inhumanity.

We remember these events because we should not underestimate the force of fear and hate. First they try to divide us by giving us a false sense of identity (ethnicity, color, gender,social status). A divided people is easier to rule (as in control). If you put a tag on someone, they stay tagged, they stay in their boxes, they become objects.

That leads to a very bad day.