Tag: Rwanda

Religions as revolutions

Posted on by kathiemm

By guest author Majed Ashy, Ph.D.

Moses and escape from Egypt
Israel's escape from Egypt. Image in public domain

From the time of…

  • Moses, who helped guide the Israelis out of slavery and oppression to freedom, to
  • Jesus, who preached equality and love and changed the whole human understanding of power structures, to
  • Mohammad, who fought tyranny and oppression in Arabia and preached for justice and human dignity …

… one can see that these religions were in some ways revolutions, forces against existing oppressive power structures and traditions.

No doubt, some of the followers of religions established their own oppressive power structures and committed violence, but violence and oppression can be committed by non-religious as well as religious individuals and forces.

What did any religion have to do with the 20 million people killed in WWI, or the 60 million killed in WWII?  With Vietnam, Korean, or Japanese wars, the Cambodian or Rwandan genocides, or the dropping of the nuclear bombs over Japanese civilians?  Or the oppression and killing of millions in Russia and Eastern Europe by Stalin and other dictators, or the oppression committed by military dictators in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, among many others?

Linking violence to one religion or another reflects:

  • Selective attention and reading of the history of violence and oppression that existed before and after any of these religions were established
  • Overlooking the role of religions and religious people in fighting oppression and contributing to humans’ well being in many areas of life
  • A dangerous way of offering unexamined answers that feed popular cultural prejudices and fears
  • A simplification of the problem of human violence,l which transcends race, culture, or religion

Instead of falsely attributing violence to religion, we need a serious scholarly non-ideological discussion to find the real roots of violence and the way toward greater peace.

To achieve peace, we need courage to look in the mirror and see our own faults before we point fingers at others, and we need courage in our struggle to be fair — even with those with whom we disagree.

Dr. Majed Ashy, assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Eyewitness account of Rwandan reconciliation

Posted on by kathiemm

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we again feature a post from Andrew Potter‘s experiences in Rwanda.]

Bodies of Rwandan refugees, 1994
Bodies of Rwandan refugees, 1994. Photo in public domain.

In a way that only being physically present in this country could convey, I’ve realized that the genocide is a very difficult thing for Rwandans to talk about. If people do speak about the horrors they have encountered, it is only under very hushed circumstances or around people they trust.

Because of the delicate social issues, it is difficult to capture the real psyche of this nation on camera. Yet it is incredibly important to be in Rwanda  and to ponder the nature of what took place here: the largest genocide in modern history.

We must remind ourselves that friends, family members, and neighbors perpetrated this genocide against one another.

Because of this, reconciliation is everywhere, as the people have needed to move forward. The very fact that people are living side by side in peace is an incredibly powerful achievement to witness.

In an earlier post I spoke of how the New York Times has portrayed Rwanda as a “suppressed” nation.  I feel as though this was an unfair portrayal of the country. In the U.S. we are often hyper-critical of another country when democracy is lacking. We criticize as if we know better, as if we stand on a higher moral ground.

In actuality we have a lot to learn from the way Rwanda is conducting itself. Criticism is good when it is done in balance, yet it is dangerous when it causes us to ignore realities. We need to observe. We can certainly ask questions, but it is too soon to judge.

Andrew Potter

“Never again”: A report from Rwanda

Posted on by kathiemm

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison:  Today’s post is part of an ongoing series by Andrew Potter, reporting from Rwanda where he is working on a documentary film about his experience.]

Writing on Rwandan brick wall: "Never Again"
Photo by Andrew Potter

I am experiencing this country with fresh eyes and an informed perspective.  I am encouraged by the balance that seems to have been achieved here.

Nathan and I have visited a number of local schools and are awed by the students’ intelligence and excellent grasp of the English language.

Two days ago we toured a genocide memorial at the site where over 10,000 Tutsis were massacred. This was a very visceral experience, one that was extremely difficult to digest. A description will have to suffice because photography was not permitted.

We entered a church, the same church where thousands of Tutsis had attempted to seek refuge. Walking into the church is like stepping onto a crime scene. Everything is freshly preserved. The pews of the church are piled with mounds of cloths from the dead.

In the underbelly of the church is a coffin holding the body of a Tutsi lady who was raped 15 times before she was brutally murdered. The ceiling is covered in bloodstains and bullet holes. It was an absolutely chilling scene.

I feel that this was incredibly important to witness first hand. It made me realize the severity of what Rwanda is currently attempting to overcome.

In being here I get the sense that people are doing the absolute best they can in the wake of an unspeakable past. In light of this I have shifted the focus of my documentary away from the genocide and reconciliation issues to simply documenting the school we are staying at and the everyday life of the people in this country.

There is a power, simplicity, and beauty in the way people have recovered and how they have achieved so much growth in the past 16 years.

Andrew Potter

Reconciliation in Rwanda

Posted on by kathiemm

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today’s post comes from Andrew Potter, an Engaging Peace intern and regular commenter, and a member of GIPGAP. Andrew will be traveling to Rwanda in early June.]

As many people know, in 1994, Rwanda, in East Africa, was plagued by a 100 day genocide that left more than 800,000 Tutsis (20% of the population) dead and thousands displaced.  Two Hutu militias were primarily responsible; however, the genocide was coordinated by the Hutu national government and the media played a crucial role in urging ordinary Hutu civilians to participate in the slaughter.

Sixteen years have passed since that bloody summer and today Rwanda is described as one of the safest and least corrupt African nations. Nevertheless, Rwanda’s future is uncertain.

Some human rights groups describe Rwanda as “orderly yet repressive,” and wonder if the current government is more a dressed up dictatorship than an authentic democracy.  Kagame (former RPF Tutsi opposition leader) has pulled the country from shambles by using hardline policies, such as shutting down independent media and imprisoning all those who utter the words Tutsi or Hutu in an offensive way.

At this point Rwanda stands at a juncture between its horrific past and the possibility of a promising future. It is my intention to visit Rwanda during the first two weeks of June, equipped with a video camera, in order to document ongoing efforts at reconciliation.

I will be traveling alongside Nathan Felde, chair of the design department at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.  We hope to return able to recount the experiences of the Rwandan people in their recovery from genocide.

Andrew Potter

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Please contribute to Andrew’s trip and documentary work through your Amazon.com purchases. First go to engagingpeace.com and click on the Amazon link in the sidebar. All proceeds coming to Engaging Peace from Amazon.com in May and June will be contributed to Andrew’s trip.]