I would like to give some background on the Rwandan holocaust before delving into the actual book review. Personally, reading about the holocaust again, helped me appreciate the book better.
The civil war in Rwanda was between two major tribes of the country; Hutu and Tutsi. From the mid-eighteenth century, Rwanda was dominated by Tutsi kings, who amassed major power in the country and enacted anti-Hutu policies. Later, when European nations colonized Rwanda, they ruled through Tutsi kings and perpetuated pro-Tutsi policies. The Hutu population revolted in 1959, massacred a large number of Tutsis and established an independent Hutu-dominated state in 1962. At this juncture, several Tutsis fled and took refuge in neighboring Uganda and later formed a rebel group called Rwandan Patriotic front (RPF). Pro-Hutu sentiments prevailed in Rwanda, but the 70s, saw greater economic prosperity within the count and violence against Tutsis had reduced.
In 1990, however, the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front launched a
civil war in Rwanda. This rekindled the ongoing
conflict between the Hutu led government and the RPF. At
this time, the Rwandan president Habyarimana, himself a Hutu, exploited the
fear of people to advance an anti-Tutsi agenda, which was named Hutu power. Anti Tutsi propaganda was encouraged, Tutsis were
called cockroaches by Hutus, and Hutus who married Tutsis were ostracized. The anti Tutsi venom was spreading throughout
the country. From
1990 to 1993, the French also openly supported the Habyarimana regime against RPF rebels. The French organized and trained
Rwandan troops, who subsequently formed the Interahamwe
militias, and future militiamen.
In December 1993, however, after seeing the carnage
and bloodshed, the French joined the international community in pressuring president
Habyarimana
to sign a ceasefire treaty with the RPF. The Hutu president’s signing of the
peace treaty with the RPF, went against the grain of the Hutu army and Hutu hardliners, who started
plotting against him. Soon after the signing, a plane carrying the Rwandan President
Habyarimana and the Burundian president Cyprien
Nitaryamira, both Hutus, was shot down, killing
all passengers on board.
The assassination
set in motion the bloodiest civil war of the 20th century, for Hutus
believed that the Tutsis killed their Hutu president.1 Hatred
against Tutsis soared, Hutu extremists campaigned heavily against Tutsis and heartlessly
butchered several Tutsis on sight. This prompted RPF to retaliate, which
further increased support for Hutu extremists within the country. The youth
militia began actively carrying out massacres across the country. The militia and the police started systematically executing
all Tutsi and moderate Hutu leaders. Checkpoints were set up to verify people’s
tribe from their identity cards. Hutu civilians were recruited and armed with
machetes and other weapons to rape, maim and kill all Tutsis and destroy or
steal their property. This breach of the peace agreement reignited the RFP
offensive, and RFP rapidly seized control of the northern part of the country and
by July, captured Kigali, bringing an end to the meaningless genocide.
One wonders what the
developed nations were doing when Rwanda was bleeding so profusely. France even
seemed to aid and abet in the genocide until the peace treaty was written to
end the hatred between Hutus and Tutsis.
After the genocide
ended, Rwanda’s problems did not disappear. The country was on the brink of
economic disaster. Since the mass killings had reduced the population
drastically, the work force in the country was not sufficient to begin effective
reconstruction. Hutu refugees fled to nearby Zaire, causing yet another set of
problems. But, that is another story….
In any society with people
from different religions, races or tribes, there are likely to be differences
in ways of living and outlooks and also a sense of superiority over others, which can
result in conflicts. Conflicts in a society need to be acknowledged and
addressed in a fair and timely manner, to prevent it from escalating into
violence. Conflicts, when managed well, have served as change agents towards equal
treatment, growth and development. Effective leaders, who are interested in the
larger good, are able to visualize the
path that conflicts might take if left unacknowledged, and deal with it to
yield positive results. When leaders and politicians (mis)use conflicts to gain
political advantage, conflicts can take an ugly turn towards violence. President
Habyarimana,
after coming to power, inculcated fear of Tutsis in the Hutu people, in order
to advance his personal anti-Tutsi agenda. When the situation turned grossly
violent, he was forced into signing a peace treaty, which led the Hutu power
itself to kill him. A parallel can be drawn in the Indian political scene when Mrs.
Indira Gandhi’s used Binderenwale to help push her agenda and when he realized
that motive, he went against her and the enemity culminated in her being assassinated.
Unfortunately, such actions by political leaders have resulted in deplorable
tragedies, causing thousands of innocent lives to be lost.
Left
to tell is young Immacule’e’s
true, traumatic, yet inspirational account of this horrific genocide in Rwanda.
It is a story of how her unfailing faith and her inner strength helped her
survive the bloody killings that surrounded her. She
was sent by her family to hide in their pastor’s house, to save her from rape
and killing. The Hutu pastor, in order to protect her from Hutu extremists, hid
her along with six other women in a 3 ft x 4 ft bathroom. They huddled
together, taking turns even to change position. The killers who had seen them
enter, but not leave, were intent upon finding them, and they would rampage
into the house every day, with spears and machetes, some even calling her name.
She was conspicuous, not only because of her height and beauty, but also was a
bright young woman from a well known Tutsi family. She lived without sleep and food for months together,
for the pastor did not want to be seen visiting them often. That would put him
as well as them in grave danger. When she peeped out of the little bathroom
once in a while, she could see rage in the eyes of Hutu power, in people who
were her friends and acquaintances before, slaying Tutsis heartlessly right in
front of her eyes. She lived in abject fear, cut out from the rest of the world,
except for the radio that the Pastor had left on in the adjacent room. Even if
she was not killed by the Tutus, it seemed very likely that she might die of disease
or starvation in those unhygienic surroundings.
Her quote “Faith moves mountains, if faith were easy
there would be no mountains” speaks
volumes about how she survived these horrific three months. It was indeed difficult
for her to hold on to her faith, and believe in God or goodness, when her
family and friends were getting killed brutally. Her faith was tested many
times, but in the end, her faith prevailed like an armor, protecting her,
giving her peace in the midst of meaningless massacre engulfing her. After 3
months of suffering in the tiny bathroom, when she heard on the radio about a
camp that the French had set up nearby, she and all others hiding in the bathroom
risked their lives, escaped the pastor’s bathroom and sought shelter in the
camp. She realized that baseless rumors about how her family had instigated the
violence were rampant. She found out that all her immediate family members,
except one brother who was studying abroad, were killed quite mercilessly in
these three months It seemed like the end of her life, at least life as she had
known. The way her heart broke upon learning of the death of her charming brother who wanted to save the family come what may, packed an extra punch for me since it hit close to home. What was most inspirational was that she picked herself up above her deep grief and searched for a way to survive and lead a meaningful life. With her positive attitude and determination, she eventually became a writer and a philanthropist, and a messenger
against hate crimes.
There was immense spiritual growth in her as she spent
months huddled in a tiny bathroom, with the fear of death hanging over her
every minute. She experienced betrayal from people who she thought were close
to her as well as kindness from strangers, in these extreme situations. She was
able to rationalize that hatred and revenge beget more hatred and revenge. She
was experiencing the wrath of revenge, taking many innocents in its wake.
Her maturity and strength of character
is evident from the following conversation that followed after her family’s
murderer was brought in front of her, to take revenge.
"What was that all about, Immaculée? That was the man
who murdered your family. I brought him to you to question...to spit on if you
wanted to. But you forgave him! How could you do that? Why did you forgive him?"
I (Immacule’e) answered him with the truth: "Forgiveness is all I have to offer."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Od6V6Z3ug
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