November 12, 2013MAHG 5028 Religion and Genocide: Rittner Conversation Starter #12Rwandan GenocideThe Angels Have Left Us by Hugh McCullum, talks about the African tragedy that occurred in Rwanda, which resulted in the murder of over a million of victims. The Rwandan genocide occurred between two groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi. The Hutus were considered the natives and indigenous people of the land, while the Tutsis were considered the non-native settlers who were not indigenous. Through propaganda and myth, the strain of ethnic hatred would slowly crumble the Rwandan state. The Rwandan army distributed weapons with French funding. On April 6, 1994, Rwandan President Juvenal Habyariman's plane was shot down and marked the beginning of the 100-day genocide. Waves of violence would be generated throughout Rwanda causing large massacres of men, women and children. The media mainly covered the initial and final stages of the genocide. Many fled the country once violence increased and no Rwandan citizen was allowed to leave. McCullum discusses the historical and political context that led to hostility in Rwanda, the role of churches inside and outside the country, and the lack of response from outside nations (UN and US) to aid in the Rwandan tragedy. Tutsi hatred stems from historical uncertainty and racist myths. There is no real documentation of who first inhabited Rwanda, but the two groups struggle for power and land. The two are not different ethnic groups; rather, they are social categories, because neither of them has established its own language, culture or territory (2). Cultural identities were established by the Tung natives. Political identities are formed by training… middle of the paper… and witnesses will be intimidated or begin to forget some of their most vivid memories. Many Rwandans also fear that justice is being cast aside in the name of peace and reconciliation and that history is being rewritten in the name of preserving unity (105). Should these criminals be pardoned and set free? After the international community has turned its back on the Rwandan people, why not try to redeem themselves and help them seek justice? What is the price of a human life, or better yet what is the price of committing murder? Why does the value of a life decrease because of the color of their skin or the location in which they live? Why doesn't the international community think Africa is worth helping? Works Cited McCullum, Hugh. The angels have left us: the tragedy of Rwanda and the Churches. Geneva: WCC Publications, 1995. Print.