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We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families

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Philip Gourevitch
Philip Gourevitch

Philip Gourevitch, born on January 1, 1961, is an American author known for his in-depth investigative reporting and literary narrative. His work, particularly his coverage of conflicts in Africa, has garnered widespread acclaim. more

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“The last time I heard an orthodox Marxist statement that was music to my ears was from a member of the Rwanda Patriotic Front, during the mass slaughter in the country. 'The terms Hutu and Tutsi,' he said severely, 'are merely ideological constructs, describing different relationships to the means and mode of production.' But of course!”

IdeologyMarxismRwandaRwandan GenocideHutusTutsisRwandan Patriotic Front
Book:Hitch 22: A Memoir
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“The UN lacked the ability to act without the support of its more powerful members, notably the United States. The American government wanted to avoid a repetition of its unsuccessful intervention in Somalia, in which thirty American troops were killed. President Clinton issued a directive on UN military conditions. The operations would also have to be directly relevant to American interests. These conditions excluded American support for UN intervention to stop the genocide [in Rwanda].”

AmericaGenocideUnited NationsRwandaAmerican Foreign PolicyRwandan Genocide
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“Rwanda’s Muslim community is an example of a group (a full community rather than isolated individuals) that resisted the appeal of dangerous speech and other pressures to participate in the genocide. The Muslim community, which had both Hutu and Tutsi members, not only refused to participate in the genocide but actively opposed it. Its actions during the genocide included rescuing, hiding, and taking care of Muslim and non-Muslim Tutsis, and providing safe haven in mosques. Muslims also rejected commands to kill or reveal Tutsis hidden in their communities, on several occasions going so far as to fight back and be killed themselves.”

IslamMuslimMosquesRwandaMuslimsRwandan GenocideHutusTutsis
Book:Defusing Hate: A Strategic Communication Guide to Counteract Dangerous Speech
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“This hypothesis, believed by many Western scholars at the time, held that there were two races present in Africa: the Hamitic race and the Negroid race. The Hamitic race was thought to be a superior race of people who originated in northern Africa. British historian C. G. Seligman went so far as to claim that all significant discoveries and advancements in African history, including those of the Ancient Egyptians, were achieved by Hamites. He argued that Hamites migrated into central Africa, bringing more sophisticated customs, languages, and technologies with them. Hamites were believed by Westerners to be more closely related to white people. Tutsis were believed to be descendants of Hamitic people because they had more "European" features. Hutus were believed to be Negroid. Tutsis were therefore allowed better educations and jobs. Ethnic identity cards were introduced to ensure tribal division. Many have argued that this division was at the root of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, during which members of the Hutu majority murdered as many as eight hundred thousand Tutsi people.”

RacismDivisionRwandaRwandan GenocideRacial Division
Book:Aftershocks
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