"It is possible to stop those preaching hate"

Esther Mujawayo, an author and survivor of the Rwanda Genocide in 1994 and an expert witness spoke of the atrocities of the 1994 Genocide. She stated that sporadic massacres and the lootings took place against the Tutsis population since 59: every 10 years or so "The bad wind" would destroy villages and displace the population. These attacks encouraged the Tutsis to rebuild their villages and most importantly to build what cannot be taken by the killers and looters- human values.

Although these attacks escalated over time, they were not as bad as the genocide of 1994. This is mainly due to the official propaganda of the government prior and during the genocide, via media such as newspapers and radio, to promote hatred of the Tutsis. Mujawayo remembers in particular an article published in a newspaper – the "10 commandment of Hutu", including the commandment not to marry a Tutsis, not to provide a Job for a Tutsis etc. Mujawayo also recalls a popular song on the radio, promoting hatred of the Tutsis.

Mujawayo asks whether we learned a lesson. She states that hearing Ahmadinejad in the UN makes her doubt that the international community has learnt its lesson. In 1994 the government of Rwanda sat in the United Nations, while the Security Council chose to ignore the genocide.

Mujawayo believes it is possible to stop those preaching hate. Preachers of hatred are not the majority, although they are loud. Letting them speak, projects to the world that those who promote hatred are strong.

Biography of Esther Mujawayo

Ms. Mujawayo was born in Rwanda and lost much of her family in the massacres that occurred in 1994. She was only able to escape by bribing a soldier to take her and her children to a secure place. She has since moved to Düsseldorf, Germany, where she works in the field of trauma-therapy with refugees.

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