This is a must read book. When I had a discussion with a friend on how it is possible to look at an attacker as a victim, he suggested this book. 2 years ago, I would have thrown the book away considering it as a religious book or something on propagation of Christianity. But now I can see it differently. I see the power of thought and the power of positive thinking in Immaculee's prayers.
Until this book, I had never even heard of the Rwandan genocide - not that I have been aware of every important thing happening in the world, but I did read newspapers regularly and watched the news channels. I don't remember this being a big news that caught the attention of the world. Also this happened when I was in my final year in high school, and my whole world revolved around the board exams. It was also the time I believed that there was no war in the world(nothing bigger than what's going on in Srilanka and Kashmir). These kind of genocides/holocaust were a thing of the past. So when I read this book, I was shaken to the core.
800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by trained killers and normal civilians - with full government support. The whole country was filled with hatred towards the Tutsis and people stopped working until the 'job was done' - the job of killing Tutsis. I can't believe that radio was used to propagate the message of killing Tutsis who were referred as cockroaches.
Amidst all this suffering, it's amazing to see how Immaculee could remain optimistic. Forgiving the killers of her family is difficult, but she did it. Forgiving is not an act of kindness and definitely not to make the attackers feel good. It just gets the hatred and vengeance out of the victim. If a victim can see the attacker as a victim of his mind's craziness, then forgiveness happens naturally. With that, the victim will have the power over the situation and can walk through life, unscathed.
Here's a link to my friend's blog on this book.
http://deepakktrenewal.blogspot.com/2008/11/left-to-tell.html
7 comments:
Forgiving is easy if you are indifferent to a situation. Forgiving is difficult for the first time but it is natural if you have done many times. This is my experience. But, is it correct to just forgive without taking any action to let the attacker know that what he is doing is wrong? Wont he repeat it like how it happened for Jesus and Gandhi. They succeeded amidst their suffering and so we all remember them for their sacrifices. But, there could have been many who have done sacrifices / forgiveness which are not understood by the attacker or by the mass - They are gone for ever. No meaning for their life. I (many) dont mind to be like Gandhi or Jesus by forgiving ...but what if I leave this world with everyone misunderstanding me? So, is there not a intelligence required to forgive also?
I have not ready many and so I am not able to quote from a famous book or poet. But, this question lingers in mind and so I drop it here.
A typo error in the above. Please read "ready" as "read"
First of all Hats off to Immaculee for her forgiving nature to the sinners..
But on a broader perspective,
if any living being is in a sympathising position, the living being cannot survive or will be living like a slave..For example, in a forest if you are a dear, it may become a prey to a Stronger Lion or Tiger.. But an elephant will not harm any other living being, but it will be respected by the Lion or Tiger.
This is what Swami Vivekanantha says "Strength is life and Weakness is death", even for forgiving we should develop our strengths and forgive the sinners..
If we are weak, then our forigiving nature will not change the sinners. Rather it will help them to still crush these cultured people. In short, every nation started building its defense based on such incidence only.. Let anyone not be offensive.. But self defense is always required..
when you are indifferent, there is no need to forgive, you are not bothered, so forgiveness is not required. It can happen in a shallow level - just in words, but can't make any difference.
I can answer all your questions, but my experience is that, if we talk about it, we might seem to understand. But after a while, you will realize that you understand nothing. You have to read the book to see how this whole process of forgiveness and liberation happens. When I say liberation - I mean freedom within - that helps to keep us calm.
Also, it is very important to take action against the offenders. You cannot forgive them and let them go free. Forgiving is something that should happen in our hearts, which will give us peace. But action is required to discipline the person who committed the crime. When you get a chance, read this book.
Saravanan,
We meet again :)
Forgiving and bending over are different things. Essentially, what we mean by forgiving is not carrying the baggage of what happened (for a victim, it is typically hurt, anger and hatred) to your future.
Building defenses for self protection and forgiving others for their mistakes need not be contradictory.
Finally, I feel forgiveness is *always* a position of strength. I don't thing it is possible to be weak and forgiving. A weak person is only submissive.
Hi Deepak,
Nice to meet u again.
I do agree forgiving is a position of strength and every person should develop this virtue.
I've mentioned the difference between submissive and forgiving to make things clear which is forgiving and which is submissive.
மனதோடு கோபம் நீ
வளர்த்தாலும் பாவம்
மெய்யான அன்பே
தெய்வீகம் ஆகும்.
ennum varigalil enakku aazhtha nambikkai undu.. :)
A killer talks...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/3582011.stm
In 1994 in the village of Nyarubuye, Rwanda, the Hutu majority went on a killing spree in the local church, slaughtering neighbours and friends.
Gitera Rwamuhuzi is one of those who took part in the genocide. This is his story.
Before the genocide, life was normal. For us, as long as there was a harvest good enough to save us from buying food from the market, I would say that we were happy.
I heard that Tutsis were regarded as superior towards Hutus. For example a Hutu could only change his social status by serving in a Tutsi's household. The rest were low-class Hutus.
Some people did not even find someone to kill because there were more killers than victims
Because the RPF were blamed for the death of President Habyarimana, we thought that they had started with the high-ranking officials and that they were going to end up doing the same to us ordinary people.
We thought that if they had managed to kill the head of state, how were ordinary people supposed to survive?
On the morning of 15 April 1994, each one of us woke up knowing what to do and where to go because we had made a plan the previous night. In the morning we woke up and started walking towards the church.
No life
After selecting the people who could use guns and grenades, they armed them and said we should surround the church.
They said one group would go south and another group would go to the north. There were so many of us we were treading on each others' heels.
Flora Mukampore, genocide survivor
Read the story of Flora Mukampore, who survived the Nyarubuye massacre
'Living among the dead'
People who had grenades detonated them. The Tutsis started screaming for help.
As they were screaming, those who had guns started to shoot inside.
They screamed saying that we are dying, help us, but the soldiers continued shooting.
I entered and when I met a man I hit him with a club and he died.
You would say why not two, three or four but I couldn't kill two or three because those that entered outnumbered those inside.
Some people did not even find someone to kill because there were more killers than victims.
When we moved in, it was as if we were competing over the killing. We entered and each one of us began killing their own.
Each person who we cut looked like they had been hit by the grenades. They looked traumatised. They looked like their hearts had been taken away.
No one was asking for forgiveness. They looked like they had been killed already.
My neighbours
Those you cut were just not saying anything. They were scared that no one said anything. They must have been traumatized.
Apart from breathing you could see that they had no life in them. They looked like their hearts had been taken away.
These people were my neighbours - the picture of their deaths may never leave me
I saw people whose hands had been amputated, those with no legs, and others with no heads. I saw everything.
Especially seeing people rolling around and screaming in agony, with no arms, no legs. People died in very bad conditions.
It was as if we were taken over by Satan. We were taken over by Satan. When Satan is using you, you lose your mind. We were not ourselves. Beginning with me, I don't think I was normal.
You wouldn't be normal if you start butchering people for no reason. We had been attacked by the devil.
Even when I dream my body changes in a way I cannot explain. These people were my neighbours. The picture of their deaths may never leave me. Everything else I can get out of my head but that picture never leaves.
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