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The Emory Wheel
Oct 19 2007
An Interview With Paul Rusesabagina
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Posted: 10/19/2007
Rwandan genocide survivor Paul Rusesabagina spoke on the importance
of taking action to end genocide on Tuesday at the State of the Race.
In an interview with the Wheel before his speech, he delved into the
details of his experiences, ranging from the pain of learning about
his relatives' brutal deaths to his views on the U.S. resolution to
recognize the Armenian genocide.
- Asst. News Editor Michelle Ye Hee Lee
ML: How accurately does the movie `Hotel Rwanda' reflect your
experiences?
PR: Filmmakers modified a few scenes. A few characters are composite
characters, but otherwise Hotel Rwanda is a true story of what was
going on in the place. But sometimes, a lot of is less violent than
the real life.
ML: What will your message be at the State of Race speech?
PR: I will be speaking about my experiences, and also urging the
international community in my speech to stand up and raise awareness
and help intervene where they have to. Like in Darfur... and like in
Congo, another forgotten key field where more than four million
people have been killed. And each and every one of us has kept quiet.
Silent. And silence, to me, is agreement.
ML: How did you find the courage to risk your safety sheltering
civilians in the Milles Collines hotel?
PR: Sometimes when you grow up, you learn some lessons that you do
not even think about it. So definitely there have been lessons I
learned throughout my youth that I never realized I was learning. For
instance, I was born and grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist church.
My mother was a very good Seventh Day Adventist church member, a very
good one who grew up paying each and every month a tenth of what we
made at home. When I went abroad, I studied theology. I wanted to be
a minister. I also grew up with my father, who when I was born was 56
years old. He was an old man. But who was, in his lifetime, very
straight forward, very correct. [He used to say] that if two brothers
were fighting, and you are called upon to separate it, you shouldn't
look those guys, one on your right hand side, or the left hand side.
You do not have to look at all at your right because you might be
influenced by the one on your right hand side, or on the left hand
side because that one might also influence you. You only have to look
up and see the truth, and only the truth. That is how he was. So
there are many factors that influence a human being.
ML: What is one memory that is most vivid to you from your experience
at the hotel?
PR: Well, I will tell you that all that went through in 1994 would
never [leave my memory]. I recall that as if it was happening today
or as if it has happened yesterday. Those are things you can never
forget in your life. For instance I'll give you an example. You saw
definitely Sept. 11, 2001 - each and every one here in the room so
that you remember definitely where you were when you saw this for the
first time, and even what you were doing and what photo. You remember
each and every thing in detail. That is how I remember the Rwandan
genocide in detail. Of course there are events which are many times
much more marks a human beings life. I'll give you an example it was
on July 4, 1994, about a week after the Tutsi rebels have taken over,
my wife, my friend and myself we took a decision to take a car and go
down south where we were born, the three of us. All of us had been in
the Milles Collines hotel and had no idea what had been happening
outside. I had in mind that all that happened [outside was like] in
the Milles Collines because no one was killed. No one was touched. So
I had in mind that the whole country was just like that. But on the
way down south, the whole country was smelling death. You could see
many dead bodies around the streets. There was no human being alive.
No animal alive. We could only hear dogs barking from very far, and
see a lot of flies. We drove up to my place. I noticed that my elder
sister had been killed by the Tutsi rebels, my younger brother was
also killed by the Tutsi rebels, many of our cousins were being burnt
by the rebels who were taking over that place. We saw them burning in
houses. And my brother looked at me and said, `What the hell brings
you here? What are you doing in this place?' I started asking
questions where people were, our neighbors, our family members. He
showed me houses in which many of them were burning. At the given
time, he told me: `Leave this place.' We drove down south, went to
see our mother-in-law. When we arrived she had been killed with her
daughter-in-law. They were thrown in a pit where we used to mature
bananas. So you can imagine that time, that image will [not] get out
of my head. I sat down with my wife and my friend and we cried. We
will never forget the night of such an event, among many others.
ML: Your State of the Race speech is titled `Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson
to be Learned.' What exactly is the lesson to be learned?
PR: Unfortunately, the lessons to be learned have never been learned
but the most important lesson to us is to speak out. To talk about
what happened in Rwanda, in the Rwandan genocide. To teach, to
prepare, to get together as people [are] concerned, and you are
international community. Help us get together and sit down and talk,
because I believe in the life that words can be the best weapons if
you want to fight for good, and the worst if you're fighting for
evil. So I believe that only through the truth, the truth is a must
in order to reconcile such a talk in a wounded nation. So a lesson to
be learned is to sit down and talk and to raise awareness. In most
cases the leaders don't know that you, the people, are informed. Tell
your senators and your representatives. Let them know that you are
aware, and ask them to tell the admin, and the admin will convey def
a message to those who are killing their own people. ... Just as in
South Africa many people fought against apartheid in late 80s, early
90s when schools here in America closed and went out to the streets.
And today where is apartheid? Nowhere.
ML: What is the situation in Rwanda today and do you worry because
you've been talked about so viciously?
PR: I've been a target from the government because I speak up. And in
my life since I never kept quiet in 1994 during the genocide. I never
see myself today being silent. During that time we were almost in a
kind of sea of fire. ... [We have to] speak out. Talk. Tell the
world. I can't see myself keeping quiet.
ML: What are your hopes for Rwanda?
PR: Me, I have that kind of nostalgia to go back home. But my
children are settled. My two daughters are married, they live in
Europe with their husbands. My elder son is in college in America, my
younger son is in boarding school in Boston. They're not really
interested in going back to Rwanda. The young ones have been staying
abroad in exile since 1996. Sept. 6 was my 11th anniversary in exile.
So they're not really excited to go back to Rwanda. But to me, going
back to Rwanda has ever been my dream. Especially I do not accept one
thing - someone taking all my rights. I miss everything. Sometimes I
think about it. I was born in a very beautiful hilly region. I miss
those mountains and hills. I miss the school where I went for my high
school and primary school. Where I used to go to Sabbath school every
day, I miss that school and I miss that track.
ML: What is your opinion on the U.S. resolution to recognize the
Armenian genocide?
PR: I believe that in my life, we have to call each and anything by
its name. A genocide has been defined by the Geneva Resolution of
1952. Anyone who commits a genocide is committing a genocide, and we
should have the courage to call a genocide by its name. So I admire
the U.S. government to have taken that decision but I would be
happier if the U.S. administration goes farther than that. After
calling it a genocide we should put our words into actions. We always
tend to speak much and do very little.
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=24481
Oct 19 2007
An Interview With Paul Rusesabagina
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Posted: 10/19/2007
Rwandan genocide survivor Paul Rusesabagina spoke on the importance
of taking action to end genocide on Tuesday at the State of the Race.
In an interview with the Wheel before his speech, he delved into the
details of his experiences, ranging from the pain of learning about
his relatives' brutal deaths to his views on the U.S. resolution to
recognize the Armenian genocide.
- Asst. News Editor Michelle Ye Hee Lee
ML: How accurately does the movie `Hotel Rwanda' reflect your
experiences?
PR: Filmmakers modified a few scenes. A few characters are composite
characters, but otherwise Hotel Rwanda is a true story of what was
going on in the place. But sometimes, a lot of is less violent than
the real life.
ML: What will your message be at the State of Race speech?
PR: I will be speaking about my experiences, and also urging the
international community in my speech to stand up and raise awareness
and help intervene where they have to. Like in Darfur... and like in
Congo, another forgotten key field where more than four million
people have been killed. And each and every one of us has kept quiet.
Silent. And silence, to me, is agreement.
ML: How did you find the courage to risk your safety sheltering
civilians in the Milles Collines hotel?
PR: Sometimes when you grow up, you learn some lessons that you do
not even think about it. So definitely there have been lessons I
learned throughout my youth that I never realized I was learning. For
instance, I was born and grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist church.
My mother was a very good Seventh Day Adventist church member, a very
good one who grew up paying each and every month a tenth of what we
made at home. When I went abroad, I studied theology. I wanted to be
a minister. I also grew up with my father, who when I was born was 56
years old. He was an old man. But who was, in his lifetime, very
straight forward, very correct. [He used to say] that if two brothers
were fighting, and you are called upon to separate it, you shouldn't
look those guys, one on your right hand side, or the left hand side.
You do not have to look at all at your right because you might be
influenced by the one on your right hand side, or on the left hand
side because that one might also influence you. You only have to look
up and see the truth, and only the truth. That is how he was. So
there are many factors that influence a human being.
ML: What is one memory that is most vivid to you from your experience
at the hotel?
PR: Well, I will tell you that all that went through in 1994 would
never [leave my memory]. I recall that as if it was happening today
or as if it has happened yesterday. Those are things you can never
forget in your life. For instance I'll give you an example. You saw
definitely Sept. 11, 2001 - each and every one here in the room so
that you remember definitely where you were when you saw this for the
first time, and even what you were doing and what photo. You remember
each and every thing in detail. That is how I remember the Rwandan
genocide in detail. Of course there are events which are many times
much more marks a human beings life. I'll give you an example it was
on July 4, 1994, about a week after the Tutsi rebels have taken over,
my wife, my friend and myself we took a decision to take a car and go
down south where we were born, the three of us. All of us had been in
the Milles Collines hotel and had no idea what had been happening
outside. I had in mind that all that happened [outside was like] in
the Milles Collines because no one was killed. No one was touched. So
I had in mind that the whole country was just like that. But on the
way down south, the whole country was smelling death. You could see
many dead bodies around the streets. There was no human being alive.
No animal alive. We could only hear dogs barking from very far, and
see a lot of flies. We drove up to my place. I noticed that my elder
sister had been killed by the Tutsi rebels, my younger brother was
also killed by the Tutsi rebels, many of our cousins were being burnt
by the rebels who were taking over that place. We saw them burning in
houses. And my brother looked at me and said, `What the hell brings
you here? What are you doing in this place?' I started asking
questions where people were, our neighbors, our family members. He
showed me houses in which many of them were burning. At the given
time, he told me: `Leave this place.' We drove down south, went to
see our mother-in-law. When we arrived she had been killed with her
daughter-in-law. They were thrown in a pit where we used to mature
bananas. So you can imagine that time, that image will [not] get out
of my head. I sat down with my wife and my friend and we cried. We
will never forget the night of such an event, among many others.
ML: Your State of the Race speech is titled `Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson
to be Learned.' What exactly is the lesson to be learned?
PR: Unfortunately, the lessons to be learned have never been learned
but the most important lesson to us is to speak out. To talk about
what happened in Rwanda, in the Rwandan genocide. To teach, to
prepare, to get together as people [are] concerned, and you are
international community. Help us get together and sit down and talk,
because I believe in the life that words can be the best weapons if
you want to fight for good, and the worst if you're fighting for
evil. So I believe that only through the truth, the truth is a must
in order to reconcile such a talk in a wounded nation. So a lesson to
be learned is to sit down and talk and to raise awareness. In most
cases the leaders don't know that you, the people, are informed. Tell
your senators and your representatives. Let them know that you are
aware, and ask them to tell the admin, and the admin will convey def
a message to those who are killing their own people. ... Just as in
South Africa many people fought against apartheid in late 80s, early
90s when schools here in America closed and went out to the streets.
And today where is apartheid? Nowhere.
ML: What is the situation in Rwanda today and do you worry because
you've been talked about so viciously?
PR: I've been a target from the government because I speak up. And in
my life since I never kept quiet in 1994 during the genocide. I never
see myself today being silent. During that time we were almost in a
kind of sea of fire. ... [We have to] speak out. Talk. Tell the
world. I can't see myself keeping quiet.
ML: What are your hopes for Rwanda?
PR: Me, I have that kind of nostalgia to go back home. But my
children are settled. My two daughters are married, they live in
Europe with their husbands. My elder son is in college in America, my
younger son is in boarding school in Boston. They're not really
interested in going back to Rwanda. The young ones have been staying
abroad in exile since 1996. Sept. 6 was my 11th anniversary in exile.
So they're not really excited to go back to Rwanda. But to me, going
back to Rwanda has ever been my dream. Especially I do not accept one
thing - someone taking all my rights. I miss everything. Sometimes I
think about it. I was born in a very beautiful hilly region. I miss
those mountains and hills. I miss the school where I went for my high
school and primary school. Where I used to go to Sabbath school every
day, I miss that school and I miss that track.
ML: What is your opinion on the U.S. resolution to recognize the
Armenian genocide?
PR: I believe that in my life, we have to call each and anything by
its name. A genocide has been defined by the Geneva Resolution of
1952. Anyone who commits a genocide is committing a genocide, and we
should have the courage to call a genocide by its name. So I admire
the U.S. government to have taken that decision but I would be
happier if the U.S. administration goes farther than that. After
calling it a genocide we should put our words into actions. We always
tend to speak much and do very little.
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=24481