Biblical Events Surrounding The Rwandan Genocide

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Genocide is defined as “an internationally recognized crime where acts are committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group” (University of Minnesota). It is essential to understand historical atrocities so that people do not make the same mistakes that their ancestors made. If no one studied history, people would make the same mistakes that were made in the past. There are a variety of Biblical foundations and perspectives on genocide. In the first place, concepts of justice and righteousness in genocide are described throughout the Bible. For example, the Bible states, “Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne, steadfast love and faithfulness go before you” (English …show more content…

Thirdly, the religious dynamics of the country portray that Rwanda’s Hutu population wanted to destroy the Tutsi population and also anyone else who disagreed with their genocidal intentions (Abella). Also, the political dynamics in 1994 proclaim that the country was split into eleven sections, each one led by a prefect (The Rwandan Genocide: How it Was Prepared). Furthermore, one of the events leading to the genocide was that there was a civil war going on that involved a group called Rwandan Patriotic Front against the government. Another event is “In 1994, when the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down” (University of Minnesota). These events sparked tension in the country and led to genocide. To conclude, it is important to acknowledge the historical context of this horrific genocide. There are multiple factors causing the Rwandan Genocide, such as the social, political, and economic factors. First, “social differences between the Hutu and the Tutsi traditionally were profound” (“Rwandan Genocide of 1994”). These differences lead to prejudice and