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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| Rwanda’s growing faith: Islam |
| 2004-04-07 |
| EFL When 800,000 of their Tutsi countrymen were slaughtered in a massacre that began 10 years ago this week, many Rwandans lost faith not only in their government but also in their religion. Today, in what is still a predominantly Roman Catholic country, Islam is the fastest-growing religion. While the Tutsi were being hacked to death by the thousands inside Catholic Churches (with the full knowledge of the priests), it turns out the Muslims provided shelter from the slaughter. Many people, disgusted by the role some Catholic priests and nuns played in the genocide, have shunned organized religion altogether, and many more have turned to Islam. For more information on what happened in Rawanda I suggest: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda |
| Posted by:Dragon Fly |
| #5 But it was the German's fault that Islam took hold there? Non sequitor JFM |
| Posted by: Not Mike Moore 2004-04-07 11:03:02 PM |
| #4 I have read a "History of Rwanda" but it is not in English and AFAIK it is not online. It highlights clearly the difference in attitude between the Hutu who eagerly embraced Christianism and the Tutsi who remained hostile and reserved. As an example, they sent a Twa, ie a member of the Pigmy-like minority, to cast spells on the missionaries. One of the consequences was that the Catholic Churc, the first one to arrive to Rwanda and the one who got those Hutu converts, has been heavily dominated by Hutu. When Protestant missionaries arrived they proletized mostly the Tutsis since the "Hutu market" had been coped by the Catholic Church and many Tutsies were happier to convert to a faith where Hutus were not dominant. Same thing probably applied to Islam, who I repeat, was non existant before colonization. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-04-07 9:23:05 AM |
| #3 JFM...No reason to be hostile. You have some interesting insights. My point regarding the Mulsims providing protection was taken from two or three sources. Perhaps they are wrong. At the time of the genocide upwards of 10% of Rwanda was Muslim. Do you have any suggestions for further reading? |
| Posted by: Dragon Fly 2004-04-07 8:30:06 AM |
| #2 Hutu bishops and priests were eager to help the genociders and there were no Tutsi imams The above should have read. Hutu bishops and priests were eager to help the genociders and there were no Hutu imamms |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-04-07 8:27:00 AM |
| #1 BS about Mulism's protection. A more accurate report would be: Hutu bishops and priests were eager to help the genociders and there were no Tutsi imamms. Historically the Hutus have been eager to convert to Catholicism in order to gain White Man's protection against the Tutsi monarchy. I guess a number of Tutsi converted to Islam as a reaction: Islam was non-existant in Rwanda before its conquest by the Germans. It was German colonization who allowed Islam to set foot in Rwanda. Before the German conquest every Muslim expedition sent to Rwanda in order to capture slaves had been decimated and forced to flee by the Rwandan army. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-04-07 8:24:49 AM |