In a recent open letter to The New York Times, Dr. Brian Endless, Director of African Studies at Loyola University Chicago wrote a scathing and angry response to an article published on March 2, 2021 in NEW YORK TIMES SUNDAY MAGAZINE by Joshua Hammer entitled “He Was the Hero of Hotel Rwanda. Now He’s Accused of Terrorism”
Folks in the West, but particularly here in America are obsessed with the word “hero”, and anything out of Hollywood is anointed as such. Well, I am sorry to disappoint. Paul Rusesabagina is no hero, never was and never will be. His book entitled “An Ordinary Man” aptly describes him. Now he stands accused of terrorism, attacking his own country, financing terrorists who have crossed our borders and killed innocent people, much as he now openly claims he is not Rwandese — forgetting that you still can be charged with crimes committed on Rwandan soil.
Endless is ticked off that Rusesabagina is behind bars. Well, get over it. He says, “I am a long-time friend and colleague of Paul Rusesabagina’s, and I know him well.” Let me take out my trumpet.
He goes on to remind his readers that he is “an expert on Rwanda. I have provided expert witness testimony in Federal cases in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands, as well as numerous asylum cases in the US and Canada.”
Woe is me if being Rusesabagina’s friend makes one an expert on Rwanda, or for that matter any topic.
Endless goes overboard when he says “I have been involved in efforts to free him from imprisonment in Rwanda and work closely with his family.” I got news for you, professor: Rwanda’s justice system does not work on your whims, and you should stop lying to the family by giving them false hopes that you have some pull. The man will have his day in court and will have a free and fair trial. I personally find this sense of white superiority dizzying.
To deny that Rusesabagina is affiliated with the FDLR, or was, at one time or another, as Endless does — “This is not true, but is based on allegations against Paul from the period around 2010” — exposes his dishonesty and lack of impartiality. Not that his opinion counts.
Also, to distance Rusesabagina from “Hutu Power” shows Endless’ ignorance and bias towards all things Rwandan. Before the genocidal government escaped Kigali Rusesabagina wined and dined with all the genocide planners whom he admits are his friends.
It did not stop there. Rusesabagina was a character witness in the trial of Theoneste Bagosora, the mastermind of the genocide against Tutsi that was held in Arusha. If that was not bad enough, he wrote a character letter attesting to Leon Mugesera’s “good moral character” during his trial.
The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
Endless shamelessly believes that “most mentions of the FDLR are limited to information and propaganda put out by the Rwandan government, who still hold them as convenient straw man opponents.” Yes, the old trick of blaming the victim. We have been there and none of this street talk phases us.
Bear with me: Endless writes :Josh talks about the ideas of “genocide ideology”, “negationism”, and the “double genocide theory”. It is endless (pardon the pan) because he goes on to say “these are ideas that have no relevance in reality outside of the Kagame regime. These terms were made up and inserted into the 2003 Rwandan constitution as ways to control the populace …”
For a full fledged professor and alleged “Rwanda expert” to utter this moronic garbage is not only painful to read but calls into question Endless’ intentions. That the pain of seeing his friend behind bars has made him seemingly lose his mind should make colleagues in academia concerned.
Here is the clincher: “Kagame and his people invented the phrase “genocide against the Tutsi” as a way to further spin the pro-Tutsi, anti-Hutu narrative inside and outside of the country.”
It seems a waste of my time to try and educate this “Rwanda expert” that the genocide against Tutsi was pre-planned, organized and well executed, and that there were no other plans to annihilate non-Tutsi. Yes, many Hutus died, but war is hell. Surely, this bromance between Endless and Rusesabagina should not re-write history.
”My writing and speeches, as well as my work with Paul Rusesabagina and his foundation, has always been clear about the horrific genocide that occurred in 1994” Endless struggles with his faint logic.
Last week in open court, Dr Michelle Martin testified that the Rusesabagina Foundation was anything but a non-profit charitable organization and did, indeed use its raised donations to support Rusesabagina’s political agenda as well as his terrorist activities. What say you, Dr. Endless?
Another witness, Noel Habiyaremye, a former FDLR combatant and close ally of Rusesabagina told court that Rusesabagina sent him money on several occasions to recruit militiamen for his terror group, FLN.
I always find it comical that non-Rwandans claim to know what is best for us, or that they claim to be “Rwanda experts” who must interpret our affairs and history. To them I say, when we need your opinion, we might tell you. For now, shut the hell up.
