Paul Rusesabagina Hero
Jonathan Middleton
Professor Fink
WR 121
27 May 2011 Paul Rusesabagina: Hero or Opportunist
In the film Hotel Rwanda, we see the portrayal of events at the Hotel Des Mille Collines as they were described in Paul Rusesabagina’s book titled “An Ordinary Man,” which talks about his experiences in Rwanda during the genocide committed by the Hutu people in 1994.
The Hutu people went on a killing spree, massacring over 800,000 Tutsi natives in the span of two months. In the film, Rusesabagina is made out to be a hero of the people who saves over
1200 Hutu and Tutsi refugees from being slaughtered by the rebel group known as the
Interahamwe. With the help of some powerful friends, payoffs, and manipulation of officials, …show more content…
Rusesabagina allegedly held out for two months in the Mille Collines hotel.
The movie portrays
Rusesabagina as the savior of these people, a hero deserving of honors, but the public opinion of the events sometimes tells a different story that causes me to question the authenticity of
Rusesabagina’s claims. With an outcry of liar, genocidaire, extortionist, defender of mass murderers, and opportunist being screamed from so many different sources, can we truly take Paul Rusesabagina at face value? Was Paul Rusesabagina truly the hero he was made out to be in the film, or was he the opportunist who fooled the world?
Hotel Des Mille Collines: Two Tales In the film Hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina shelters over 1200 refugees from the
Tutsi and Hutu tribes in the hotel for two months while war wages right outside the gates. In the film,
Rusesabagina continues to charge the guests in the efforts to make it look as though the hotel was functioning like normal. In the film Rusesabagina is quoted saying, “Good day. Here is your bill for the last week. If you cannot pay, or think you will not be able to pay, go to the ballroom.
Zozo will take care of you.” After this scene nothing more is ever mentioned about money, and I assumed that the refugees were allowed to stay. There is never anything in the movie to cause you to believe that refugees were evicted for not being able to pay their bill, which further gives the impression that Paul Rusesabagina was doing the right thing, and should be labeled a hero for his actions.
Unfortunately, the reality of things paints a darker and more ominous picture of Paul
Rusesabagina, and shows him in the light of the opportunist and extortionist. There are reports from of actual survivors of the Mille Collines, stating that Rusesabagina forced them to write and sign checks in order to be allowed to remain in the hotel, otherwise facing eviction into the chaos that was in the streets. Senator Gasamagera Wellars (left), a member of Rwanda Parliament, tells his story of an encounter with Rusesabagina, ““He charged me Frw 180,000 (US$1,509 then) for four days in a single room I shared with 23 family members. I later decided to get out of the room and stay in the hotel corridors” (Indignation of Rwandese Community). According to survivors of this atrocity, Rusesabagina did not stop with just charging people for rooms, but also claim that he disconnected all phone lines but the one in his office and began charging guests for its use, as well as charging money for food that was stored in the hotel. “Christopher Shamukiga, one of the hotel employees, discovered food in the basement of the hotel, and doing what anyone in their right mind would do, he began passing it out to hungry refugees. Afterwards Mr. Shamukiga was called in to Rusesabagina’s office, “When Rusesabagina learnt of it, he summoned him to his office and charged him 500,000 Rwandan francs” (VirungaNews.com). With so many people speaking out against Paul Rusesabagina’s portrayal of events at the Mille Collines, I cannot help but wonder if the hero of the hour is truly a scam artist who is profiting off of the suffering of his countrymen and women. Rusesabagina strongly refutes these claims saying “that the Rwandan government had rewarded certain people to make those claims” (What really happened at the Hotel Rwanda).
Rusesabagina: Friend of Genocidaires?
In the film Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina openly admits to being a member of the Hutu party, a member of the same party who committed the atrocities seen in the film. Throughout the film, Rusesabagina is never shown to have any concrete connections with the Interhamwe, and at times is even shown opposing the Interahamwe in their mistreatment of prisoners; in one scene he even pays the soldiers 50,000 francs for his wife and children, and another 100,000 francs for his neighbors.
The way this scene plays out in the film, Rusesabagina is concerned for his family, but will not do anything for the rest of the refugees until his wife urges him into action by saying, “Paul don’t let them die!” Finally Rusesabagina summons the courage to offer the
100,000 francs for his neighbors. Another issue in the film that brings questions to light is Paul’s interactions with Interahamwe Vice President, and radio propagandist Georges Rutaganda, and
General of the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR), Augustin Bizimungu, who helped to train the soldiers and guerillas that carried out the Rwandan genocide. When it came to Rutaganda, the film portrayed Rusesabagina’s relationship with him as strictly business in the manner that
Rusesabagina bought supplies for his hotel from Rutaganda in the form of rice, beans, scotch, and beer. As far as General Bizimungu is concerned, the relationship between him and
Rusesabagina was strictly on a basis of giving favors. In the film Rusesabagina would give the
General a bottle of their best scotch every time he came to the hotel, and later in the film, he paid the General to keep soldiers around the hotel for protection.
So the question on my mind is this; If Paul Rusesabagina was the savior of over 1200
Tutsis as the movie says, then why is he connected to convicted genocidaires? Rusesabagina has taken the time to testify on behalf of multiple individuals that have been indicted for acts of genocide including “Vincent Brown aka Vincent Bajinya, Charles Munyaneza, Emmanuel
Nteziryayo and Celestin Ugirashebuja All four described in an MSNBC article as, “Four men accused of organizing and participating in Rwanda's 1994 genocide — including two municipal leaders and an alleged militia commander… All were accused of killing members of the Tutsi ethnic group "with the intent to destroy in whole or in part, that group” (Four Held after Man Was Stabbed). Rsesabagina even took the time to put in a good word for General Bizimungu during his testimony at this hearing, talking of the deals that they made in order for Rusesabagina to “build up favors for the hotel,” even stating at a conference held at the Concordia University, “his readiness to go to the ICTR(International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) to defend
Gen. Augustin Bizimungu” (Indignation of Rwandese Community). You can see the entire testimony of Paul
Rusesabagina going to this site: http://friendsofevil.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/rusesabaginas-testimony-a-friend-of-genocidaires/. Although Rusesabagina did not testify on behalf of George Rutaganda, he did admit to being acquainted with him on several occasions. They had grown up together in the Kagire region of Rwanda and even worked together in 1991 for The Democratic Republican Movement or MDR. When Rusesabagina was asked, under oath, as to his relationship with Rutaganda he was quoted saying, “I knew George Rutaganda. I grew up with him. We were friends.” This is an overwhelming amount of evidence against Paul Rusesabagina being the hero that Director Terry George portrays him to be in the film. The image of a man who makes backdoor deals with General Bizimungu and buys supplies from the Vice President of the Interahamwe, George Rutaganda, who used the money to fund acts of genocide, does not show me a selfless individual, but a politician who was playing the game just like everyone else, and passing out favors to friends and political allies alike. It seems the further I delve into the life of Mr. Rusesabagina, the harder it is for me to swallow the images of Hotel Rwanda.
The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation (HRRF)
Finally I would like to discuss something that occurred after the movie, but I believe has precedence in the discussion. When we look at the events portrayed in the movie, we see an image of Paul Rusesabagina as a Hutu who just wants to get through his day without being accosted by the Hutu who are creating all of this turmoil in the streets. In one scene when him and his assistant are driving to the hotel, they are stopped by Hutu soldiers and Rusesabagina shouts “Hutu Power” to keep the men from asking to many questions. In the film, Rusesabagina is portrayed as doing this only to save his friend from being accosted, but is this truly the case? Does the film truly show Rusesabagina in a true light, or does Director Terry George only show what he wants you to see? I believe that Rusesabagina has more connections to the Hutu movement than the movie wants us to see. When Paul Rusesabagina gained fame for the events portrayed in Hotel Rwanda, he used that fame as a platform to begin a charity known as The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, or HRRF. This foundation is meant to support survivors of the Rwandan genocide and help prevent future genocide from occurring in Africa. Yet, there are reports from top Rwandan officials claiming that Rusesabagina has been using this foundation as a cover up for sending money to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda or FDLR.
The FDLR are a group of Hutu rebels who fled Rwanda after the genocides occurred, and they continue to plot terrorist activities against the Tutsi government and The President of Rwanda, Mr. Paul Kagame to this day. One such member of the FDLR, Lt. Col Noel Habiyambera testified in court against Rusesabagina after being caught and charged with helping to form the rebel group. He spent some time working with Rusesabagina and told him about the rebels who wanted to form the FDLR.
“Habiyambere, who had since quit FDLR and was working with Rusesabagina, informed the latter of Ingabire and Nditurende's plans, and Rusesabagina recommended that the two former FDLR colonels join hands to form a much bigger group” (Kagire). When Habiyambere was asked about Rusesabagina’s involvement in FDLR he had this to say, “I was working with Rusesabagina, but at the time, I did not know that they were planning terrorist activities. The difficult conditions I was living in the jungles of DRC led me to work with them, I therefore beg for mercy” (Kagire).
Martin Ngoga, Rwanda's most senior prosecutor, wants to prosecute Rusesabagina for sending money to this organization and has asked America to become in volved in the investigation as well, and when asked about the funneling of money to the FDLR, Ngoga had much to say, “Those who want to continue considering him as a hero can go on,” Mr Ngoga said. “We consider him a serious criminal suspect and we are challenging whoever speaks on his behalf to tell us whether he never sent money to these FDLR commanders we have in custody” (Laing).
The money was reportedly sent from a Western Union in Texas to various bank accounts located in Burundi, DRC and Dar-es-salaam. Although the amounts of money have not been released the fact remains that the money was reportedly sent in the first place. As to this date no formal charges have been filed against Rusesabagina, and he remains free in Brussels while continuing to profess his innocence, not only to the media, but on his foundation website as well. He claims that all of these allegations are a smear campaign by the government of Rwanda to discredit him and his claims against the Rwandan government, and President Kagame.
These facts bring up a variety of inconsistencies in Rusesabaginas story that I consider to be ample evidence against his claim of being a “Hero” to the people that took refuge in the Mille Collines. How can we revere a man who profited off of refugees in the hotel, not only charging them for rooms, but allegedly charging them money for food and telephone services as well? I do not believe that a man who would stand up for genocidaires like General Augustin Bizimungu and Bajinya Vincent, can rightly be considered a savior of Tutsi people. Not only does he stand up and speak on behalf of convicted genocidaires, but he has also allegedly sent money to rebel forces gathering in the Congo who are made up of the same people that committed the Rwandan genocide in 1994. With all of this evidence against Paul Rusesabagina, I think we all need to take a little more time and look into the life of this man we are so quick to praise for his good deeds. The film shows Rusesabagina to be a hero and savior of over 1200 refugees, but that facts tell a different story, and that story is of opportunism, corruption, and a Hutu politician that to this day funds terrorist activities committed by Hutu rebels. Terry George shows us a Ruseabagina who helped over 1200 refugees because he felt it was the right thing to do. Yet, the facts that I have found show me a different side of Rusesabagina that maybe Terry George could not show in the film due to the fact that it would destroy the worldwide image of this “Savior”. I do not feel that Terry George showed the true Rusesabagina, because the film would never have been a stepping stone for his career, but instead a nail in the coffin for George. To me Paul Rusesabagina is an elaborate hoax that fooled America into thinking that there were true heroes in this tragedy, when in fact the only thing we can take from these events in Rwanda is the tragedy of it all.
Professor Fink
WR 121
27 May 2011 Paul Rusesabagina: Hero or Opportunist
In the film Hotel Rwanda, we see the portrayal of events at the Hotel Des Mille Collines as they were described in Paul Rusesabagina’s book titled “An Ordinary Man,” which talks about his experiences in Rwanda during the genocide committed by the Hutu people in 1994.
The Hutu people went on a killing spree, massacring over 800,000 Tutsi natives in the span of two months. In the film, Rusesabagina is made out to be a hero of the people who saves over
1200 Hutu and Tutsi refugees from being slaughtered by the rebel group known as the
Interahamwe. With the help of some powerful friends, payoffs, and manipulation of officials, …show more content…
Rusesabagina allegedly held out for two months in the Mille Collines hotel.
The movie portrays
Rusesabagina as the savior of these people, a hero deserving of honors, but the public opinion of the events sometimes tells a different story that causes me to question the authenticity of
Rusesabagina’s claims. With an outcry of liar, genocidaire, extortionist, defender of mass murderers, and opportunist being screamed from so many different sources, can we truly take Paul Rusesabagina at face value? Was Paul Rusesabagina truly the hero he was made out to be in the film, or was he the opportunist who fooled the world?
Hotel Des Mille Collines: Two Tales In the film Hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina shelters over 1200 refugees from the
Tutsi and Hutu tribes in the hotel for two months while war wages right outside the gates. In the film,
Rusesabagina continues to charge the guests in the efforts to make it look as though the hotel was functioning like normal. In the film Rusesabagina is quoted saying, “Good day. Here is your bill for the last week. If you cannot pay, or think you will not be able to pay, go to the ballroom.
Zozo will take care of you.” After this scene nothing more is ever mentioned about money, and I assumed that the refugees were allowed to stay. There is never anything in the movie to cause you to believe that refugees were evicted for not being able to pay their bill, which further gives the impression that Paul Rusesabagina was doing the right thing, and should be labeled a hero for his actions.
Unfortunately, the reality of things paints a darker and more ominous picture of Paul
Rusesabagina, and shows him in the light of the opportunist and extortionist. There are reports from of actual survivors of the Mille Collines, stating that Rusesabagina forced them to write and sign checks in order to be allowed to remain in the hotel, otherwise facing eviction into the chaos that was in the streets. Senator Gasamagera Wellars (left), a member of Rwanda Parliament, tells his story of an encounter with Rusesabagina, ““He charged me Frw 180,000 (US$1,509 then) for four days in a single room I shared with 23 family members. I later decided to get out of the room and stay in the hotel corridors” (Indignation of Rwandese Community). According to survivors of this atrocity, Rusesabagina did not stop with just charging people for rooms, but also claim that he disconnected all phone lines but the one in his office and began charging guests for its use, as well as charging money for food that was stored in the hotel. “Christopher Shamukiga, one of the hotel employees, discovered food in the basement of the hotel, and doing what anyone in their right mind would do, he began passing it out to hungry refugees. Afterwards Mr. Shamukiga was called in to Rusesabagina’s office, “When Rusesabagina learnt of it, he summoned him to his office and charged him 500,000 Rwandan francs” (VirungaNews.com). With so many people speaking out against Paul Rusesabagina’s portrayal of events at the Mille Collines, I cannot help but wonder if the hero of the hour is truly a scam artist who is profiting off of the suffering of his countrymen and women. Rusesabagina strongly refutes these claims saying “that the Rwandan government had rewarded certain people to make those claims” (What really happened at the Hotel Rwanda).
Rusesabagina: Friend of Genocidaires?
In the film Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina openly admits to being a member of the Hutu party, a member of the same party who committed the atrocities seen in the film. Throughout the film, Rusesabagina is never shown to have any concrete connections with the Interhamwe, and at times is even shown opposing the Interahamwe in their mistreatment of prisoners; in one scene he even pays the soldiers 50,000 francs for his wife and children, and another 100,000 francs for his neighbors.
The way this scene plays out in the film, Rusesabagina is concerned for his family, but will not do anything for the rest of the refugees until his wife urges him into action by saying, “Paul don’t let them die!” Finally Rusesabagina summons the courage to offer the
100,000 francs for his neighbors. Another issue in the film that brings questions to light is Paul’s interactions with Interahamwe Vice President, and radio propagandist Georges Rutaganda, and
General of the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR), Augustin Bizimungu, who helped to train the soldiers and guerillas that carried out the Rwandan genocide. When it came to Rutaganda, the film portrayed Rusesabagina’s relationship with him as strictly business in the manner that
Rusesabagina bought supplies for his hotel from Rutaganda in the form of rice, beans, scotch, and beer. As far as General Bizimungu is concerned, the relationship between him and
Rusesabagina was strictly on a basis of giving favors. In the film Rusesabagina would give the
General a bottle of their best scotch every time he came to the hotel, and later in the film, he paid the General to keep soldiers around the hotel for protection.
So the question on my mind is this; If Paul Rusesabagina was the savior of over 1200
Tutsis as the movie says, then why is he connected to convicted genocidaires? Rusesabagina has taken the time to testify on behalf of multiple individuals that have been indicted for acts of genocide including “Vincent Brown aka Vincent Bajinya, Charles Munyaneza, Emmanuel
Nteziryayo and Celestin Ugirashebuja All four described in an MSNBC article as, “Four men accused of organizing and participating in Rwanda's 1994 genocide — including two municipal leaders and an alleged militia commander… All were accused of killing members of the Tutsi ethnic group "with the intent to destroy in whole or in part, that group” (Four Held after Man Was Stabbed). Rsesabagina even took the time to put in a good word for General Bizimungu during his testimony at this hearing, talking of the deals that they made in order for Rusesabagina to “build up favors for the hotel,” even stating at a conference held at the Concordia University, “his readiness to go to the ICTR(International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) to defend
Gen. Augustin Bizimungu” (Indignation of Rwandese Community). You can see the entire testimony of Paul
Rusesabagina going to this site: http://friendsofevil.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/rusesabaginas-testimony-a-friend-of-genocidaires/. Although Rusesabagina did not testify on behalf of George Rutaganda, he did admit to being acquainted with him on several occasions. They had grown up together in the Kagire region of Rwanda and even worked together in 1991 for The Democratic Republican Movement or MDR. When Rusesabagina was asked, under oath, as to his relationship with Rutaganda he was quoted saying, “I knew George Rutaganda. I grew up with him. We were friends.” This is an overwhelming amount of evidence against Paul Rusesabagina being the hero that Director Terry George portrays him to be in the film. The image of a man who makes backdoor deals with General Bizimungu and buys supplies from the Vice President of the Interahamwe, George Rutaganda, who used the money to fund acts of genocide, does not show me a selfless individual, but a politician who was playing the game just like everyone else, and passing out favors to friends and political allies alike. It seems the further I delve into the life of Mr. Rusesabagina, the harder it is for me to swallow the images of Hotel Rwanda.
The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation (HRRF)
Finally I would like to discuss something that occurred after the movie, but I believe has precedence in the discussion. When we look at the events portrayed in the movie, we see an image of Paul Rusesabagina as a Hutu who just wants to get through his day without being accosted by the Hutu who are creating all of this turmoil in the streets. In one scene when him and his assistant are driving to the hotel, they are stopped by Hutu soldiers and Rusesabagina shouts “Hutu Power” to keep the men from asking to many questions. In the film, Rusesabagina is portrayed as doing this only to save his friend from being accosted, but is this truly the case? Does the film truly show Rusesabagina in a true light, or does Director Terry George only show what he wants you to see? I believe that Rusesabagina has more connections to the Hutu movement than the movie wants us to see. When Paul Rusesabagina gained fame for the events portrayed in Hotel Rwanda, he used that fame as a platform to begin a charity known as The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, or HRRF. This foundation is meant to support survivors of the Rwandan genocide and help prevent future genocide from occurring in Africa. Yet, there are reports from top Rwandan officials claiming that Rusesabagina has been using this foundation as a cover up for sending money to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda or FDLR.
The FDLR are a group of Hutu rebels who fled Rwanda after the genocides occurred, and they continue to plot terrorist activities against the Tutsi government and The President of Rwanda, Mr. Paul Kagame to this day. One such member of the FDLR, Lt. Col Noel Habiyambera testified in court against Rusesabagina after being caught and charged with helping to form the rebel group. He spent some time working with Rusesabagina and told him about the rebels who wanted to form the FDLR.
“Habiyambere, who had since quit FDLR and was working with Rusesabagina, informed the latter of Ingabire and Nditurende's plans, and Rusesabagina recommended that the two former FDLR colonels join hands to form a much bigger group” (Kagire). When Habiyambere was asked about Rusesabagina’s involvement in FDLR he had this to say, “I was working with Rusesabagina, but at the time, I did not know that they were planning terrorist activities. The difficult conditions I was living in the jungles of DRC led me to work with them, I therefore beg for mercy” (Kagire).
Martin Ngoga, Rwanda's most senior prosecutor, wants to prosecute Rusesabagina for sending money to this organization and has asked America to become in volved in the investigation as well, and when asked about the funneling of money to the FDLR, Ngoga had much to say, “Those who want to continue considering him as a hero can go on,” Mr Ngoga said. “We consider him a serious criminal suspect and we are challenging whoever speaks on his behalf to tell us whether he never sent money to these FDLR commanders we have in custody” (Laing).
The money was reportedly sent from a Western Union in Texas to various bank accounts located in Burundi, DRC and Dar-es-salaam. Although the amounts of money have not been released the fact remains that the money was reportedly sent in the first place. As to this date no formal charges have been filed against Rusesabagina, and he remains free in Brussels while continuing to profess his innocence, not only to the media, but on his foundation website as well. He claims that all of these allegations are a smear campaign by the government of Rwanda to discredit him and his claims against the Rwandan government, and President Kagame.
These facts bring up a variety of inconsistencies in Rusesabaginas story that I consider to be ample evidence against his claim of being a “Hero” to the people that took refuge in the Mille Collines. How can we revere a man who profited off of refugees in the hotel, not only charging them for rooms, but allegedly charging them money for food and telephone services as well? I do not believe that a man who would stand up for genocidaires like General Augustin Bizimungu and Bajinya Vincent, can rightly be considered a savior of Tutsi people. Not only does he stand up and speak on behalf of convicted genocidaires, but he has also allegedly sent money to rebel forces gathering in the Congo who are made up of the same people that committed the Rwandan genocide in 1994. With all of this evidence against Paul Rusesabagina, I think we all need to take a little more time and look into the life of this man we are so quick to praise for his good deeds. The film shows Rusesabagina to be a hero and savior of over 1200 refugees, but that facts tell a different story, and that story is of opportunism, corruption, and a Hutu politician that to this day funds terrorist activities committed by Hutu rebels. Terry George shows us a Ruseabagina who helped over 1200 refugees because he felt it was the right thing to do. Yet, the facts that I have found show me a different side of Rusesabagina that maybe Terry George could not show in the film due to the fact that it would destroy the worldwide image of this “Savior”. I do not feel that Terry George showed the true Rusesabagina, because the film would never have been a stepping stone for his career, but instead a nail in the coffin for George. To me Paul Rusesabagina is an elaborate hoax that fooled America into thinking that there were true heroes in this tragedy, when in fact the only thing we can take from these events in Rwanda is the tragedy of it all.