Photo: Assyrians Without Borde

Paul Rusesabagina, dubbed by some the "Oskar Schindler of Africa," resisted the madness that surrounded him and quietly sheltered more than 1,200 Tutsis and moderate Hutus within the walls of the luxury hotel he managed. Now, 16 years later the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda tells Assyrians Without Borders about the art of taking yourself (and 1,268 others) out of danger, and how the international community did little to stop the bloodshed, and it ended only when a Tutsi rebel group defeated the Hutu-backed government.

"A single attack on a plane triggered a 100-day orgy of slaughter in the central African nation of Rwanda that left at least 800,000 people dead."

We met him at his hotel in Stockholm, Old Town, for breakfast. A hero who nevertheless remained modest. Paul doesn't want to be called hero. He seems to be fine and as he greets us he quotes the old testament "I am Assurbanipal, king of the world, king of the land of Ashur" in english with an African accent, "during my youth in school, i was interested in theology, so I know all about the akkadians and assyrians". A perfect way to start our interview.

AWB: Not so long ago, you wrote a newsletter saying you support the Assyrians and drawing parallels between them and the Rwandans, can you tell us why?.

PR: They have both been subjected to a genocide that is still current. We have to keep people informed and educated. Or else, the genocide will lose it´s value by making it trivialized. Like my people, the vast majority of Assyrians were and are simply caught up in conflicts that they did not make. My organization, the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, was founded not just to help my fellow Rwandans, but also to help all people who have suffered in the past from genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

AWB: What would you say was the true story behind the genocide?

PR: In 1916 Belgian colonists deemed the Tutsi ethnic group superior to the Hutus, giving them better education and jobs while the Hutus were relegated to dirty work. But when Rwanda became independent in 1962, the Hutus took power, and that, in turn, led to a Tutsi rebel movement. On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down, killing him along with the president of neighboring Burundi. Although no one could prove who ordered the attack, retaliation was immediate: Opposition leaders were murdered, and suddenly civilians were slaughtering every Tutsi and moderate Hutu they could find. A single attack on a plane triggered a 100-day orgy of slaughter in the central African nation of Rwanda that left at least 800,000 people dead. The international community did little to stop the bloodshed, and it ended only when a Tutsi rebel group defeated the Hutu-backed government.

AWB: Are there other reasons for the conflict besides the ethnical differences?

PR: In 1959, when many Tutsis left Rwanda, their goods - plantations, cattle and stuff - were taken by the Hutus. And I have never seen anyone put on trial because he took from his neighbour's house. Just like the ones who claim i am a liar, they have taken my house and land without anyone put to trial. From what i have learned, it has been the same situation with the Assyrians. Another reason is due to economical reasons. Rwandese are very poor. And whatever you suggest to poor people they will always accept. When this fear comes into the hand of bad leaders it becomes worse, especially when the leaders happen to misuse the media. The media can be a very good weapon if you are fighting for a good cause. For example, you need to make a hollywood movie about the Assyrian Genocide for people to learn and realize it. But it is a very bad weapon if people are fighting for a bad cause. Rwandans people do not buy news papers. They rather listen to the radio. The leadership used the Radio to dehumanize some group of people, they used it to eliminate a lot of people. Each and everybody moving around knew that who ever had the chance to take a house thirty years ago, is still keeping it today. Whoever got a land which was not his, is still keeping it. This was legally accepted in the major's office.

AWB: Tell us about the driving force behind your actions. Do you consider yourself a hero?

PR: I am not a hero. I don't think I will be one. Of course there are people who wouldn't like to see me like this. I had to follow my conscience, it told me that there was no other certain thing to do.

AWB: What can you tell us about the current situation today?

PR: It is important not to rewrite history, which a lot of leaders want to do. In Rawanda, we have changed dancers but the music stays the same. Many people have been killed, imprisoned, taken as prisoners for warlords. And of course there will be deniers, with Big fish in prison, it leaves a lot of small fish swimming on the outside.

AWB: Is there really a difference between Hutu and Tutsi?

PR: I myself was born and grew up in a mixed family. But I have never seen any difference between my mother and my father. One has tried to show difference in showing differences in the width of the nose or colour of the skin. But there is no difference.

AWB: What about the Assyrians, do you have any advice on how we can end the persecutions and recognize our genocide?

PR: It would be nice if you could say that events like the genocide that went on in Rwanda in 1994 were behind us. The sad truth is that atrocities like this are still being committed in locations around the globe, much of which we aren't even aware of. I have always believed in the power of words. During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, I used the word to protect the people at my hotel. I'm just an ordinary man, but was lucky and managed to create security for Rwandans in 1268, Tutsis and Hutus. As I understand from what I have heard, assyrians are forbidden to speak their mothertongue, to be heard at all! Language is a tool of oppression, this way you push back the intellectuals. You may have read my story of the movie "Hotel Rwanda" or my book "An Ordinary man '. But my story does not end with the genocide ended. I had to continue living and to help find some sense in the world around me. You need to do the same. You need to convince people, have a message! Then the people will sympathize with you! Our young people need to remember, so that "Never again", becomes "Never again". Right now I am in Sweden to spread that message. It is the needs for a lasting reconsolidation and it must be negotiated by both sides in order to stay long-lasting.

AWB: Any last words?

PR: We are your ambassadors, give us a mission!

Robel Malki
Assyrians Without Borders