To Orwell Today,
re: RWANDA'S GOOD MAN KAGAME

Hi Jackie,

I have always read your articles but never really thought it would help till today, I read that Rusesabagina has been invited to give a presentation about "Discrimination...." at LAKE SUPERIOR STATE UNIVERSITY in the US! I personally thought your website would help coordinator have an overview of what Rwanda is, the Genocide and History than solely listen to Rusesabagina! I hope they find it important and useful source of information.

Thanks always. I am Rwandan student in the US and I can't thank you enough for the objecive articles about my country.

Sincerely,
Rwibasira Michael

Greetings Michael,

Thank you so much for letting me know you've been reading the articles about Rwanda on my website. I love hearing from Rwandans about Rwanda.

Thanks also for the info about Rusesabagina's upcoming (this evening actually) event:

Paul Rusesabagina of Hotel Rwanda fame to speak at LSSU. Sault Ste Marie, Oct 30, 2008

It's ironic (or doublethinkful as Orwell would say) that Rusesabagina is preaching to University students (and everyone else who will listen) about DISCRIMINATION when he is an admitted friend of groups committing the worst form of discrimination - genocide - in present-day Congo and back home in Rwanda in 1994.

I hope, as you do, that the coordinator of tonight's Rusesabagina event is aware of some of the articles on ORWELL TODAY and will share the info with the students who are participating. Perhaps they could then address some of the issues with Rusesabagina.

All the best,
Jackie Jura

PS - For easier reference, I've listed below the Rusesabagina articles linked from the Rwanda section of my website.

PPS - It's interesting that Rwandan Rusesabagina is speaking at Lake Superior, the largest fresh-water lake in the world and that Lake Victoria (its furthest tributary being in Rwanda) is the second largest fresh-water lake in the world

PPPS - Follow-up coverage of Rusesabagina's visit to Lake Superior University yesterday focused on his hate against Rwanda:

Hero of Hotel Rwanda still plagued by 'smear campaign'. SaultStMarieStar, Oct 31, 2008
Paul Rusesabagina is a hero in the western world. But in Rwanda, the man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda is a more controversial figure. President Paul Kagame has called him a Hollywood hero, not a Rwandan hero. For his part, Rusesabagina argues the president should face an international tribunal for war crimes committed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front under Kagame's watch -before, during and after the country's 1994 genocide. "Being a president does not allow someone to be a criminal, to kill his own people. He should know that he is not untouchable," Rusesabagina told a classroom of Lake Superior State University (LSSU) students in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The sociology class spent an hour questioning Rusesabagina, who now lives in Belgium but tours the world giving presentations about his experiences. The former hotel manager is credited with saving more than 1,000 lives during the genocide. For three months he rationed out pool water and called in favours from elite contacts while Rwandans crowded into Hotel des Milles Collines for safety. Outside hotel walls, Hutu tribe extremists toured the capital city of Kigali, butchering more than 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates. "If you are caught in such madness, the first thing you think is that you are going to be killed. But before you are killed, you think about doing something good," Rusesabagina said. In Rwanda, he has been accused of profiting from the situation, charging desperate guests for everything from phone services to water rations. Rusesabagina told students the "smear campaign" began after he started speaking out after the genocide. The RPF took control of the country in July 1994, effectively ending the Hutu-led slaughter. But Rusesabagina argues Kagame and his men then turned their machetes on Hutus, many of whom had nothing to do with the massacres. He told LSSU students his own brother, sister and her children were killed after the "official" end of the war. The International media never talks about these revenge killings, he said....

Rusesabagina says Rwanda smearing him (accused of profiting from genocide) & Hotel Rwanda hero at Lake Superior U (talking discrimination & complacency). Soo/SaultStar, Oct 31, 2008. Go to 17.Falsification of Past

NOT JUST RWANDANS FOR RWANDA (reader Mark says the 'anti-Rusesabagina' book is government propaganda)

HOLLYWOOD RWANDA TUTSI GENOCIDE, review of book by Alfred Ndahiro & Privat Rutazibwa

HOTEL RWANDA HERO'S BOOK, review of book by Paul Rusesabagina

Hotel Rwanda movie sparks public feud (heroism of Rusesabagina vs Kagame). National Post, Apr 29, 2008

RUSESABAGINA IMPOSTA RWANDA (reader Sharangabo says Rusesabagina of Hotel Mille Collines may be an impostor or a genius)

HOTEL RWANDA HERO HOAX (reader Richard wonders if Rusesabagina of "Hotel Rwanda" fame is being used as a genocidaire front man)

HOTEL HERO NOT ORDINARY (reader watched the movie and wants to learn more)

Rwanda: Rusesabagina, Genocide & Identity Politics ("saying Tutsis run Rwanda's like saying Jews run Germany again"). American Chronicle, Jan 16, 2007

"Hotel Rwanda" hero fears new killings (says Tutsis will genocide Hutus). Reuters, Jan 11, 2007

THE REAL HOTEL RWANDA

Genocide ghost haunting Hotel Rwanda ("hero's" scam hijacking heroism). New Times, May 21, 2006

Rwanda Senator castigates Rusesabagina (revisionist hero in Hotel Rwanda film). May 15, 2006

Sad revisionism over Hotel Rwanda (producer/director of film says Rusesabagina is being denounced by some in his country as a traitor and a criminal). WashingtonPost, May 10, 2006

Rusesabagina fears Rwanda's backlash (Hotel Rwanda hero promoting his book "An Ordinary Man"). Deseret News, Apr 23, 2006