Left to Inspire

You would think I was seriously crazy to pick up Left to Tell as my next read of 2011, right after Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting (click here for the review).  After all, the latter was about generating positive vibrations and getting rid of the negative buzz in life, while Left to Tell is about one of the darkest and most depressing periods in modern history when bloodsheds, tortures, and inhumane massacres were but daily occurences.  For the uninitiated, I am referring to the 1994 Rwandan genocide (click here for details) where the government-backed ethnic Hutu extremists nearly annihilated the entire ethnic Tutsi population in Rwanda (which was also the backdrop of the award-winning movie Hotel Rwanda). 

The book narrates the survival story of the author, a Tutsi named Immaculée Ilibagiza, who lost her parents and his two elder brothers, along with countless friends and relatives during the bloody massacre.  Immaculée, then a 22-year old university student, witnessed how her nearly perfect life and everything else her family had built was wiped out before her eyes, all in just a matter of days simply because they are Tutsis.  Tragically, this happened when she was having the days of her lives.  Not only was she involved in a love life and had loving parents & brothers at that time, she had also been awarded a scholarship in a very prestigious university.  Indeed in this country where political unrests and poverty were so widespread, education was more of a luxury than merely a privilege.  No wonder then spreading hatred and propaganda was nothing more than a child’s play.  Even when the propaganda was extremely bizarre, such as that Tutsis were cannibals or that devil’s horns grew on their heads, people actually believed it without even the slightest doubts!  What was even more appalling was the fact that many priests and church leaders were supporting this ruthless government-backed propaganda. 

It was also quite appalling how, as Immaculée described it, many of her best friends & closest neighbours turned against her and her family overnight just because they were “different”.  These are the same people who spent their childhood together with her, the same people who went to the same church, the same people her family extended their kindness and generosity to.  The fact that it is almost impossible to tell a Hutu from a Tutsi except based on what was written on the ID card (they speak the same language and due to inter-tribe marriages over centuries have only subtle physical differences) made the whole issue even more ridiculous.  As a matter of fact, little Immaculée was not even aware that there were such a classification in her society.  All she knew was that they were all children of the same motherland, Rwanda.

The impact the genocide brought to Rwanda was indeed mind-boggling.  Up to one million ethnic Tutsis were said to be slaughtered in this three-month inferno.  But what is perhaps even more mind-boggling was Immaculée’s  refusal to give up her faith despite the seemingly hopeless situation.  For three months, she had to hide along with seven other women in a tiny cramped bathroom (3 ft x 4 ft) of a local (moderate) Hutu priest with almost no foods, no water, and absolutely no freedom.  When even the slightest movement would induce suspicion from the Hutu neighbours (most of them not as moderate), the softest whisper would be too loud and going out of the bathroom would be just suicidal, faith was the only branch she could find to cling on and never let go.  It was also faith that enabled her to personally forgive the coldblooded criminals who had ruthlessly murdered her beloved family and friends and eventually lead a completely new life leaving everything but peace, joy, and hopefulness in her heart. 

Immaculée wrote Left to Tell from her perspective as a very devoted Catholic and therefore should be judged accordingly.  It is not a history book and should not be judged as such.  I am not a Christian and I too sometimes wondered whether her story is entirely true and not exaggerated, but nevertheless, reading this book gave me a new insight of life and reminded me how beautifully life has treated me so far.  At least all members of my family are still alive and relatively healthy (God bless them), I have a decent job and a promising career, someone who always welcomes me home with a smile on her face and love in her heart, and a home I can always return to.  This book provides me some sort of consolation amidst life’s many trials and ordeals and instead of dwelling in negativity, it teaches us to count our blessings and never lose hope as without which, we will be dead when we are still alive.  Surprisingly, then, I realized I could not have chosen a better book to read after Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting.