Under German rule before World War I and later under Belgian rule, Tutsis were distinguished from Hutus by their taller, slimmer bodies, long noses and lighter skin that were taken as marks of racial superiority. The racial hierarchy instituted by the government subordinated all Africans, but gave preference to Tutsis in education, politics and in the economy. This dominance is what caused the Hutus to slaughter the Tutsis. 

Hotel Rwanda portrays one of the most horrific events of the twentieth century. When the 

Hutus of Rwanda initiated a genocide that killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsis, while the rest of the world did nothing. Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), is the hotel manager at the Les Milles Collines hotel in Kigali. Paul is a Hutu, and a very successful businessman, while his wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo), is a Tutsi. Tatiana begs her husband to use his influence to help Tutsis, who are being harassed and beaten, but Paul will only use the connections he's made to help his own family. The violence escalates, and the Hutus begin their genocide of the Tutsis. European guests and staff at the hotel are flown out of the country, and Paul is left in charge. Before long, the hotel has become a refugee camp. Paul is seen as a traitor by some, putting his life in danger. The movie shows how every western nation decided to not intervene with the genocide. Most of the outsiders chose to not believe what was actually going on in Rwanda. The movie perfectly displays that western societies will only step in when something of value is at risk. One of the scenes that stands out to me the most is when the UN general and Paul are at the bar and the general tells Paul that no one cares about them, westerns think they are dirt, and won't help because Rwanda has nothing economically to offer. 

Murambi tells the story of a young history teacher, Cornelius Uvimana, who returns to Rwanda from his home in exile in Djibouti four years after the genocide.  His entire family was killed in the violence, with the exception of his uncle, Siméon Habineza. Cornelius journeys home is an attempt to come to terms with what happened to his family and his country. Through the different voices, the reader sees the extensive planning, training, and propaganda that led up to the massacres. Diop shows the maneuverings of the French generals who evacuate the masterminds of the genocide. Murambi works to reject victimhood. Through the character of Siméon Habineza, Diop explores the role of victimhood in the cycles of violence in Rwanda. When the villagers in Murambi set out to destroy the home of the man who organized their relatives’ massacre, Siméon reminds them that acts of vengeance in Rwandan history have always called for acts of retribution. People should not see suffering as a moral license to act violently and then seek absolution in their own grief. Murambi suggests that ending violence and rebuilding society such events demand a willingness of victims to give up innocence and seek forgiveness.  Forgiveness not as in being okay with killing , but for survival. Victims act in a non-violent, non-vengeful way towards perpetrators in order to redeem themselves.  

The movie and the book, as well as the articles, explain the reason for genocide. One group was given privilege over the other. This is similar to the way the Nazi's viewed Jews. The Nazis thought they were better than the Jewish community and saw  Jews as something that needed to be "exterminated." Jewish people were blamed for the economy and short comings in Europe. In Rwanda, Hutus held a grudge against Tutsis. Even in Rwanda, Tutsis were blamed for the mistreatment and views of Hutus. Hutus referred to Tutsis as cockroaches. Thus, dehumanizing them and causing Hutus to not relate to the pain Tutsis were experiencing. Murambi shows that violence cannot be fought with violence because it will be a never ending battle. As for the western civilizations, they should be more than ashamed! Even the movie showed how China was supplying Hutus in Rwanda with machetes for an extremely low price even when the tension was high in the country.  It is hard to believe that such events occurred not long ago, but I force myself to take in the horror so I am not ignoring what happened. Everyone should have known what was taking place! The use of media seems to be a contributing factor in war. The radio man in Rwanda told people how awful Tutsis were and how they needed to be killed. This is similar to the literature Germans were reading during WWII that blamed Jews for the depression.