Modernity and genocide
Introduction
Genocide is the act of deliberate destruction on a group of people due to their nationality, ethnicity, religion or race. Genocide and ethnocide go hand in hand, ethnocide is the destruction of an ethnic group or culture. Both of these acts include physical destruction with the aim of suppressing or eliminating a certain group. Acts of genocide are not something that the world is not familiar with, so many of them have occurred over time in different places in the world. Modernity put an end to the communalism era and brought about changes. However, these changes were not received so well by many groups, therefore with modernity came a lot of implications. The motives of carrying out genocides in today’s world are similar to the motives behind carrying out this hideous act in the past and nothing has changed. Organizations such as the United Nation have failed the world and proved ineffective in remedying situations such as genocides and ethnic cleansing. Modernity brought about changes that the society was not ready to make, thus bringing about dire implications. Modernity is responsible for demeaning, disempowering and marginalizing customs and beliefs.
Genocides create wounds that last a lifetime. The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is something that no Rwandan will ever forget, they have seen and experienced the worst of humanity. The desire for power is the main cause of the Rwandan genocide. One political group with the aim of suppressing the other gave rise to the genocide. The Hutus, in particular, were the ones slaughtering the Tutsis. The genocide is said to have been arranged by Hutu political elites who held top position in the government. The brutality of which Hutus massacred their fellow citizen left the whole world shocked. The genocide had lasting and profound effects on Rwanda and its neighbors (Barnett,2002).
The Rwandan genocide of 1994 has a contemporary relationship with the conflicts in Congo. The conflict seems to be a prelude to genocide as the United Nation is predicting. The main cause of the conflicts in politics, one political group is trying to suppress and eliminate the other. These conflicts are very dominant in some parts of the country such as the Kasai region (Carayannis, 2003). Gang rapes taking place in those regions is similar to the gang rapes that took place in Rwanda. Human mutilations and killing are very similar to those that took place in Rwanda a few years back. The Rwandan genocide left about 800,000 Rwandans dead and similarly, the conflicts in Kasia have left at least 5000 people dead so far. The United nation failed to halt the Rwandan genocide despite the ability and role it played, and this should not happen with the conflicts in Congo since it has been identified that the country is at the verge of genocide. It is high time that the world leaders gather and put their act together to prevent the next genocide that is rooming about the corner (Barnett, 2002). Another contemporary similarity between the Rwandan genocide and the conflicts in Congo is that the UN plays an important role in them. The conflicts happening in Congo will see the world history repeat itself if it is not stopped. There are current debates about whether the UN should increase its role in the conflicts and take action or just sit back.
The Rwandan genocide is one that almost everyone is familiar with. Michael Barnett examines the decision of the United Nations during this genocide. The United Nations like any other organization whose inhabitants use discourse and reason to get through rules that are molded by a common identity, it contains rules that guide what the employee’s thinking of what is ethical and appropriate in their own thinking. Barnett hoped to reconstruct the moral universe of 1994 and contribute to the interpretation and understanding of ethics and non-intervention. He does this to prove that the UN influenced how diplomats looked and acted upon the genocide that was taking place in Rwanda. The UN is a symbol of hope for the international community. The headquarters in New York restricted which member states qualified to offer relief and assistance to Rwanda. It went further to dictate how peacekeeping was to be carried out in the country. The UN was also torn between trying to help and save the organization from undergoing losses by sending peacekeepers in parts where peace was not negotiable at that particular time (Barnett, 2002).
Those at the UN headquarters were misreading Rwanda’s politics and they had little time to master the political orientation and history of the country. The UN headquarters in New York mistook the genocide for civil war since they were aware of the civilian mass killing taking place in the country. This assumption reduced their option to one of trying to negotiate with the involved groups to cease fire. Their assumption made it impossible for them to overlook other contradictory factors. All the methods that they came up to try and solve this problem discouraged their intervention even further (Barnett, 2002).
The need to suppress and destroy one group on the basis of ethnicity and race is ethnocide and may as well result in genocide. Ethnic difference is a cause of animosity and violence. Ethnic cleansing is something that the world is familiar with. An example of ethnic cleansing is the European cleansing that took place in Europe in a series of rape, torture, and destruction forcing over ten million people to cross over to India and Pakistan, this cleansing left around 1 million people dead. The Bosnia genocide is also one of the world’s most famous genocide that was related to ethnic cleansing carried out when Bosnia Serbs tried to ethnically cleanse their territory of Bosniaks. Currently, in the world people are facing similar prosecution on a reduced scale. An example is the persecution that Muslims faced in Kosovo and Palestine are facing (Ahmed, 2010).
Communism is at the verge of collapsing but then the society is not aware that modernity and its cluster of ideas are collapsing too. Modernity first started in Europe and spread to parts of the world. With modernity came racial and cultural superiority which brings out its ugly side Believers of modernity did not value cultures such as Hindu and Muslim. What followed after modernity was uncertain. What was certain was that the changes after communism would result to worldwide implication, in a metaphoric way it can be said that the cement that was holding the people together and uniting them had cracked (Ahmed, 2010). After the rise of modernity, racism erupted in France and Germany. The racist wanted the foreigners expelled from their land.
Modernity is responsible for giving rise to many implications in many parts of the world. Muslims and non- Russians were facing similar persecution from those who were for modernity. Globally no group is isolated from ethnic passion. For example, when Hindus in India terrorize the Muslims who are the minority group in the country their fellow Hindus will be terrorized in Pakistan and Bangladesh by the Muslims who are the majority in those countries. In Kashmir thousands of Muslims were tortured and killed, which were acts of genocide. In order to understand ethnicity anthropologists, need to use an objective approach since understanding it is very crucial (Ahmed, 2010).
Globalization seeks to define ethnic cleansing. However, its idea should be explored with caution since it is a characteristic that defines modernity and ethnic cleansing is an implication brought about by modernity. Globalization has been made possible TV, VCR, newspaper and, satellite dishes that have the tendency to simplify complex issues, but them this media channels used for globalization allows both false and dangerous arguments to circulate. Arguments that have been mounted by the chauvinistic middle class who are the keeper of the ethnic flame which keeps a nation or prevents a race from becoming great and fulfilling its destiny (Ahmed, 2010).
To try and explain what ethnic cleansing is according to globalization a past incident that shapes Indian history need to be examined. The Hindu formed the majority of the population, but their identity was being submerged and they felt aggrieved. The countries first prime minister was responsible for influencing Indian with modernity. However, it was not well received by the orthodox. The prime minister responsible for influencing modernity was long gone from the political scene in the 1990s when the Hindu uprising was becoming more severe. Indira Gandhi daughter to Mahatma Gandhi who was a man of great piety, and one of India’s founding fathers choose a more communal position. Globalization especially the one that originated from America threatened to alienate Indians more. And as they approached the 1980s, the political atmosphere was charged and the mildest opposition from the Muslims would have led to swift and painful retribution. And due to the channels responsible for promoting globalization Hindus were persecuted in places such as Pakistan. In Britain, the tension between the Muslims and Hindus was quite heavy (Ahmed, 2010). One group trying to eliminate the other due to their culture is a direct definition of ethnic cleansing.
Modernity and genocides come with their implications that leave a lasting wound in the lives of those they touch. Trauma and memory are a lifelong result of these two. Exposure to traumatic events such as ethnic cleansing and genocides have lasting effects on those who experience them first hand. After the Rwandan genocide a traumatic disease that was found in those who had witnesses the genocide was named Ihahamuka, this syndrome was accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath, falling to the ground, gasping for air, and pain and heat in the head. Triggers of Ihahamuka include; arguments, visiting the locations where ones loved ones were murdered, loud noise, strong emotions, and exertion (Casey,2015). People who have suffered first hand this sort of cruelty tend to avoid reminders that remind them of those occasions, intrusive thoughts, alteration of arousal and reactivity. It all comes down to how certain people respond to fear threat, and danger that they have sensed (Casey, 2015). Religious conflicts happening in Nigeria led to the kidnapping of girls by a terrorist group, Boko Haram. The country was torn between different religious groups trying to suppress each other. The Mallam da’wah movement also brought about conflicts trying to oppose the changes that came with modernity.
When carrying outs acts of ethnic cleansing rape is used as a weapon of destruction. Rape dishonors and disgraces a woman. In Bosnia rape was deliberately used as an instrument of war, men and dogs affected by HIV virus were used to rape women. Small innocent girls were raped in front of their mothers. Bosnia was not the only one to use rape as a weapon in the heat of war, it has been confirmed that Kashmir was using the same tactics (Ahmed, 2010). This is brutality that was brought about by modernity.
To put a successful end to the implications of ethnic cleansing and cruel acts of genocide actions need to be taken. The first action to stop a genocide that is around the corner is the United Nations to address the conflicts in Congo. When Rabin and Arafat Washington who were old standing ethnic rivals shock hands the barrier that divided their people was torn. This past historic example should serve as an example to the present and future. The parties involved in the conflicts should put their differences apart and find a common factor that will bind them together. Actions need to be taken in order to end the implication of modernity and genocides. The first step might be to understand that the world is defined by plurality. Globally recognized organizations like the United Nations need not be weak and ineffective when they are needed the most. Lastly, education can be used to fight ethnic hatred and the disagreeing groups need to have an interface dialogue for them to see that they have a common ground (Ahmed, 2010).
Conclusion
Previous acts of genocide are things that the world has not forgotten. Modernity has come with its implications. The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 was forced by the fight for power between the Hutus and Tutsis. This genocide has similarities with the contemporary conflicts taking place in Congo. The UN plays an important role in the two and it has already identified that the conflicts are a prelude to genocide. The UN failed at putting a halt to the Rwandan genocide but should not fail to stop the genocide waiting to happen. Ethnic cleansing is one of the implications brought about by modernity. Acts of ethnic cleansing have resulted in mass deaths and, horrible genocides such as the Bosnia genocide. Globalization which is a characteristic of modernity seeks to explore what ethnic cleansing is using a past incident of India. Rape was used as an instrument of war during genocides and ethnic cleansing. History repeating wit self will be a mistake, therefore, actions need to be taken. The first thing people should understand that the world is defined by plurality but everyone comes from the same species. Education is a key factor in preventing the mass destruction of people. Lastly, disagreeing parties should try and find common ground. In the name of modernity, the world has endured so many genocides.
References
Ahmed, S. A. (2010). “Ethnic cleansing”: A metaphor for our time? Retrieved from; https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.1995.9993851
Barnett, M. (2002). Eyewitness to a genocide: the United Nations and Rwanda. Ithaca: Cornnell University Press.
Carayannis, T. (2003). The complex war of the Congo: Towards a New Analytic Approach. Retrieved from; https://doi.org/10.1177%2F002190960303800206
Casey, C. (2015) Genocide and post-conflict Justice. Retrieved from; http://www.politicalsubjectivity.com/uploads/4/7/9/1/47917413/casey_syllabus_genocide _and_post-conflict_justice.pdf
