When the genocide began in Rwanda 25 years ago, its tiny Muslim community refused to take part in the killings. Their stance inspired thousands to become Muslim in what was once called Africa’s most Catholic country.
“I was a Catholic pastor before genocide,” Matabaro Sulaiman told TRT World on a chilly Thursday night in Kigali, dressed in a flashy purple jilbab - a long loose-fit dress worn by Muslim men.
Rwanda Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr also known as Feast of Breaking the Fast festival, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, 17 July, 2015. The 1994 genocide began after a decade-long systematic dehumanisation campaign against the Tutsis turned into full ethnic cleansing. The hatred was so deeply implanted in ordinary society that neighbour turned on neighbour, friend against friend, as people joined the slaughter of those closest to them.
“Muslims were very few in number and had no capacity and power… but they decided to help others who were being killed,” Sulaiman said. He managed to escape and got back on his feet after the genocide. He now has three masters degrees with a PhD pending in governance. He told TRT World that when the killings began in April 1994, the Mufti of Rwanda prohibited Muslims from involvement in the killings, arguing that killing civilians is forbidden in Islam. “We have a very big number of former Christians who converted to Islam based on the fact that they have been saved and hidden by the Muslims at that time.
“Treated like second-class citizens and labelled as the ‘anti-Christ’ by the Belgian colonial rulers, Muslims were denied an education, to own land, have jobs and the right to move freely around the country,” Habimana said.
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