The first letter is a response from Noel Kagabo to Stephen Noah and was copied to me. The second letter is my response. The third is Stephen Noah's response to my first two letters (which can be found on this blog) and the fourth letter is my response to Stephen Noah.
It should be noted that I have not shared any information that has not been made public by either the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, or a MAJOR media outlet.
Dear Steven;
Don't even waste your time trying to justify what you know is right. Pastor Tom Hallberg, is not ignorant, he knows what he is doing, he is serving the purpose of being faithful to his friend Rev. Innocent Ndagijimana, Associate Pastor at Duke's Chapel United Methodist Church http://dukeschapel.org/
Pastor Tom, I feel sorry for you since you are not the only American who have been duped and succumbed to the pressure of these genocide deniers. Maybe you need to educate yourself on what really happened in Rwanda then you will know that there has been one genocide which has been recognized by the United Nations and many other states; that was the 1994 genocide against Tutsi of Rwanda. In the fairness of your role as a pastor you should know who is a genocide survivor to better serve your church members without confusion. For your own knowledge and awareness of what happened in Congo, I will refer you to the memoir of Aldo Ajello who was the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General in Congo.
As per your question to Steven if Rusesabagina is a liar, to this hour you are probably the only one who doesn't know that he is a liar and an impostor, he did not save any Tutsi nor he had power to do so, he is also one of the genocide deniers like your friends. Once again I will refer you to people who follow closely the situation of the Great Lakes of Africa like Linda Melvern http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Dear Pastor Tom, Jesus instructed all of us to seek the truth because truth only will set us free. I will encourage you to seek the truth about my country Rwanda, don't follow your friends blindly, get out of your tunnel vision and touch base with Tutsi genocide survivors, listen to them, counsel them, preach to them, they need you more than those who pretend to be survivors as if it was a rank or a great social status to be proud of.
Your brother in Christ Noel Kagabo.
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Mr. Kagbo,
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Mr. Kagbo,
Let me begin by greeting you in as a fellow Brother of Christ. Your email to Mr. Noah and to me is somewhat disturbing for several reasons which I will outline. I ask that you please take the time to respond to each of my questions so that we can better understand each other.
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Without trying to argue with you, let me first of all ask you if this e mail is meant to intimidate me since you have chosen to include personal information about me in this letter? I would also like to know how you know anything about me and how you are aware of my correspondence with Mr. Noah?
You seem to know things about me, I would like to know the person with whom I am corresponding, so would you please share some information about yourself so we can know one another better?
Though you mentioned Pastor Innocent in the e mail, I will only address issues pertaining to myself, and I will not speak for anyone else as it pertains to this conversation between you and me.
After answering those questions, in order for me to understand what you are saying, I need answers to the following questions:
1. First of all, I need a simple answer. Were not BOTH Tutsis and Hutus killed in the sad events of the Rwandan Genocide and the aftermath? If that is not the case, please correct me.
2. Please tell me how I am denying Genocide. As I have reread my letters to the William Penn University Community, I cannot find anywhere where it can be mistaken that I denied that a genocide took place. If you believe that I have denied the genocide, I apologize because that was NEVER my intention! While the loss of one life is disturbing to me, the murders of so many Rwandan People disgusts me, and I would never purposely mislead anyone on that issue!
3. All of the information I cited was from published material from International Organizations (The United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International). The ONLY question I asked that was not cited was a question I had about Paul Russasabinga, and I will read the article you sent me in a moment. If I have cited incorrect information, please let me know my errors.
4. If I have misused the term "genocide," I apologize. Would a more accurate statement be that in that tragic series of events, there was "Genocide and War Crimes?" When I used the term "genocide," my working definition was "ANY mass killing of ANY group of people based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, or other large group of people." So, for example, in my definition, the Holocaust of World War II would be "genocide." The Killing Fields of Pol Pot of Cambodia (who ruled from 1963-1981) and was responsible for the death of Three million of his own citizens would be "genocide." I could cite more examples, but I hope this helps you understand what I mean by "genocide." Please correct me if my definition is incorrect.
5. Please comment on the memoir of Aldo Ajello since I am not familiar with this person or this work. Is it in book form? Or where can I find this memoir?
6. Did or Did Not President Kagame order troops into the Democratic Republic of Congo who killed Hutus (both those who were guilty of the Genocide as well as those who were not)?
I believe that if you first of all answer those 6 questions, we can begin to have a more informed discussion and if I have presented wrong information, the answers to these 6 questions will help me to research and know the correct information.
Praying for God's Peace,
http://tomhallberg.blogspot.Response from William Penn University and My Response
Your opposition to William Penn University’s decision to celebrate the graduation of our four Rwandan students, and the growing cooperation with Rwandan colleges and universities has been noted. It is interesting that you choose to voice your protest by harassing the most junior and powerless of our staff, the admissions counselors. It is also very interesting that you cite information and misinformation that has been used by defense counsel not only to defend those charged with the genocide in Rwanda, but also to justify this terrible human tragedy.
We appreciate your first amendment right to protest the decision of William Penn University to celebrate our partnership with Rwanda by honoring their President, but find the bullying tactics that you, and your colleagues are using more than a little incongruous.
Many of us have friends who are genocide survivors, and we are all horrified by the entire bloody history of the Lakes Region of Africa since the beginning of colonization by the West. Nine members of our senior staff and board have made sixteen trips to Rwanda since 2008 in an effort to help educate the young people of the country. That is what we celebrate, and what you are so crassly protesting.
Steven Noah
Steven C. Noah
Vice President for Government Relations and Special Projects
William Penn University
201 Trueblood Avenue
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Vice President Noah,
Thank you for your response. If I am sending e mails to the wrong people, I sincerely apologize, and if you would be kind enough to share the correct email addresses, I would be happy to update my list.
If what I am doing is "harassment" and "bullying," how would you characterize Paul Kagame who is responsible for the deaths of approximately 6 million innocent people? Or, is that acceptable since he is an international leader and I am a mere pastor? If receiving a few e mails is your definition of being bullied, I strongly suggest you speak to the survivors of the Rwandan Genocide and rethink your position.
I would also like you to answer exactly what misinformation I have cited that has not been confirmed by such agencies as the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, as well as by international judges in France and Spain. Are ALL of these groups spreading misinformation? Though I have not cited him, is Paul Russasabinga, the focus of the movie "Hotel Rwanda" also a liar?
As for alleging that I have colleagues in this matter, you are now delving into falsehoods. Whatever protests you have received from others have nothing to do with me. I have only shared information of a genocidal dictator speaking at a university graduation with a few people. I know about nothing other than emails and telephone calls being made - Hardly harassment and bullying!
While I applaud your University's relationship with the Rwandan people and the celebration of the graduation of Rwandan students, I find your celebration of Kagame to be a grave insult to the millions of dead and those of us who crave justice and God's mercy. While I am not a Quaker, I am a Christian Pacifist, and I find it appalling that any university would celebrate the rule of any leader who came to power through such violent and oppressive means. Am I to assume with using your logic that we classify Hitler as a successful leader since he did, after all, revitalize the German economy, and we sweep under the "rug" the fact that he was also responsible for millions of deaths?
Please go back and read my protest and find one case where I have "crassly" protested educating the young people of Rwanda. Again, you are delving into misinformation and mischaracterization of the position I have made clear.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, "Blessed are the peacemakers." Please explain to me how Mr. Kagame is a peacemaker. Please explain to me how celebrating his presidency is NOT an insult and mockery of the dead, traumatized, disfigured, and displaced Rwandans and Congolese people. Please show me where I am wrong.
If you are willing to set aside false accusations of me and my position, I will gladly continue this conversation with you or with whomever I should speak to on this matter.
I will keep you and your university in my prayers, and I pray that you and the William Penn University community have the courage to stand up to injustice in whatever forms it is manifested and the wisdom to see evil for what it is.
Praying For Peace,
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