Swift action on genocide ideology most welcome

News that the Education ministry has summoned the legal representative of ACEDI de Mataba, a secondary school, which to most people’s consternation has 97 percent cases of genocide ideology – at least according to a recent parliamentary inquiry – gives hope that the urgency with which our lawmakers gave the report could soon have positive impact. The summoning of Senator Anastase Nzirasanaho, the school’s legal representative, comes after last week’s enormous pressure from members of the Chamber of Deputies. The MPs understandably were incensed by the findings, with some of them, probably out of frustration, insinuating that Education minister Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya could be unwilling to curb the vice, or worse still, herself a promoter of genocide ideology. Obviously, she dismissed the claim. The minister however, to a certain degree, took blame and promised to work closely with a special committee set up to make follow up on the matter and use the report as a resource of action.As we come to the close of 2007 and take stock of what transpired in the august House throughout the year, the inquiry and MPs’ response to the highly informative report, stands out as one of their best activities of the year. Indeed, in a situation where a secondary school has genocide ideology cases as high 97 percent, with some school administrators forcing Genocide survivor students to dress differently, as was (or is still) the case in Hon. Nzirasanaho’s ACEDI de Mataba, those responsible should not be treated with kindness. Almost fourteen years after the Genocide, there shouldn’t be any room to handle promoters of such a destructive ideology, especially among the young generation, with kid gloves. The MPs should not relent on their demand for tough measures against such individuals. We shouldn’t be fooled into believing that children aged between 8 and 18 can harbour genocide ideology to such alarming levels without the involvement of school administrators, teachers and parents. And it is incomprehensible to understand that a senator, whose primary responsibility is among others, fighting genocide ideology and all its manifestations, as well as eradicating ethnic, regional and other divisions and promotion of national unity, is the one whose school tops the list of genocide ideology cases. Incidentally, Nzirasanaho is also accused of committing Genocide crimes in 1994.However, the Education ministry should not stop at summoning the honourable senator, and probably, others whose schools are highly infected with the cancerous ideology. The parliamentary report is elaborate and should be used to bring those responsible to book. The law should take its due course since nobody is above it.Ends