Hope

Honestly, much as I don't see her as having articulated specifics as to how she can help Rwanda beyond the so-called truth commission, I fail to see what she has done that warrants arrest. Personally, I don't believe Rwanda's chance for peace and justice lies in political parties; they promote an atmosphere of people thinking "me first" that little is done in the way of helping the average citizen. FDU, RPF, FDLR, PSD are all political parties with labels attributed to them by others or themselves, and, as such, their first instincts is to look out for their own interests and survival.

As such, Rwandans should stand up against Ingabire's arrest without regard to her political or ethnic affiliations because it is simply the right thing to do. What she said at the memorial is the truth... badly-timed and at the wrong place, but still true. 1. Itsembabwoko= genocide, annihilation based on ubwoko (ethnicity). 2. Itsembatsemba= massacre...It is unfair to think that only Tutsi or moderate Hutus were killed during the genocide period or in the chaos of the wars that ensued after. I was in Kigali during the genocide and I remember people from both ethnicities being killed. Is this saying there was no genocide, or downplaying the horrors of the genocide? NO. I am simply saying that people from both sides lost their loved ones and their grief is equal to me. I wouldn't have said it at the memorial of the Tutsi victims it I was Ingabire, but poor choice of venue is not a crime she's been charged with.

Fear is something we need to rid ourselves of before we can all take a step forward. For centuries, dictators and oppressors have relied on people's fear of death as a deterrent against uprisings and they have succeeded in certain ways, but there was always a man or woman in whom was found a willingness to act in spite of the fear they held because they knew the future would feed off their energy. Ingabire, though she might lack qualities to make her the next president of Rwanda, she has proven to be a beacon of hope for many. Many others, here and elsewhere, will disagree with me, but the truth still remains that she has mobilized and encouraged some to speak and dream about equality in their homeland.

A few years ago, some said Barack Obama was inexperienced and unproven in matters of governance, but he had, on his side, a powerful weapon; Hope. He offered a war-weary, economically-battered populace a glimpse of hope for change. When election time rolled around, people voted in droves to usher in a new generation of leaders that could reinvigorate their cause for pursuit of happiness. History remains to judge him, but, in Victoire Ingabire, many Rwandans see their own hope.

The stakes are different and she stands to lose more, but the prize is all the same. Though she is imprisoned, it is, by no means, a conviction- that decision lies with the courts of the land- and it might end up being a distraction to keep her from running in the scheduled August presidential elections. So, the best option is to sit back, think about what you base your opinion of her on (be honest with yourself), and see what happens.

History is a fair judge and we will all have to face its impartial gavel. It is entirely up to it to make someone a martyr-not us- so we sit and wait. Let her case be heard and judged. Don't be afraid to form an opinion, but do so with as much knowledge and insight as you can garner so that you make the best decision for all of Rwanda and not just you. When it's all said and done and the smoke has cleared, Rwanda will still be there longing for all its sons and daughters to join hands in building up the inheritance of  our ancestors without fear, prejudice, and malice.