By Dr David Himbara
Mark Twain famously said that “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
As I write this there are crazy stories out here in Toronto that Rwandan death squads have landed in Canada to kill people who disagree with Republic of the thousand hills. It makes perfect sense to not want to die yet. We all feel that we have not accomplished our mission on this planet.
But does that mean we must constantly keep running and hiding under our beds in sweat and fear of so-called intore that have allegedly crossed the Atlantic to come to Toronto and Montreal to wipe us out?
I must pose this question that has been asked by a wiser person than me: “What is actually happening here? Are we holding back death, or is death holding us back?”
I cannot speak for Rwandans. But I can share ideas candidly and hopefully strike a right note with young compatriots who have a whole life in front of them. Join me in saying that I am no longer prepared to exist as a fearful zombie afraid of my own shadow. After freeing Rwanda, freeing South Africa, and therefore being forced out of my mother continent, I say enough is enough. That is cowardly enough.
Death is an eventuality for everyone, even for those who use death as an instrument of fear to terrorise nations into total submission driven by hunger of crude and primitive power. I bet you those who kill people fear death most – they have not even come to terms with death’s inevitability. They naively imagine they will live forever.
From presidents, the fabulously rich and famous, great athletes, computer wizards – everyone dies. Every living organism on this planet dies.
And so to the Rwandan hunters of skulls and their sponsors I ask. Why were you put on this planet? What is your individual and unique purpose? What’s your reason for living? And what might be driving you to deny somebody else a living?
And to the hunted – how long must we run? And to where? In the Pacific? I say enough. This Himbara writing will no hide. No sir. I am only hiding from the bloody cold Canadian winter that is denying me the pleasure of riding my bike through the beautiful trails of the Scarborough Bluffs, the Don Valley and the Water Front.
For the young Rwandan compatriots, come onto the streets. Breath the air of freedom. Shout. For you and for those held in Rwandan dungeons for daring to think. Say no to fear. Say no to intimidation. Say no to intimidators – here in Canada it is our right to imagine a better world; a dream that one day will spread across the land of the thousand hills, in the mountains of the north, the plains of eastern….
Out you come to sing freedom! Live a life. Achieve your purpose. Tame the fear that is killing you long before death itself takes you to your ultimate resting place.
