See here is why you need to take world issues as it keeps you informed. I had no idea that stuff was going on in the Central African Republic and that "ethnic cleansing" was being used. These are the words of Hitler in WWII and in Armania and Rwanda during their genocides. Read the article and make a post:
1) What is the underlining issue here? There must be more than just religious groups fighting.
2) Research the issue in depth and tells us why this is going on.
3) Why would France be involved in country so far away? Does the country have something to offer supporters?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26195583
This is my post for the week!
ReplyDeleteI believe that the problems in most African countries are very sad, especially the ones with civil wars and hunger and it's very sad that people have to leave their homes in order to be in safety. Though the militia is trying to get back at the Muslims for doing the same thing a few years ago, two wrongs don't make a right. I think that both religions have trust issues with each other in the sense that there is no trust and their possibly scared of each other. The quote below says they have security issues...
"Amnesty International has described the situation in the former French colony as "ethnic cleansing", but CAR's president rejected the label and said it was a security issue."
Which I think they should be trying to patch up the relationship between the two religions to try for a safer and more peaceful outcome.
I think this is happening because the Catholics want revenge on the Muslims for doing something similar to them. The article below explains that Muslims are being murdered by angry mobs and people even hiding Muslims are at risk to be killed as well.
I truly believe that France is so involved because they have colonies there so they feel it sort of like a personal threat and they need to protect their people. I don't know if they have anything to offer them because you don't really hear about France's military or their peace keeping missions (if any). I hope they can solve this issue in the near future, or at least spread the word about it to get more peace keeping efforts from around the world.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2537299
I completely agree with you Ryea! These two opposing religions are getting nowhere by showing a lack of trust and seeking revenge. Like you said, two wrongs certainly don't make a right and I think it's about time they call a truce and strive to live harmoniously.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the news hasn't shed more light on the situations is extremely relevant considering that we have just been talking about bias in the media. I believe that due to the fact that none of the countries involved are North American, US and Canadian news outlets won't be covering alot of this ongoing tragedy. It's really sad but as we discussed in class, the media wants to appeal to the masses and what affects them directly.
DeleteI agree that it would be ideal if they were to call a truce and not continue any wars, but I would find that hard to be put in motion. I think that the trouble began when the European countries first divided up Africa without really consulting the people who lived there. Yet I completely agree that they should focus on finding a peaceful and swift resolution for their conflict.
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ReplyDeleteI was completely blown away by this article. I can honestly say that I had no idea that such an awful thing was going on in Central Africa. It truly goes to show how important it is to keep up to date with current world issues.
I believe that sometimes countries try too hard to intervene in certain scenarios (I.E. when the US tried to intervene in Iraq) and end up making a bad situation even worse. It's futile to try to force an entire nation to change their ways and their views because they aren't what Westerners believe to be "right". I believe that the French troops in Central Africa, however, are justified in trying to help the victims of this ethnic cleansing. Innocent people including infants are being brutally murdered because of the system of beliefs that they are a part of. When it comes to genocide, I believe that it is the duty of more developed countries to intervene. It frustrates me because this whole situation reminds me of the Rwandan genocide during the 90s. Troops had a difficult time trying to stop such a catastrophic event because it is hard to determine who is your enemy when they are all civilians practising guerilla warfare. I found a quote from an interesting article where a French soldier explains the difficulty in defending innocent Muslims from such barbarism:
"The thing is, it's easy to disarm organised troops, but impossible to control civilians armed with machetes."
I hope that the troops will be able to stop this catastrophe and restore peace to these shattered nations.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/18/central-african-republic-french-troops
I was also truly blown away when I heard this things were happening in Central Africa. I agree Gabrielle! I've just realized how crucial it is not only to stay informed but also be critical about what the media is telling us. It's truly appalling how so many issues are being ignored. At the same time, I am also glad the French came to intervene. Hopefully their actions can lead to a peaceful resolution.
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ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to look at an issue like this on both sides of the coin. For some people, they might believe the Muslim rebels had it coming for violently rebelling in March of 2013. While others might be disgusted with how the Muslims are being treated in the CAR presently. I think the route of the problem is that Africa has never been able to grow as a continent because of its geographical situations (hot, tropical, dry), and because of its sad involvement in resource exploitations by many other countries leaving it with poor leadership and broken traditions from the past. The Issue that is leading the Christian Militia to kill and 'cleanse' the Muslim's from there land is simply revenge. France is trying to stop the bloodshed and protect both sides of the war which is a difficult job.
France being involved at this point is for the better because the CAR simply does not have the leadership nor training to fight back against the riots, nor do they care for the Muslim rebels who were violently rebelling in prior years. The UN is sending French troops to try and stop the bloodshed because the majority of the people in the CAR are Christian (about 50%) and want revenge against the Muslims. I also don't think France is acting out of pure kindness. As the BBC article explains, the CAR is rich with diamonds and gold which to ANY country is very appealing. I feel that France may be trying to get there foot in the door of that natural resource market and once again exploit Africa's many resources which, in my opinion, is quite sad.
Here is a website showing to stories about what's going on in the CAR:
http://www.persecution.org/category/countries/africa/central-african-republic/
Here is also another interesting article from CBC that explains the situation from Amnesty's perspective:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/central-african-republic-exodus-is-ethnic-cleansing-amnesty-says-1.2533551
This is my post for the week.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that we hear more about the development of a new cellphone than we hear about an atrocious situation like this. The Situation in CAR is worsening every day and it's awful to think that it is on the verge of being considered a genocide. At the beginning it started off as a rebellion by the Seleka group to over throw the government that they believed to be corrupted, but it's evolved into a war of discrimination. It is no longer a battle between to opposing opinions, but rather a fight between two religions. It's saddening that it has regressed to this. Religion is meant to be a non-violet beacon of hope. It is supposed to help people through difficult times yet they've turned it into the reason that so many innocent people are suffering. This civil war is not solely based to two opposing religions however, as we've seen religions coexist in harmony.
It has become a fight for revenge yet we know that revenge gets you nowhere. The article states that the Muslim rebel group was thrown out of power last month, but the christian militia is still going after them. That tells me that there is a revenge aspect. The comment "Amnesty International has described the situation in the former French colony as "ethnic cleansing" disgusted me. the level of discrimination in that phrase
was awful. For them to refer to the killing of people as a cleansing is an ignorant and pretty racist thing to say. I am appalled!
This needs to stop and it doesn't seem like they will resolve it on their own. I think it's a good thing that France is intervening and sending in more troops. Being a former french colony, I think that France has a certain obligation to aid in this war. In my opinion the UN should also step in and end this before it reaches a genocide level. Whether or not France is intervening for the natural resources or not, the lives of the people is much more important and I would hope that that is their main priority.
I hope that this can be resolved soon. It most definitely will not be easy, but it is necessary.
These are a couple interesting articles that go into more detail about the war and the situation in CAR.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/01/un-car-risks-genocide-2014122231835239576.html
http://www.dw.de/car-conflict-about-power-religion/a-17315017