 Excellence in Engineering Even secular architects and engineers have to admit that the greatest examples of excellence in architecture are the cathedrals. Extraordinary Sacrifice and Dedication When you consider the limited technological resources available to architects, builders and craftsmen, who built the medieval cathedrals - with wooden scaffolding, hand tools and boats that transported the stones from quarries to the building sites, each of these cathedrals represent staggering sacrifices and amazing achievements. Awesome Architecture Many of the great cathedrals of Britain were built a thousand years ago! These cathedrals are far more than monuments to a vibrant and living Faith. They have been meeting places for generations of Christian communities, the focal point of Christian work and witness throughout the Middle Ages to the present day.  Wondrous Attractions To many people today, cathedrals are seen as tourist attractions, resting places for many of the most prominent personalities over many centuries, and as venues for royal weddings, state funerals and inspiring Christmas choirs and Easter presentations. The cathedrals of Britain are precious treasure houses reflecting over a thousand years of extraordinary artistry, excellent craftsmanship and dynamic faith. Canterbury Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the country's senior archbishop, as it began with St. Augustine's mission to Anglo Saxon England in the 6th century. Canterbury Cathedral is also the resting place of the most famous of all archbishops of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who was martyred in the cathedral, 1170. St. Paul's The original St. Paul's was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren oversaw the baroque masterpiece which is the current St. Paul's Cathedral. It took 35 years to build, starting, in white Portland stone, in 1675. The dome is 365 feet high and, until 1962, was the tallest building in London. For well over 1,400 years, St. Paul's has been a place of Christian worship. It is the seat of the bishop of London and the mother church of the diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the city of London. The original church on the site was built in AD 604. St. Paul's is the second largest church in Britain. Its dome has been proclaimed the finest in the world. St. Paul's is a busy church with at least three services every day. This was the site of the famous wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981 and of the funeral of Baroness Margaret Thatcher in 2013. Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, which began to be built in 1220, has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (404 feet). The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close (80 acres) in Britain. The cathedral also contains the world's oldest working clock, (dating from 1386) and has the best surviving, of the four original copies, of Magna Carta (the great charter of 1215).  Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral was completed by 1400 and has the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England. The Exeter Cathedral astronomical clock is one of the most famous and oldest astronomical clocks in the world, dating from 1484. The silver ball and inner dials show both the phase of the moon and the position of the sun in the sky on a 24 hour analogue dial. The door below the clock has a round hole near its base to allow the church cats to deter rats that are attracted to the fat used to lubricate the clock mechanism. Lincoln Cathedral Building on Lincoln Cathedral commenced in 1088 and, for 238 years, was the tallest building in the world. For hundreds of years the cathedral held one of the four copies of the original Magna Carta, which now is displayed in Lincoln Castle. Lincoln Cathedral is one of the few English cathedrals built from the rock it is standing on. The cathedral stonemasons can use up to 100 tonnes of stone per year from their own quarry for maintenance and repairs. Gloucester Cathedral Originally built from AD 678, the Cathedral of St. Peter and the Holy Trinity contains Saxon, Norman and Gothic architecture. Winchester Cathedral Winchester Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe with the longest nave and the greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe. The cathedral was founded in AD 642 and greatly expanded in the 11th century. Richard the Lionheart was crowned King of England in this cathedral in 1194. As a bishop of Winchester had condemned Joan of Arc to death in 1431, a statue of Joan of Arc was erected in Winchester Cathedral in 1923, when she was recognised as a martyr and a saint.  York Minster The Cathedral of St. Peter in York is one of the largest in Northern Europe. The large stained glass windows are the largest medieval stained glass in the world. The West window was constructed in 1339 and the great East window in 1408. Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral was originally an Abby built in AD 672. The present magnificent cathedral dates back to 1083. The central octagonal tower is a unique landmark. The cathedral is a major tourist attraction receiving 250,000 visitors a year, yet maintains a pattern of morning and evening services every day.  Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ of Durham dates back to AD 995. It is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture. County Durham is known as the Land of the Prince Bishops because of the enormous military and political power which the Bishop of Durham traditionally maintained for centuries. The tombs of St. Cuthbert of Lindesfarne and the Venerable Bede (the Historian of Saxon England), are located within Durham Cathedral. Wells Cathedral Construction of Wells Cathedral began in AD 1170. Wells has been described as the most poetic of English cathedrals. The church is surrounded with sculptures and magnificent stained glass windows. A Challenge and Rebuke The cathedrals are a challenge and a rebuke to an age of prefabs and rentals. The generations who sacrificed and laboured to build these magnificent houses of worship to the glory of God built for future generations. It frequently took three generations to complete a cathedral. The generations who had laid the foundations were not normally alive to see the completion of the spires. Multiple generations have been blessed by their diligence and vision. Consecrated Work Requires Consecrated Workers When Sir Christopher Wren began to re-build St. Paul's Cathedral, he had signs erected on the construction site, declaring that, as this is to be a House of Worship, all those involved in the construction were required to maintain daily devotions, attend worship services and anyone found taking the Lord's Name in vain would be immediately dismissed.  Inspiration
Many of those building these cathedrals found inspiration from the prophet Haggai who challenged the people of his time. "'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this Temple to lie in ruins?' Now therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts: 'Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.' Thus says the Lord of Hosts: 'Consider your ways!'" Haggai 1:2-7 To the Glory of God The attention to detail, even on the rooftops, which could not be seen before the age of flight, is incredible. Many of the craftsmen determined to do their very best, even on those parts which would not be seen by any but God and the Angels, because whatever you do, do it with all your heart as working for the Lord and not for men. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17 Dr. Peter Hammond Reformation Society P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za www.ReformationSA.org www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Fire To see the PDF JOY! magazine version of this article, click here.
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 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways.” Romans 3:15-16 Waves of Fires in the Western Cape More than 120 people died in fires and 762 arson attacks were recorded in the Western Cape during 2018. Forensic investigator, David Klatzow, observed that simultaneous fires, starting at the same time, “raises a big red flag” and suggests “deliberate agency”. Knysna Forest Fires Times Live reported, 8 June 2017, “Are Knysna Fires the Result of Arson?” Firefighters in the Knysna area were battling 26 separate fires which destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of hectares of forest. Malicious Tokai Arsonists Sought IOL and the Cape Times reported in January 2017 that rewards were offered for information on the people responsible for the eleven Tokai forest fires which were believed to have been started maliciously.  Suspicious Spate of Fires in Cape Town On 18 January 2017, City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security member, J.P. Smith, stated: “The spate of fires is truly suspicious and we have an investigations team that is looking into it.” The Cape Times front page banner headline – “Firestorm – Arson suspected as scores of fires threaten lives and property in Cape.” Persistent Pattern 28 January 2019, Robbie Erasmus from Enviro Wildlife reported on 9 fires ravaging different areas across the Western Cape in one week. Hundreds of firefighters were kept busy battling fires in Cape Town, Cederberg, Overberg and Overstrand. Mr Erasmus concluded, that while some causes may be natural, there was evidence of others having been started deliberately. Firefighters reported that fires were “never this bad”, this “persistent” and this “long-lasting” before. Wildfires ravaging mountains and forestry reserves is now becoming a pattern.  Arsonists in Action
29 October 2018, seven people, including a baby and a pregnant woman were killed in a Western Cape forest fire near Knysna. Helicopter pilots in the Knysna area reported seeing children starting forest fires while firefighters were battling 40 separate fires in the Knysna area simultaneously. The devastating fire on Signal Hill, January 2019, was proven to be arson. Racist Incitement to Burn White Farmers Lindsay Maasdorp of Black First Land First, posted on social media: “If it is a white-owned farm it must burn!” Thousands of hectares of forestry reserve in the Western Cape have been devastated by wildfires. Across the country, buildings such as the historic Bloemfontein City Hall, have been destroyed by deliberate arson. Many communities feel under siege by Marxist inspired land invaders and unprecedented arson attacks. Apple farmers in Elgin experienced malicious fires, burning thousands of crates just before harvest season. Destruction of farm equipment, barns, sheds, equipment, vineyards, orchards, crops and forests are evidently part of a Revolutionary Agenda. “The way of peace they have not known and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.” Isaiah 59:8 Dr. Peter Hammond Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4480 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za www.frontlinemissionsa.org www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Buses, Trains and Police Stations Burn Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? Farms and Freedoms Under Fire In South Africa The National Suicide of the Xhosa Fraud Failure and Farce - Land Expropriation Hearings Racism, Rhetoric and Reality God's Law or Chaos  “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” 1 Chronicles 16:24 South Africa Mission We praise God for His blessing and protection over Tobie, Alieske, Daniela, Erik and myself, who have returned from a packed and productive Mission around South Africa. We drove over 4,300 km, conducted over 60 meetings, delivered about 2 tonnes of Bibles, books, Gospel booklets and AudioVisual materials to 24 locations across the Orange Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, to 5 schools, 6 churches, 2 colleges, 2 Mission stations, 2 conferences and 2 seminars. School Ministries Throughout this South Africa Mission, our team members, Alieske, Daniela, Tobie and Erik, conducted numerous school assemblies at 5 different schools, including in Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, East London and Alexandria. We also delivered Bibles, books and audiovisual materials to other schools. Presentations included: Animals in the Bible, Creation and Stewardship, Fight the New Drug, Recognising and Resisting Human Trafficking, Applying the Ten Commandments to our Lives, Evangelism Explosion and Missionary Reports and challenges.  Ministry to Children During the Back to the Bible Conference, the rest of the Frontline Mission team were conducting ministry amongst local Zulu children in the area. They also conducted services at an Evangelical Bible Church in Pinetown each Sunday evening. They distributed many evangelistic tracts and Fight the New Drug leaflets, Animals in the Bible leaflets and much more. School Assemblies At the different schools that we conducted assemblies at, the children enthusiastically participated in The Marching Song, reciting the Ten Commandments poem, learning memory tools to apply God's Top Ten, singing great hymns of the Faith, learning the Evangelism Explosion Gospel Presentation and exploring the wonders of God's Creation and our duty to care for His creatures and protect the earth from poaching and pollution. Bureaucratic Battles Over Education From each school, we learned of the extraordinary burdens and expenses forced upon private and independent Christian community schools by government bodies such as Umalusi. Teaching is hard enough in the best of times. However, despite no funding, or subsidies, from the government, or even tax relief, to these independent schools, they force unwarranted and unnecessary expenses and time-consuming restrictions. For one matric student at an Eastern Cape Christian school to be recognised, Umalusi demands R10,000 just to look at their email and R50,000 for the students’ matric results to be recognised! They seem unconcerned that this is a Mission school struggling to carry out its ministry in a very depressed economic environment, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Extortion in the Name of Education The fact that these independent Christian schools are taking a tremendous burden off a government that is not even coping with its own schools, you would have thought that the least they could do was give them some tax relief. But, No! Umalusi declares that they do not care how many students are in the matric class, even if it is just one. R10,000 to register and R50,000 to be recognised is their required rate! How are missionary schools meant to survive under such outrageous extortions from a government which is meant to be civil servants? A Country in Crisis We experienced power failures and suspension of plumbing, even at busy petrol stations on the N2, without any water. We drove over massive amounts of potholes and witnessed widespread damage to roads, evidence of rioting and destruction of property. We drove past thousands of hectares of burned out forests, due to arson, spoke to farmers who had lost loved ones, relatives and neighbours to brutal farm murders. These attacks seem to be incited and encouraged by racist ANC, EFF and BLF politicians, who seem to be able to demonise whites and espouse race hatred and genocide without the criminal justice system even pretending to deal with such incitements to murder and torture. Some of the most beautiful communities in the country are now litter-strewn, pollution-ridden, vandalised wrecks encased in razor wire, high walls, electric fencing, burglar bars and security gates. The devastation caused by a criminal element who have seized political power is evident throughout the country. Malice and Murder For an economy to run well, one needs tens-of-thousands of things to be done right. For so much malice, propaganda, disinformation, riots, destruction of property, arson and murder, to not only be tolerated, but effectively encouraged by the cANCer government, is catastrophic for any country. There is much evidence that we are entering into the second phase of the communist revolution. Christians need to be alert, understand the times and be vigorous in exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness. “Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?” Psalm 94:16  Appreciation for Resources Throughout the country, we found much gratitude for the Christian Action magazines in which we have dealt with Farms and Freedoms Under Fire in South Africa; Fraud, Failure and Farce – Land Expropriation Hearings; Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? And our various AudioVisual resources on this. We met with individuals and congregations who reported that they frequently screen our Reformation Society video presentations to their congregation after the Sunday morning service as part of Adult Sunday school. There was much gratitude for the newly printed New Testament Survey books. It was most encouraging to hear back from our literature distribution contacts who are ensuring that Bibles, New Testaments, Gospels, World Missionary Press Gospel booklets and Frontline tracts are being widely distributed in schools, hospitals, police stations and prisons. Responses Across the Country Some of the written responses which we received from people on this Mission included: “I have been uplifted!”; “May God bless this ministry!”; “Awesome!”; “Excellent!”; “Excellent truth revelation!”; “marvellous!”; “We need more of this teaching.”; “Your bold and prophetic voice is much needed.”; “A very big Thank You for your example.”; “Press on!”; “Very encouraging, uplifting and inspiring.”; “This is a Divine appointment!”; “Please also come to my country, Tanzania.”; “Great mind renewing material.”; “We need to know this truth.”; “I want to know more of this wonderful work!”; “May God continue to bless your wonderful work!”; “Absolutely relevant.”; “Very challenging and uplifting. Excellent”’ “Very profound.”; “Never give up, keep pressing on. Keep up the great work!”  Showers of Blessing Coming from Cape Town, which has such severe water restrictions, it was a delight to drive across very green countrysides. Even the Karoo and the Orange Free State was green. In KwaZulu Natal, we experienced terrific thundershowers with spectacular lightning illuminating the sky. We walked and drove in some torrential downpours. The blessings of rain are symbolic of the spiritual blessings which are so graciously poured out by Almighty God on His people during times of Revival. We desperately need a fresh outpouring of God's grace and mercy upon our troubled times and in all too many cases, luke-warm churches. Learning from Steadfast Servants of the Lord It is always inspiring and informative to travel around the country, stay in different homes, visit different farms, mission stations, colleges and schools. There are so many bold and brave Christian witnesses working in difficult and dangerous situations in South Africa, shining the light of Christ, evangelising in their communities, making a positive difference. It gives one great hope for the future when we see how many faithful servants God has established throughout this land. An Urgent Call to Prayer and Action The difficulties and dangers they face on a daily basis could not be exaggerated. May we all be more faithful in uplifting them in prayer and standing against the evil intentions of the ANC, EFF and BLF Marxist Revolutionaries who are threatening to turn this country into a second Zimbabwe, ripping up constitutional safeguards for life and property, eroding religious freedoms and undermining Freedom of Speech. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Prayer is an essential foundation for bold, Biblical action. Prayer is not meant to be an excuse for disobedience and heartless inactivity. Those people who say, “All we can do is pray” are unbiblical. We can and must do far more than pray. “Get Up! There is Sin in the Camp!” In Judges 7, after the defeat of the children of Israel at Ai, Joshua was lying face down praying in the Tabernacle before the altar of the Lord. God said to Joshua: “What are you doing lying down there on your face? Get up! There is sin in the camp!” There is so much that needs to be done to bring ourselves, our families, our congregations, our ministries and our communities back to the Bible, applying the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life. We cannot do everything, but we can all do something. What we can do, we must do!  Fight the Good Fight of Faith
In this election year, it is absolutely vital that Christians are informed and informing, educated and enlisted, motivated and mobilised to action. We need to be informed: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” We need to be interceding: “Praying always with thanksgiving.” We need to be involved, we need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We need to be making disciples of all nations, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded. Could you not do something more for God? Could you start a Bible Study and Prayer group in your school, home, workplace or community? “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 We need to reclaim surrendered ground, expose the fruitless deeds of darkness. Submit to God. Resist the devil. Fight the good fight of Faith. Stand up for Jesus. Step out in Faith. Speak out boldly and Biblically. Upcoming Events Please also pray for our upcoming Missions to Mpumalanga, lecturing at Back to the Bible Mission. We have Biblical Preaching Workshops and Creation Seminars planned. Do be sure to listen to our regular From the Frontline podcasts, uploaded onto our www.FrontlineMissionSA.org. If you have not yet seen the latest Frontline News, it can be downloaded and read online, click here. Thank You Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement and support. We have important Missions being planned, including to Islamic Sudan. There are beleaguered and besieged communities of Christians in a sea of Islam who need our prayers, encouragement and practical support. We are planning on sending another Mission team into this war-devastated area to deliver and distribute tens-of-thousands of Bibles and Christian schoolbooks to over 100 remote schools in need. There are expenses that need to be met to make this mission possible. Please pray that the Lord will provide what is needed for our teams to serve the persecuted and work to fulfil the Great Commission within the 10-40 window in the Muslim Middle East. May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength. Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 mission@frontline.org.za www.FrontlineMissionSA.org www.ReformationSA.org www.livingstonefellowship.co.za www.christianaction.org.za www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Schools and Colleges Harassed by Government Resist Attempts to Hijack Home Education Education or Indoctrination  "I know there is a God, because in Rwanda I shook hands with the devil. I have seen him, I have smelt him and I have touched him. I know the devil exists and therefore I know there is a God!" Shake Hands with the Devil These are the words of Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, the Commander of the United Nations Mission to Rwanda (UNIMIR). His book, Shake Hands With the Devil (which has also been made into a dramatic film), documents the unfolding catastrophe, and as he puts it in the subtitle of his book: "The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. 25 Years Ago As the people of Rwanda soberly reflect on the holocaust which was unleased upon them 25 years ago, April 1994, there are still compelling questions which demand answers. How could such dreadful mass murder take place within sight and sound of United Nations peacekeepers without the international community doing anything to stop it? Could the holocaust in Rwanda have been prevented? What steps must we take to ensure that such atrocities do not occur again?  Enabling the Genocide General Dallaire reports that the United Nations leadership knew of the stockpiling of weapons. Indeed UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, in his role as Egyptian Foreign Minister, had facilitated a large sale of arms from Egypt to the MRND dictatorship of Rwanda prior to the genocide. The Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) expanded rapidly, trebling in size while receiving much training and weapons from the French government. Preparation for Genocide From March 1993 the Hutu MRND government began compiling lists of "traitors" who they planned to kill, meticulously marking their addresses. Radio Television Libre Des Mille Collines (RTLM) broadcast a mixture of tribal propaganda, music and obscene jokes against the Tutsi, continually inciting the Hutu majority to hate, despise and massacre the Tutsi minority. Hundreds-of-thousands of machetes were imported from Red China. The Interahamwe party thugs of the MRND were armed with AK-47s and massive quantities of machetes distributed throughout the country in preparation for the genocide. Forewarned General Dallaire informed the Secretary General of the UN of these ominous developments. However, when he planned to seize the illegal weapon stockpiles, Dallaire was stunned to be ordered to stand down! The general was directly forbidden to intervene! Genocide Unleashed The assassination of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, by a French heat-seeking missile, fired by his own Presidential Guard, on 6 April 1994, was the pretext to launch the well-prepared genocide of the mostly Protestant Tutsis. Government forces set up a dense network of roadblocks and mobilised Interhambwe mobs to systematically go house-to-house massacring Tutsis. At roadblocks those identified as Tutsi were pulled out and hacked to death on the spot.  A Harvest of Death Out of a total population of 7.3 million, 84% of who were Hutu, 15% Tutsi and 1% Twa. African Rights calculated 750,000 murdered. The United Nations estimated the toll as above 800,000. The present government of Rwanda and the Holocaust Museum in Kigali, states that 1,171,000 were killed, 90% of which were Tutsi. The Genocide Museum in Kigali calculates that during the 100 days of the genocide, an average of 10,000 were murdered every day, 400 every hour, and 7 every minute. They estimate that over 400,000 were orphaned as a result of the genocide. Shooting Dogs The 2005 film, Shooting Dogs, which was released in the United States as Beyond the Gates, focused on the United Nations abandoning of the Ecole Technique Officielle (ETO) in Kigali, in 1994. Based on the experiences of BBC News producer, David Belton, who worked in Rwanda during the genocide, Belton was the film's co-writer and one of its producers. Unlike Hotel Rwanda, which was filmed in South Africa, using American and South African actors, this film, Beyond the Gates, was shot at the original locations of the scenes it portrays in Rwanda. Most of the actors in the film were Rwandese survivors of the massacre. The film's title, Shooting Dogs, refers to the actions of UN soldiers in shooting the stray dogs that scavenged the bodies of the dead. Since the UN forces were not allowed to shoot at the Hutu mass murderers who were causing the deaths in the first place, the shooting of the dogs was symbolic of the madness of the situation and the insanity of the United Nations rules of engagement Prior Warnings Ignored General Dallaire, had sent a fax to United Nations headquarters in January 1994, detailing the planned anti-Tutsi Genocide. He identified the locations of illegal arms cachets, the order to register all Tutsi in Kigali, and the Interhambwe plan to use these lists to exterminate them all. A high level informant provided exact details of the Interhambwe plans including the fact that they calculated that they could kill 1,000 every 20 minutes. Abandoned When the UN abandoned the Don Bosco Technical School, filled with 2,000 Tutsi refugees, the Hutu Interhambwe slaughtered them all.  Undermined The Administrative Head of UNIMIR, former Cameroonian Foreign Minister, Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh, maintained close ties to the militant Hutu elite and on every side undermined and frustrated General Dallaire's efforts to prevent the genocide and save lives: The United States president Bill Clinton's administration policy also undermined every effort by General Dallaire to save lives in Rwanda. American Interference The Clinton administration policy was summarised as: "Let's withdraw altogether. Let's get out of Rwanda. Leave it to its fate." The United States Ambassador to the UN at that time, Madelaine Albright, consistently lobbied for a withdrawal of UNIMIR Forces, from the earliest in April 1994. This effectively abandoned all refugees who had sought sanctuary with the UN to their fate at the hand of the Interhambwe. US Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, consistently argued against using the term "genocide" until 21 May, and even then US officials waited another three weeks before using that term in public. The US government also refused to jam the extremist RTLM radio broadcasts, which were co-ordinating the genocide, citing the costs and concern with international law! Betrayed General Dallaire reveals that president Clinton and his cabinet were made aware of the Final Solution to exterminate all Tutsis before the massacres even began. Every request from General Dallaire was frustrated and his peacekeepers did not receive the food, fuel, weapons, equipment, ammunition, or even the armoured personnel carriers, ordered. UN procrastination led to intense suffering, unnecessary deaths and starvation in the UN bases - which were meant to be sanctuaries for refugees fleeing the killing. The French Connection The disgraceful role of France in the Rwandan genocide defies belief. The French government provided vast quantities of weapons and numerous military advisors and technical assistance to the Rwandan Armed Forces before and during the genocide. On 22 June, as the Tutsi-led Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) turned the tide and began to liberate the country, sending the Hutu FAR and Interhambwe fleeing, France launched Operation Turquoise, creating a safe zone into which the Hutu FAR and Interhambwe could flee and receive protection behind a French military screen. The French Operation Turquoise effectively enabled the genocidaries to escape from the RPF and flee into neighbouring Zaire (Congo), where they received generous quantities of foreign aid and caused more massacres leading to the Great Lakes War of 1996 to 1997, in which 12 African nation's armed forces became embroiled and millions died.  Accessories to Genocide General Dallaire reported that France was supplying weapons and ammunition to the MRND Hutu dictatorship and their FAR, even during the height of the genocide. The findings of the Rwandese Justice Commission were released on 5 August 2008. It accused 32 senior French military and political officials of involvement in the genocide, including: then President Francois Mitterrand, his General Secretary, Hubert Verdrine, the then Prime Minister, Edouard Balladur, the then Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe and his Chief Aid, Dominique de Villepin. Reaction Against French Complicity As a result of the Rwandese Justice Ministry Commission on the involvement of France in the genocide, the Rwandese government shut down all French institutions in and around Kigali, including schools and cultural organisations. The language of instruction in Rwandese schools was switched from French to English. Rwanda became one of only two members of the British led Commonwealth that had not formerly been British colonies.  In the Valley of Death I can never forget the overwhelming stench of death as I walked knee deep, and sometimes waist high, amidst corpses in churches in Rwanda. The plague of rats, feasting off the bodies, the millions of flying and crawling insects and suffocating odour of death is not something that one can ever really recover from. I delivered Bibles in Kini-Rwanda, and French to pastors and to prisoners around Rwanda and undertook painful interviews with survivors to document what had happened, and why. Exposing the Forces Behind the Genocide We have produced two editions of Holocaust in Rwanda – The Roles of Gun Control, Media Manipulation, Liberal Church Leaders and the United Nations in English, and another edition in French. It needs to be emphasized that Rwanda was a gun-free zone. The mass murderers successfully manipulated and abused the media to vilify the targeted Tutsis and to mobilise masses of Hutus to kill their neighbours. The scandalous role of the French government in providing assistance, training and weapons to the mass murderers and providing sanctuary for architects of the genocide, is also revealed in this book. Christian Traitors In addition, Holocaust in Rwanda looks at the challenge the systematic mass murders presents to the Christian church. The killers did not merely kill people in churches, they killed church workers, pastors, ministers, priests and nuns. However, the most shocking aspect of the anti-Christian mass-murder was how many people responsible for the slaughter were trusted members of congregations! On many occasions, priests, nuns, and ministers were directly involved in the genocide. Several heads of denominations co-operated with the Interhambwe, betraying their Tutsi members and co-workers into the hands of ruthless mass-murderers. Tribalism seemed more important to most. Judas's in the Church The role of these traitors, blood-stained bishops and murderous ministers are an indictment upon the theological seminaries and church councils they belonged to. Those who do not wholeheartedly love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word are not qualified to be spiritual leaders. Moral Cowardice Helped Cause the Catastrophe The Rwandan holocaust exposes the emptiness of the superficial and self-centred easy-believism which all too often masquerades as the Gospel. Compromise and moral cowardice helped cause the catastrophe. "…Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you." 2 Chronicles 19:2 David Defeats Goliath The genocide ultimately failed, in that the victims became the victors and the Tutsi minority surprised everyone by fighting back and gaining control over the whole country. Today Rwanda is one of the best run and most open to free enterprise countries in Africa. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain." Psalm 127:1  Firm Foundations for Freedom
Most important, Holocaust in Rwanda looks at some of the lessons which need to be learned in order to ensure that such atrocities do not occur again. We need to lay solid foundations for the future that will prevent such oppression from ever occurring again. These are Biblical principles which are not only important for Rwanda, but for every society that values life and liberty. Holocaust in Rwanda concludes with the Biblical Principles, which had they been adhered to, there would have been no holocaust in Rwanda. Learning from Rwanda There is much for us to learn from the tragic events of 1994 that are most relevant in the light of those talking about a second phase of the revolution in South Africa and threatening to exterminate the white minority. "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle. My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge…" Psalm 144:1-2 Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za Website: www.frontlinemissionsa.org.za Holocaust in Rwanda is also available as an E-Book. See also: The Holocaust in Rwanda – 25 Years Later Hotel Rwanda – Genocide in a Gun Free Land |
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