insult to the truth

[Michel Ryckx]

Belgians in the Congo. . .

One of the many perversions of the period (1880's) is that the Catholic Church
supported the politics of Leopold II with the argument that the slave trading,
organized by Arabs,  had to be abolished in the region.  I happen to have a book (in
Dutch), written in 1930 by a Belgian priest (ordo praemonstratensis).  On August 15th,
1888, a certain Cardinal Lavigerie (a Frenchman) held a sermon in the Brussels
cathedral, in which he said:

"Africa was unknown untill a few years ago, and lost to civilisation.  [. . .] What
separate forces were not able to do, your King was trying to establish [. . .] .  Let
us praise and appreciate these promising and highly humane [sic] efforts to abolish
slavery, and to introduce the christian way of life.
"The sower had sewn the right seed.
"But alas, Belgian catholics, up to this day, you have been asleep; you have been
neglecting your duty towards this horrible situation (=slavery, mr)."

A few months later, 'Le Mouvement antiesclavagiste' was founded.  Its aim was 'to
struggle against the slavery in the Independent Congo State, under protection of and in
collaboration with the Government of said State' (art. 2 of the association).

The book describes the horrors committed by a certain colonel, Jacques de Dixmude,
during the period in order to abolish the Arab monopoly on slave trade.  He was,
according to this book, a 'hero'.  In this book, there is only one reference to the
killing of millions of Congolese: in a footnote.  The expression used is 'certain
situations'
******
For quite a long time, the Belgian colonial period was hardly studied critically in
Belgium. Most of the studies were done in the English speaking world.  This is very
quickly changing; not in the least under the influence of a younger generation of
politicians and historians.  Also, the role of the Belgians in the Great Lakes area
(Ruanda etc.), or the murdering of Lumumba,  is subject of very important discussions,
held in parliament, and with the help of a lot of scholars.  Books on the subject are
bestsellers.  And what kids learn in school today is, at last, more related to reality
than it was 30 years ago.  On the other hand, no important novel has been written on
the 1880-1908 period.  Yet.

Ceterum censeo Discipuli Lenti Librum legendum.

Michel.