Copy of a speech delivered by King Leopold II of Belgium in 1883 to belgian missionaries who were about to embark upon their "civilizing" missionary journey to the Congo (DRC).
"Revered Fathers and Dear Compatriots, the task asked of you to accomplish is very delicate and demands much tact and diplomacy. Fathers, you are going to preach the Gospel, but your preaching must be inspired by first, the interest of the Belgium government state.
The main goal of your mission in the Congo is not to teach the African (Negro) the knowledge of God, because they already know him.... Your role essentially will be to easily facilitate the task of the administrative and the industrial personnel. That is to say, you will interpret the Gospel in the way to protect and serve the interest of Belgium, in that part of the world. To do so, you will see that our savages be not interested in the riches that their soil possesses in order that they not want them. Thus they will not be involved in the murderous competition with us and dream to live a luxurious life. You will take them away from anything or act that procures them with the courage to confront us... Your actions will be essentially on the younger people that they might not rebel We must force them into submission and obedience Avoid, by all means, the Blacks becoming rich. Cause them to sing each and every day that it's "impossible for a rich man to enter into Heaven." Make them pay tithes each Sunday for church. Utilize this money that is intended for the poor, for our own business investments. Teach the Africans to forget about their heroes in ordre to worship and give praise to ours.
My Dear compatriots, if you apply to the letter all this, the interest of Belgium in the Congo will be protected for many centuries. I thank you."
Over 100 years later, not much has changed; Belgium's missionaries' "civilizing" mission has been replaced by Belgian and other European bureaucrats preaching "democratic" and "good governance" lessons and "free market" economics...The tools and methods have changed, the aim remains unchanged... The chains and whips of belgian colonialism have been
replaced by more subtle and powerful chains...
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3 comments:
I am curious, and skeptical, of the "letter" posted. Leopold was notoriously brutal and avaricious--but also hypocritical in his feigned support of missionaries, masking his greed as humanitarianism. The purported letter is posted in many places on the Web with only shadowy background. Does it have any authentication?
Did king leopold the second believe in god or something?, i heared he was a catholic and that infact the belgain monarchy was catholic, is it true?
LEOPOLD II was a wicked man just like all those who today still seek to manipulate peoples minds.
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