What is a philistine ?
A philistine is a person who is not interested in culture.
Who are being led by philistines ?
Rwandans are being led by uncultured leaders.
How does philistinism manifest ?
Philistinism describes the manners, habits and character of a person whose anti-intellectual social attitude undervalues and despises art and beauty, spirituality and intellect. A philistine is a person of smugly narrow mind and of conventional morality, whose materialistic views and tastes indicate a lack of and an indifference to cultural and aesthetic values.
Any example of an uncultured Rwandan leader ?
Most current Rwandan leaders fit in the above description and broadly reflect the personality of the man who has appointed them. Paul Kagame was the quintessential philistine. ( If rumours are to be believed and Paul Kagame kicked the bucket, then it was much better to be ruled by a philistine than is his ghost.)
It is very much unlikely that a sophisticated leader who is properly educated and highly cultured will respond to Kizito Mihigo’s song ‘ Igisobanuro cy’urupfu’ by killing the singer, no matter how much offending and critical the song would be perceived.
One must be overly obsessed with law and protocol to wait before coming to a JUDIciously REVERberating conclusion that Kizito Mihigo was assassinated by the myELOGEnously DUmb-bell SANGuinary Paul Kagome. A lettered leader will no respond to Bahati Innocent’s poems by taking the life of the innocent poet. Idamange Iryamugwiza Yvonne could WRONGly assume that she was safe while probably ignoring that the rule was to DO NOT DISTURB.
By Mwungeri
