A King Who Killed Half Of The Countries Population: King Leopold II
If I asked you who is the deadliest person in history, most people would say Adolf Hitler. He was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 17 million people, including 6 million Jews, during the Holocaust. He was also responsible for the deaths of millions of other people, including people from Germany’s neighboring countries, people with disabilities, and political opponents. Hitler is considered one of the evilest people in history by many, and his legacy continues to be debated and studied today.
But there lived a person who is said to have killed more than double the number of people that Hitler had, causing Congo’s population to be halved. This brutal and cruel person is not only known as a hero, but you can also find his statues in Belgium. Sadly, nobody has ever told you the truth.
This big truth has been hidden from you for so long. But do you know why? It is because the people killed by this person were black, and their lives were seen as having less value than the lives of white people. Hitler, on the other hand, killed white people, who are seen in society to have more value. This is why Hitler is known as a villain.
But still, no one has apologized to the people of Congo. Many people don’t even know the truth. The person I am talking about is King Leopold II. He killed half of the Congolese population.
When European countries wanted to establish a colony, they would often target coastal areas because they were easier to access and control. This was especially true in the early days of colonialism when ships were the only way to travel long distances. Coastal areas were also more likely to have natural resources that the Europeans could exploit, such as gold, silver, and spices.
During the 1800s, the British captured several African countries including Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. However, they did not capture Congo which was located in the middle of the African continent.
In 1885, King Leopold II of Belgium claimed the Congo Free State, a private colony in Central Africa. He knew that Congo was rich in natural resources, such as rubber, gold, and ivory. He forced the Congolese people to work in the rubber industry, and those who did not meet their quotas were mutilated or killed. It is estimated that Leopold II’s regime killed 15 million Congolese people.
King Leopold II of Belgium’s main motive for claiming the Congo Free State was to exploit its natural resources. He also wanted to spread Christianity in Congo. However, he did not care about the welfare of the Congolese people. He forced them to work in the rubber industry under brutal conditions, and many died from disease, starvation, or exhaustion. He also cut off the hands of those who did not meet their quotas. It is estimated that Leopold II’s regime killed 15 million Congolese people.
The reason for the killings was that King Leopold II forced the local Congolese people to extract gold, rubber, and ivory. He made them work long hours, day and night, regardless of whether they were women or children. He did not care about their welfare, and he only cared about making a profit. After selling the natural resources, he kept all the profits for himself.
At first glance, you might think this is a normal picture of an African man sitting and looking at something. However, what you are actually seeing is a man who is grieving the death of his 5-year-old daughter. His young daughter was killed because her father did not meet his quota. This event was witnessed by Lady Alice, who wrote about it in her book “Don’t Call Me Lady.” She also mentioned that the man’s wife was murdered and her body was cooked and fed to him.
Leopold only had one motive which was to make Congo’s local people work 24/7 and make as much profit from them and whoever showed any type of laziness had their hands and legs cut, families killed, and tortured brutally. And thus because of his greediness, he killed 15 million people.
When the country was looted completely, in 1960 the Belgium government left Congo and Congo became independent. But still, Belgium didn’t apologize for killing 15 million people.
History has shown that African people have always been ignored. They are always fighting for their rights. In the United States and other countries, they are still fighting for their rights.
Even earlier in history, their lives were not valued. If we take a look at the conditions 1000 years ago, people have always treated them as slaves, but why? Are they not human? Are they not without emotions and blood and flesh, like the rest of us? Dark-skinned people have the same rights to live in this world just like light-skinned people.
If we look back 1400 years ago, Islam teaches that all people are created equally, regardless of their skin tone, ethnicity, or gender. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, and an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab, nor a white has any superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white, except by piety and good deeds.”
The One who created us does not judge us by color, gender, tribe, or generation, but we humans do.
In 2018, the United Nations told the Belgium government to apologize to Congo but a question arises: By just apologizing can we forget about the murder of 15 million people and their torture? If yes, Germany can also just apologize for the wrongs Hitler committed. But would people accept this? We all know they would not. So, why is there a double standard?
