Was King Leopold II Of Belgium Worse Than Adolf Hitler?

A book based on my life in Antwerp, Belgium

In 1914, when the Germans invaded Belgium during the war, they committed many grievous atrocities against the civilian population. It is estimated that nearly 6,000 Belgians were killed, and 25,000 homes and 837 communities were also destroyed. This historical fact is considered the greatest crime against humanity in Belgium.

To a country like Belgium during that period, the destruction was tough, but compared to what King Leopold II did to Congo during the colonial era, one can agree that what the Germans did to the Belgians was just the tip of the iceberg. Nevertheless, crime, whether small or big, should be punished, even though many seem to elude it.

The swift European scramble for African territory took place from the 17^th century to the 20^th century. 

The European Kingdoms, including France, England, and Belgium, took advantage of the cordial relationship and trust between them and the tribal chiefs and plundered the continent. Among the greediest, brutal, and savage was King Leopold II of Belgium.

Leopold colonized Congo, which officially became his personal property in 1876. Under the pretense of protecting the Congolese, the world witnessed the slaughter of men, women, and children. 

Dreaming of becoming the world’s richest king and to supply the demand for rubber in Europe for the auto and bicycle industries, King Leopold set up a reign of terror in the heart of Congo.

To produce enough wild rubber, those who failed suffered the consequences. Leopold’s men held the wives and children of the rubber tappers hostage until they brought him exactly what he wanted. 

Those unable to supply his demand had their villages burned down, men were hanged, starved to death, and others genital organs tied.

Children's hands were chopped off as punishment for late deliveries. While many were calling Leopold a murderer and seeking justice to be hanged, the Belgians were covering up his crime. 

There is no doubt that King Leopold II is the moral forebear of Adolf Hitler, responsible for the death of 10 million people, during his exploitation of the Congo, between 1870 and 1900.

The rebellious rubber tappers who tried to fight Leopold’s men were quickly defeated, and many fled to hide in the bush. Leopold told his men to go after them in the forest, giving them instructions to bring the right hand of every killed victim as proof. 

How can the world go free, and Jesus Christ, who hasn’t committed any crime, carry the cross alone? Instead of King Leopold facing punishment for his crimes, he was hailed as a great humanitarian king with statues, monuments, and streets named after him.

Sadly, Belgium has such a bad history, as a country built on exploitation, suffering, and the flow of the blood of massacred children. 

No matter how hard they try to cover up this heinous crime, this historical crime will remain indelible. What we are witnessing in Belgium today is unusual. 

Many are scared and predicting the end of the world. While many are committing suicide, others are fighting for power, yet they don’t know the hour. 

Innocent blood can’t be shed; therefore, Belgium shouldn't pretend they have forgotten about this crime. No sacrificial lamb or compensation could heal the wounds and broken spirits of the victims of Congo as a country.  King Leopold II of Belgium was nothing more than a criminal, murderer, rapist, and thief.

I think he was worse than Adolf Hitler. His statues should all be broken down, and all streets named after him should be denounced. As an African writer, I feel very privileged to write this article, because no Belgian journalist would have written it since there isn’t any true journalism in Belgium.

The truth must be spoken because it’s the only light that can conquer or overcome darkness. A Congolese holding the wrist of his child, children, victims of amputation, and a father sitting and watching the hacking of the wrist and foot of his child.

Photo credit: History photos. Excerpts from the book 'Little Boygium-Wonderful Experience.'

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Boygium--Wonderful-Experience-Savage/dp/1621372383

Book: Little Boygium, Wonderful Experience: The story of an African immigrant

Life experience in Belgium

In a country like Belgium, an African needs to be conscious, intelligent, and smart, because Belgium committed the most heinous crime against Africans during the colonial era in the Belgian Congo.’ Under the administration of King Leopold II, over ten million Africans were maimed, disfigured, and killed.

When Polish-American Hilary Koprowski claimed to have discovered vaccines against smallpox in the 1950s, he quickly went to Congo. He injected thousands of children with the contaminated vaccine of Aids and Ebola viruses. Also, a contaminated vaccine against leukemia was used on Congolese children.

The Germans used blacks for the most sinister experiments during their occupation in Togo, a small country in West Africa, while South Africans suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Netherlands and Britain. The reason AIDS has killed thousands of South Africans without ceasing.

Due to the criminal past of colonial leaders, including Belgium, when the African community came to me to investigate a notorious hospital in Antwerp called ‘Stuivenberg’, the reason why any African who goes there doesn’t come out alive, I considered it a serious case to follow.

The fear of Africans in Europe, to confront authorities whenever something wrong happens to an African, has given automatic license to governments and nationals to treat Africans the way they like with impunity.

 

As a matter of fact, since many Africans in Europe don’t have a common platform to express their grievances and crimes against them, their situation has never improved.

When I stepped into the hospital, what I experienced made me believe what the African community was saying. 

"The doctors at the hospital deliberately kill the African patients to remove their organs for the desperate Belgians on the waiting list for an organ transplant." I wasn't welcomed. It was one of the toughest moments of my life.

I revealed this investigation in a small book called ‘An African in Antwerp,' then later updated it to ‘Little Boygium-Wonderful Experience.’ 

When the publication reached the office of ‘Stad Antwerpen’ (Antwerp City), one of the officials, Els Bruyndonckx, confronted me over the article and called it a ‘Stupid article.’ Why? According to her, the husband is a journalist who wouldn't publish such a stupid article.

“Well, your husband is a journalist, but he is not an African; moreover, the crime committed against Africans is nowhere to be seen in any Belgian newspapers, but one often reads: ‘An African has stolen bread from the supermarket.' I answered.

I have found five mobile phones, three wallets containing money and credit cards. One of the wallets has the 4-digit number required to withdraw an amount exceeding six thousand Euros from the account of one of the owners, yet I didn't use it. 

I handed that particular wallet to the police. The news about this kindness didn’t appear anywhere in the Belgian newspaper. Thank God the woman traced to reward me.

According to Els, due to the publication, people fear visiting Stuivenberg Hospital. The fact is that fear already exists, which is the reason I went to do the investigation. 

Thereafter, I became the number one enemy in Belgium. However, I was very happy because the results of the investigation and the publication were good. The City of Antwerp sent a delegation to the hospital to investigate.

I disguised myself many times and went there during the heat up and saw policemen guiding the hospital. Above all, Stuivenberg Hospital now remains one of the safest hospitals in Antwerp, hardly hearing the death of any African, after my publication. 

If I should ask, sometimes is it worth fighting on behalf of Africans?”

About seventy-five percent of Africans in Antwerp aren't aware that I even went to the hospital at all to investigate, because of a lack of reading. I have lived a life of pain and struggle, putting the life of my family in danger and unhappiness, all because of the search for the truth.

Concerning the ‘truth,’ it is always hard to get someone to support you. The reason is that I have faced and fought this battle alone, but when it comes to crime, it is always easy to get an accomplice, because crime is a business. 

Belgium can pretend they don’t know me; I will also pretend I don’t know them.

Even though since I wrote the book 'Little Boygium -Wonderful Experience,' no one has given a comment but taking into consideration what happened in Antwerp when the book came out, I've personally given my book five stars.

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Boygium-Experience-Joel-Savage-ebook/dp/B013SJ7DCW?

The Stuivenberg Hospital finally closed down

 

On September 18, 2023, one of the Belgian newspapers, "Gazet van Antwerpen," came out with a publication that Stuivenberg Hospital will be permanently closed down and the final patients are being transferred to another hospital, the ZNA Cadix.

 

The short article about the decision of the authorities to close the hospital doors to patients was never made public. "The entire moving operation brings a definitive end to 138 years of the Stuivenberg Hospital," the statement read.

 

What I do know is that, after my investigations at the hospital, major changes occurred to make the facility a better place. However, hundreds of immigrants are still terrified to visit that hospital because of its past and the stigma that has damaged its reputation.

 

Therefore, I do not doubt that the hospital was closed for this specific reason.