Fresno ceremony marks 99 years since Armenian genocide (Video)

April 25, 2014 By administrator

Armenians gather outside Fresno City Hall for a flag-raising ceremony hosted by the Armenian National Committee of America Central California, Thursday, April 24th 2014. The ceremony commemorated of the 99th year after the Armenian genocide of 1915. About 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were systematically murdered at the order of the Ottoman Turkish government. http://www.fresnobee.com

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/04/24/3893110/fresno-ceremony-marks-99-years.html#storylink=cpy

Armenian Genocide: 99 Years of Remembrance

April 25, 2014 By administrator

Written by: Araksya Karapetyan, News Anchor, Reporter FOX LA

Wednesday April 24th marks the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. That day also marks another year that’s gone by where the Turkish government has not recognized the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a statement saying, “Incidents of the First World War are our shared pain,” offering his condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians killed in World War I by the Ottoman soldiers. Erdogan described the events of 1915 as “inhumane” using more appeasing language than has often been the case for Turkish leaders. In fact, one Turkish official said it was the first time a Turkish prime minister had offered such explicit condolences.

Still, the Turkish government falls short once again. This isn’t enough. It hasn’t been enough. It will not be enough, until the Turkish government recognizes these “incidents” as a genocide. For those who may be unfamiliar with what happened in 1915, it has been a highly contentious topic and relations between Turkey and Armenia remain sour still.

Read more about the Armenian Genocide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

While Turkey accepts many (many) Armenians died in clashes, it adamantly continues to deny that up to 1.5 million were killed and further, that it constitutes an act of genocide – the Ottoman Turks systematically massacring large numbers of Armenians, then deporting many more, including women, children and the elderly in terrible conditions, on so-called death marches. If that is not genocide, what is?

The Armenian Genocide was one of the most compelling human rights crises of World War I. Many historians talk about how what happened in 1915 perhaps helped inspire Adolf Hitler, three decades later, to carry out the atrocities of World War II. In a speech where Hitler was preparing to invade Poland, he is quoted saying: “Who, after all, speaks of the annihilation of the Armenians?” That quote is still relevant to this day because it highlights the denial of the Armenian Genocide- an enormous crime against humanity.

Read more on Hitler’s statement: http://www.anca.org/genocide/quotes.php

Earlier this month, the United States Senate committee resolution branded the massacre of the Armenians as genocide. That’s at least something. Although many will say it is not enough, considering that every presidential candidate, for years, has made a point to say he would recognize the Armenian Genocide once elected, a promise never followed through by any of them.

I haven’t studied the genocide in depth nor do I claim to be a scholar in Armenian history. Of course, as a child growing up in Armenia, in an Armenian household, I heard stories of what happened to my ancestors. Stories that have been passed down for generations and will continue to be passed down…I can also say that here, in America, I have made a few Turkish friends. Initially we would joke about how we couldn’t be friends right off the bat, but in actuality that never stopped us. Still, there was always “that” topic that loomed in the shadows. And from my personal experience it isn’t necessarily the Turkish people who deny what happened, it’s the Turkish government.

What happened will never be forgotten…Yes, another year has come and gone…

And the marches and gatherings will continue in “Little Armenia” in Glendale, California, aswell as in many other parts of the world…
The stories will be told and retold by families…

And at the end of the day, history cannot and will not be erased. Facts are facts.

The Armenian Genocide was the first modern genocide of the 20th century, however recognizing that this was in fact a genocide still remains.
I firmly believe that it is through learning, recognizing and acknowledging the atrocities of the past, like the Armenian Genocide, that we as a human race will be able to work toward preventing future tragedies of this caliber.

Read more: http://www.myfoxla.com/story/25321473/armenian-genocide-99-years-of-rememberance-who-after-all-speaks-today-of-the-annihilation-of-the-armenians#ixzz2zuL6TXll

Armenian genocide 99 years ago haunts two Michigan centenarians

April 22, 2014 By administrator

By Lauren Abdel-Razzaq
The Detroit News

Ramela Carman, who turns 100 on Monday and the Rev. Garabed Kochakian, Carman’s great-nephew, at St. John’s Armenian church in Southfield in March (David Guralnick / The Detroit News)

Ramela Carman was just a baby in 1915, when the Turkish government began exterminating Armenians or exiling them to other parts of the Ottoman Empire. Her father was a skilled tradesman who had to flee for his life, leaving his family behind and disguising himself as a Turk in order to survive.

“My father, for a long time, we know he’s someplace but we don’t know where he is,” said Carman, who turns 100 today and taught herself English after moving to Michigan in 1960. “He had to grow a beard and he (changed) his name.”

Later on, Carman’s family was reunited, but her father died of kidney failure soon after, forcing Carman to starting working at age 12 sewing men’s shirts. The Livonia resident has spent her entire life working. Working and surviving.

As the 99th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in Turkey approaches, churches across Metro Detroit are preparing to memorialize those who were lost and those like the Carman family who suffered.

Parishioners from four Metro Detroit churches will hold a commemoration ceremony at 7 p.m. April 24 at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Dearborn.

The commemoration will capture stories of the hardships, like those in the Carman family’s life. The stories leave Ramela Carman’s great-niece Lydia Doyon in awe.

“I don’t think a lot of people know it happened to the Armenian people. Especially my generation and younger,” said Doyon, a Brandon Township resident. “I try to instill that into my kids, how fortunate they are.”

As for Carman, she says she has never forgotten the genocide and the impact on her life.

“My father’s brothers, my mother’s brothers, all gone. My family, all gone. Still I don’t believe it. This is Armenian life.”

The commemoration ceremony will include a requiem service and parishioners will go outside to light candles near a monument for the martyrs, said the Rev. Hrant Kevorkian, pastor of St. Sarkis.

A meal with traditional lamb, bulgur and bread will follow.

“The importance of the genocide is that it’s related to each of us,” Kevorkian said of the Armenian population in Metro Detroit. “One way or another, the reason we are here today is because of the genocide and being pushed off our land and moving around the world.”

Estimated 1.5 million killed

The problems between the Turkish government and the Armenian population started in the late 19th century and came to a head on April 24, 1915, when 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were arrested in what is now Istanbul.

The genocide was carried out in two phases, the first in the deaths of able-bodied men through massacres and labor camps; the next, through the deportation of women, children, the elderly and infirm who were sent on death marches through the Syrian desert.

“They targeted men to minimize resistance,” said Ara Sanjian, director of U-M Dearborn’s Armenian Research Center. “It was believed that women could be absorbed into Turkish families through marriage and children could be absorbed, too.”

Death tolls are estimated to be 1.5 million, said Sanjian. To this day, the Turkish government has not publicly said the genocide occurred.

“Because it’s still denied by the descendants of perpetrators, it makes it very difficult for diplomatic relations,” he said. “Most of the descendants of Armenians have assimilated in foreign lands, but they feel anger that after 99 years they still have to prove that this happened to them.”

Pastor Garabed Kochakian at St. John’s Armenian Church in Southfield said it is important to remember the events of the Armenian genocide because persecution continues, for example, in Syria.

“It’s the duty of all, not only Armenians, to remember,” he said. “Countries can’t do these types of things and get away with it. It’s a problem that touches all people. Not just specifically one group.”

The 1915 genocide inspired Adolf Hitler to eliminate Jews in Europe during World War II, said Sanjian.

“Hitler looked at it as a way of saying violence pays,” he said. “He saw that they conducted genocide and got all the political benefits.”

‘They are people, too’

Asya Titova’s life reads like a history book, which isn’t surprising for someone who has survived two world wars and two genocides.

The 102-year-old was a toddler when her family fled Turkey seeking protection from the genocide in Russia. By the 1980s, she was living in Baku, Azerbaijan, when tensions between the country and Armenia exploded into mass killings.

In 1990, together with her son’s family, Titova moved to Lansing.

“She shows us the old pictures, goes through the stories,” said Titova’s granddaughter, Araksina Titov. “We as Armenians try to educate people about genocide. To me, what this means is we should learn from it and try to prevent it from happening in the future.”

Today Titova is living in a senior home in East Lansing, with her family close by. Her birth certificate says she is 100 but she is 102 because her papers were filled out incorrectly when the family fled Turkey.

She’s hard of hearing and speaks only Armenian and Russian, but she is determined to be as independent as possible. She’s always had a strong spirit, said her daughter-in-law Tatyana Titov.

During World War II, Titov’s home was taken over by Nazi officers, for whom she cooked and cleaned. In return, they protected her family and gave her meat and delicacies like chocolate. While that was going on, Titova was hiding two Jewish families in the basement.

“All the time, I told her, ‘Why did you do it, Mom?’ said her daughter-in-law. “She says, ‘What can I do? They are people, too. We all want to live.”

lrazzaq@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2127

The European Antiracist Movement leads a delegation to Turkey to commemorate the genocide against the Armenians

April 19, 2014 By administrator

The European anti-racist movement EGAM (European Grassroots Antiracist Movement) and the Armenian organization AGBU Europe to visit Turkey to meet Turkish activists call with them and commemorate the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul from 21 to 25 April.

The next day, representatives of the three organizations, AGBU Europe, and EGAM DurDe (Turkey) will travel to Yerevan (Armenia) to commemorate together the Armenian genocide.

For the second time since the genocide of 1915, there 99 years, a European delegation, composed of twenty antiracist and Armenian leaders from fifteen countries will be present in Turkey for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, which will be held there for the 5th consecutive year on April 24.

This initiative is a response to the invitation of Turkish partners EGAM, DurDe! (“Say Stop to Racism”) and the Association for Human Rights – IHD, who requested the support of the Turkish civil society committed to the recognition of the Armenian genocide from participating in commemorations in Turkey this year . The EGAM invited AGBU Europe to establish a joint delegation.

For four days, the delegation will meet representatives of civil society – intellectuals, Turkish activists, Kurds, Armenians, artists, … – the world of youth with a conference at the University of Sehir, representatives of minorities and participate in commemorations. 25 representatives of the delegation will be in Yerevan to commemorate it all the Armenian genocide.

The constitution of this delegation is an initiative of solidarity with the Turkish activists committed to historical truth, which called for its formation. It is an initiative of Justice against Holocaust denial, which is the continuation of the perpetuation of genocide. It is finally a commitment to democracy, strengthened by the vitality of civil society.

This initiative is supported by many personalities (including Charles Aznavour, Serge Klarsfeld, Bernard Kouchner, Dario Fo, Adam Michnik, Bernard-Henri Lévy, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Ahmet Insel, Olivero Toscani, Jovan Divjak, etc..) And many representatives European civil society, Turkish and Armenian, who signed an appeal in this regard. The call will be published in the coming days in the European press, including Le Monde (France), La Repubblica (Italy), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Le Soir (Belgium), Kristeligt Dagblad (Denmark), Eesti Päevaleht (Estonia ), To Vima (Greece), Dnevnik (Macedonia) http://www.e-balkan.net (Montenegro), Publico (Portugal), Adevarul (Romania), EMS (Slovakia), La Tribune de Genève (Switzerland) The celebrations will take place … on Taksim Square, 7:15 p.m. April 24. A press conference will take place the day before, on April 23 at 11 am at Cezayir restaurant, Firuzaga Mh, Hayriye No Cd. 16, Beyoğlu.

Press Contact:
EGAM
Elie Small
Communication Officer
0033 6 68 08 61 0
Elie.petit @ yahoo.fr

Founded in 2010, EGAM – European Grassroots Antiracist Movement / The European antiracist movement is a network of key organisms antiracists 30 countries. Our goal is to strengthen the European civil society on issues of the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, racial discrimination and denial.

The call:

Turks, Armenians and Europeans commemorate together and Turkey, the Armenian Genocide!

In 1915, following a plan drawn up in advance and methodical act and a half million Armenians were murdered in the Ottoman Empire, with the ultimate goal the destruction of their civilization. Armenians were victims of genocide then would become a fatal reference for those who follow. Since then, successive Turkish governments have struggled mightily to forget this dark part of the history of their country. Even today, including Turkey, the mere utterance of this historical truth arouses against those who are the authors of fierce opposition, physical threats and even murder. Denial feeds racism and hatred against Armenians and other non-Muslim minorities.

Some want to believe that the recognition of the reality of the Armenian genocide is an attack against all the Turks and against the “Turkishness”, while it is an attack against the denial and an approach to justice and democracy.

For some years now, a part of Turkish civil society organizes with Courage commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. A virtuous circle of truth and justice gradually amplified to gather more and more individuals, united in a moving demonstration of humanity to face the denialist official discourse. Last year, for the first time in almost a century, a foreign delegation, composed of leaders of the Armenian diaspora and European anti-racist leaders, took part in commemorations in Turkey in response to the call for solidarity launched by Turkish civil society.

All together 24 April 2013, we showed that those in Turkey who recognize and commemorate the Armenian Genocide are growing daily. We have shown that part of Turkish society, committed to the values of democracy and human rights, is ready to face his past with lucidity. This year, all together, antiracist activists, leaders of civil society, engaged citizens, intellectuals and artists, Turkey and elsewhere in Europe, but all diverse united by the desire to see the truth finally recognized historical origins, we commemorate, Turkey, April 24, 2014, the Armenian genocide, which is part of this even though we are on the eve of the centenary of his commission.

Our shared approach is a recognition process, solidarity, justice and democracy.

It is a recognition process in that it simultaneously allows the members of the Armenian diaspora and Turkish Armenians, who resisted exile, openly mourn their ancestors, as it allows organizations and individuals Turkish to apologize to descendants of the victims of some of their ancestors.

It is an approach of solidarity among all those who fight for historical truth. The dividing line is not between Turks and Armenians, but between those who are fighting for recognition of the Armenian genocide and those who promote denial. In a word, this is not an issue, but the origins of ideas, common project.

This is an approach to justice. As Elie Wiesel said, “genocide kills twice, the second by the silence,” that is to say that denial is the continuation of genocide, which is the most violent event in which racism can lead. Combat Holocaust denial is an attempt to appease the liveliness of the trauma transmitted in Armenian communities from one generation to another. Is to fight against racism, for a more equal and just society. Is to offer the new generations the opportunity to plan together for the future.

Finally, it is an approach to democracy. Not only because lifting the taboo of genocide is a prerequisite for advancing freedom of expression in Turkey, but also because, as often reminded Jorge Semprun, democracy presupposes a certain vitality of civil society. Strengthen linkages among civil societies, strengthening those who struggle to promote democracy in Turkey as in the rest of Europe.

Thus, on April 24, we will celebrate together and Turkey, the Armenian genocide, or will support those who do, and we call upon all individuals connected with the recognition, solidarity, justice and democracy to join us finally turn the page on a century of denial.

*** Paul Morin, Executive Director of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement – EGAM (Europe), Cengiz Algan & Levent Sensever, Spokespeople for Durde! (Turkey), Alexis Govciyan, President & Nicolas Tavitian, Director of the Armenian General Benevolent Union – AGBU (Europe), Ayse Öktem, Platform for “Confronting a Century of Denial” (Turkey), Charles Aznavour, Singer (France), Bernard Henri Lévy, Philosopher (France), Abdullah Demirbas, Mayor of Sur district of Diyarbakir (Turkey), Ara Toranian, Co-President of “Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France” (CCAF), Serge Klarsfeld, President of “Sons and Daughters of Jews Deported from France “(France), Murat Timur, President of the Bar Association Van (Turkey), Öztürk Türkdoğan, Head of the Human Rights Association (IHD) (Turkey), Gilbert Dalgalian, linguist, Bernard Kouchner, French Minister form of Foreign Affairs, Founder of Doctors Without Borders and Doctors of the World, Adam Michnik, Historian, journalist, essayist and leader of Solidarnosc form (Poland), Zarakolu, Writer (Turkey), Roni Margulies, Journalist and poet (Turkey) Jovan Divjak, Former Commanding General of Yugoslav Army, Defender of besieged Sarajevo (Bosnia), Ömer Laçiner, Writer (Turkey), Tahar Ben Jelloun, Writer and poet (Morocco), Dario Fo, Writer, Nobel Prize for literature (Italy) Ferhat Kentel, Sociologist (Turkey), Murat Celikkan, Journalist (Turkey), André Glucksmann, Philosopher (France) Korhan Gümüs, Architect (Turkey), Richard Prasquier, Vice-President of Shoah Foundation (France), Prof.. Dr. Sinan Özbek, Profesor (Turkey), Prof.. Dr. Gencay Gürsoy, Profesor (Turkey), Edward Mier-Jedrzejowicz, Chairman, MK z Tyskiewiczow Krolikiewicz Foundation (Poland), Oliviero Toscani, Photographer (Italy), Yann Moix, Writer (France), Prof.. Dr. Ahmet Insel, University (Turkey)

Alma Masic, President of Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Bosnia), Armen Artwich, Vice President of Foundation of Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians (Poland), Deyan Kolev, Chairman of “Amalipe” (Bulgaria), Faik Akc, Writer (Turkey), Séta Papazian, President of the “Collectif VAN” (France), Sonia Avakian-Bedrosian, President of AGBU-Sofia (Bulgaria), Marian Mandache, Executive Director of “Romani Criss” (Romania), Raffi Kantian, Chairman of the board, “German-Armenian Society” (Germany), Çagla Oflas, Platform for “Confronting a Century of Denial” (Turkey), Prof.. Dr. Ayse Gözen, Profesor (Turkey), Elina Chilinguirian, Journalist (Belgium), Raba Gjoshi, Executive Director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Kosovo), Prof.. Dr. Ayse Gözen, Professor (Turkey), Patrick Donabedian, Historian and lecturer, University Aix-Marseille (France), Mario Mazic, Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Croatia), Ümit Kurt, Writer (Turkey), Elena Gabriielian, Journalist (France), Jovana Vukovic, “Regional Centre for Minorities” (Serbia), Akif Kurtulus, Writer (Turkey), Haik Garabedian, Co-President of AGBU Young Professionals Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Erika Muhi, Director of the Anti -Discrimination Bureau “NEKI” (Hungary), Yves Ternon, Historian (France), Zeynep Tanbay, Choreographer (Turkey), Gazi Giray Gunaydin, Activist (Turkey), Sezai Temelli, Lecturer (Turkey), Simon Grand, international civil servant Celine Gulekdjian, Film director (Belgium), Katalin Barsony, President of the “Foundation Romedia” (Hungary), Nurcan Kaya, Lawyer (Turkey), Inge Drost, President of the “Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands” (The Netherlands ), Alain Daumas, President of “UFAT” (French Union of Roma Associations) (France) Gueguel Khatchatouryan, President of the Armenian community in Milano (Italy), Adriatik Hasantari, President of “Active Roma” (Albania), Maja Micic , Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Serbia), Elio Montanari, Photographer (Turkey), Hrant Kostanian, Associate Research Fellow, Centre for European Policy Studies (Belgium), Marcel Kabanda, President of “Ibuka” (France) , Filiz Montanari, Film Director (Turkey), Harout Palanjian, President of AGBU Holland (The Netherlands), Prof.. Dr. Sinan Özbek, Professor (Turkey), Helena Piralian, Psychoanalyst (France), Miroslav Broz, President of “Konexe” (Czech Republic), Yildiz Onen, Spokeswoman of “Global Peace and Justice Coalition” (Turkey), Valentina Poghosyan, Member of the board of AGBU Europe (United Kingdon), Maria De Franca, Director of “The Rules of the Game” (France), Areg Barseghyan, International civil servant, ADB (Armenia), Metin Algan, Activist of DurDe (Turkey), Balazs Denes, Director of “Open Society Initiative for Europe” (Hungary), Rifat Cem Sey, Writer (Turkey), Witold Klaus, President of SIP (Association for Legal Intervention) (Poland), Jörn Sudhoff, Professor of Social Sciences (Turkey) Dogan Özgüden, Chief Editor, Info-Türk (Belgium), Katarzyna Kubin, Director of the Board of the “Foundation for Social Diversity” (Poland), Zeynep Tozduman, Investigative Writer (Turkey), Tatyos Bebek, Dentist (Turkey) Güven Gürkan Öztan, Lecturer (Turkey), Ergun Günrah, PR (Turkey), Kalle Larson, Director of “Centrum Password rasism” (Sweden), Inci Tugsavul, Responsible editor Info-Türk (Belgium), Renée Le Mignot, Co-President of the “MRAP” (Movement against Racism and for Friendship Between Peoples) (France), Haluk Ünal, Film Director (Turkey), Nick Lowe, Founder of “Hope Not Hate” (United Kingdom), Cindy Leoni, President of “SOS racism “(France), Sonia Aichi, President of” LDIF “(High school’s Independent and Democratic Federation) (France) Aldo Merkoci, President of” Mjaft Movement “(Albania), Ahmed Moawia, President of the” Greek Forum for Migrants “(Greece), Jette Moller, President of” SOS Racisme Mod “(Denmark), Angela Scalzo, General Secretary of” SOS Razzismo “(Italy), Nicolai Radita, President of” National Roma Center “(Moldavia), Boris Raonic, President of “Civil Alliance” (Montenegro), Paula Sawicka, President of “Open Republic” (Poland), Jacques Beres, President of “France-Syria Democracy”, President of “Children Of The Channel” (France), Bruce Clarke, Artist (South Africa), Ina van Looy, Community Center Jewish Lay David Susskind, Belgium, Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa, Director, European Friends of Armenia, Stéphane Mirdkian, President, Armenian Community of Belgium, Mato Hakhverdian, Chairman of the Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands (FAWN) (the Netherlands), Roni Alasor, Journalist and writer (Norway), Aslangil Sebu, Jurist (Turkey), Atilla Dirim, Interpretor (Turkey), Irena Borisova, Director of “People Against Racism” (Slovakia) Ofer Bronchtein, President of “Peace Forum” (France), Prof.. Chan ES Choenni, Hindustani Indian Diaspora and Migration, Free University (VU) Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Andrei Dragomir, Director of the Moldovan Centre for Human Rights (Moldovia), Loris Toufanian, President of Armenian Youth Movement “Nor Seround” (France ), Lina Gidlung, Director of Anti-Discrimination Office Upsala (Sweden), Janette Gronsfort, President of “Rasmus Network” (Finland), Merle Haruoja, Director of “Estonian Institute for Human Rights” (Estonia), Jean Yériché Gorizian, spokeperson of Armenian Youth Movement “Nor Seround” (France), Pierre Henry, General Director of “France Land of Asylum” and Executive Board Member of the “European Council for Refugees and Exiles,” Hristo Ivanovick, President of “Alliance for Human Rights” ( Macedonia), Krassimir Kanev, Chairman of the “Bulgarian Helsinki Committee” (Bulgaria), Anhelita Kamenska, Director of “Latvian Centre for Human Rights” (Latvia), Oncho Cherchian, AGBU Sofia (Bulgaria), Joël Kotek, historian (Belgium) , Hakob Kazandjian, President, FRA in Cyprus (Cyprus), Jacky Mamou, President of “Emergency Darfur,” President form of “Doctors of the World,” Irina Ghaplanyan, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), Anna Šabatová, Head of ” Czech Helsinki Committee “(Czech Republic), Ahmed Samih, Head of the” Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies “(Egypt), Dominique Sopo, Former President of” SOS Racisme “(France), Rune Steen, Director of the “Norwegian Centre Against Racism” (Norway), Sacha Reingewirtz, President of the “French Union of Jewish Students” (France), Muhammadi Yonous, Head of the “Greek Forum of Refugees” (Greece), League of Human Rights (League of Human Rights) (France), Europeana Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF), International Human Rights League, Nikolai Romashuk Hairston, President of the “Armenian Social and Cultural Foundation in The Netherlands” (The Netherlands), Kate Markaryan (Russia ) Oncho Cherchian AGBU Sofia, Bulgaria, Lisa Abadjian, psychologist (Belgium), Mikaail Domanian, Engineer, AGBU Holland, Souren Seraydarian, analyst (France), Silva Chemedikian, AGBU Sofia (Bulgaria), Harout Mamikonian, AGBU Holland (the Netherlands), Apet George Iskenderian, Ophelia Khachatryan, Kate Markaryan (Russia), Anelga Aslanian (Belgium), Harout Mamikonian (Netherlands)

Political leaders

Frank Engel, Member of the European Parliament (Luxembourg), Michèle Rivasi, Member of the European Parliament (France), Sevil Turan, Greens and Left Party Spokeswoman of the Future (Turkey), Ewald Stadler, Member of European Parliament (Austria) , Meltem Oral, Spokeswoman of The Revolutionist Socialist Labour Party (DSIP) (Turkey), Ufuk Uras, 23rd MP term (Turkey), Klemen Zumer, Advisor, European Parliament (Belgium), Senol Karakas, Spokesman of DSIP (Turkey), Andrej Hunko, Member of the Bundestag (Parliament) (Germany), Naci Sönmez, Greens and Left Party Spokesman of the Future (Turkey), Laura Lucas Nédelec Chatel & Co-Secretary General “Young Ecologists” (France), Laura Slimani, President of Movement of Young Socialists (France), Kees van der Staaij, Member of Parliament, Member of Reformed Political Party Faction (SGP) (the Netherlands), Harry van Bommel, Member of Parliament, Member of the Socialist Party (SP) (the Netherlands) Joel Voordewind, Member of Parliament, Member of the Christian Union Faction (the Netherlands), Paolo Bergamaschi, Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Green / EFA group in the European Parliament.

Source:

Saturday, April 19, 2014,

99th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide to be Held in Times Square Sunday, April 27, 2014

April 14, 2014 By administrator

NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2014 — On Sunday, April 27, 2014 from 2-4 pm, thousands of devoted Armenian-Americans and their friends and supporters will gather in Times Square (43rd St. & Broadway) to commemorate the first genocide of the 20th Century, The Armenian Genocide (Medz Yeghern).

The theme of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration is “Turkey is Guilty of Genocide: Denying the Undeniable is a Crime.” This historic event will pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who were annihilated by the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire and to the millions of victims of subsequent genocides worldwide. Speakers will include civic, religious, humanitarian, educational, cultural leaders, as well as performing artists. This event is free and open to the public. Dr. Mary A. Papazian, President of Southern Connecticut State University and Attorney R. Armen McOmber will preside over the ceremonies.

Dennis R. Papazian, PhD, past National Grand Commander of Knights of Vartan and Founding Director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn discusses the Armenian Genocide. “These killings, which were labeled crimes against humanity and civilization at the time, exactly fit the definition of the word genocide, which was coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer in 1943,” comments Papazian. “It is only proper to bring the terminology up to date and apply the international laws for genocide to the Armenian case.”

Papazian headed the Armenian Assembly of America in 1975, when a non-binding resolution recognizing the mass killings as genocide, passed through Congress. On April 22, 1981, then-President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation #4838 that summoned Americans to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps. The proclamation stated, “Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it—and like too many other persecutions of too many other peoples—the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”

Papazian further discusses that President Barack Obama used the Armenian phrase Medz Yeghern, which is the equivalent of the phrase genocide in the Armenian language, in a statement issued to commemorate Armenian Remembrance Day on April 24, 2013. “But still the U.S. position is still kept ambiguous about using the word genocide because our country fears alienating Turkey, an important country in the Middle East,” he adds.

“In the long run, Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide is critical, since Turkey is the responsible successive government of the Ottoman Empire,” stresses Papazian. “In recent years there have been some positive developments among progressive Turkish intellectuals, including the grandson of one of the chief perpetrators; therefore, it is within the realm of possibility that Turkey itself will recognize the Armenian Genocide on the one hundredth anniversary of its beginning,” he concludes.

The 99th Commemoration is organized by the Mid-Atlantic chapters of the Knights & Daughters of Vartan (www.kofv.org), an international Armenian fraternal organization headquartered in the United States, and co-sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (www.agbu.org), the Armenian Assembly of America (www.aaainc.org), the Armenian National Committee of America (www.anca.org), the Armenian Council of America and the Armenian Democratic League (Ramgavar Party).

Participating organizations include the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Catholic Eparchy for U.S. and Canada, the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF-YOARF), several Armenian youth organizations, and university and college Armenian clubs.

For more information please visit, www.kofv.org,www.april24nyc.org, www.armenianradionj.net,www.theforgotten.org, www.armenian-genocide.org,www.twentyvoices.com.

UNITED ARMENIAN COUNCIL will commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide APRIL 24, 2014

April 14, 2014 By administrator

LOS ANGELES—The Armenian community of Greater Los Angeles will commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Thursday, April 24, at the Armenian Genocide Monument at Bicknell Park, 910 Via San Clemente, Montebello, CA 90640.

The event will start at 1 pm with the placement of wreaths at the Monument by participating organizations, followed by a religious service with the participation of representatives of all religious denominations of the Armenian community and a full program that includes remarks and messages from invited political dignitaries, concluding at 3 pm.

The Los Angeles United Armenian Council for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, which consists of more than 50 Armenian religious, political, compatriotic, and other community organizations, is the organizer of this commemorative event. For a complete list of the member organizations, please visit www.uacla.com.

The United Armenian Council for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide invites all community members to attend the commemorative event at the Monument.

The United Council also calls upon everyone to take part in great numbers in all other commemorative events on the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

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