Germany: BUNDESTAG The Greens party accuse the ruling coalition to abandon genocide recognition

February 25, 2016 By administrator

arton122563-355x200 The resolution in favor of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide proposed by the German Greens, which had the support of other forces of the ruling coalition could not be presented to the Bundestag votes. The leader of the Green Party, Cem Özdemir denounced the attitude of the leadership of the ruling parties that to please Turkey, on the grounds of the refugee crisis, refused to take the port of this proposal to be shared .

The Greens had negotiated with other parties technical writing of this resolution. But the defection of the leadership of the ruling parties steals for now any chance of getting a majority. “Making recognition of the Armenian genocide hostage to the issue of refugees is a wrong policy,” said Özdemir. With the vote on this resolution, members of the coalition had the opportunity to say clearly what he thinks of what happened. “We know there are many coalition members who do not share the attitude of their group leader,” said Özdemir.

Thursday, February 25, 2016,
Ara © armenews.com

US to Decide Soon Whether to Call Mideast Killings of Christians ‘Genocide’

February 24, 2016 By administrator

The United States will soon make a decision on whether to call the mass killings of Christian by Islamist extremists in the Middle East a genocide, US Secretary of State John Kerry told members of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Kerry added that so far, he has been given initial recommendations on how the Obama administration should label the atrocities, and noted has since asked for “further evaluation.”

“We are currently doing what I have to do, which is review very carefully the legal standards and precedence for whatever judgement is made,” Kerry explained when urged by a US lawmaker to use his authority to call the killings a genocide.

“I will make a decision on this and I will make a decision on it as soon as I have that additional evaluation and we will proceed forward from there.”

Kerry added he has been given initial recommendations on how the Obama administration should label the atrocities, and noted he has since asked for “further evaluation.”

Earlier this month, Russian Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis called on the international community to prevent the killing and expulsion of Christians from the Middle East and end the violence in the region. The two religious leaders also discussed the possibility of forming jointly a political association to counter the genocide of Christians.

Bundestag to host discussion on Armenian Genocide recognition

February 19, 2016 By administrator

206442 The issue of Germany’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide will be discussed on February 24, Ermenihaber.am reports citing Turkish media.

According to sources, draft resolutions on the massacres were introduced to Bundestag by the Left Party and the Alliance ’90/The Greens. The discussions are set to last 38 minutes.

To remind, the German Bundestag had characterized the massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. In order to create a comprehensive text, the German authorities and the opposition had agreed to transfer the issue to the Foreign Relations and Human Rights Committee.

Bundestag Speaker Norbert Lamert, German President Joachim Gauck, as well as Alliance ’90/The Greens’ co-chairman Cem Ozdemir have at various points spoken out on Germany’s own share in the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians.

Tight U.S. presidential race: Good news for Armenian-Americans

February 17, 2016 By administrator

Harut-Sassounian Publisher of the California Courier Harut Sassounian resents an article on the U.S. presidential elections, suggesting that the Armenian-American community focus on more pressing issues than the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

The article reads:

Now that the two major political parties have begun holding Primaries to select their nominees for this fall’s Presidential elections, Armenian-Americans are weighing the merits of the eight remaining candidates.

I would like to propose that from now on Armenians refrain from asking presidential candidates whether they would recognize the Armenian Genocide once elected. There are two problems in posing such a question:

1) Armenians should know from previous disappointing experiences that they cannot trust promises made by most politicians.

2) There is no need to ask for such a promise since the Armenian Genocide has been repeatedly recognized by the various branches of the U.S. government for many years: a) Document submitted by the U.S. government to the World Court in 1951; b) Resolutions adopted by the House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984; c) Pres. Reagan’s Proclamation referring to the Armenian Genocide on April 22, 1981.

Instead, Armenian-Americans should ask presidential candidates for their positions on more pressing issues such as: 1) Allocating more foreign aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh); 2) Promoting U.S. trade with Armenia; 3) Pressuring Turkey to lift its blockade of Armenia; 4) Demanding that Turkey return the confiscated Armenian churches to the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul; 5) Condemning Azerbaijan for its repeated threats and attacks on Armenia and Artsakh; 6) Supporting the independence of Artsakh.

Once elected, officials would want to satisfy some of these demands in order to maintain the support of the Armenian community during their future campaign for reelection.

Here are the records of all six Republican presidential candidates on Armenian issues:

Gov. Jeb Bush (Florida) — Traveled with his son on a humanitarian mission to Armenia on December 24, 1988, shortly after the earthquake; — Issued an Armenian Genocide proclamation on April 7, 2006; — Received the Friend of Armenians Award in 2013 from the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church.

Gov. John Kasich (Ohio) — Received ratings of C, D, and F from ANCA during most of his tenure in the House of Representatives, 1983-2001; — Cosigned letters to Pres. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev supporting Artsakh’s independence in 1991; — Cosponsored the Armenian Genocide Resolution in 2000; — As Governor, issued a proclamation in 2012 to celebrate Armenian Independence Day.

Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) — Received a C- rating from ANCA in 2014; — In 2015, issued statement on the Armenian Genocide and cosponsored the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

Sen. Marco Rubio (Florida) — Received a C rating in 2012 and B in 2014 from ANCA; — Voted for passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2014; — Cosponsored the Armenian Genocide Resolution in 2015; — Cosigned letter to Pres. Obama urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2015.

Neurosurgeon Ben Carson (Michigan): No statements on Armenian issues.

Businessman Donald Trump (New York): No statements on Armenian issues.

Here are the records of the two Democratic presidential candidates on Armenian issues:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (New York) — As Senator, cosigned letters to Pres. Bush urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2005 and 2006; — Cosponsored Resolutions on the Armenian Genocide in 2006 and 2007; — As Presidential candidate in 2008, made a promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide; — Later in 2008, spoke at a Turkish Cultural Center banquet in New York City in the presence of then Prime Minister Erdogan; — During an official visit to Yerevan in 2010, placed a wreath at the Genocide Monument, which the U.S. Embassy in Armenia called a “private” act, even though the ribbon on the wreath carried the inscription: “From Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton”; — In 2012, as Secretary of State, referred to the Armenian Genocide as “a matter of historical debate,” contradicting her earlier clear stand on this important issue.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) — Received an A+ rating in 2012 and C in 2014 from ANCA; — During his tenure in the House of Representatives (1991-2007), he supported a variety of Armenian issues, including the Genocide Resolution, in 1996, 1997, and 2000; — Cosigned letters to Pres. Bush urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2002, 2003, and 2004; — As Senator, he cosponsored in 2012 two Resolutions on the Armenian Genocide and Return of Armenian Churches by Turkey.

The polls and results of the early Primary elections indicate that no candidate in either party is likely to have an overwhelming majority in the Primaries and the November elections which would encourage the candidates to be more accommodating to all voters, including Armenian-Americans.

Under these circumstances, my suggestion to the Armenian-American community is to refrain from making an early commitment to any candidate. The decision as to whom to support can be made later as the presidential race gets tighter and the candidates get more desperate for votes!

Aznavour speaks of Armenian roots, Genocide in CNN interview

February 15, 2016 By administrator

Being French is more important for me than being Armenian, but I am Armenian; I don’t deny that, prominent French-Armenian singer and song-writer Charles Aznavour said in a televised interview on CNN.
“I don’t like the people who deny something because they are afraid of not being welcome,” said the singer.
Speaking of his Armenian roots, the Aznavour also shared his attitude to the Armenian Genocide issue when reminded of his visit to Yerevan in 2015 to attend the 100th anniversary commemorations.
“All the French have recognized their error; Germans were fantastic in the way they learned it, so why not the Turks? Nobody ever asked the Turks, ‘Why did you kill the Armenians? What is the reason?’ Religion? I don’t believe it. I read the Koran, because I wanted to know if there was anything in it. Nothing was there. So it’s not really just,” he said.
Asked about his future plans, Aznavour said he intends to write a song about migrants. “Why to refuse the people to come and to be French. When we talk about a French painter, we talk about [Pablo] Picasso, [Francois] Flameng. Everybody is not French. I am not French, and [neither are] many others. And that makes France so. They bring something with them through their misery, a plenty of things to teach to us,” the singer added.

Quebec urged to make genocide study compulsory in schools

February 11, 2016 By administrator

Orphans-from-Kayseri-1929-1 Too many Quebec students finish high school with no knowledge of genocides, past or present, including the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, Rwandan genocide and the cultural genocide of First Nations, a Montreal-based foundation argued on Wednesday, February 10, according to Montreal Gazette.

The Foundation for the Compulsory Study of Genocide in Schools had Liberal MNA David Birnbaum table a petition in the National Assembly demanding that the topic be made mandatory in Quebec high schools. It is currently up to individual teachers to decide how much they want to teach about genocide, the foundation said.

“I’ve seen teachers who have done amazing jobs with their high school students; they put on exhibits, they take their students to the Holocaust museum, they learn about the Armenian Genocide, and other schools that I’ve gone to where teachers have come up to me saying ‘We’re very, very worried, our children are graduating from Grade 11 not knowing even what the word genocide means,’ ” foundation chairperson Heidi Berger said.

The petition, which collected about 3,000 signatures, states that “racial and cultural intolerance and discrimination are the preconditions associated with the beginnings of genocide,” which is defined as “the systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic or cultural group.” Education, the petition continues, is the key to recognizing and preventing discrimination and acts of hate among youth, and knowledge of genocides is essential to preventing such acts in the future.

“Considering the times that we’re in, 25,000 Syrian refugees coming in, 16- and 17-year-olds with the radicalization and ISIS and so forth, with the cultural genocide and the Aboriginals, there’s no time like now to make sure that every student graduating from Grade 11 understands what genocide is and the stages that lead to genocide,” Berger added.

Catherine Poulin, press attaché for the education minister, said there is already a compulsory class that deals with genocide called “Contemporary World.”

“At this point, it is not our intention to change the curriculum,” Poulin said.

The Foreign Minister of Sweden Margot Wallström visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

February 9, 2016 By administrator

arton121932-453x480 Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström who is in Armenia with a delegation, visited Tuesday, February 9 at the memorial of the Armenian genocide of Dzidernagapert (Yerevan) to lay a wreath and pray in front of the eternal flame in memory of 1.5 million Armenian victims of the genocide of the twentieth century Prime executed by the Ottoman Empire.

Margot Wallström, the representative of the diplomacy of Sweden was accompanied by Martin Enberg the Swedish Ambassador in Armenia and Souren Manoukian deputy director of the Genocide Museum. At the invitation of Edward Nalbandian, the head of the Armenian diplomacy, Margot Wallström is from 8 to 9 February on an official visit in Armenia. It will be received today by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

Krikor Amirzayan

Armenian Reform Plan Lays Path to War and Genocide

February 8, 2016 By administrator

Armenian-Reform-package-1914-3 Posted By: Daryl Worthington

The Armenian Reform Plan was signed into law on 8th February, 1914. The agreement is an often overlooked moment which marked both the deterioration of European diplomacy into the First World War, and the onset of events which would culminate in terrible tragedy for the Armenian people.

Russia and the Ottoman Empire were the agreement’s signatories. It granted autonomous administrative rights to Armenians in the six provinces of Turkey where their population was most heavily concentrated. Two inspector generals were also established by the new agreement. Appointed by agreement between Britain, France, Russia and Italy, the inspector generals would hold judicial authority over the Armenian provinces.

On a regional level, the agreement was the result of a long campaign by the Armenians to gain recognition and equality within the Ottoman Empire. For centuries they had suffered political oppression, largely as a result of their Christian beliefs. As the Empire entered its decline in the nineteenth century, the situation worsened, as growing Turkish nationalism and resentment focused oppression on all non-Muslim elements of society. The fact that the Armenian community seemed to be so successful in the face of the decline only served to exaggerate that resentment.

The Armenian National Delegation (AND) had been founded to campaign for autonomy. After the failure of Turkey’s new constitutional government to implement significant reforms, and the aggressive nationalism which came in the wake the Young Turks’ coup d’etat, the AND began to lobby other European countries to push for changes within the Ottoman Empire. The upheaval in Turkey following defeat in the First Balkan War (1912-1913), provided the perfect moment for the governments of Russia, Britain and France to pressure the Ottoman Empire into instigating change.

Beyond mere concern for Armenian well-being, the intervention of other European powers in the Armenian question was in fact symptomatic of the complicated international tensions dividing Europe in the run up to the First World War. Armenian grievances became a vehicle for the geostrategic goals of empires.

For Russia, the benefits of greater Armenian autonomy were clear. The territory in question was close to the Turkish-Russian border. Since the turn of the century Russia had endeavored to undermine the struggling Ottoman Empire, its main rival for influence in the region. Greater Armenian independence would push the Ottoman Empire closer to dissolution, and boost Russia’s chances of gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea.

Britain and France tacitly backed Russia in its intervention in the Armenian question. Germany had forged close ties with the Ottoman Empire, which the members of the Triple Entente considered an attempt by the Kaiser to assert greater influence in the valuable region.

Highlighting the increasingly polarised state of Europe, Germany vetoed the initial terms of the Armenian Reform Plan. The original intention of the agreement was to join the six Armenian-inhabited vilayets, or districts, into a single province. The German opposition saw the agreement modified to create two separate provinces instead.

The Armenian campaign to end political oppression, which resulted in the Armenian Reform Plan, was used by the imperial powers of Europe to achieve their geopolitical goals. The tragic consequence however, was that within the Ottoman Empire it fueled the sense that Armenians were in league with Turkey’s rivals, increasing already smoldering resentment against them with horrendous consequences.

The outbreak of the First World War later in 1914 meant the terms of the agreement never really took effect. With Russia, Britain, France and Germany distracted by war, the Armenians were left unprotected. In April 1915, 200 Armenian intellectuals were arrested, accused of supporting Russia. It proved the first step in what is now widely referred to as the Armenian Genocide.

Source: newhistorian.com

Armenia The return of our historical territories is one of the compensation variables Genocide consequences

February 5, 2016 By administrator

arton121742-377x253 (Armenpress) “The return of the historical territories of Armenia is one of the compensation variables Genocide consequences,” is the conclusion of social research of the working group of the Pedagogical University Armenian State Kh. Abovyan, on the topic “phenomenon of perception features of the Armenian Genocide and their ideological impact on public opinion.”

“The research was conducted between March 15 and April 15, 2015 and 560 citizens participated. The aim of the research was to reveal aspects of opinions and attitudes and trends in public opinion vis-à-vis the Armenian Genocide planned and executed by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire, said Hovhannes Hovhannisyan Doctor of Philosophy , head of the research team, told reporters in the interview on 3 February.

The analysis was performed on data that could usefully be consulted by the state services.

For people who responded to the survey, the variables for the Genocide consequences of compensation are: total or partial return of the territory of historical Armenia, Armenian Genocide recognition as a fact, recognition by Turkey of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and payment of material and financial compensation to heirs of victims of the Armenian Genocide, etc.

Moreover, according to data from this study, France, Russia, Greece, the United States and Italy show a positive attitude towards Armenia and its problems. Countries with negative attitudes are Azerbaijan, Turkey and the “Islamic state”.

Historic #Armenia before #Turkish invasion 1915 Turkish Gov't completely wiped out the intier Christian population. pic.twitter.com/mJV6Drcgy9

— Wally Sarkeesian (@gagrulenet) January 26, 2016

Translation Gilbert Béguian

Turkey erases traces of Armenian Genocide in Urfa

February 5, 2016 By administrator

Turkey plans to turn the Sanliurfa-based orphanage of Deliller Hanı (House of proofs), later renamed to Millet Hanı (Public House) into a trade center, Ermenihaber.am reports.

According to Turkish media publications, Deliller Hanı served as a concentration camp for a brief period of time during the Armenian Genocide, having been later turned into an orphanage.

Numerous Armenian children found shelter in the orphanage, Urfa becoming their last stop during the heinous massacres of 1915.

The building was first given to the Ministry of Tourism, but was later passed on to the provincial administration department to allegedly serve as a museum.

With another proposal of turning the building into a 5 star hotel also failing, the government has pledged to convert the orphanage into a trade center.