Armenian Genocide bill discussed at Iraqi Kurdistan parliament

April 29, 2015 By administrator

A bill on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and which an Armenian MP had introduced to the parliament of the Iraqi Kurdistan autonomous region, has caused debates among the local political forces.

The parliament’s Armenian member, Yervant Nisan, informed that he collected signatures from all parties in the parliament, and in favor of the draft law he introduced, reported the Rudaw website.

Although the parliament’s Kurdistan Patriots Union (KYB) openly supported this bill, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Movement for Change (Gorran) platform preferred to remain silent on this matter.

KYB MP Rewas Fayik noted that he signed for this bill and its passing in the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament will be something ordinary.

Several KDP MPs likewise signed in favor of the passing of this proposed law.

KDP member Muhammad Amir Dershewi, for his part, said everyone knows that genocide was committed against the Armenians, and stressed that the parliament of the Kurdistan autonomous region must take the initiative.

Forty Iraqi Kurdistan MP’s signed under this bill, which calls for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and it was submitted to the presidency of the parliamen

BBC History (April-May 2015) published 12 pages on “the forgotten genocide of Armenians”

April 28, 2015 By administrator

forgotten genocideAfter the many French newspapers and magazines that have widely distributed articles and folders on the Armenian genocide, it is the turn of the bimonthly “Le Figaro-History” (issue 19, April-May 2015) to present its readers with a wide 12 page dossier on “the forgotten genocide of Armenians”. Just to remind the Prime genocide of the twentieth century that decimated 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire carried out by the Committee of Union and Progress of the Young Turk government between 1915 and 1923. Le Figaro Story (No. 19, April- May 2015) in all press briefings. € 6.90. To read.

Krikor Amirzayan

DW: Turkey is shooting itself in the foot #ArmenianGenocide

April 28, 2015 By administrator

Turkey has badly hurt its international ties by threatening Germany and other partner nations over their assessment of the Armenian Genocide a century ago, Deutsche Welle says.

Turkey has rarely launched rhetorical attacks on so many different international players in such a short time. The pope came in for his share, as did the European Parliament.

Then it was Austria’s turn, before Germany, France, Russia and the USA were also all verbally assaulted – in a series of foreign office statements issued at the rate of almost one a minute – for the positions they have taken in the debate on the correct word to give to the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman authorities one hundred years ago.

In the case of Germany, Ankara stressed that the Turkish people would neither forgive nor forget the words of President Joachim Gauck, who has spoken of Armenian Genocide.

The presidents of the USA, Russia and France – Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande – drew Ankara’s ire because they also mentioned the massacre. And Obama didn’t even use the “G-word” out of consideration for his country’s important NATO ally.

Within just a few hours, Ankara thus verbally attacked three of the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council and, in the case of Germany, also its most important trading partner. With only a few weeks to go to the Turkish parliamentary elections on June 7, this probably appeals to right-leaning voters – one possible motivation behind the wave of blustering statements.

But Turkey will have to realize that such exaggerated accesses of rage do more harm than good in the sphere of foreign affairs, Deutsche Welle notes.

For a start, the report says, there is barely a single government politician in the targeted countries who takes the tirades from Ankara seriously: many are the occasions when Turkey has announced political and economic reprisals against partner nations in great indignation, only to get back to business as usual without losing another word on the matter.

Then there is the fact that the furious Turkish outbursts reinforce doubts about how reliable this partner to the West actually is. To a point, it is understandable, in view of the country’s domestic political situation and the decades spent denying the crime, that the Turkish government rejects the application of the term “genocide” to the massacre of Armenians. But the way Ankara has almost broken up its friendship with important allies in a spectacular gesture just because they did not agree with the Turkish view of things could cause some politicians and officials in the West to think again.

For some time, Turkey has been taking pleasure in presenting itself as a regional power whose irresistible rise is being hindered by foreign ones, because Europe and the USA fear a new rival. This strange view of the world is part of the reason for the heated debate on the Armenian issue, and was frequently promulgated in the past few days in particular by the government-friendly press in Ankara and some advisers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It may be that Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party can score with nationalistic voters in the Turkish election campaign by this means. But internationally, it is a course that will lead to isolation.

ANCA Central California and City of Fresno Mark Genocide Centennial

April 28, 2015 By administrator

Armen K. Hovannisian, Chairman of the Armenian Bar Association, speaks in Fresno.

FRESNO, Calif.—Again this April 24th the Armenian National Committee of America Central California with the support of the City of Fresno raised both the United States and Armenian flags in front of City Hall to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. This year, prompted by the Centennial, a march was organized that lead hundreds of demonstrators from the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic church, a distance of approximately 1.5 miles, to Fresno City Hall.

Long time ANCA CC member Paul Jamushian welcomed the crowd of 650 then noted the theme this year was “Never Forget”. The Master of Ceremonies, Debbie Poochigian, known for her strong view on the subject of “չմոռանալ” (“to not forget”) was then introduced. Immediately thereafter, Poochigian, also the Chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors invited local Armenian church priests to start by paying tribute to our martyrs with the Lord’s Prayer in Armenian.

The Armenian flag was raised by the Fresno Sassoon Chapter of the Homenetmen Scouts. The United States flag was raised by the Design Science High School of Fresno Unified. Both national anthems were sang by Hygo Ohannessian with background music performed by the AUSA Sounds of Freedom Band. A seemingly made to order, perfectly timed wind made the flags waive as soon as they were raised.

Fresno Mayor Ashely Swearengin, a longtime supporter of Armenian-American issues said in her speech “We honor you and join you in remembering the events of 100 years ago.” The Mayor attended multiple ceremonies in commemoration of the centennial of the Genocide. “When I think back over just the last twenty four hours and I consider the emotion and the beauty of the commemoration ceremonies that we have seen this year, I am truly overwhelmed and I am not Armenian,” said the Mayor who was visibly touched by the community’s efforts.

MaryAlice Kaloostian, District Director of Senator Tom Berryhill relayed her grandmother’s and great grandmother’s story of survival. “They would steal what was ours and made it theirs,” said Kaloostian referring to the Ottoman Turks. Her family came from Kharpert and her grandmother had a scar on her head and ear. The scar on the ear was from a Turkish girl trying to pull her earring off because she wanted it for herself. “I shouldn’t be here today, if the Turks had been successful, none of us would be here today,” she said.

Congressman Jim Costa, a staunch supporter, also spoke at the commemoration. For many years he has been an advocate for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the United States. Costa, who has many childhood Armenian-American friends, is a part of the Armenian caucus in Washington D.C. and has heard many personal stories of the genocide from his friends. He closed by saying “silence is genocide’s best ally.”

A soon to be observer of the election in Artsakh, County Supervisor Andreas Borgeas was the next speaker. His presentation included the critical future of Artsakh as well as his wife’s grandmother’s personal experience as a survivor.

The keynote speaker for the morning was Armen K. Hovannisian, Chairman of the Armenian Bar Association. In a stirring speech to an audience who interrupted him with repeated applause, Hovannisian began by asking “Is the destruction of an entire national quantifiable? Is the decimation of nearly all of its people measurable? Is what was lost and what was taken recoverable by any stretch of imagination?” His questions immediately got the audience’s attention.

Toward the end of his speech, Hovannisian looked passionately at the crowd and stated, “We must wake up tomorrow with a consciousness that is both rooted in the Armenian Genocide and which raises up above it as well that insists that we Armenians forever more define our identity not by what was done to us but what we do from this day forward.”

Also part of the program was a selection of songs performaned by the Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School of Fresno.

Coptic Orthodox Church: Armenia is peaceful country where people like working

April 28, 2015 By administrator

The Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of St. Mark the Evangelist of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Tawadros II, paid a visit to Armenia to attend the Armenian Genocide Centennial commemorations.

Speaking to Al-Watan TV of Egypt, Pope Tawadros II stated that he is impressed by the churches and monasteries he saw in Armenia.

“This was a marvelous opportunity for me to visit the Armenian monasteries, churches, and educational institutions,” Pope Tawadros II said. “Armenia is a peaceful country where people like working; there is a wonderful nature here.”

Tawadros II also stressed that he is impressed by the sacred meaning which Mount Ararat has for the Armenian nation.

L.A. County officials push for Turkish recognition of Armenian Genocide

April 28, 2015 By administrator

By City News Service

LOS ANGELES >> The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to send a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to petition the Turkish government to recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich marked the 100th anniversary of the slaughter and decried the “Turkish government’s continued denial of that genocide.”

Moving to “honor the 1.5 million victims,” Antonovich told his colleagues, “23 nations and our Pope Francis have declared this a genocide … it’s time that we also proclaim it a genocide.”

An Armenian priest told the board that the “eighth and final stage of genocide is denial.”

Recalling the Holocaust and reciting a list of other genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and “today in the desert of Syria,” the religious leader told the board, “and we still say ‘never again.”’

Supervisor Hilda Solis told her colleagues that “any assault on humanity is an assault on all of us.”

Los Angeles is home to the largest Armenian population in America — more than 183,000 people according to the latest available U.S. Census estimates.

Tens of thousands of people marched to the Turkish consulate in Los Angeles last week to mark the anniversary and several public officials had harsh words for the President and Congress, who have failed to push Turkey, a NATO ally, on the issue.

During a visit to Washington, D.C. last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned that any use of the term “genocide” by Obama would have a “detrimental effect” on U.S.-Turkish relations, The Washington Post reported.

Turkey has cooperated with the U.S. in its fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

Israel: Armenian Archbishop chides Rivlin for referring to genocide as ‘mass killings’

April 27, 2015 By administrator

Aris Shirvanian reminds president that he had previously referred to the massacre as a genocide and was now backtracking.

A quarter of a century ago, as an MK, Reuven Rivlin broke the taboo on acknowledging the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Later, as speaker of Knesset, he defied government attempts to have the same subject removed from the Knesset’s agenda and gave the podium to MKs from across the political spectrum to air their views. The Armenian Genocide was a subject of consensus for all legislators. Report The Jerusalem post

On Sunday, Rivlin invited some of those former MKs to the President’s Residence, along with Armenian religious and lay leaders, writers Haim Gouri and Haim Be’er, plus IDC President Uriel Reichman, and noted historian Yehuda Bauer, who had also identified strongly with Armenian suffering.

In his address, Rivlin noted that in 1915 members of the Armenian nation were being massacred and some of them found shelter in Jerusalem, including among members of his own family. No one in Jerusalem denied the massacre, he said. “We are morally obligated to point out the facts as horrible as they are and not to ignore them.”

This year, for the first time, the Knesset sent a delegation to Yerevan to mark the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.

Rivlin said in his opening remarks that the Armenian people were among the first victims of modern mass killing.

Archbishop Aris Shirvanian took Rivlin to task, reminding him that he was in the Knesset when Rivlin spoke of the Armenian Genocide. To now refer to it as a “mass killing” was a regressive move, he said.

“I am disappointed,” said Shirvanian, chiding the president.

“This was a backward step on your part. You should have been more courageous as president.”

Shirvanian contrasted Rivlin’s euphemism with German President Joachim Gauck’s use of the word “genocide,” and said that he would send Rivlin a copy of Gauck’s speech.

Shirvanian said his grandfather, together with his brothers, had been conscripted into the Ottoman army and brutally killed by the Turks who deported, raped and killed men, women and children.

Tsolog Momijian, the Armenian honorary consul, lauded “noble Israelis” for initiating Knesset discussions on the subject, praising them as “people of great morality” who understand that the genocide is not a political issue but a moral case. He voiced the hope that one day Israel will recognize the genocide for what it was.

Yair Tzaban, former minister for immigrant absorption, said that for 25 years he has been involved in the struggle for the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. He also recalled that Rivlin had been the first Knesset speaker who permitted the issue to be discussed in the plenum. Since then it has never disappeared from the parliament’s agenda, said Tzaban.

He said was proud that Jews had played an important role in publicizing the massacre, but he was ashamed that a nation that had risen from the Holocaust and that continues to battle to this day against Holocaust denial does not support the Armenian effort to have its genocide recognized. Those who do nothing to avert denial of the Armenian genocide contribute to the minimalization of the tragedy, he said.

IDC’s Reichman said Zionism carries the moral message that freedom and self determination are not just a solution for the Jews but for all peoples.

If the political system cannot acknowledge this, he said, then the citizens of Israel can. IDC is hosting a mega conference on the Armenian Genocide to ensure all of its students are aware of it. He was confident that other Israeli institutions would do likewise. “As Jews we must identify with Armenian suffering.”

Turkish TV Accidentally Airs Genocide Centennial Events Instead of Gallipoli

April 27, 2015 By administrator

ISTANBUL (ArmRadio)—On April 24, CNBC Turkey mistakenly aired footage from the commemorations of the Armenian Genocide centennial instead of Gallipoli celebrations during its news program.

While the anchorwoman spoke about the events marking the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli, footage on the background was showing commemoration of the Armenian Genocide centenary at the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.

CNBC showed Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian welcoming foreign dignitaries. Only close to the end of the report, Erdogan was shown placing flowers at the memorial of the Battle of Gallipoli.

Armenians in China organize Genocide centennial events

April 27, 2015 By administrator

The Armenian Community of China organized a landmark series of cultural and artistic events in cities across China, to mark the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. These events, held in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai during the weekend of April 24-25, shared the Armenian history, art and culture with the Chinese people on a historic occasion.

The highlight of the weekend was the main gathering in Nanjing,which was chosen in solidarity with China, as it was in Nanjing that Japanese troops massacred hundreds of thousands of Chinese during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. As with the Armenian Genocide, it is an event that still goes unrecognized by its perpetrators.

In the Exhibition Hall of the Art Institute of Nanjing, celebrated Armenian painter Sevada Grigoryan presented his collection entitled “Awakening.” The opening ceremony started with the sounds of Duduk, Vahe Der-Hovakimian performed Dle Yaman, which is considered to be the symbol of the Armenian Genocide In parallel, Michael Hayrapetyan, a talented pianist and associate professor at the Moscow University of Art and Culture, performed at the Concert Hall of the Nanjing Institute of Art. His musical piece, “The Secrets of Armenia,” was inspired by the work of classical Armenian composers.

“It is a big honor to share our musical history with our Chinese friends,” said Hayrapetyan, who resides in China and regularly performs for Chinese audiences.

The musical performance was followed by an evening of remembrance, during which Chinese and Armenian guests shared their family histories. The documentary “The River Ran Red” by Mickayel Hakobian, which was recently translated into Chinese for the first time, was shown to the attendees.

“It was a very touching evening and reinforced the solidarity between the Armenian and Chinese,” said Lee Yen, a resident of Nanjing.

One day before, on April 24 an Armenian cultural evening, dedicated to the remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, was held in the prestigious Bund area of Shanghai. An audience of both Chinese and Armenian attendees enjoyed a performance of classical music and Armenian dance, as well as an art exhibition of works by Chinese students inspired by the events of the Armenian Genocide.

“Our goal was to share with our Chinese friends our rich artistic history, while highlighting the common threads of our two ancient cultures,” said Astghik Poghosyan, an accomplished Armenian violinist. Poghosyan has studied in China for five years and regularly performs on Chinese television. The evening concluded with a candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians who were systematically massacred by the Ottoman Turks in 1915.

That same night the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Beijing hosted renowned documentary filmmaker Ruben Giney, a resident of China since 2004. Giney presented his latest award-winning documentary, entitled “Andin: Armenian Journey Chronicles.” The film recounts the long history of Armenians in China and the historical links between the two civilizations.

“China has welcomed Armenians for hundreds of years,” said Henri Arslanian, President of the Armenian community of China. “There are many similarities between our nations and cultures. We wanted to share a taste of Armenian culture, as a way to thank our Chinese friends for welcoming us to their country.”

The Armenian Community of China, also known as ChinaHay, has been growing tremendously in recent years. Its members mainly live in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Canada declares April 24 Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

April 27, 2015 By administrator

April 24 has been declared Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada.

“#Canada Parliament has just unanimously adopted a resolution declaring #APRIL24TH as Remembrance Day of #ArmenianGenocide @CanadaFP,” tweeted Tigran Balayan, Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

The Parliament of Canada adopted the respective resolution by a unanimous vote.