Daily Bruin
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Nations must take action to end cycle of genocide
By Raffi Kassabian
At the Jan. 27 ceremonies for the 60th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz, the prevalent reaction was “never again.” And yet we still
continue to see genocide occurring today, most notably in Darfur, Sudan.
The systematic annihilation and displacement of millions of Sudanese in
Darfur is nothing less than a part of the repetitious cycle of
systematic genocide that continues to haunt the world community to this
day.
How can today’s governments stand by while groups of people in the world
are subject to targeted extinction policies? How can the United States
send its sons and daughters into battle exclaiming that democracy and
freedom in Iraq are worth their lives, yet ignore those very same
principles in another situation?
Darfur demands a similar sacrifice, but the determination of engagement
is conspicuously absent when addressing this crisis.
Over 1.5 million Armenians were systematically executed, raped and
deported by the Ottoman Empire in what is acknowledged as one of the
first genocides of the 20th century. Volumes of academic research on the
subject are accompanied by acknowledgments by genocide scholar societies
as well as proclamations by numerous countries and state governments.
But the United States, a country that continually unfurls the banner of
ethical and moral values to justify the pursuit of domestic as well as
foreign policy agendas, has yet to come to terms with the Armenian
Genocide and join the world in admitting, let alone seeking justice for,
this crime against humanity.
Instead, in deference to the Republic of Turkey, an alleged “strategic
partner and NATO ally,” according to the U.S. Agency for International
Development, the United States has avoided facing the Armenian Genocide.
The threats of limited access to NATO bases and the loss of military or
other business contracts is apparently enough for the United States to
drop the ethical banner in this particular case and pick up the pennant
of obscure “national interests” excuses.
Until there is an equitable pursuit of justice, we are left to fight not
one battle, but two. Not only must we fight to prevent crimes against
humanity, but we must also fight the denial of such crimes. In doing so
we can ensure that we are combating the recurring cycle of genocides.
The citizens in Darfur cry for their justice. Their government has
failed to protect their lives, families and homes, but instead has
instigated or even organized those responsible for murdering and
dislocating them.
For nearly 90 years, successive Turkish governments have actively denied
the Armenian Genocide. It is their hope to absolve themselves of any
punitive measures that are a natural part of the process of justice for
this crime.
Because the Turkish government has not been held accountable for its
crimes against humanity in the past, the government has been able to
continue human rights abuses into the present day. It stifles the lives
and tramples on the rights of its minorities.
Turkey is noted for having some of the highest numbers of imprisoned
journalists, and it continually strikes down – via legal or brute
tactics – those who question the fallibility of the state. The Turkish
government wants to intimidate its own citizens into silence or
self-censorship on issues like the Armenian Genocide.
The world continues to turn a blind eye out of convenience and enables
this behavior of the Turkish government, facilitating what I call the
“Campaign of Silence.”
When the United States and governments worldwide behave in such a
manner, is it any wonder why “never again” sounds so hollow? Is it any
wonder that after 1915, there was a 1938? Is it any wonder that the
Armenians were followed by Cambodians, Rwandans and now the citizens of
Darfur?
The silence continues today because we as human beings have not come to
terms with our past. We have turned the other cheek because it is easier
than seeking justice.
Adolf Hitler proclaimed to the Nazi Army before invading Poland, “Who,
after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” Will we
finally learn to consistently apply American values to our national
interests – recognizing everyone’s rights to a pursuit of happiness,
freedom and self-determination?
Or will the next genocidal government say, “Who, after all, speaks today
of the annihilation of the people of Darfur?”
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Kassabian is a fourth-year political science and communication studies
student.