PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CALLS FOR JUSTICE FROM DEIR ZOR,
THE PLACE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ANTELIAS, LEBANON – “As the son of a people who went through the terrible
experience of Genocide, and as the Spiritual leader engaged in the service
of a people who survived a major Genocide, I call for justice”. This appeal
came from His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia on 24 April, as he was
leading the celebration in Deir Zor (Syria), the very place where the
Genocide took place against the Armenians in 1915.
Addressing to thousands of Armenians who had gathered in the dessert of Deir
Zor from all parts of the world, His Holiness Aram I said: “I address my
first greeting to One and Half Million Martyrs, to those who have fallen in
this dessert. It is plain fact that the Armenian Genocide, the first
genocide of the 20th century was carefully planned and systematically
executed by Ottoman Turkey. The relics that are displayed in this church and
in the Chapel not far away from this place, as well as hundreds thousands of
relics that were found in the sands of this dessert are indeed eloquent and
tangible evidence of massacres that were committed in this very place by the
Ottoman army under the pretext of exodus and deportation”.
Addressing his second greeting to the Armenian people throughout the world,
His Holiness expressed his deep appreciation that through education and
nation building they had remained faithful to 90 years to the heritage of
the Martyrs: “Listen carefully to what your Martyrs say to you: one can not
hide the truth; one cannot ignore the collective memory of a people; one
cannot deny justice. Re-affirm your commitment to continue, with renewed
impetus, the straggle for the truth and dignity”.
Catholicos Aram I expressed his gratitude to all nations, states, churches
and international organizations who have formally recognized the Armenian
Genocide. He said: “Any attempt to exterminate a nation is a genocide; and
genocide is a crime against humanity. Hence, the international community and
particularly the United Nations must not remain silent about this crime”.
His Holiness reminded that the Armenian Genocide was followed by other
genocides in Africa, in Asia, and in the Middle East with different names,
forms and scope, and he strongly appealed for the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide as “to prevent new genocide against humanity”.
His Holiness concluded his strong message by making a direct appeal to
Turkey “which continues, through political and diplomatic means and by using
all of its information power to deny the Genocide. We don’t consider Turkey
as an enemy; nations must coexist on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
But, how is it possible to achieve such a coexistence when justice is still
denied for the Armenians, and their fundamental human rights are still
violated. Do we not have the right and the obligation, as the sons of a
people who were subjected to a genocide, to demand justice for our martyrs?
Do we not have the right to constantly remind Turkey, its people, its
government and particularly its youth that a genocide was perpetrated by
their forefathers against our forefathers and that a day, therefore, they
have the obligation to duly recognize it? Justice has been done in the case
of all genocides that have followed the Armenian Genocide. In order for
Turkey, as a member of the United Nations and as an applicant for membership
in the European Union, to demonstrate that it is fully committed to human
rights and the values and principles upheld by the international community,
it must formally recognize the Armenian Genocide and compensate the Armenian
people. This is the way to justice and reconciliation”.
The message of His Holiness was preceded by two acts full of profound
symbolism and spiritual appeal. Leading thousands of people His Holiness
prayed for the Armenian martyrs on the sands of Deir Zor, which in his words
are “imbued with the blood and faith of the Armenian Martyrs”. His Holiness
also baptized one boy and one girl with the participation of thousands of
pilgrims, in the river of Euphrates, as the symbol of the resurrection of
the Armenian people. He said: “This river in 1915 became a symbol of the
death of the Armenian People, where thousands of Armenian children were
killed even before without being baptized thrown. Today the same river
becomes the place of the renaissance of the Armenian people”.
Before leaving Deir Zor, Catholicos Aram I reaffirmed in the name of the
Armenian people his commitment to remain faithful to the sacred heritage of
the Armenian Martyrs. He said: “Dear Martyrs, you fell in the desert but you
did not remain here. We took you with us and you remained with us wherever
we went; your faith, your hope and your vision sustained our life. We always
remembered you we remembered you: we remembered you in our churches, in our
schools, in our personal and community life. We remained faithful to your
cause, becoming the ardent defender of your just rights”.
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, His Holiness met in the hall of
the church with the heads of the tribes from different parts of Syria and
particularly from Deir Zor whose forefathers have helped those Armenians who
have survived the Turkish massacres.
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress