ASBAREZ Online [04-26-2005]

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04/26/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) President Bush Fails to Recognize Armenian Genocide Once More 2) Thousands Mark 90th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide in Yerevan 3) California Commemorates 90th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide 4) The Walk May End, but the March Continues 5) Turkish Group Protests Schwarzenegger over Armenian Genocide Statement 1) President Bush Fails to Recognize Armenian Genocide Once More WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)--Ignoring calls from a record two hundred and ten US legislators, President Bush failed, once again, to honor his pledge to properly characterize the Armenian genocide as a "genocide" in his annual April 24 remarks. In a statement issued on April 24, the President again resorted to the use of evasive and euphemistic terminology to obscure the reality of Turkey's genocide against the Armenian people between 1915-1923. In retreating from his promise, the President ignored the counsel of the one hundred and seventy-eight Representatives and thirty-two Senators who had written letters urging him to properly characterize the Armenian genocide. "While we appreciate the President's willingness to join with Armenians around the world by issuing a statement on this occasion, we remain deeply troubled by his continued use of evasive and euphemistic terminology to obscure the moral, historical, and legal meaning of Turkey's genocide against the Armenian people," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "This statement, sadly, once again, represents a form of complicity in the Turkish government's shameful campaign to deny a crime against humanity." The ANCA also expressed concern that the Administration's refusal to recognize the Armenian genocide reflects a broader unwillingness to confront genocide--as evidenced by the White House's failure to take decisive steps to bring an end to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The ANCA is working with a broad coalition of organizations to pressure the Administration to respond in a timely and meaningful way to the worsening crisis in Darfur. "If we are to end the cycle of genocide, we must, as a nation, generate the resolve to forcefully intervene to stop genocide when it takes place, to unequivocally reject its denial, to hold the guilty accountable, and to secure for the victims the justice they deserve," added Hamparian. In February of 2000, then presidential candidate George W. Bush, campaigning for votes among Armenian voters in the Michigan Republican primary, pledged to properly characterize the genocidal campaign against the Armenian people. In his statements as President, he has consistently avoided any clear reference to the Armenian genocide, and his Administration has consistently opposed legislation marking this crime against humanity. The text of the President's remarks is provided below. STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT On Armenian Remembrance Day, we remember the forced exile and mass killings of as many as 1.5 million Armenians during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. This terrible event is what many Armenian people have come to call the "Great Calamity." I join my fellow Americans and Armenian people around the world in expressing my deepest condolences for this horrible loss of life. Today, as we commemorate the 90th anniversary of this human tragedy and reflect on the suffering of the Armenian people, we also look toward a promising future for an independent Armenian state. The United States is grateful for Armenia's contributions to the war on terror and to efforts to build a democratic and peaceful Iraq. We remain committed to supporting the historic reforms Armenia has pursued for over a decade. We call on the Government of Armenia to advance democratic freedoms that will further advance the aspirations of the Armenian people. We remain committed to a lasting and peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We also seek a deeper partnership with Armenia that includes security cooperation and is rooted in the shared values of democratic and market economic freedoms. I applaud individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought to examine the historical events of the early 20th century with honesty and sensitivity. The recent analysis by the International Center for Transitional Justice did not provide the final word, yet marked a significant step toward reconciliation and restoration of the spirit of tolerance and cultural richness that has connected the people of the Caucasus and Anatolia for centuries. We look to a future of freedom, peace, and prosperity in Armenia and Turkey and hope that Prime Minister Erdogan's recent proposal for a joint Turkish-Armenian commission can help advance these processes. Millions of Americans proudly trace their ancestry to Armenia. Their faith, traditions, and patriotism enrich the cultural, political, and economic life of the United States. I appreciate all individuals who work to promote peace, tolerance, and reconciliation. On this solemn day of remembrance, I send my best wishes and expressions of solidarity to Armenian people around the world. 2) Thousands Mark 90th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide in Yerevan YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Thousands of Armenians marched a steep road on April 24, leading to the Genocide Memorial of Dzidzernagapert in Yerevan to pay respect to the memory of 1.5 million victims killed by the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian genocide of 1915. President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, parliament speaker Arthur Baghdasarian, along with other Armenian leaders, visited the Memorial in the morning as they laid flowers in remembrance. His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II conducted a prayer service in memory of the dead. In his message to the Armenian people, President Kocharian said, "The year of 1915 became a dividing line in the fate of all parts of our nation. It changed their lives drastically and disrupted the path of its normal development. Its heavy consequences are felt today in the lives of Armenians living both in the Republic of Armenia and Diaspora." Stating the necessity of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide in the context of regional and international politics, Kocharian said, "We have made our position heard many a time. We are not motivated by the feelings of revenge and once again repeat today our willingness to build normal relations with Turkey, but its continued denial of that crime, causes the perplexity of not only Armenians, but also of the international community." Foreign diplomats from more than 15 countries were also present to pay their respects to the 1.5 million innocent Armenian lives taken away brutally by the Ottoman Empire. Among them were delegations from France, Russia, Italy, Ukraine, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Luxemburg, Holland, Norway, Sweden, and Georgia. French ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuny told journalists, "France was one of the first nations to give shelter to thousands of Armenians who escaped massacres in Turkey. France has also officially recognized the Armenian genocide and I am happy that the Armenian community in my country is flourishing and prospering. France was and is Armenia's friend." "We have come here to remember the Armenian victims of the first genocide of the 20th century. Armenians sustained the greatest damages during World War I. At this hour of sad remembrance, Georgians are with their Armenian brothers and sisters," Georgian ambassador to Armenia Revaz Gachechiladze said. Former president of Poland and Nobel laureate Lech Walesa, Israeli Knesset's member Yosi Sarid, and other dignitaries paid their respects earlier this week. Walesa said during his visit to Yerevan that Armenians have the right to demand that the European Union bar Turkey from joining the bloc unless it admitted to genocide. "It is a just claim of the Armenians," he said. Thousands of young Armenians, joined by Armenians from the US and Europe, marched through the streets of Yerevan on Saturday night, singing the national anthem as the torch lit procession marched towards Dzidzernagapert. Addressing an international conference dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in Yerevan earlier this week, President Kocharian urged Turkey to recognize the crime, saying such recognition is essential for the reconciliation of the Armenian and Turkish people. "Recognition is important for Turkish-Armenian relations as it would provide answers to numerous questions dividing our two peoples and enable them to look to the future," he said. "We remember the past with pain but not with hatred. It is difficult for us to understand the reaction of the Turkish side which manifests itself not only through the denial of the past but also the blockade of present Armenia," he said. In an interview to a Russian RTR TV channel on April 23, Kocharian said it was strange that "malice has been preserved by the side responsible for the crime and not by the victim of that crime." It was on the night of April 24, 1915, when the Turkish government placed under arrest more than 200 Armenian community leaders in Constantinople. Hundreds more were apprehended soon after and sent to prison in Anatolia, where most were executed. In a single year, 1915, the Armenians were robbed of their millennia-old heritage. The desecration of churches, the burning of libraries, the ruination of towns and villages--all erased an ancient civilization. With the disappearance of the Armenians from their homeland, most of the symbols of their culture--schools, monasteries, artistic monuments, and historical sites--were destroyed by the Ottoman government. The latest nation to recognize the genocide was Poland when its parliament passed a resolution condemning the Armenian massacres. in Germany, members of parliament from across the political spectrum appealed to Turkey to accept the massacre of Armenians as part of its history, saying this would help its EU aspirations. 3) California Commemorates 90th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide LOS ANGELES--"With all due respect to our presidents, past and present, there is a word for what you describe [as the events of 1915] and the word is genocide," US Congressman Adam Schiff told the crowd gathered at the athletic field of Glendale High school on April 24 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The event was organized by the Armenian Genocide 90th Anniversary Commemorative Committee of California. Elected officials joined Armenian religious leaders and representatives of various political organizations to honor the victims of the Genocide and demand proper recognition of the events. They included, among others: US Congressman Adam Schiff, California Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, State Senators Jack Scott, Jackie Speier, Richard Alarcon, State Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer, State Assemblymembers Carol Liu, Cindy Montanez, Paul Koretz, Jerome Horton, Glendale Mayor Rafi Manoukian, Glendale City Council members Ara Najarian, Frank Quintero and Bob Yousefian, Rolling Hills Councilman Frank Zerunyan, California Supreme Court judge Zaven Sinanian, Burbank Board of Education member Paul Kerkorian, and Glendale Board of Education member Greg Krikorian. Congressman Schiff, one of the keynote speakers, along with California State Senator Jackie Speier, explained that in commemorating the Armenian genocide, he, for a long time took to the house floor to read the names of individual victims of the genocide. "Sometimes talking too large a number is simply beyond the power of our comprehension, but talking about several people, hundred people, reading their names, letting my colleagues know these were real people, they were brothers and sisters, they were mothers, they were fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers and scientists and scholars, musicians... so that we would all know the sound of suffering." He expressed his happiness at the rebirth of a new Armenian nation. "In that nation of Armenia, we see how the Ottoman Turks have failed." Speaking about the need to maintain US support for Armenia strong in order to keep the country vibrant and growing, Congressman Schiff insisted that the success of the Armenian nation and its diaspora is the final proof of Ottoman Turkey's failure. Senator Jackie Speier began by proclaiming "never again," to describe the massacre of Armenians by Turk beginning in 1898. A third generation Armenian American, Senator Spier pointed to the 37,000 pages in the archives of the US government, recorded by diplomats, on the genocide of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks--and called on President Bush to properly characterize the Armenian genocide. Sen. Speier's resolution SJR 2, which marks April 24, 2005 as California's day of remembrance, unanimously passed the Senate floor last Thursday. Other elected officials who addressed the gathering called on President Bush to properly characterize the first Genocide of the twentieth century in order to prevent future genocides. Many alluded to the event as one of the "darkest pages in history," and pledged their unwavering support to Armenian Americans in demanding the US and Turkey officially recognize the Armenian genocide. In another victory last Thursday in Sacramento, the California State Assembly passed (70-0) SB 424, authored by Sen. Poochigian--that permanently designates the week of April 24 California's week of remembrance of the Armenian genocide. Other events marking the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide included the unprecedented March for Humanity that began on April 2 and ended at the State Capitol in Sacramento last Thursday to end a 19-day 215 mile journey that Began in Fresno and ended with over 500 members of the California Armenian American community--along with Senator Jackie Speier and State Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer--joining the marchers. The procession was met at the Capitol steps by legislators, including Sen. Poochigian. On April 23, the yearly protest in front of the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles once again gathered young and old alike to demand justice from Turkey--including reparations for their Genocide of Armenians at the turn of the 20th century. That event was followed by a requiem service in Montebello, California at the site of the Genocide monument dedicated to all the victims of the Armenian genocide. On April 24, System Of A Down held their annual benefit Souls concert, performing for their fans at the sold-out Gibson Amphitheatre. As with last year's Souls concert, the group fittingly ended the show with "P.L.U.C.K. (Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers)," which includes the verse, "A whole race genocide/ Taken away all of our pride/ Revolution, the only solution/ We've taken all your sh--/ Now it's time for restitution." Proceeds from Sunday's show benefited several organizations, including the ANCA, Amnesty International, Center for the Prevention of Genocide, and Axis of Justice. 4) The Walk May End, but the March Continues LOS ANGELES--As the March For Humanity reached its final destination in Sacramento, organizers of the 215-mile and 19-day walk slogan promised that "The walk may end, but the march continues." "Similar to what our slogan suggests, we and the Armenian youth as a collective must create new and more powerful ways of securing justice for the Armenian Genocide," said Vicken Sosikian, director of the March For Humanity. "We are currently discussing ways to not only continue the march [for justice], but also to expand it." The March For Humanity marked an unprecedented Armenian genocide event. In conjunction with the last two days of the walk, organizers of the March For Humanity launched a nationwide ad campaign on April 19 and 20 on CNN Networks. Reaching an audience of up to 8 million Americans, the March For Humanity marked the first recorded instance of a nationwide Armenian genocide ad campaign. The commercials informed viewers about the Armenian genocide, as well as the March For Humanity. The March also received media coverage from outlets in geographical locations that normally do not offer much news about the Armenian genocide. Newspapers and television news programs in Visalia, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Turlock, Modesto, Lodi, Stockton, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, and other California cities all echoed news of the March For Humanity. Preliminary media monitoring shows that the following media outlets covered the March For Humanity: Lodi News Sentinel, Modesto Bee, Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Times, Daily News, Sacramento Bee, Stockton Record, Contra Costa Times, San Jose Mercury News, San Diego Union Tribune, San Luis Obispo Tribune, Merced Sun Star, USA Today, Burbank Leader, Glendale News Press, Monterey County Herald, Voice of America, Democracy Now, ABC, CBS, NBC, UPN, and more than 100 other internet news sources. "An estimated 10 million Americans have been educated about the Armenian Genocide as a result of the news coverage generated by the March For Humanity," said Sosikian. "More detailed research is likely to show that this number is even greater when our nationwide CNN ad campaign is included. Now we must search for ways to educate not ten but 100 million about the Genocide." The March For Humanity was made possible by the flood of financial and moral support it received starting in late January by Armenians and non-Armenians alike. More than 500 organizations, businesses, and individuals invested in the idea. Some people mailed in their checks, others made their donations at the March For Humanity website, others sponsored walkers, others delivered their donation personally, some donated food, others water, others their cars, some gave clothes. Some, who lived in cities the marchers walked through, opened their doors to the young group of devoted youth. "The amount of support we received to organize the march was unseen, at least by me," said Serouj Aprahamian, coordinator of the March For Humanity. "Although support is still needed, the amount we received prior to its beginning was a large encouragement for the walkers." More than 11,500 different people from 84 different countries visited the March For Humanity website-- February 24 and April 24. More than 500 action alerts, calling on President Bush to officially recognize the Armenian genocide, were completed by many non-Armenians. "Hundreds helped make the March For Humanity a reality. We are thankful to each and every individual, business, and organization who contributed in anyway to the March For Humanity," Sosikian. "A few such donors we would like to thank in particular include the Armenian Relief Society, Armenian National Committee of America, AA Cater Truck Manufacturing Company, GBH, Homenetmen, Horizon Armenian Television, Asbarez Armenian Daily Newspaper, Kerovision, Adin of California, Sunworks Tanning, New Armenia Daily, Armenian Life Magazine, Axis of Justice, and all the churches who made our marchers feel like home every night. We would also like to thank Mr. Kevork Aslanian, Mr. Sarkis Sarkissian, and Mrs. Vergine Sarkissian." 5) Turkish Group Protests Schwarzenegger over Armenian Genocide Statement (AP, AFP)--A Turkish group uniting hundreds of businesses and organizations demanded Tuesday that Arnold Schwarzenegger's movies be banned from Turkish television to protest the California governor's use of the term genocide to describe the massacre of Armenians by Turks during World War I. Schwarzenegger, a former actor best known for his role in "The Terminator," declared April 24 a "Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide." California has one of the largest populations of diaspora Armenians. An umbrella organization grouping some 300 Ankara-based associations, unions and businesses and led by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce said it launched a petition to have the governor's films banned in Turkey. "We condemn and protest movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who declared April 24 a day to commemorate the Armenian genocide and accused Turks of genocide by acting under the influence of the Armenian lobby, and without researching historical truths," read a statement from Sinan Aygun, head of Ankara Chamber of Commerce. "We don't want his films shown in Turkey," said the statement. In a related move, Turkey said on Monday it would fight mounting international pressure to recognize as genocide the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, urging public agencies and civic groups to launch an "all-out effort" against the damaging allegations. "It has become inevitable for all state institutions and NGOs, for everybody to (work to) disprove those baseless allegations all over the world," the government spokesman, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, said after a cabinet meeting. "There was no genocide. An all-out effort is needed to expose the lies of those who say it happened," he said. The cabinet discussed what strategy Turkey should pursue to counter the Armenian genocide and decided to set up, if necessary, a special agency to coordinate such efforts, Cicek said. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.