“THERE IS NO EXAMPLE OF GENOCIDE IN OUR HISTORY WHAT I’M PROUD OF,”
PERSIAN DEPUTY EMPHASIZES AT EVENT DEDICATED TO 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
TEHRAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. An event dedicated to
the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took place on April 18
in Tehran, on the initiative of the Armenian Issues’ Research Center
(AIRC, Hay Dat Committee of Tehran). Archbishop Sepuh Sargsian, the
primate of the Armenian diocese of Tehran, two dozens of deputies of
the Islamic Parliament and representatives of deputies’ offices,
officials of the ministries of interior, education and bringing up,
Islamic culture and leadership, representatives of the Deputies’
Assembly of the Armenian diocese of Tehran, of the Diocesan Council
and Armenian cultural unions of Tehran, Persian intellectuals,
journalists and inspectors of Armenians schools participated in the
event. According to the “Alik” daily of Tehran, Gevik Mkrtchian, the
AIRC Chairman emphasized that many international circles and even Turk
intellectuals recognized the Genocide, but the Government of Turkey
has not refused yet its betrayal policy, and followers of the people
implementing the Genocide, started cultural massacre today. Then
Robert Beglarian, the Deputy of the South Iranian Armenians of the
Islamic Parliament invited the speaker of the day, Doctor Emad Afrugh,
the Chairman of the Cultural Committee of the Islamic Parliament,
Deputy from Tehran, to make a speech. The Persian Deputy emphasized
that though some historians do not call those crimes a genocide and
consider it to have been a compulsory migration, but the fact remains
a fact that such a case had taken place, it is a reality but not an
illusion. Doctor Afrugh added that though some of the people having
implemented the crime were once punished, but they did not get a
worthy punishment, until Armenians themselves subjected them to death
in different places. Doctor Afrugh called on the present authorities
of Turkey: “Let them make researches, let scientific researchers be
given necessary documents and be as brave as to congess that you had
made a mistakve and to correct the past if any deliberate crime has
been implemented.” He also attached importance to the dialogue of
religions and civilizations and emphasized: “We have no difficulties
with Christians: there is no example of genocides in our history what
I’m proud of.” Archbishop Sepuh Sargsian, the primate of the Armenian
Diocese of Tehran also sent his commandment during the event. He
particularly, said: “The human history showed that one may not falsify
or renounce the truth. Today, in the light century, nobody may build
the history on a falsification. The Armenian Genocide is a historical
reality, reality affirmed by representatives of the modern Turkish
authorities themselves and by political, church and intellectual
representatives of the western world. So, our expectation from today’s
Turkey is to have courage to recognize that crime of its fathers.”
Robert Beglarian touched upon in his speech a number of circumstances:
first, that the Armenian Genocide was not implemented only in 1915,
but has started since 1896, second, it’s a genocide as it has been
implemented towards a people in its own historic country, and Turkey
does not recognize it as legal responsibility will aslo arise of that
recognition. He cited from the “Iran, Ayatollah Khpmeyn’s Epoch” book
written by Nikolay Hovhannissian and published in Armenia: “Late Imam
attached importance to the role and place occupied by the Armenians of
Iran in different spheres and emphasized that “we are perfectly aware
of the Armenian Genocide, condemn it, and neither Iran is a similar
country not Iranians are a similar people for such a case happens in
Iran.” At the end of the event Deputy Emad Afrugh was presented a
souvenir, then a reception took place during which the Persian deputy
mentioned that it will become a start for his future researches.
During the event documentary video films about the Armenian Genocide
and presenting the Azerbaijani vandalism against the Armenian
monuments in Old Jugha were shown, and the “Zvartnots” choir had a
performance during the artistic part of the event.