CRAG ORGANISES COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS IN MEMORY OF THE 1.5 MILLION VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Shiraz Vartanian CRAG – UK
30th April 07
Organised by the Campaign for the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
(CRAG), over 1500 participated in the annual march in London on 21st
April 2007 to mark the 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. At
least 10% of the Armenian community came out on this march to remember
the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide and to press the
British government into ending its denial at long last by recognising
as genocide the crimes of the Ottoman Turks during WWI.
This persistent refusal by the government to recognise the genocide
goes not only against the verdict of historians but also against
its own Blue Book that catalogues the atrocities meted out against
Armenians at the time.
The march started from Marble Arch, headed by the Homenetmen (London)
group of Scouts led by HG Bishop Nathan Hovhanisian, Primate and
president of the Armenian Community and Church Council. It went
through some of the most prominent and busiest streets in London
including Park Lane, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square,
Whitehall, past 10 Downing Street, the home of Prime Minister Tony
Blair where a letter was handed to him by the chairman of CRAG.
The march concluded at the Cenotaph where wreaths were laid by the
Armenian Ambassador H.E Dr. Vahe Gabrielyan, Mr. Raffi Sarkissian,
Chairman, CRAG and Mr. Ara Palamoudian, Chairman, Armenian Community
and Church Council. This was followed by prayers from Bishop Nathan
Hovhanisian and words of praise to all those that came to show their
support to a community-wide event.
The massive support shown by the local community to this event further
re-enforces the important role CRAG plays within the small community
in order to achieve recognition from a British government that refuses
to recognise the genocide and places its geo-strategic interests with
modern-day Turkey above the ethical considerations relating to this
historical event. Over the years, CRAG has lobbied to secure a number
of achievements, not least the first ever legal recognition in the
United Kingdom by the Edinburgh City Council despite two attempts by
Turkish lobby groups in 2005 & 2006 to thwart such recognition.
Following the march, a Commemorative Evening was held at the Ealing
Town Hall hosted by the Mayor of Ealing, The Worshipful Councillor
Diana Pagan. The Rt Hon Steven Pound, MP for Ealing North, delivered a
powerful address in which he reconfirmed his support for the Armenian
community and his active work in Parliament to press for the government
to recognise the Genocide.
Poems by Armenyak Aramvirtsi on the theme of the Armenian Genocide were
also delivered by children from the Armenian Language Saturday School,
and Miss Anoush Gasparian from the Kevork Tahta Armenian Community
Sunday School represented the voice of the Armenian youth. A wonderful
performance was given by the talented musician and song-writer Sonia
Varoujian.
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