The Armenian Genocide Is Not A Historical Event Confined To The Past, But A Manifestation Of Human Injustice
One hundred eleven years ago, the systematic agenda carried out by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people takes on renewed meaning and urgency today, considering the ongoing massacres across the world and, especially in recent years, the endless chain of localized genocides and forced displacements inflicted upon the peoples of the Middle East.
As in the past, so too today, conscious humanity continues to bleed at the sight of injustices committed by the powerful against their fellow human beings through brutal oppression, territorial occupations, and various forms of cultural destruction and genocide. While these forms of manifestations may differ in certain respects from the Armenian Tragedy of the early twentieth century, particularly during the years 1915–1923, marked by the annihilation of Western Armenia, immense human and territorial losses, the appropriation of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage, and the forced blood soaked marches of deported Armenians, their essence remains unchanged. They are crimes of human injustice, especially in its denial of the fundamental rights of nations to self-determination and to live.
In this spirit, we once again bow in reverence before the memory of the martyred sons and daughters of the Armenian people and call upon the living generations to remain committed in remembrance. The Armenian Genocide is not merely a historical event confined to the past. Rather, it endures as a lasting testament to human injustice, one that, regrettably, has yet to receive its full and rightful recognition. It has yet to become a noble act of just reparation in the collective memory of the dispersed and massacred Armenian people, or within the broader framework of goodwill, constructive efforts, and moral principles that uphold peaceful coexistence among nations and secure lasting peace for humanity.
It is our responsibility to uphold the torch of the Armenian people’s just demands, as a symbol of human injustice and an enduring link in the 111-year chain of ongoing wars and genocides, known as the Armenian Cause.
Archbishop Kegham Khacherian, Prelate
Western U.S. Prelacy