Author: Badalian Vardan

‘GRANDMA’S TATTOOS’: ARMENIAN REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE

PCC Courier, Pasadena, CA
April 30 2014

Monique LeBleu

A 104 year old woman-clutching close her prayer beads for
comfort-recalls a night of her early childhood that was filled
with rifle fire, where families were attacked, parents murdered,
homes looted, and the “good-looking” daughters taken by the “fire and
thunder gangs” to “rape them or do whatever they wanted to with them”,
while the authorities of the time did nothing.

“They took my mother. They killed my father,” the woman says. She
cries and rocks herself softly, because she can’t forget.

Women and girls were taken later in deportation caravans, where their
fates varied from prostitution, forced concubinage, slavery or death.

If they lived, their enslavers had them marked for all to know-shaming
them for life.

Beginning a week of city-wide events commemorating the date of
the Armenian Genocide, PCC’s Armenian Student Organization brought
students, family and friends together on April 22 to screen Suzanne
Khardalian’s film, “Grandma’s Tattoos.”

The event, held in the Wi-Fi Lounge next to the Cross Cultural Center
in the CC building, was designed to create an open forum of discussion
about the “cycle of genocide” as well as inform on the various rallying
events leading up to the Apr. 24 date that marks the Armenian Genocide
99 years ago.

The communities’ activism seeks the recognition of the genocide by
the Turkish government and is also designed to empower, support and
encourage activism within the Armenian community and for all who feel
the results of historically equally suppressive violent actions.

“‘Cycle of genocide’ is a term used to illustrate the repercussions
of not recognizing genocide,” explained Nareen Manoukian, a PCC
English professor with several students attending the event. “The
Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century and it’s
unrecognized still.”

The documentary, “Grandma’s Tattoos,” depicts the rippling effect
that the genocide has had on the young Armenian women of the time
who were enslaved by their captors.

Aside from the 1.5 million people killed in the genocide, many died as
a result of being “driven out of their homeland [and] into the deserts
of Syria and Iraq” where “thousands of young women were abducted to
become the concubines Turks, Kurds, and Arabs,” according to the film.

“There was a lot of sexual violence too, and there was a lot of shame
associated with that, so [the survivors] were not comfortable talking
about that,” said Manoukian. “The women in the video had their faces
tattooed because they were trapped and enslaved in harems.”

Manoukian’s own family had experiences that were relayed by surviving
family members. She explained why there was an almost 50 year lull
prior to the community response that has occurred within the last
half-century.

“About the first 50 years following the genocide, there was a cultural
P.T.S.D. that occurred,” said Manoukian. “The immediate survivors-they
weren’t the descendants of the survivors-they were completely
shell-shocked. They didn’t know how to respond to what had happened.”

Senior Hykaz Paronian, mechanical engineering, collaborated with
students, faculty and the Cross Cultural Center to organize and host
the event for his last year, in order to provide the award-winning
film and have a guest speaker from the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF),
PCC alumnus Caspar Jivalagian, for PCC’s own commemorative event.

“We are gathered here tonight to not only mourn the loss the 1.5
million Armenians that we lost to the Armenian Genocide,” said
Paronian. “We are here to be educated about the past in order to move
forward from racism, hate and intolerance.”

Jivalagian spoke on behalf of AYF and their short film, “Revolution
in Progress.” Fueled by the experiences relayed to him by his own
surviving family members, he spoke passionately on what it takes to
be an activist and on the AYF’s upcoming annual event.

“This year we decided to do a 24-hour protest,” Jivalagian said.

“There will be a reflection on each date of a genocide, which is not
limited to the Armenian Genocide, but all the genocides of the 20th
and 21st century.”

Clear feelings were stressed on how critical this recognition is to
the Armenian people.

“We are at the 99-year mark now,” said Manoukian. “I feel like it’s
a crucial time. That if it hasn’t be recognized thus far, this next
year is the most crucial point.”

ARMENIANS SAY NEVER FORGET ON 99TH ANNIVERSARY OF GENOCIDE

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA)
April 25, 2014 Friday

by Lauren Gold

MONTEBELLO >> With a message of never forget, thousands of Armenians
and others came out from Hollywood to Montebello to Pasadena Thursday
to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

The genocide is commemorated April 24 because that was the day in
1915 that about 300 Armenian leaders in Turkey were rounded up and
deported or killed, and nearly 5,000 poor Armenians were killed in
and around Istanbul.

The Turkish government has questioned the number of deaths and denies
it was a genocide.

It s important we remember the genocide, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric
Garcetti before about 1,500 people at the United Armenian Council
of Los Angeles event at the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument at
Bicknell Park in Montebello.

There will be children who will never have known somebody who survived
the genocide, Garcetti said. It will fall on our shoulders now to talk
about that memory. We ll need to tell the young children growing up
what happened.

Another commemoration was held on the steps of Pasadena City Hall
and in Hollywood thousands of protestors took part in a march, many
carrying signs, flags and banners as they gathered at Hollywood and
Hobart boulevards.

The program in Pasadena sponsored by the Armenian Community Coalition
featured musical tributes, poems and speeches by elected officials
and community members.

They massacred a million and a half of us, yet today we stand as over
11 million worldwide, said Levon Keshishian, master of ceremonies
for the Pasadena event.

For 99 years we have proven we are a people that can survive this. By
all difficulties we are a people who adapt to all situations. We are
survivors of tragedies; from time immemorial our faith has guided us
all the way, said Keshishian. Today is not a day of mourning, it is
a day of remembrance and rededication to the cause, which is unsolved.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, reminded attendees that there are still
people in the world experiencing hardships and horrors similar to
those of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, specifically in Syria.

We have a duty to recognize the Armenian Genocide and the tragedy in
Kasab (Syria) and remind the world that horror and destruction will
not be ignored, Chu said, adding that she plans to continue to push
for a congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian massacre as
a genocide.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank speaking in Montebello called on Turkey
to acknowledge the genocide.

When we re gathered here next year for the 100th anniversary, I hope
and pray Turkey will answer with words of repentance, Schiff said. He
also called on the United States to recognize the genocide.

I hope also the greatest nation on Earth lives up to its ideals and
recognize the Armenian genocide, Schiff said.

Another event was held Wednesday night also at the Montebello monument.

About 400 people were present for the speeches and musical
performances.

This is important, said Montebello Councilman Jack Hadjinian, who was
the master of ceremony on Wednesday night for the Armenian National
Committee of San Gabriel Valley-sponsored event.

We celebrate our existence and we continue to demand justice, Hadjinian
said. The U.S. needs to take a position to classify what happened in
1915 as genocide, not just a tragic event.

President Barack Obama in a statement issued Thursday said a full,
frank and just acknowledgement of the facts is in all our interests.

We recall the horror of what happened 99 years ago, when 1.5 million
Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final
days of the Ottoman Empire, and we grieve for the lives lost and the
suffering endured by those men, women, and children, his statement
read.

We are joined in solemn commemoration by millions in the United States
and across the world, he wrote. In so doing, we remind ourselves
of our shared commitment to ensure that such dark chapters of human
history are never again repeated.

Commemoration of the Armenian genocide will continue at 6 p.m. Sunday
with a ground-blessing ceremony at the site of the Pasadena City
Council-approved Armenian Genocide Memorial in Memorial Park, 85
East Holly Street. For information visit or call
818-454-3603.

City News Service contributed to the story

TURKEY DENIES ACCUSATIONS OF PROMOTING ETHNIC CLEANSING OF ARMENIANS IN NORTHERN SYRIA

The Irish Times
April 25, 2014 Friday

3,500 people, mainly Armenian Christians, flee north Syrian town
after rebel attack

by Michael Jansen

Direct Turkish military involvement in the invasion by fundamentalist
insurgents of the Armenian village of Kessab in the far north of
Syria has set off alarm bells in Armenian communities in the region
and has prompted charges that Turkey is promoting ethnic cleansing
of Armenians.

Some 3,500 people – mainly Armenian Christians – fled Kessab late
last month after it came under attack from rebel forces.

Turkish media leaks of taped conversations among senior officials,
including foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu, revealed that an act of
provocation which could be a pretext for overt Turkish intervention
in Syria, was being considered, although it is not clear that Kessab
was meant to be involved.

Turkish analysts contend the government wanted a “victory” ahead of
last month’s local elections.

On March 26th, the Turkish foreign ministry said claims of Turkish
support for the jihadi offensive were “entirely baseless”. Days later,
Turkey’s foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu denied charges that Turkey
had facilitated and provided covering fire for the attack by Jabhat
al- Nusra and other jihadi groups on Kessab. He said Turkey’s doors
were open to receive Armenians who fled Kessab.

The Armenian primate of Lebanon, Bishop Shahe Panossian – who is from
Kessab and whose brother was among those who fled the town – told The
Irish Times that Turkey had violated a 1952 agreement reached between
Ankara and Damascus to demilitarise the tiny enclave where Kessab is
located by introducing into the area insurgents from al-Qaeda-linked
Jabhat al-Nusra and other extremist groups.

Sought sanctuarySome 60 extended families fled the village but,
contrary to some reports, no one was killed or wounded, Bishop
Panossian said. Some of those who left were from Aleppo and had sought
sanctuary from the conflict in Kessab.

Kessab is the latest problem Armenians had faced since the conflict
began, the bishop said. The Armenian church and school in the old
city of Damascus are frequently targeted by insurgent mortar fire
from the eastern Ghoutta area adjacent to the capital. Last week two
children were killed and 36 wounded at the school in the Bab Touma
(St Thomas’s Gate) neighbourhood.

Zarmik, who fled Kessab with his family, said that before the attack,
the Turkish army, which controls three-quarters of the border of the
enclave, had repeatedly prevented infiltration by insurgents seeking
access from Turkish territory.

The Armenians felt confident Turkey would continue to prevent
incursions and relations between villagers on both sides of the
frontier were cordial. “We shared cigarettes and talked, ” he said. He
speaks Turkish as well as Armenian, Arabic and English.

On the afternoon of March 20th, Turkish frontier guards began to
leave their posts.

“We observed these movements and understood that things were not
normal and called the Syrian authorities, who said wait to see what
will happen,” said Zarmik. Between 3.30am and 4am, the Syrians sent
a group to investigate and a gunfight ensued.

Bombardment began from the Turkish side and insurgents invaded at
5.30am. Afraid they would be killed or taken hostage, the Armenians
fled, some in their pyjamas.

“We did not close our doors or bring my pick-up,” Zarmik said. He
squeezed his wife, three children, mother, mother-in-law and aunt
into his car and drove to the edge of the enclave where the people
of Kessab waited, hoping to go home.

The bombing was heavy and they drove on side roads to the Syrian port
city of Latakia, which was also targeted, and where, Zarmik said,
they were hosted by the church for two or three days.

The Armenians of Latakia were already impoverished from providing
shelter for people from Aleppo and elsewhere. This forced many from
Kessab to flee to Lebanon. Zarmik and six family members are now
living in one room at the home of a relative. His mother has gone to
Damascus for an operation.

Trained as an electrical engineer, Zarmik was taking a course in
computer science in California when the conflict erupted. He had
a restaurant and small shop as well as produce from his land –
“our apples are famous all over Syria”.

Difficult situationThe situation was difficult in Kessab before
the ousting of the Armenians as the village depended on tourism
and agriculture. Due to the conflict, “we had no tourists for three
years”, he said. “Kessab’s pine and oak forests are all ashes. We were
blockaded and had no rice, sugar or tea. We depended on our fields.”

Kessab “has a long history with Turkey”, Zarmik added. Its inhabitants
were driven out in 1909 and 1915 by the Ottomans. When France and
Britain were dividing up the spoils of the empire after the first
World War, Kessab was initially awarded to Turkey along with the Syrian
province of Iskandarun (Hatay) and the city of Antioch (Antakia).

“Kessab spent nine months under the Turks around 1928-30 but we paid
France to change the border so we would be in Syria. The Turks want
to take it back,” he said, tears in his eyes. “Kessab is my village,
my place, our roots.”

ARMENIAN CHURCH LEADERS CALL FOR RECOGNITION OF 1915 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

World Council of Churches
April 25 2014

GENEVA

The World Council of Churches issued the following news release:

Leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church have marked the
99th anniversary of the start of the Armenian Genocide with calls for
recognition of that historic event. Beginning in April 1915, more than
one million Armenians were killed by troops of the Ottoman Empire,
a world power with its capital in what is now the Republic of Turkey.

Patriarch Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, and Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia, based
in Lebanon, presided at separate anniversary events honouring those
who suffered as martyrs.

At a Requiem Mass in Armenia, Karekin II observed that the martyrs’
pain was inflicted deliberately because of who they were, contrary to
the position of those who perceive their suffering as an unfortunate
side-effect of general suffering during the First World War.

According to online news source Havern Aysor, the patriarch warned
that “denial of the truth is a heavy burden not only on the denied,
but the denier as well. The truth can be concealed, but never forgotten
or lost.”

Earlier in April, at an international conference in Lebanon, Aram I
spoke of the need for Armenians throughout the world to observe next
year’s 100th anniversary as a united people.

“Unity must become the driving force for all Armenians,” he said.

“It’s obvious that Armenia and all Diaspora Armenian communities
will hold events according to their region and conditions. But we
must take measures to make this a pan-national event”.

Aram I stressed that the goals of remembrance must include both
“recognition” of the genocide and “reparation” for losses of the past
hundred years.

Last year, on 24 April 2013, Karekin II and Aram I took the unusual
step of issuing a joint statement on the Armenian Genocide urging
Turkey to return confiscated Armenian churches and church estates. The
statement came as an appeal uniting the voices of the two Primates
on an issue of great importance to their churches in Armenia and
the diaspora.

“In 1915, more than 1.5 million Armenians became victims of genocide.

The survivors on the roads of exile found shelter in Eastern Armenia,
the present-day Republic of Armenia, Syria, Lebanon and other
Arabic nations, and in a number of other countries of the world,”
the statement said.

Karekin II and Aram I demanded that the government of Turkey recognize
the killing of Armenians as genocide, that the government return all
of the confiscated churches, church properties, monasteries and other
relics to the Armenian churches, and compensate those Armenians who
have suffered because of the genocide.

The Turkish government has never recognized the Armenian Genocide,
despite governments around the world, including the EU and United
States, recognizing the killings as genocide.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is planning a major conference on
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on 24 April 2015. In
a Minute passed by the WCC 10th Assembly held in Busan, Korea, 30
October to 8 November, the assembly pledged that the WCC will hold
an “an international conference in Geneva on the recognition of and
reparation for the Armenian Genocide”.

Both Armenian churches are member churches of the World Council of
Churches. Patriarch Karekin II is one of the eight recently elected
presidents of the WCC. He was elected by the 10th Assembly as president
for the Oriental Orthodox churches of the WCC. Catholicos Aram I is a
past, and the longest-serving, moderator of the WCC Central Committee,
having served in that office from 1991 to 2006.

Read the joint statement from Karekin II and Aram I
()

Read the WCC 10th Assembly Minute on the Armenian Genocide
()

Read about the 24 April statement by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan
()

Armenian Apostolic Church (Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin)
()

Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia)
()

Italian edition of Varujan Vosganian’s `Book of Whispers’ presented in
the Vatican

18:29 29.04.2014

The presentation of Itaian edition of Romanilan Armenian writer,
politician, Senator Varujan Vosganian’s `Book of Whispers’ was held at
Centro Russia Ecumenica cultural center in Vatican. The event was
organized by the Armenian Embassy in the Holy See.

In his opening remarks Armenian Ambassador to Vatican Mikael Minasyan
stressed the importance of presenting the memories of the ancestors
that have survived the Armenian Genocide to the world.

Attending the event were the Vatican `Chief of Justice’ Cardinal
Francesco Coccopalmero, other high-ranking representatives of the Holy
See, the Ambassadors of Peru, Russia, Romania, Uruguay, Croatia,
Bulgaria and other countries accredited to the Vatican, culture
figures, scholars, representatives of the Armenian community.

I am the grandson of a Genocide survivor and I have a dream: JPost

11:40, 29 April, 2014

Making friends with the sea–These orphan children at Marathon,
Greece, were brought from the interior of Asia Minor by the Near East
Relief and never saw the sea before | Armenian and Greek orphans
standing in sea, Marathon, Greece. Photograph by Near East Relief.
George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress) Everybody who
has ever met an Armenian may have been told about the Armenian
genocide and the story about parents or grandparents who were killed
by Turks.

I am also an Armenian and my roots are from Western Armenia.

My grandfather’s father Karapet twice survived from massacres. He was
forced to leave Adana during the massacres taking place there in April
of 1909 and moved to Constantinople. During the Armenian Genocide in
1915 he escaped to Greece and then with his wife Ester came to what is
now Armenia in 1931.

My grandmother’s mother, Zaruhi was from Kharpert. Her father with his
brothers possessed a factory of silk production, which had a great
reputation not only in the Ottoman Turkey, but also in the European
markets. The Armenian genocide put an end to their peaceful
work. Zaruhi’s father and uncles were killed in front of her eyes, and
the Turks took their property and houses. Since she was a beautiful
girl, her grandmother scraped mud on her face and dressed her in
shabby clothes so as to prevent her from catching the eye of any
covetous Turks. She hardly reached the American orphanage, from there
moving on to Beirut. She married Vahan from Karin (Erzurum) and came
to Armenia in 1947.

While she had a tattoo on her hand, `Armenian’ so that she would not
forget about her roots when she is older, I was born with a `tattoo’
on my heart carrying the pain of my ancestors.

The mass slaughter of over one and half million Armenians was
something beyond human imagination. Shamefully, the political and
economic interests of the international community transcended
morality, never condemning Turkey for the Armenian genocide to prevent
other similar crimes against humanity.

This lead to the Nazi leader Hitler saying, `who, after all, speaks
today of the annihilation of the Armenians?’ while implementing the
invasion of Poland, massacre of Poles and the Holocaust.

The `more speeches, than actions’ behavior of the international
community brought other genocides and continuation of anti-Semitism
and persecutions against Christians in the Middle East and other parts
of the world.

Despite all this, the Armenians and Jews continue to live and Create
with their indomitable will to survive and having a strong faith in
the future.

Every year, on the day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide,
April 24th, I feel this with a great conjugation to my ancestors.

And, just as the Jews walked through a difficult ladder of their
collective life, overcoming various sufferings, before reaching their
desired motherland, Armenians having a similar historical path, should
aspire to do the same.

This is what all Armenians in the world keep in their genes and this
is what my dream is about.

Vahan Dilanyan, Ph.D. is a recognized expert on regional security and
conflict resolution. He serves as the Chairman of the Political
Developments Research Center (PDRC), a think-tank based in Yerevan.
He is an author of numerous articles in professional publications and
popular media.

White House will Display Orphan Rug, Schiff Says

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

The Ghazir Rug, also known as the Orphan Rug

Ghazir Rug Will Be Displayed As Early as This Fall

WASHINGTON’Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced Wednesday that
the White House has agreed to exhibit the `Armenian Orphan Rug’ in the
near future, likely this fall. The rug, woven by orphans of the
Armenian Genocide in 1920, was presented to President Calvin Coolidge
in 1925 as a symbol of gratitude for American aid and generosity for
U.S. assistance during the genocide. The Armenian Orphan Rug, which
measures 11²7³ x 18²5′, has over 4,000,000 hand-tied knots and took
the Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of the Near East Relief
Society 10 months to weave.

President Coolidge noted that, `The rug has a place of honor in the
White House where it will be a daily symbol of goodwill on earth.’ The
rug ` which has been in storage at the White House for decades ` was
supposed to be released for exhibition in a Smithsonian event for the
launch of Hagop Martin Deranian’s new book `President Calvin Coolidge
and the Armenian Orphan Rug.’ Unfortunately, the rug was not able to
be displayed at that time.

`Since first raising this issue with the Administration, I have worked
diligently with the White House to find a way for the Ghazir rug to be
sensitively and appropriately displayed,’ said Rep. Schiff. `Today,
I’m pleased to be able to say that planning is underway for the
Armenian Orphan Rug to be displayed as early as this fall. I have
worked out with the White House that the display will take place in a
venue that is open to the general public, and I appreciate their
willingness to place this significant artifact on display for all to
see.’

Schiff and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) sent a letter, along with 31
other Members, to President Obama last year urging the Administration
to allow exhibition of the rug. The full letter is below, and can be
found here, and in the letter they stated: `The Armenian Orphan Rug is
a piece of American history and it belongs to the American people. For
over a decade, Armenian American organizations have sought the public
display of the rug and have requested the White House and the State
Department grant their request on numerous occasions. Unfortunately,
Armenian Americans have yet to have their requests granted.We urge you
to release this American treasure for exhibition.’

Since sending the letter, Schiff has worked with the White House to
find a way for the rug to be sensitively and appropriately displayed.
Details of the future exhibition will be released as they come
available.

COMMUNIQUÉ
NAZARPEK Jeunesse HENTCHAKIAN¨¨dans la gueule du loup

Le 24 Avril 2014, Garen MARDIRYAN, de l’association NAZARPEK Jeunesse
HENTCHAKIAN, était à Istanbul pour les commémorations du Génocide des
Arméniens dans le cadre d’une délégation du CCAF.¨ ¨La démarche de
soutien de NAZARPEK Jeunesse HENTCHAKIAN Ã la société civile turque ne
date pas d’aujourd’hui, mais c’est la première fois qu’elle se
manifeste en Turquie même. Nous souhaitions également mieux comprendre
les dynamiques intérieures d’un pays qui est de plus en plus puissant
et dont nous voyons les méfaits depuis la France, mais que nous
n’avions jamais explorées de l’intérieur.¨ ¨Accueillis le 23 Avril par
une farandole de drapeaux Turcs et des portraits, tous plus grands les
uns que les autres, d’Atatürk (Le 23 Avril est la « fête des enfants »
instaurée par Mustafa Kemal, hommage « forcé » des enfants au
fondateur de la Turquie moderne), nous sommes allés à la rencontre des
différentes organisations et partis politiques s’attelant à la tche
de la reconnaissance du génocide de Arméniens, notamment l’IHD (Ä°nsan
Hakları DerneÄ?i), ONG défendant les Droits de l’Homme en Turquie.¨ ¨Le
matin du 24 Avril, Ã l’initiative de l’IHD, un rassemblement a eu lieu
à Haydar Pasha, qui est la gare d’où ont été déportés les notables
arméniens dont les portraits ont été tenus par la centaine de
participants, devant une banderole avec le slogan « nous commémorons
les victimes du génocide des Arméniens ».¨ ¨Nous nous sommes ensuite
recueillis sur la tombe de Sevag Balikçi, assassiné lors de son
service militaire le 24 Avril 2011 Ã l’ge de 25 ans. C’est avec
émotion que nous nous sommes joints à la douleur de ses parents encore
meurtris par sa perte.

A 19h15, un millier de personnes s’est réuni dans la rue d’Istiklal, Ã
l’embouchure de la place Taksim. Le rassemblement, qui n’a duré qu’une
trentaine de minutes et a été rythmé par des chants arméniens, était
bien entouré. D’un côté il avait la présence massive de policiers
anti-émeute et de l’autre, une manifestation bruyante d’un parti
d’extrême gauche dénonçant « l’impérialisme arménien »…rien que ça
!!! La manifestation était placée sous le signe du recueillement et du
souvenir. Mais en Turquie il faut lire entre les lignes et les gens y
ont développé une sorte de langage muet. Commémoration
Revendication.¨ ¨Enfin, nous sommes allés à la rencontre de la
communauté arménienne (environ 60 000 personnes dont 10 000 immigrants
d’Arménie) qui vit encore dans la peur tout simplement de s’exprimer
dans un Etat qui exerce une pression certaine et qui tire les ficelles
d’un jeu politique sournois, comme nous l’avons vu lors de la fameuse
déclaration du « leader islamiste » le 23 avril dernier. Preuve en est
: cela fait maintenant quatre ans que le gouvernement fait tout pour
ne pas laisser élire un nouveau patriarche à la tête de l’Eglise
Arménienne à la suite de la maladie du dernier patriarche en poste. La
raison est simple : le gouvernement veut passer le centenaire du
Génocide sans une Eglise mobilisée et seule capable de rassembler la
communauté Arménienne, dans un pays où toutes les organisations
politiques arméniennes ont été rayées de la carte.

C’est dans ce climat que vivent les Arméniens de Turquie qui sont
forcés d’envoyer leurs enfants au service militaire.¨ ¨Il faut aussi
citer le cas de Sevan Nisanyan, qui risque 50 ans de prison et contre
qui une vingtaine de faits sont reprochés, comme, par exemple, la
construction sans permis de construire. Cela relève plus de la farce
que de la Justice. La liberté de ton de Sevan constitue une menace
pour la tranquillité de l’Etat Turc à l’approche du Centenaire. Nous
suivons de près le cas de ce second Hrant DINK car il est
emblématique.¨ ¨C’est pour toutes ces raisons que la déclaration du «
leader islamiste », le 23 avril dernier, a aussi été accueillie en
Turquie avec beaucoup de méfiance. Cette déclaration, qui ne dégage
aucune sincérité de la part d’un homme au discours schizophrénique,
est un piège tendu par l’Etat-Major militaire encore influent dans le
pays. Comme le dit Erol Ozkoray : « L’absurdité de mettre en place un
comité d’historiens pour un événement aussi évident que le génocide
est frappante, c’est comme si on montait un comité pour savoir si la
révolution française avait bien eu lieu… et puis si le leader
islamiste est si attaché Ã ces comités d’historiens, il ferait mieux
de monter un comité pour comprendre le véritable personnage d’Atatürk
et la réalité de ses accomplissements… ».

Nous ne voulons pas de condoléances, mais une reconnaissance entière
du génocide et une résolution globale du problème. C’est aussi le
point de vue de la poignée de Turcs engagés pour la reconnaissance au
sein d’une société civile balbutiante mais naissante. La brèche est
lÃ, le ver est dans le fruit, Ã nous, communauté organisée en France,
de travailler pour accompagner et aider ces personnes en Turquie.
Nous saluons l’existence d’une association de jeunesse « NOR ZARTONK »
très active et méritante que nous avons rencontrée. Mais nous l’avons
bien ressenti, les jeux politiques en Turquie sont assez complexes et
intenses. Les Arméniens d’Istanbul ne sont pas prêts à s’organiser
pour peser sur la politique en Turquie et nous ne leur jetons pas la
pierre. Ils aspirent à vivre à minima « normalement ».¨ ¨Il y a aussi
de plus en plus d’Arméniens venant de la diaspora qui participent,
comme nous, aux commémorations du 24 Avril en Turquie. Mais, tandis
que nous sommes libres d’exprimer nos revendications, du moins dans
nos pays respectifs et même dans la gueule du loup aujourd’hui, nous
allons rentrer au chaud dans nos chaumières, tandis que nos SÅ`urs et
nos Frères restent dans ce pays, totalitaire et oppressif.

C’est pour cela que nous avons été dubitatifs quant à l’intervention
de certains de nos compatriotes diasporiques et d’Arménie. Il ne
suffit de venir, un jour, se montrer et repartir. Le travail doit être
fait tout le reste de l’année avec les quelques Turcs assez fous ou
courageux et simplement sensés qui s’engagent pour une reconnaissance
pleine et entière et une résolution globale du Génocide des Arméniens.
¨Le changement va venir de l’intérieur de la Turquie elle-même. Nous
pouvons agiter nos drapeaux en France, exprimer nos revendications,
notre droit d’exister, mais il est temps pour nous, et nous devons
avoir la maturité nécessaire, de s’organiser pour peser réellement
dans l’établissement d’un message politique clair et uniforme. Nous
devons bien-sûr commémorer nos morts en Turquie, mais nous devons
surtout offrir un support sans faille à l’émergence d’une société
civile turque démocrate qui s’engage pour la reconnaissance complète
du Génocide des Arméniens aboutissant à un volet de réparation
nécessaire à l’établissement de la justice.

NAZARPEK Jeunesse HENTCHAKIAN¨24 Avril 2014¨Istanbul

mercredi 30 avril 2014,
Ara ©armenews.com

Nancy Pelosi: It is critical to recognize the Armenian Genocide

12:32 30.04.2014

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement in
recognition of the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide:

`Today, we commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian genocide,
remembering the victims and honoring the survivors of one of the
greatest atrocities of the 20th century. Too often, the truth of
these horrific events has been denied, yet the historical record is
clear: from 1915 to 1923, the leaders of the Ottoman Empire conceived
and carried out a genocide against the Armenian people.

`On this occasion, we remember the nightmare that forever silenced the
voices of more than 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children ` a
staggering crime that that was unequivocally described by
international observers as a `campaign of race extermination.’ We
must never forget this dark hour of history.

`If we ignore history, then we are destined to repeat the mistakes of
the past. The recent attacks on the Armenian-populated town of Kessab
in Syria are a stark and brutal reminder of the dangers in our own
time. We must be candid about the facts. That is why it is critical,
year in and year out, to reaffirm our dedication to recognizing the
Armenian genocide and to placing the U.S. Congress firmly on the side
of honesty in our history. On this somber anniversary, it is our
responsibility to embrace the truth and build a brighter future for
all Armenians.’

Azerbaijani authorities ban commemoration of terrorist attack victims
that occured in ASOA

19:53 30/04/2014 » SOCIETY

Azerbaijani authorities have banned to commemorate the victims of the
terrorist attack at Azerbaijan State Oil Academy (ASOA), reports the
Azerbaijani news portal “Minval.az.”

“No commemoration ceremony regarding the attack will be held in
Azerbaijani State Oil Academy. No need for this,” stated the
vice-rector of ASOA Gasim Mammadov.

According to him, 5 years has passed since this incident and the
students who studied at the Academy at the time have graduated it
already. “We see no need to excite our students once again with such
kind ov events. The government regarded it as a terrorist act. These
types of incidents occur in the higher and secondary educational
institutions of the most advanced and developed countries. No one is
insured against terrorism, and such accidents can happen anywhere in
the world,” he noted.

The Vice-rector also advised the people to stop mourning the terrorist attack.

Azerbaijani news portal “Haqqin.az” reports that today Azerbaijani
State Oil Academy was cordoned off by the police.

Note that on 12 April 2009 as result of clashes in Oil Academy 12 men
were killed and 13 wounded. Farda Gadirov, the initiator of clashes
committed suicide on the spot. Those accused of the conspiracy,
Javidan Amirov, Nadir Aliyev, Najaf Suleymanov were sentenced to life
imprisonment. Arif Gabulov was sentenced to 11 year imprisonment.
Except Suleymanov all the defendants confessed that they had testified
under pressure.

Ghumashyan Mardun Grigorevich, 60-years old Armenian, citizen of
Georgia was named as the customer of the massacres in Oil Academy of
Azerbaijan. It was reported that he was under the investigation of
Interpol. However, correspondent of newspaper Yeni Musavat Tofig
Yagublu determined to find out the truth went to Georgian village
Shulaver and without any help from Interpol found Ghumashyan in the
courtyard of his house. The interview with 60-year-old baker became a
sensation. As it turned out Mardun Ghumashyan didn’t know anything
about Farda Gadirov who initiated the massacres in Oil Academy.

Moreover, when Ggumashyan learnt that Azerbaijani authorities declared
him a `terrorist’, he appealed to the General Prosecutor’s Office and
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, where he learnt that
Azerbaijan made no appeals about his arrest. On its turn, Azerbaijani
newspaper Zerkalo appealed to the law enforcement bodies of Georgia.
`Person on duty of Ministry of Internal Affairs told our correspondent
that the Ministry didn’t get any appeals in regard to Mardun
Ghumashyan. This proves that Ghumashyan told the truth,’ Zerkalo
wrote.

Source: Panorama.am