Author: Kalantarian Kevo

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LE PS A LES PLUS FERVENTS NEGATIONNISTES DIT LE FDF

BELGIQUE

Les chefs de groupes des partis representes dans l’hemicycle sont
invites par le bureau du parlement bruxellois a deposer, vendredi,
ensemble, une gerbe de fleurs au monument bruxellois erige en memoire
des victimes du genocide armenien. Mais les deputes n’observeront
pas de minute de silence. Ce qui suscite un debut de polemique, Ecolo
accusant le PS d’avoir fait pression pour que cette minute de silence
n’ait pas lieu. Emmanuel De Bock, depute bruxellois et chef de groupe
FDF affirme quant a lui que certains membres du parti socialiste ont
un “problème par rapport a la reconnaissance du genocide armenien”,
parlant meme de “negationnisme” pour certains.

Il y aurait eu beaucoup d’energie deployee dans les rangs socialistes
pour ne pas que les deputes socialistes d’origine turque (auxquels le
terme “genocide” deplaît fortement) doivent faire etalage au grand
jour de leur inconfort, estiment certains. En effet, ces derniers
se sont absentes lors de la minute de silence propose par le groupe
Ecolo au bureau du Parlement bruxellois mercredi. Le PS a ete suivi
par ses allies de la majorite FDF et cdH ainsi que par le MR, d’après
Zoe Genot qui s’exprimait sur le plateau de notre 13 heures.

“Il nous paraissait que 100 ans après, c’etait l’occasion pour
l’ensemble des representants de la population bruxelloise de rendre
hommage aux victimes via cette minute de silence. Malheureusement,
il y a eu un blocage, un refus et on le regrette vraiment”, a declare
l’elue ecologiste sur le plateau de notre JT de 13h00.

Pour Philippe Close, chef de groupe PS au parlement bruxellois, il n’y
a pas lieu de polemiquer. “Je trouve qu’un genocide comme celui-ci
merite bien plus qu’une polemique et que le geste extremement fort
qui est pose (le depôt d’une gerbe) merite que l’on revienne a un peu
de solennite”, a-t-il declare au micro de la RTBF. “Vouloir se faire
une petite ‘manip’ politique la-dessus, ce n’est pas très malin. Il
est temps de grandir”, lance-t-il a l’adresse d’Ecolo. “Je le repète,
le PS reconnaît depuis de nombreuses annees le genocide armenien et
mettre cela en doute est indigne”, a-t-il encore precise.

Deux minutes de silence differentes ? Ce ne serait pas possible,
selon le PS

Le refus d’organiser une minute de silence au Parlement n’a,
selon lui, nullement ete dicte par des raisons “politiques” mais
“techniques”. Deux propositions de minutes de silence ont ete faites
au bureau du Parlement : l’une pour rendre hommage aux victimes
du genocide armenien, l’autre aux victimes des naufrages recents
d’embarcations a bord desquelles avaient pris place des centaines de
migrants fuyant des zones de conflits en Afrique. Or, “il ne faut
pas opposer des drames. Comme il n’etait pas envisageable de meler
les deux hommages, ni d’organiser deux minutes separees, le bureau a
decide d’une part d’ecrire a la Commission europeenne au sujet de la
necessite de prendre des mesures face au drame vecu par les migrants,
et d’autre part de proposer aux chefs de groupe de prendre part au
depôt d’une gerbe au monument commemorant le genocide armenien”,
a explique le chef du groupe PS au parlement bruxellois mercredi soir.

Zoe Genot, elle, s’etonne que l’on oppose ces deux hommages et ne
voit pas en quoi il n’est pas possible d’organiser deux minutes de
silence differentes, l’une pour les candidats refugies decedes en
mer Mediterranee, l’autre pour commemorer le centenaire du genocide
armenien. Il est vrai que l’argument de l’incompatibilite apparaît
egalement difficilement comprehensible a l’observateur exterieur.

“Et quand je vois que le ministre des Affaires etrangères, Didier
Reynders (MR), envoie un ambassadeur aux ceremonies de commemoration
en Armenie, on voit qu’il n’y a pas que le PS qui est mal a l’aise”,
rencherit l’elue bruxelloise.

“J’espère que cela ne restera pas seulement notre parole”, contre
celle des autres, a avoue Zoe Genot face a Nathalie Maleux.

Le FDF dit avoir ete d’accord avec la minute de silence

La parole d’Ecolo est en effet rejointe par le FDF selon le chef de
groupe et depute bruxellois, Emmanuel De Bock. Ce dernier confirme
que son parti etait d’accord avec la minute de silence, car “c’est
la moindre des choses que l’on peut faire pour la reconnaissance
de ce genocide historique envers la communaute armenienne. Je crois
qu’on ne peut pas etre Charlie le mois passe, et ne pas etre armenien
ce vendredi”.

Des negationnistes au PS ?

Mais le chef de groupe FDF va plus loin en denoncant l’attitude
generale du parti socialiste par rapport a la reconnaissance du
genocide armenien : “Il y a très clairement un problème au parti
socialiste qui a du mal avec un certain nombre de ses membres, et
c’est le parti socialiste qui a les plus fervents negationnistes par
rapport a la reconnaissance du genocide armenien”, annonce-t-il, sans
livrer des noms precis. “Je ne vais pas vous faire de confidences,
mais je sais que, meme au sein du parti socialiste, certains ont
utilise ce mot a l’egard de leurs propres collègues”, ajoute-t-il.

Le depute bruxellois regrette egalement qu’il n’y ait pas un large
consensus en faveur de la minute de silence : “Dans un debat comme
celui-la, la reconnaissance du genocide armenien, on ne peut pas avoir
une attitude “majorite contre opposition”, il faut un large consensus.

La gerbe, c’est très bien. Par contre, je crois qu’une reconnaissance
explicite au sein de notre assemblee serait plus que bienvenue pour
l’ensemble des survivants de ce genocide”, conclut Emmanuel De Bock.

RTBF

?id=8962960

vendredi 24 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

ARMENIA AND POLITICS OF THE WORD ‘GENOCIDE’

Voice of America
April 22 2015

Sharon Behn

Last updated on: April 23, 2015 10:44 PM

Most historians agree that the massacre, deportation and death of
more than 1 million Armenians in the Turkish Ottoman Empire that
began 100 years ago this month was a genocide. But mention the word
“genocide” in Washington, in the context of Armenia, and the level
of discomfort is palpable.

Administration officials decline to comment, pro-Armenia politicians
rush to the podium, scholars refer to books, Armenians tell
heartbreaking stories of trauma, and the Turkish government rejects
the issue altogether.

Hope Harrison, a history professor at George Washington University,
said Washington has avoided using the word “genocide” in order to
keep its strategic relations with Turkey as smooth as possible.

It is, Harrison said, “one of many debates in the U.S. government of
principles and beliefs versus realpolitik and security.”

>From 1915 to 1923, Armenians of the Ottoman empire – from which
rose today’s Turkey – were deported or massacred in the hundreds of
thousands, and their culture was almost erased from the land where
they had lived for thousands of years. It was a trauma that many
Armenians have never forgotten.

‘Part of their identity’

“It’s something that’s absolutely part of their nature and part
of their identity,” explained Ronald Suny, professor of social and
political history at the University of Michigan, referring to the
Armenian diaspora. “I think it’s unavoidable.”

But Thomas de Waal, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, said 100 years later, all those involved in the
debate have become hostage to the word “genocide” itself.

“As a result of that, people have lost sight of the bigger issue,
which is: what justice is owed to the Armenians in 1915? How do we
promote normalization between Armenia and Turkey? How do we persuade
Turkey to open up to its past and look at these issues?” de Waal asked.

The word genocide was invented in 1944, almost 30 years after the
massacres happened. In 1948, the United Nations passed the Convention
on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the
word entered the world’s political vocabulary.

Armenians believe it defined the experience of their people.

The U.S. government has recognized that more than 1 million Armenians
died, but State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf this April again
stopped short of using the word “genocide.”

“The president and other senior administration officials have
repeatedly acknowledged as historical fact and mourned the fact that
1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in
the final days of the Ottoman Empire,” Harf said.

President Barack Obama called the centennial “a solemn moment,”
in a statement released by the White House late Wednesday.

“It calls on us to reflect on the importance of historical remembrance,
and the difficult but necessary work of reckoning with the past. I
have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915,
and my view has not changed,” Obama said. “A full, frank, and just
acknowledgement of the facts is in all our interests. Peoples and
nations grow stronger, and build a foundation for a more just and
tolerant future, by acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements
of the past.

“We welcome the expression of views by Pope Francis, Turkish and
Armenian historians, and the many others who have sought to shed
light on this dark chapter of history,” his statement continued.

Diplomatic spat

In contrast, Pope Francis this year became the first leader of
the Roman Catholic Church to publicly declare what happened as a
“genocide,” sparking a diplomatic spat with Turkey.

As de Waal points out, the word itself has become so problematic
and so politicized, it has aggravated Armenian-Turkish relations and
other nations’ relations with both.

The United States at one time did use the word genocide in reference to
the Armenian experience. That changed under President Ronald Reagan,
when a Turkish consul to the United States was killed by an Armenian
terrorist in Reagan’s home state of California in 1982.

>From then on, de Waal said, as far as Reagan was concerned, the
Turks were on America’s side on the three issues that he cared about:
terrorism, the Soviet Union and Israel.

“Ronald Reagan, therefore, embraced the Turks on those issues and
pushed away the idea of an Armenian genocide, and that I think has set
U.S. policy ever since,” he said. “Even though many, many people call
it a genocide, that line was drawn back in 1982, and the United States
has found it very difficult to reset the policy ever since then.”

For Armenians in the diaspora, the 1915 experience is a key issue
and an essential political question. For Armenians in the newly
independent Republic of Armenia, the perception is different.

‘Bit of a rift’

“I think that what we may see already is a bit of a rift, or at least a
distinction between what the government of the country of Armenia would
like to see on the one hand, and what the Armenia diaspora would like
to see on the other hand, because there is some significant impulse
in the region to normalize relations between the country of Turkey
and the country of Armenia,” said David Pollock of The Washington
Institute of Near East Policy.

Turkey recently has become much more open to admitting that a terrible
thing happened to the Armenians.

And compromise is emerging in Washington, too: While Republican
Representative Robert Dold has called for a full recognition of the
Armenian masacres as genocide, his colleague, Representative Curt
Clawson, has reached out to fellow lawmakers to support a resolution
that would promote “peace and understanding” between the nations.

De Waal, who has written extensively on Armenia, said the focus should
be less on how the United States describes the historical facts,
and more on restoring relations between Turkey and Armenia.

“The focus should really be on facilitating that, and if you want
to do that, I don’t think you start with the word genocide. You
start by discussing the histories, the massacres, maybe you come
round eventually to the word genocide, but at the moment, the word
genocide is so toxic that it shuts down the conversation. You can’t
really start a conversation with the word genocide,” he said.

More than 20 nations around the world have recognized the mass killings
as genocide.

Vivian Chakarian contributed to this report.

INTERNAL, EXTERNAL PRESSURE NEEDED TO MAKE TURKEY ADMIT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – YAIR AURON

20:19 * 23.04.15

Both internal and external pressure is necessary to make Turkey admit
the Armenian Genocide, Yair Auron, an Israeli historian, scholar and
expert specializing on Holocaust and Genocide studies, told Tert.am.

He points put the need for Turkish intellectuals who would prepare
the people and make the authorities admit the Armenian Genocide.

As regards other nations, Mr Auron said that Israel must be the first
to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

“All the nations must recognize it as they have recognized the
Holocaust,” he said.

ADDRESS OF ARMENIAN FM EDWARD NALBANDIAN AT CONCLUSION OF GLOBAL FORUM ‘AGAINST THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE’

19:34 * 23.04.15

Below is a speech by Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian at the conclusion
of Global Forum ‘Against the Crime of Genocide’.

Honarable President of National Assembly,

Your Eminences,

Distinguished guests,

Disinguished participants of the Forum,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank all participants of the Forum and express
special gratitude to the moderators of all three panels of these
two days – Luis Moreno Ocampo, Geoffrey Robertson, Frank Chalk,
Patrick Devedjian, Nikolay Rizhkov, and to you – dear Baroness Cox,
as well as to those panelists, parliamentarians, spiritual leaders,
political scientists, experts who addressed the Forum. The variety,
depth and substance of the messages lift even the slightest doubt
that the fight of the international community against genocides and
crimes against humanity has no alternative.

During the last hundred years the horrible experiences of humanity,
the epochal shifts in international politics, novel perceptions of
human rights in global political processes reaffirm that prevention
of genocides should be one of the prime goals of the mankind. As
President Serge Sargsyan stated in his important opening address, this
is the reason why, in conjunction with the organization of the events
in Armenia commemorating the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide,
we also give a pivotal importance to our increased involvement to
the international efforts towards the prevention of genocides. That
is why one of the most important messages that we want to address to
the entire world is the imperative of genocide prevention as a noble
goal uniting the civilized world, past and present generations. It
should not be subjected to any political interests and should not be
marginalized, irespective of the political agendas of the time.

Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe in his
yesterday’s remarks highly valued the contribution of Armenia to the
international prevention efforts and called on for the continuation
of those efforts.

It is a common knowledge that if we do not wish to allow the repetition
of genocides, we are obliged to identify those preconditions that
resulted in committing past genocides. A number of participants of the
forum thoroughly touched upon the reasons feeding that horrendous
crime. International reaction following the Armenian Genocide
contributed to the awareness raising amongst judicial and social
circles on the crime of crimes, or as William Schabas put it the
most extreme form of the crime against humanity – the genocide. In
this regard Daniel Feirstein revealed an interesting fact that the
Armenian Genocide lays in the foundational goals of the Association
of the Genocide Scholars.

I would like to once again recall, as it was mentioned during the
opening of the forum, that the May 24th, 1915 special declaration of
Russia, France and Great Britain characterized what had happened to
the Armenians as a “crime against humanity and civilization.” In 1919
the Ottoman Tribunal’s indictment held the leaders of the Young Turks
personally responsible for organizing the large-scale massacres of
the Armenians. In 1929 Winston Churchill characterized the Armenian
massacres as a “holocaust” and added that “this crime was planned
and executed for political reasons. The opportunity presented itself
for clearing these territories of a Christian race.” As one of the
participants of our forum – Donna Lee Frieze, presented in a detailed
manner, later on Rafael Lemkin invented the term “genocide” referring
to what happened to Armenians.

The Armenian Genocide was widely condemned by the international
community. That reaction equally resonated in the European states,
the USA and Russia, as well as in the Arab world. A number of
intellectuals, statesmen, public and religious activists drew attention
to the inadmissibility of what had been committed against Armenians,
urging the great powers to punish the masterminds of the Armenian
Genocide and create conditions conducive to the elimination of the
consequences of that calamity. The participants of our Forum Henry
Theriault and Patrick Dumberry addressed the legal aspects of this
issue. The international reaction testified that what had happened
to the Armenians was perceived not only as a grief of one nation,
but as a crime committed against humanity. As Yair Auron rightly
mentioned the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not an issue
between Armenians and Turks, it is an issue for whole humanity.

However, the atrocities of the 20th century that followed the Armenian
genocide were not prevented. The reason for that and the main lesson
to be learned is that the international genocide prevention efforts
did not exert the necessary determination, consistence and solidarity,
and the relevant political and legal conclusions were not made.

Dear participants of the Forum,

On March 27 in Geneva the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus
the Genocide Prevention Resolution initiated by Armenia and co-authored
by 71 states. It occupies an important place within the context of the
joint prevention efforts of the international community. It defines the
primary measures for genocide prevention, which were reflected also
in the Armenia-initiated UN Human Rights Council Genocide Prevention
Resolutions of previous years.

The diagnosis of genocidal atmosphere and creation of effective
mechanisms of early warning must have their firm place on the agenda
of the international and regional organizations. Yesterday Professor
Israel Charny, Director of Jerusalem Institute of the Holocaust
delivered an impressive presentation on this topic. During the
last decade both the United Nations, and specialized Human Rights
organizations have made a considerable progress in improving early
warning and assessment capacities. The continuity of these achievements
should be guaranteed. At the same time it should be accompanied by
creation of concrete mechanisms of deterrence.

Unfortunately the violence executed by extremists in the Middle East,
the brutalities against civilian population which remind us of the
past horrors and the vandalism against millennia-old civilizational
values demonstrate that the international community still has much
to do in this regard. Here I would like to thank Frank Chalk for
comprehensively addressing these issues.

The next important dimension of the genocide prevention is the
improvement of the human rights protection mechanisms as well as
deepening of tolerance both inside societies and in relations among
different peoples. Strengthening of democracy, protection of the rights
of ethnic and religious minorities and their fair representation
are those firm pillars that if fortified and fostered may eliminate
the destructive intentions of even the most extremist groups and
ideologies. Consistency in countering xenophobia, discrimination,
dissemination of hostilities is indispensable to exclude the emergence
of genocidal atmosphere because the seeds of the evil of genocide
are fed by those gravely negative phenomena.

One of the important dimensions of prevention of genocides is raising
awareness through educational programs and remembrance. Remembrance
is important also in eliminating the consequences of the genocide,
Turkish intellectual Cengiz Aktar made an interesting presentation in
this regard. Here, I would like to extend a special gratitude to Madam
Esther Mujawayo, survivor of the Rwandan Genocide for her exclusive
address on the complications of psychological aspects in eliminating
the consequences of genocides. I remember her making a no less touching
address a year ago at the High Level meeting of the UN Human Rights
Council initiated by Armenia and dedicated to the genocide prevention.

When we speak about raising awareness of genocides we should clearly
realize that without the recognition, condemnation and elimination of
consequences of past genocides any steps would remain as half-done. In
this respect we can state with confidence that today one of the
challenges facing humanity is surmounting denial of genocides, about
which Michael Bohlander made a thorough speech. The strife against
this condemnable issue is as important as countering the creation
of the genocidal atmosphere, or as the efforts to prevent the mass
atrocities themselves. These issues were throughly touched upon by
Donald Bloxham. I would like once again to recall the wise words of
Pope Francis I during the Mass in St. Peter’s Cathedral on the occasion
of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide: “Concealing or denying
evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it.”

Attempts of denial of genocide and crimes against humanity under the
guise of freedom of expression are equally condemnable. Nowadays,
the minimization of the suffering of the victims, trivialization of
the scale of the losses and equation of the sufferings of the victims
and the perpetrators are among the tools applied for denial. Recently
we have been often witnessing this new strategy of denial. As Roger
Smith correctly noted the tactics of denial are refined while the
arguments have remained the same.

Dear participants of the Forum,

One of the main elements of the UN Human Rights Council Genocide
Prevention resolution is the condemnation of denial of genocide
and crimes against humanity. Denial makes the incumbent authorities
accomplices to the crimes committed in the past. Denial is not opening
the door to reconciliation, it is opening the door to new crimes
against humanity. Yair Auron made valuable observations on this topic.

It is noteworthy that Rakip Zarakolu in his yesterday’s address
compared the policy of the Turkish Government to Janissary March –
one step forward, two steps back.

Dear participants of the Forum,

I am confident that the ideas and recommendations made during the
Forum will have an important contributaion to the international
efforts of the genocide prevention. I would like to extend special
thanks to His Holiness Garegin II and the clergy for their valuabe
participation to the Forum. I would like to express my gratitude to
the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Galust Sahakyan
and to all parliamentarians from around the world for their important
contributions to the work of the Forum.

Concluding my address, I would like to recall with gratitude very
important documents adopted in the course of the last month alone –
the Genocide Prevention Resolution of the UN Human Rights Council,
the European Parliament Resolution, the statement of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe and of course the statement of
Pope Francis. These important steps give confidence that in the
21st century the humanity will establish a more unified position
and will eventually be able to develop really effective mechanisms
of prevention of genocides based on the belief that the recognition,
condemnation of past genocides and the exclusion of denial are among
the guarantees for the harmonious progress of the world civilization.

We can already stress that during the discussions of Yerevan Global
Forum fresh ideas and constructive proposals have been made, which were
summarized in the Draft Declaration of the Global Forum. I believe
that it would be accepted as a guide for the implementation of the
truly global mission facing us, for the sake of unified determination
of preventing the crime of genocide.

Thank you!

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF 100

NEWS | APRIL 23, 2015 1:26 PM
________________________________

By Alin K. Gregorian

I have spent a lifetime hearing about the events of 1915 and I can
say that this is an anniversary whose commemoration I have both looked
forward to and dreaded.

It is the ultimate round number, giving us an opportunity for an
impressive commemoration as well as possibly marking the end of an
era of remembrance.

The coverage of the events, as well as the community-wide cooperation
among many Armenian groups, has been heartening. Many international
leaders, including Pope Francis, have stepped up and put the focus of
the world, not just the Armenian diaspora and the Republic of Armenia,
on the centennial commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

Major publications, such as the Washington Post and New York Times,
have come out with more affirmative editorials than ever before on the
subject and the importance of its proper labeling and commemoration.

In this year of positive developments, even reality stars such as
the Kardashian family was able to bring dignity and recognition not
only to the Armenian Genocide, but the country of Armenia, as a fun
and vital destination. Of course, Armenia and our hard-won Artsakh
face danger every day and it is our duty to make sure that the Azeri
government does not weaken them by constant aggression and a blockade
that weakens its economy.

It is a sad commentary on our society that serious and worthy Genocide
scholars are not able to bring their message to a mass audience,
but a lowbrow program can.

It is also empowering that events commemorating the anniversary
of these horrific events are spread throughout the year, so that
post-April 24, the issue is not forgotten. For example, major
commemorative programs are scheduled to take place in Washington in
May, including a joint mass at the National Cathedral.

A century is a time span that gives us enough distance to have even
better perspective on the events. The mind-numbing acts of violence,
the sheer and enthusiastic brutality against those least capable of
defending themselves has been captured this year in dozens of books
that pay homage to the spirit of survival that many of those carried.

Films, music and various other art forms have recorded for posterity
our people’s collective pain.

The Armenian Diaspora has come a long way. From those haunting images
of women and children with distended bellies, dying in front of us,
to beheaded men, we have become success stories across the world.

Unfortunately, it seems much of our success is individual rather than
collective, yet those days are clearly behind us.

Should it matter to us if Turkey or the US does not recognize the
Armenian Genocide? Yes and no. What matters is that we are bringing
the truth to more and more people — sources that can spread the word.

And what happens in April 2016? Let’s hope that the energetic spirit
of so many young people, Armenians and non-Armenians, will endure. Is
it possible that Turkey will recognize the Genocide? It is highly
unlikely, since with acceptance comes consequences. While getting
back any of the Armenian lands may be almost impossible, Armenian
families can file suits against the government and certain families for
usurping their wealth after they were forcibly deported. After all,
the wealth that the Armenians left behind in Turkey is equivalent to
trillions in today’s dollars.

It seems after the debacle of last year’s apology issued by the Turkish
president, they have changed course and now promote a narrative of
deaths among both Armenians and Turks during World War I, while also
suggesting that Armenians were traitors who sided with the Russian
enemy and rose up against the authorities. In other words, we didn’t
do anything and they deserved it.

Let’s celebrate the spirit that is alive and well in us, our children
who speak Armenian, adults who reclaim their heritage and Turkish
citizens who are right along us, fighting for truth and recognition.

ARMENIA SINGS ON IN OUR HEARTS

Video

La première bande annonce du film recueillant des temoignages (dont
Jacky Nercessian, le collectif Medz bazar, l’historien Maxime Yevadian
et l’ecole Tarkmantchatz) des diasporas armeniennes du monde entier
est disponible !

Que signifie etre Armenien en 2015 ? Avec Armenia Sings On In Our
Hearts, Alexia Ohanessian et Isabella Bablumian proposent un debut
a cette delicate reponse…

Pour visionner la bande annonce :

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TURKEY’S INTEREST: CAROLINE COX

13:13, 23 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

“I’m deeply sad that I am a member of a parliament, the Parliament
of the United Kingdom whose Government today refuses to recognize
the Armenian Genocide,” Member of the UK House of Lords, Baroness
Caroline Cox said at the Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide
under way in Armenia’s capital Yerevan. She said “it’s a shame.”

“I’m happy to mention that two parts of our United Kingdon – Wales and
Scotland – have recognized the Armenian Genocide. I applaud them and
all national governments that have done the same,” Baroness Cox said.

She also appreciated that the issue of recognition of other genocides
has been included in the forum. Caroline Cox said another example of
genocide is Azerbaijan’s attempt to annihilate the Armenian people in
their historic land of Artsakh. “Whenever I visit Armenia and Artsakh,
I’m so humbled and inspired by the spirit of Armenian people.

“You are like a phoenix. You do not only survive, but also create
beauty from the ashes of destruction here in Armenia and the holy
land of Artsakh,” Baroness Cox said.

“Sadly, Azerbaijan continues to threaten and to kill. And it is
essential to call on Azerbaijan to account for the past attempted
ethnic cleansing and its threats for the future. I believe that Nagorno
Karabakh or Artsakh has at least a valid claim for independence, to
self-determination like Kosovo had,” she said. “We should all strive
to achieve that justice for the Armenians of Artsakh.”

Baroness Cox hailed Pope Francis’s recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. She said “it is in the interest of Turkish people themselves
to acknowledge the truth of this part of history.” Baroness Cox
appreciated the contribution of the speakers from Turkey at the forum.

LA TURQUIE RAPPELLE SON AMBASSADEUR EN AUTRICHE

AUTRICHE

La Turquie a déclaré mercredi qu’elle rappelait son ambassadeur
en Autriche après que les partis représentés au Parlement aient
signé une déclaration reconnaissant le massacre des Arméniens il
y a un siècle comme un génocide.

Les six parties ont signé une déclaration mardi et ont tenu une
minute de silence en mémoire des victimes.

“En raison de la responsabilité historique – la monarchie
austro-hongroise était alliée avec l’Empire Ottoman pendant la
Première Guerre mondiale – il est de notre responsabilité de
reconnaître les terribles événements comme génocide et de les
condamner,” indique la déclaration.

Le ministère turc des Affaires étrangères a rappelé l’ambassadeur
de la Turquie a Vienne Mehmet Hasan GöguÅ~_ a Ankara pour des
consultations après la décision du Parlement autrichien.

“Cette déclaration a provoqué l’indignation …. pour nous”,
a déclaré le ministère turc des Affaires étrangères dans un
communiqué. “Nous rejetons cette attitude partiale du Parlement
autrichien, en essayant de faire la lecon aux autres sur l’histoire,
ce qui n’a pas sa place dans le monde d’aujourd’hui.

“Il est clair que cette déclaration … aura des effets négatifs
permanents sur les relations turco-autrichiennes.”

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Stéphane ©armenews.com

US WILL SEND NO DELEGATION TO GALLIPOLI BATTLE COMMEMORATIONS IN TURKEY

18:10, 22.04.2015
Region:World News, Turkey
Theme: Politics

Turkey has suffered another blow in connection with participation
to its forthcoming 100th anniversary commemorations of the Battle
of Gallipoli.

Accordingly, not only has US President Barack Obama declined from
personally attending these events, but he will send no one from his
country to be on hand at these commemorations.

Even though a US delegation will not participate in the Battle of
Gallipoli 100th anniversary events to be organized by the Turkish
president on Friday, April 24, US Ambassador to Turkey John Bass will
be at Gallipoli, reported Sozcu daily of Turkey.

To note, the Vatican likewise has decided not to send a delegation
to the Gallipoli commemorations.

‘EDGE OF THE WORLD’ REFLECTS COMMON HISTORY – AUSTRALIAN WRITER ON GENOCIDE NOVEL

14:13 * 23.04.15

Tert.am has interviewed Marsella Poleyn, an Australian writer whose
novel, the “Edge of the World”, recounts the story of the Armenian
Genocide.

Poleyn, who is an Armenian on her mother’s side, is now in Armenia
to take part in the annual literary festival “Literary Ark” (which
this year has been renamed “Literary Ark: April”, as the country is
observing the centenary of the Genocide ).

The writer shared details of the novel and her reflections on the
big tragedy that claimed 1.5 million Armenians’ lives 100 years ago.

Ms Poleyn, how did you come up with the idea of writing the novel?

‘The Edge of the World’ was written, using the oral history that my
mother gave me about what happened to her family in the Genocide. When
I was a girl, I would ask her about the family but she would freeze and
be unable to speak. And that was something very frightening. But when I
became an adult, she started to tell me the story of what happened. So
we had a conversation that continued for nearly 13 years until she
passed away. And in 1999, I decided to go back to the university and
began a PhD. And I wrote “The Edge of the World” as part of that. It
took me eight years to research and write it. And unfortunately,
my mother passed away not even a year before it was published. And
she knew all about it. It is divided into three parts: the first
part is my imagining of my grandparents’ story, imagining a space on
historical research that I undertook and also what my mother knew.

The second part is about my mother growing up in Jerusalem after
the Genocide as a part of the Diaspora. The third part is her life
in Australia, the place where I live. And the narrator of that part
is a person like me; it’s not me. I wanted to try to explore what
happened in the family after the Genocide.

When doing your research or having the book published, did you meet
any obstacles?

Genocide is a subtle topic; you are regularly encountered with
disinterest, misunderstanding, ignorance. It might be something like
this: I was in a shop buying an antique Armenian carpet recently and
having a conversation with the woman who knew well the Armenians. And
an old man came and hearing the conversation asked, ‘You’re Armenian?’
and when I said ‘Yes’, he asked me another question, about the genocide
– whether the Genocide was based on religion -and as I tried to give
him a full answer, but he didn’t want to hear me. That kind of things
happen very often.

You are an Armenian on your mother’s side. So my next question is
whether in your creative activitiy, you feel the genetic memory,
the fact that your ancestors saw the massacre.

I don’t fully understand how that works; it has been my experience.

But I really understand that there is something that we carry from
the events.

As a writer and an intellectual, do you feel an obligation to raise
awareness of the Genocide? And probably, “Edge of the World” is
intended to serve that purpose?

Yes, my purpose was informing the world because in Australia ignorance
of the Genocide was quite staggering when I was young.

I can say that ‘Edge of the World’ is my story but it is not my story;
it is such a common story for the Armenian people that it stands for
all the stories that hadn’t been told.”

What are your reflections on the continuing campaign towards Armenian
Genocide recognition? Will it succeed?

All my Armenian colleagues are very hopeful that Turkey will
acknowledge the Genocide. But I don’t know; don’t hope so. But I also
recognize that there is a growing movement in Turkey that things will
change in here

In your novel you depict the story of a Turkish family, dwelling on
events that span from 1900 to 2000. Was that an attempt to hint that
the problem hasn’t been resolved for 100 years? Did you introduce a
kind of allegory in your message?

Yes I do, and particularly because I live in Australia. The last
section of the book deals with what it’s like to be an Armenian in
Australia. And my mother was traumatized by my opening; she didn’t
want to pass through that trauma and yet, she couldn’t help but do so.

She was very proud to be an Armenian. So there were two things –
opposite things – happening at the same time. And I do want the book
to raise the question – that there is this historical injustice, that
these events really happened and we have to keep the question alive,
because if we don’t, I don’t know what is going happen later.