Author: Kalantarian Kevo

DEMANDE DE REPARATIONS ET DE RESTITUTION DES BIENS NATIONAUX A LA TURQUIE

COMMUNIQUE DES ORGANISATIONS TERRE ET CULTURE

DEMANDE DE REPARATION ET DEMANDE DE RESTITUTION DES BIENS NATIONAUX ET
AUTRES MONUMENTS ARMENIENS, ADRESSEES À LA TURQUIE

N ous, descendants des rescapes des deportations, des massacres, et
des violences de toute nature Рenl̬vements, conversions forcees,
pillages, spoliations et destructions – au moyen desquels s’est
accompli en Turquie le genocide des Armeniens ;

N ous, temoins et victimes du prejudice subi par la Nation armenienne
de Turquie en raison de ces crimes, de la perte des droits qui etaient
les siens, de la confiscation de ses biens, enfin du deni de justice
qui lui a ete oppose depuis près de cent ans ;

A u nom de nos parents et aïeux contraints a l’expatriation et a
l’exil, et en vue de l’avènement necessaire de rapports constructifs et
d’equite entre les peuples dont l’Asie Mineure est la patrie commune,

S ans prejudice des actions qui seraient entreprises par ailleurs
dans un objectif comparable,

DEMANDONS À LA REPUBLIQUE DE TURQUIE

L a restitution integrale des biens nationaux armeniens confisques.

Ces biens consistent en monastères, eglises, chapelles, cimetières,
hôpitaux, ecoles et autres bâtiments communautaires, pris avec
leurs dependances, dont les inventaires, etablis ou a completer,
sont disponibles dans la documentation publiee ou presents dans les
archives, principalement celles de l’Etat turc, qui demeurent a ce
jour en grande partie fermees. Ceux-ci s’entendent meubles compris,
objets d’art et manuscrits notamment.

À ces biens s’ajoutent d’autres monuments, d’interet majeur, qui
temoignent a leur tour, et a l’egal des precedents, aussi bien de
l’histoire et de la civilisation de l’Armenie que de la realite
multiculturelle qui a fait la richesse de l’Asie Mineure ottomane.

L a restitution de ces biens, a titre propre ou conservatoire, est
demandee en vue de leur enregistrement au nom du Patriarcat armenien de
Constantinople/Istanbul, dont les prerogatives et le statut demandent
a etre etendus et raffermis, ou au benefice des fondations ad hoc
qui seront constituees sous son egide pour les recevoir.

E lle implique d’une part le dedommagement de tous les tiers qui,
en application des lois successives qui ont regi la confiscation et
la redistribution des biens armeniens ci-dessus designes, en sont
aujourd’hui les proprietaires, les locataires ou les usagers, que
ces biens se trouvent dans le domaine public de l’Etat ou qu’ils
soient legalement detenus par des personnes morales ou privees ;
d’autre part des mesures de reparation en vue de la protection, de
la rehabilitation, de la restauration ou de la reconstruction des
monuments, ou encore d’indemnisation compensatoire dans tous les cas
particuliers que revelera l’examen detaille des situations.

E lle implique enfin qu’un fonds special, eventuellement ouvert
aux contributions internationales, soit constitue par l’Etat
turc pour subvenir au cours des decennies a venir a cette oeuvre
publique de sauvegarde et de reparation d’utilite universelle,
a laquelle devra necessairement etre associee, comme interlocuteur
gestionnaire et intervenant, une instance armenienne scientifique,
technique et juridique formee autour du Patriarcat armenien de
Constantinople/Istanbul.

N ous demandons concomitamment a la Republique de Turquie le
retablissement des toponymes anciens, notamment armeniens, qui
designaient les lieux où se situent ces biens et monuments et, plus
generalement, les localites habitees par les Armeniens ; en particulier
leur affichage en langue armenienne a l’entree des villes, villages
et lieux-dits concernes et sur les panneaux du reseau routier qui
retracent la geographie du territoire.

Paris, le 13 avril 2015 Collectif 2015 : reparation Union
internationale des organisations terre et culture

Plus d’informations sur le lien plus bas

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

D´autres informations disponibles : COLLECTIF2015

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

AZERBAIJANI MEDIA HACK NEWS OUTLET IN ATTEMPT TO LEGALIZE DISINFORMATION ABOUT LOSSES OF ARMENIAN SIDE

13:22 23/04/2015 >> POLITICS

The Azerbaijani media again tried to legalize disinformation about
the losses of the Armenian side on the line of contact between NKR
and Azerbaijan falsifying the Armenian sources. The Azerbaijani media
spread a screenshot of the Armenian news outlet iLur.am containing
that information citing the Azerbaijani fake website ArmenianReport.

It soon became known that the website iLur.am had been hacked. Hacking
the website, the Azerbaijani falsifiers did not take into consideration
an important circumstance while posting the information ‘about the
losses from the Armenian side as a result of a mine explosion’:
the outlet iLur.am does not have a Russian version. The screenshot
spread in the Azerbaijani media itself confirms this.

The Azerbaijani side also did not take into consideration the fact
that the press service of the NKR Defense Army would confirm the
incident in itself and the authenticity of the video while denying
the disinformation about the losses of the Armenian side, which can
also be seen on the video footage spread by the Azerbaijani media. It
clearly shows that after the explosion all of the servicemen run out
of the truck being evacuated by another approaching military vehicle.

The press service of the NKR Defense Army highlights that this incident
yet another time confirms that the Azerbaijani side ignores the calls
of the international organizations to reduce the tension on the line
of contact of the troops going on deliberately destabilizing the
situation on the front line.

Earlier the head of the press service of the NKR Defense Army,
Senor Hasratyan, told Panorama.am that the recent escalations, the
destabilization of the situation and the frequency of the adversary
side’s provocations on the line of contact of the troops and on the
Armenian border once again prove that the Azerbaijani regime tries to
do favors for its “brother” Turkey’s interests and derail the events
dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial.

Related:

NKR Defense Army spokesperson: Azerbaijan tries to do favor to Turkey
with recent escalations at frontline

Artsrun Hovhannisyan: Azerbaijani side embarks on a new and lower
level of obvious falsifications

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

WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES: GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ MEMORY PUSHES TO ACTIVE ACTIONS

15:21, 23.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics

YEREVAN. – The memory of the Armenian Genocide victims pushes us to
active actions. We must work by informing each other by using the
tools and opportunities of the international community.

The general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Olav
Fykse Tveit (Norway), noted the aforesaid Thursday at the two-day
International Social and Political Global Forum against the Crime of
Genocide. This forum was devoted to the Armenian Genocide Centennial,
it was held in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, and about 600
participants from fifty countries took part in this event.

“We pay tribute to the innocent victims, and recognize what occurred,”
the WCC head specifically said.

Olav Fykse Tveit added that, unfortunately, numerous governments,
including the Norwegian administration, have not fulfilled their
moral duty, and did not acknowledge the events in 1915 as genocide.

“[But] injustice and violence will not have the last word,” the WCC
general secretary concluded.

MARIE HARF ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – VIDEO

16:09, 23 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

QUESTION: Can I start with Armenia?

MS HARF: You can.

QUESTION: And I recognize that this is a White House decision but
unfortunately, or perhaps conveniently, there is no White House
briefing today.

MS HARF: (Laughter.) When the President travels there’s no briefing.

They had a gaggle though on the plane.

QUESTION: Yes, I know. But it didn’t really answer the questions that
I have.

MS HARF: Okay.

QUESTION: And that – so as is well known, when he was a candidate,
the President made it a point to say that he would, while he was
President, recognize that what happened in 1915 to the Armenians was,
in fact – was a genocide. I realize he has one more year left in order
to fulfill that pledge, but why this year, on the 100th anniversary,
did he decide to once again not fulfill his pledge?

MS HARF: Well, Matt, and I’m sure this is what the White House said
too, but we know there are some who I think were hoping to hear
some different language this year. We certainly understand their
perspective. Even as we believe that the approach we have taken in
previous years remains the right one – and again, the approach we’re
taking this year – both for acknowledging the past and also for our
ability to work with regional partners to save lives in the future. So
this is something that we feel is important.

The President has consistently stated his views about what happened in
1915 and, again, we know people wanted to hear – some people wanted to
hear different language this year, and we are certainly aware of that.

QUESTION: Well, it seems that the people who wanted to hear different
language this year were drowned out by the people that wanted no
change, and as best as I can tell the people who want no change are
Turkey, mainly. But I —

MS HARF: Well, I’m not going to generalize who feels what about this
issue. We certainly understand the perspectives of people —

QUESTION: So does that mean —

MS HARF: — who feel different things.

QUESTION: Does that mean that the President actually personally –
and I – again, I realize it’s kind of unfair to ask you this —

MS HARF: It’s okay.

QUESTION: — since this is a question mainly to be directed to the
White House or the President himself.

MS HARF: It’s probably where I’m going to point you.

QUESTION: Does he think that what happened was a genocide?

MS HARF: I am happy to point you the White House, Matt.

QUESTION: The issue is that when you make a specific pledge like
this as a candidate and then not – then you don’t follow through
on it when you are, in fact – when you are elected, it calls into
question to some the commitment of other things that the President,
as a candidate or even as President, has said. We’ve seen a couple
times where redlines have been crossed and there hasn’t been – the
response has not been what was promised. Do you —

MS HARF: Well, I think you should look at each individual issue
individually.

QUESTION: Okay. And I don’t want to conflate them all, but I mean
can you understand why people who – people would look at this issue
on Armenia when there was a specific pledge, and then use it – use
the situation to call into question when the President says that,
say, Iran won’t get a bomb – won’t get the nuclear bomb – a nuclear
weapon on his watch?

MS HARF: Well, I certainly don’t believe that people should equate the
two in any way. The President – and look, we all understand there are
some who wanted to hear different language this year, and I do think
we can expect that the President will issue a statement this year that
marks the historical significance of the centennial, and as in past
years, mourns the senseless loss of 1.5 million Armenian lives. So he
will speak about this in some way, but I don’t think you should compare
any of these issues. I think if you want to talk about Iran and the
commitments the President’s made, we can talk about that separately.

QUESTION: Well, I don’t want to make it personal. I’m talking about
the Administration. I mean, he pledged that his Administration would
recognize what happened as genocide, and although there is one year
left to go in his second term, are you – can you understand why people
are upset about this?

MS HARF: I don’t think – well, I don’t understand —

QUESTION: Particularly —

MS HARF: — why people would compare it to other issues, like you did
when it comes to Iran. We certainly understand that there are people
who wanted to hear different language this year. Absolutely.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MS HARF: We understand that.

QUESTION: Can I try it a different way? Can I try it a different way?

MS HARF: Sure.

QUESTION: Was there a kind of – I mean, it sounds as if the position
of successive administrations have kind of looked at this and decided
not to call it a genocide for various means.

MS HARF: Correct.

QUESTION: Was there any kind of interagency route? Like, coming up
to the centennial, was there any kind of interagency discussion of
the position of the Administration? I mean, it sounds like despite
the President’s pledge notwithstanding that it is not the position
of this Administration that a genocide took place.

MS HARF: There are always conversations among agencies who play
relevant roles here about these issues. Certainly, they are very
important and we understand that. So I would say yes, there were
discussions inside the interagency about what to say. That’s not
unusual about any issue.

QUESTION: Not about what to say, but about, like, obviously if you
classify something – when you call it that, you’re saying it. But it
just sounds like this Administration does not consider what happened
a genocide.

MS HARF: We have been very clear, consistently stating our view here.

And I think you will hear the President in his statement marking the
centennial speak very clearly about that.

QUESTION: I want to go back to something that you just said about
trying to balance the historical record with current day concerns,
regional concerns, ostensibly about security. The United States, as
far as I can recall, never had this issue in calling the Holocaust
what it was. And it doesn’t seem to have affected the U.S.

relationship with Germany. Is the relationship with Turkey so fragile
or so imperiled that something can’t be called what it is?

MS HARF: I’m just not going to compare those two events, Roz, in the
way that you did. And I think we’ve said what we’re going to say on
this. And I think you’ll hear more statements from the Administration
on the anniversary itself. And I don’t have much more analysis of it
to do for you today.

QUESTION: Can I ask you —

QUESTION: Can we move on?

QUESTION: So just a last one on this. So you would reject the idea
that has been put out by some – the Armenian American community that
the Administration is basically submitting itself to a gag order from
the Turks? You would reject that?

MS HARF: I hadn’t seen that. But we make decisions on our own about
what we say and how we talk about things. And I think you will hear
the President speak very strongly about the historical fact that
1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in
the final days of the Ottoman Empire. He has said that consistently
and repeatedly, and I think you’ll hear that being said as well. We
understand there are people who would like to hear some different
language. We are certainly aware of that and are sensitive to it,
but we think this is the best course.

QUESTION: Right. But the problem is that he’s also consistently –
at least, before he became president – called it a genocide. He
had one of his campaign surrogates, who is now the ambassador to
the United Nations, Samantha Power, record a video that asked the
Armenian American community to vote for then Senator Obama precisely
because he would not be the typical politician and would live up to
his promise to do this one thing.

MS HARF: I understand your question. For questions about him
specifically, for the President’s campaign certainly, I’m happy for
you to ask the White House those questions.

QUESTION: All right. Do you know if this —

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: No, no, no, I just – did this issue come up yesterday in
the meeting with Secretary Kerry and the Turkish foreign minister?

MS HARF: It did briefly, yes.

QUESTION: It did. And did the Secretary tell him what was going down?

MS HARF: I’m not going to have more details to share with you.

QUESTION: Do you know, in their public comments that they made here,
the issue – the Secretary, at least, did not raise the issue of human
rights, a crackdown on media freedoms in Turkey. Did that come up
privately, do you know?

MS HARF: He – well, they discussed a number of issues. Maybe I’ll
just do a readout and then —

QUESTION: Sure.

MS HARF: — you can ask me follow-ups. Sorry. I think we just emailed
this out, too. But —

QUESTION: Oh.

MS HARF: — the Secretary and the foreign minister discussed a wide
range of bilateral and regional issues, including our efforts as
members of the international coalition to defeat ISIL, our shared goal
of seeking a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Syria
that does not include Bashar al-Assad, the importance of European
energy diversification, and our support for Ukrainian sovereignty in
response to Russian aggression. The Secretary expressed U.S. support
for Turkey-Armenia normalization and the importance of Turkey taking
concrete steps to match its government’s statements on reconciliation
with Armenia. They also spoke about ongoing events in Yemen, Libya,
and Cyprus, and he said he looked forward to the NATO ministerial in
Turkey next month, where they will discuss many of these issues.

Which —

QUESTION: Human rights?

MS HARF: I’m sorry, which – human rights in respect to what
specifically?

QUESTION: Well, in respect to the crackdown that’s been going on
in Turkey.

MS HARF: I think the Secretary referenced in his public comments
towards the end where he said both of our democracies are best when
we keep trying to work to improve them, and I think he was referencing
some of those issues publicly in his remarks.

QUESTION: Can we change the subject?

MS HARF: We can.

QUESTION: On this, are you on the same page with Turkey now regarding
the train and equip program for the Syrian opposition?

MS HARF: Well, your question would indicate that we weren’t before,
a notion I would reject.

QUESTION: That’s what the news reports said.

MS HARF: Well, I’m rejecting that notion. Let’s move on.

QUESTION: Can you —

MS HARF: Yeah.

QUESTION: You go – well, I’ll go ahead.

QUESTION: Yeah. Go ahead, and then I’ll go.

Click on Link to Watch Video

HOLY RELICS TO BE USED DURING THE CANONIZATION SERVICE OF THE MARTYRS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

15:24 * 23.04.15

By Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians; the following 14 Holy Relics, out of the
numerous Holy relics of the Armenian Church, will be used during the
Service of Canonization of the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide:

1. Holy Lance ‘Geghard’

The Holy Lance is the tip of the metal spear which was used by the
Roman soldier to pierce the side of our Lord Jesus Christ while he
hung on the cross. According to historical tradition, the Apostle St.

Thaddeus, one of the 12 disciples of Christ, brought this sacred relic
of the Lord to the Armenian world in the first century. For centuries
the Holy Christian relic has been kept at different monasteries in
Western (historical) Armenia, and in Ayrivank since the 13th century,
which later was renamed Geghardavanq (the Monastery of Holy Geghard)
after the Holy Lance. In the second half of the 18th century the Holy
Lance was brought to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and is still
kept in the spiritual center of All Armenians. The Holy Lance is also
one of the three Holy Relics used to bless and consecrate the Holy
Chrism (Muron) of the Armenian Church.

2. The Right Hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator

The Right Hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator is the symbol of the
highest spiritual authority of the Armenian Church, the Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The newer silver gilded
reliquary was made in 1657, on which is depicted the twelve sufferings
of the Illuminator. The Right Hand is also one of the three Holy
Relics used to bless and consecrate the Holy Chrism (Muron) of the
Armenian Church.

3. Relic of the True Cross

The Reliquary of the True Cross, made in 1651, contains a small piece
of the life-giving wooden cross of our Lord Jesus. The Cross relic
is one of the three Holy Relics used to bless and consecrate the Holy
Chrism (Muron) of the Armenian Church.

4. Reliquary of Skevra

One of the priceless gems of Armenian ecclesiastical art is the
reliquary of Skevra which was made in Cilician Armenia in 1293,
and is kept in the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The reliquary
contains the relics of 18 saints: the Apostles St. Paul, St. Peter, St.

Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew; St. Gregory the Illuminator, Patriarch
James of Nisibis, Saint John Chrysostom, St. Catherine, and others. In
2000, during a Pontifical visit of the Catholicos of All Armenians
to the Armenian Diocese of New Nakhichevan and Russia, the Hermitage
returned the relics of the 18 saints to the Armenian Church, and they
were placed in a duplicate reliquary that had been specially made.

5. The Right Hand of St. Stephen the Proto-Deacon and First Martyr
of the Church

The silver Right Hand reliquary, from the XVII-XVIII centuries,
contains the relic of St. Stephen the Proto-Deacon, the first
Christian martyr.

6. The Right Hand of the Virgin St. Hripsime

The silver gilded Right Hand reliquary contains the relic of the
virgin St. Hripsime. The relic dates back to the XVII-XVIII centuries.

7. The Right Hand of the Apostle Ananias

The Seventeenth century silver gilded Right Hand reliquary contains the
relics of the Apostle Anania, one of the 72 disciples of Jesus Christ.

8. The Right Hand of Catholicos St. Sahak I Parthev

The XVII-XVIII centuries Right Hand reliquary contains the relic of
the 10th Catholicos of All Armenians, St. Sahak I Parthev (387-428).

The Right Hand of Catholicos Sahak Parthev was brought to the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin from Western Armenia, Anapat Armenian
íonastery, Lim Island, Lake Van , Turkey.

9. The Right Hand of St. Sarkis the Warrior

The Right Hand reliquary was commissioned in 2008 by His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The
silversmith is Mamikon Mkhitaryan. The reliquary contains the relics of
St. Sarkis the Warrior, which were discovered during excavations of the
St. Sarkis Monastery in Ushi, in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia.

10. The Right Hand of St. Gevork the Warrior

The reliquary contains the relics of St. Gevork the Warrior. The
Right Hand reliquary was made in Kolkata, India in 1928, and is
silver gilded.

11. Cross-reliquary of St. Thaddeus and St. Virgin Sandukht

The eighteenth century made cross-reliquary contains the relics of
the Apostle St. Thaddeus, one of the Armenian first illuminators,
and the relic of the first Armenian Martyr St. Sandukht the Princess.

12. Cross-reliquary of St. John the Baptist

The cross-reliquary, created in Cilician Armenia in the fourteenth
century, contains the relics of St. John the Baptist.

13. St. Gregory of Narek and other Saints

Made in the nineteenth century, the octagon star-shaped reliquary
contains the relics of St. Gregory of Narek and the relics of other
Pan-Christian Saints. The relic was presented to the Catholicos of
All Armenian in 2012 and given to the Armenian Church.

14. Gospel of Zeytun

The Gospel of Zeytun was written in Hromkla in 1256 by Toros Roslin,
the most prominent Armenian manuscript illuminator in the High Middle
Ages. It is one of numerous treasures kept in the The Mesrop Mashtots
Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenaderan). The manuscript was
commisioned and received by the 69th Catholicos of All Armenians,
Constantine I of Bartzrapert (1221-1267). The Holy Gospel was donated
to the Matenadaran by the Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I.

LA MAIRIE DU 6E ET 8E DE MARSEILLE DEVOILE UN BANDEAU SUR LE 100EME ANNIVERSAIRE DU GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS

MARSEILLE-100ème ANNIVERSAIRE DU GNOCIDE DES ARMENIENS

Après la Mairie centrale de Marseille (sur le Vieux Port), les mairies
des secteurs (arrondissements) se plient a leur tour au devoilement
de bandeaux rappelant le 100ème anniversaire du genocide des Armeniens.

Mardi 21 avril a 18h c’etait au tour de la Mairie du 6e-8e de Marseille
a la > de devoiler le bandeau sur le genocide. Yves
Moraine, le maire de secteur, accompagne de Martine Vassal la
nouvelle presidente du Conseil departemental des Bouches-du-Rhône,
Didier Parakian l’Adjoint au Maire de Marseille et de Samuel Lalayan,
le Consul d’Armenie a Marseille ont coupe le ruban devoilant le large
panneau sur le 100ème anniversaire du genocide.

Face au public, dans les discours officiels, Yves Moraine a salue le
rôle et l’importance des Armeniens a Marseille avec une communaute

CHURCH OF CHRIST HAS A MISSION TO HELP PREVENT CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II

13:28, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Address of His Holiness Karekin II Catholicos Of All Armenians at
the Global Forum Session on the Occasion of the Centennial of the
Armenian Genocide

22 April 2015

Dear Brothers in Christ:

We praise the Lord most high on the occasion of this gathering. By
the will of God, we have come together to commemorate the 100th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in brotherly love, prayer,
and with united efforts to witness and realize Christ’s message
“that all may become one” (John 17:21)

At the beginning of the twentieth century the monstrous crime of
genocide was planned and carried out by Ottoman Turkey, millions of
Armenians were forced out of their native lands and were decimated,
and others were forced to convert. The wave of these horrific evils
did not spare the other ethnic and religious minorities of the Ottoman
Empire, like the children of the brotherly Greek and Syrian peoples.

Dear faithful brothers, today in your countries many sons and daughters
of our nation, who are the descendants of those Armenians who survived
and dispersed throughout the world, live and work side-by-side with
the Christ-loving flock entrusted to your care by the Lord and share
in your sorrows and joys. They are living testimony to the barbaric
crime. They are also our answer to the denial of the Armenian
Genocide. In the name of our faithful, we express our gratitude to
you for the care, love and your paternal blessings that you have
continuously shown towards our people.

Many of you have come from countries of the Middle East. Today within
the borders of your countries rest the remains of Armenians killed in
the deserts of the Ottoman Empire, whom in the words of the Book of
Revelations, still await justice (cf. Revelations 6:9-10). We believe
that justice must be established on a firm foundation for the sake
of humanity’s well-being, peace and solidarity.

The Armenian Genocide was accompanied by cultural obliteration as
well. Many holy shrines, churches, monasteries, sacred spiritual and
cultural treasures were destroyed and will never be replaced. Many
of you have had occasion to visit Christian holy sites in Turkey,
where prayers are no longer heard and which lie in ruins or are on
the verge of collapse due to intentional neglect.

This is just a sketch of the horrendous crime that was committed
at the beginning of the 20th century. The 100 years following the
Genocide have been years of resurrection in our national life and a
long, challenging path to bring justice for our people. It has been
comforting that along this difficult path we have been assisted
by our brothers in the great Christian family and by peoples and
individuals of good will. We have been consoled by the unwavering
support of civilized and progressive humanity, when various countries,
organizations and individuals have recognized the Armenian Genocide
and condemned this crime of the early 20th century.

The Church of Christ has a mission bestowed upon by the Lord to
preach the life-giving Divine word to establish love, brotherhood and
peace amongst people and to help prevent and heal the consequences
of crimes against humanity. Crimes of all kinds, whether murder,
terror, atrocity, or genocide, are violations of God’s creation and
are transgressions against the sanctity and dignity of human life and
therefore sins that must be atoned for through confession, repentance,
and redemption. Guided by the apostolic word “to do everything in love”
(1 Corinthians 16:14) and adhering to the church father’s exhortation
to “love the sinner, but hate the sin,” the church never considers
the expression of Christian love toward sinners to be acceptance or
approval of sin or transgression. There should be no doubt that the
condemnation of committed crimes is essential for the prevention of
new evils and calamities.

Dear spiritual brothers, this is an occasion once again to raise
our voices to condemn the crimes against humanity which have not yet
received the justice they are due as well as the crimes being committed
today, especially in the continuing conflict and terrorism in the
Middle East, and to call on the leaders of all nations, states and
international institutions to exert every effort to stop these crimes,
which are bringing about destruction and slaughter of innocents.

We are deeply upset, that on the eve of the commemoration events of
the Armenian Genocide, we are informed once again of crime against
the faithful of the Ethiopian church that has been perpetrated by
extremists in Libya, as was the same case against the Coptic Christians
only months ago. As a result, our beloved brother, His Holiness Abune
Mathias I, Patriarch and Catholicos of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox
Church, was unable to participate in these commemorative events. We
offer our support to our beloved brother and his faithful flock,
praying that God receive in His dwellings on high the souls of the
martyred children of the Ethiopian Church.

We convey Our brotherly love and gratitude to you all for partaking
in the events commemorating the Armenian Genocide.

We pray that All-Merciful God will help and support us so that we
may fulfill our mission and continue to work together for the sake
of establishing peace, justice and solidarity in the world, for the
glory of God, the vibrancy of Christ’s Holy Church, and the well-being
of all humanity.

KEEPING THE MEMORIES ALIVE: THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Daily Illini, Student Paper of the Univ. of Illinois
April 21 2015

By Sarah Foster | Assistant features editor The Daily Illini | 0 comments

They found her in the middle of the Syrian Desert.

She was 2 years old, lying abandoned on the side of the road, when
a group of French nuns first approached her. They were there to save
other stranded children just like her, hoping to bring them back to
French orphanages for safety. Without a family or a home, the girl
had nothing left to do. She had to go.

How did she get here? It was a question the girl often wondered.

She knew a series of abnormal roundups first began in Constantinople
on April 24, 1915, when the Ottoman Empire jailed, tortured and
killed politicians, teachers, writers and clergy. The men came
next; they were tied together with ropes, then shot or stabbed near
the countryside. The girl was in the next group, with other women,
children and the elderly. They were told to pack lightly and be ready
to leave and that they would be taken to safety. Instead, they led
them to this desert.

But there was an even more important question: Why was she here?

Several years later, after analysts and historians looked at the
historic event, she finally knew.

Because she was Armenian.

***

Ashley Megurdichian will always remember the story of her great
grandmother, Attia, who survived what is today known as the Armenian
Genocide.

Her great grandmother’s story contains tragedy and pain but inspires
her to make a difference. It has empowered her to become the president
of the University’s Armenian Student Association and urged her to
document her ancestors’ and relatives’ past.

“I think it is important to spread awareness so that massacres like
this do not happen again,” Megurdichian said. “Not many people are
aware that the Armenian Genocide happened.”

Megurdichian, however, will be able to further this goal throughout
the week, as her organization will sponsor a series of commemorative
events, in works with the Initiative in Holocaust, Genocide and Memory
Studies and the Future of Trauma and Memory Studies Reading Group.

The first commemorative event will be a reading of Armenian literature
in various languages and proses Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Helen Makhdoumian, graduate student in English and the event’s primary
organizer, said the event is meant to keep the culture alive. She
said the memories of the victims carry on through literature better
than a textbook or lecture.

“History books cannot give a perspective of the individual and
everyday experiences,” Makhdoumian said. “For some Armenian writers,
literature is a way to honor their elders’ wishes about telling the
story. … Literature becomes a medium through which individuals can
speak through the silences and meditate on these memories of trauma.”

To Makhdoumian, keeping the memories of the Armenians alive means
surviving her grandparents’ stories as well.

Makhdoumian’s grandfather, Krikor, was a child when the uprooting
first began. He lost his family and his brother during the
relocations. Krikor was rescued by a local Kurdish shepherd; he
was stripped of his identity and name but left him with a tattoo,
so he would not forget his true heritage, as both a Christian and an
Armenian. The shepherd protected Krikor for four years, forcing him
to hide in the hay when danger was near.

But even though these memories were painful for her relatives to
remember, Makhdoumian knows they have to be heard.

“Many survivors tasked their children and descendants with stories
to keep the memories alive and make their stories heard. I think many
feared that the world would forget,” Makhdoumian said.

A 2006 documentary by filmmaker Andrew Goldberg will be screened
Friday, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, at 5 p.m.,
and is sponsored by The Future of Trauma and Memory Studies.

Jessica Young, graduate student in English, is the key organizer
behind the documentary showing.

“Trauma issues of genocide are a difficult subject,” Young said. “Not
everyone wants to study them or think about them, but it is necessary
to learn about the politics involved, read about them and make sure
that victims of genocide memories are not lost. We are hoping that
our film can raise that part of awareness.”

Makhdoumian’s passion inspired Young to begin working with the
commemorative events of the Armenian Genocide. But Young has always
known the tragedies of Genocide. Her grandparents were German Jews,
and in the 1930s, they fled their home country to the United States
to escape the impending danger and violence.

“I grew up listening to stories about my family who perished in the
Holocaust,” Young said. “I have grown up with that, and it has made
me sensitive to other issues against police, genocide and trauma. It
was always in the background. They had to fill in the gaps about what
happened to their friends, that they died in a concentration camp or
on their way. When you go through that, there was a lot of fear. It
was not something that they often talked about.”

Young said she believes these commemorative events prevent the
perpetrators from winning.

“If you forget them, the perpetrators win,” Young said. “You have
to commemorate. Without that, it obliterates people, their culture,
their history – and that is what genocide is. You have to fight against
genocide. The sole survivors — remembering and learning about them —
is important to fight against the violence.”

***

Though the events of the Armenian Genocide occurred 100 years ago,
the world is still feeling its affects.

Nearly 1.5 million Armenians died after the events. The remaining
500,000 survivors were scattered across the globe. The Ottoman Empire
kept the acts a secret, as the only primary artifacts and studies
come from first-hand witnesses and journalists on the scene.

In the aftermath, however, Turkey prohibits any conversation about this
event in its history. They believe the events were not act of genocide.

Peter Fritzsche, University professor in history specializing in
topics about holocausts and genocide , said this is preventing the
world from making a difference and moving on.

“Genocides are now remembered by each other,” he said. “People
as nations remember the sorrows and victimization. … What is
unproductive is for Turkey to say, ‘It was not genocide, and you insult
our nation if you refer to it as genocide.’ It is not the requirement
to call it a genocide; the requirement is to discuss it, to put the
issue on the table and to explore it. If it is a slap in the face,
that is good. At least we are bringing the discussion to the table.”

To Megurdichian, the events on campus are the next step to fighting
Turkey’s refusal. It is a way of surviving her grandmother’s stories
and making sure her pain was worthwhile.

“I hope that people will learn about our history and who we are as a
people,” Megurdichian said. “But most importantly, I hope that they
learn about this genocide, so that even if the government cannot
officially recognize it, they will still know the truth.”