Category: 2023

Armenian Resistance fighter joins France's Pantheon greats

Known as being "pantheonised", the rare tribute is reserved for those who have played an important role in the country's history.

Missak Manouchian, who arrived in France in 1925 as a stateless refugee after fleeing violence, later joined the communist Resistance during World War II.

He led a small group of foreign Resistance fighters against the Nazi occupation, carrying out attacks on German forces and acts of sabotage in Nazi-occupied France in 1943.

Macron said Manouchian "embodies the universal values" of France and "carries a part of our greatness".

In 1944, the group, which included a number of Jews, was put out of action when 23 of its members were rounded up and sentenced to death by a German military court.

Manouchian was shot by the Nazis on February 21, 1944.

The collaborationist Vichy regime later tried to discredit the group and defuse the anger over the executions in an infamous red poster depicting the dead fighters as terrorists.

By entering the Pantheon, Manouchian will become both the first foreign and communist Resistance fighter to be awarded the honour.

Manouchian will enter the Pantheon alongside his wife Melinee, who survived him by 45 years and is buried alongside him at the Ivry-sur-Seine cemetery.

– 'Quiet heroism' –

Macron paid tribute to Manouchian's "bravery" and "quiet heroism" in a statement Sunday, as well as to other foreign Resistance fighters.

Other major French figures to be reburied in the Pantheon include Victor Hugo, Voltaire and Marie Curie.

Since 2017, Macron has pantheonised three others including the French-American dancer and rights activist Josephine Baker, who became the first black woman to be honoured in the secular temple.

Baker was also just the fifth woman to be honoured with a place in the secular temple to the heroes of the French Republic which sits on a hill in the Left Bank of Paris.

The move followed years of campaigning by her family and admirers for her place in French history to be recognised.

The pantheonisation of Manouchian had been long called for by the French left, particularly the Communist Party.

On Sunday, Macron will decorate Robert Birenbaum — part of the foreign Resistance fighter group alongside Manouchian — at the Mont Valerien site where Manouchian and hundreds of other "resistants" were executed by the Nazis.

The tribute on Sunday marks part of a long series of memorials leading up to the 80th anniversary since the end of World War II, which are set to continue next year with events to commemorate the liberation of Paris.

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West Ham and Bournemouth had scouts in the stands for Armenia's shock Euro qualifying win against Wales.

The Prem pair had scouts posted to check on several Armenia players.

Krasnodar midfielder Eduard Spertsyan and defender Georgy Arutyunyan, along with Nair Tiknizyan from Lokomotiv Moscow are all of interest.

Spertsyan, 23, is of particular interest for the Prem pair.

Ajax and AC Milan are also interested in the youngster.

Missak Manouchian, an Armenian genocide survivor who went on to become a French Resistance hero, will enter France’s Panthéon mausoleum of revered historical figures next year, President Emmanuel Macron announced in a statement Sunday.

"Manouchian carries a part of our greatness", Macron said in the statement issued by the Élysée Palace, adding the French-Armenian poet and communist embodied France’s “universal values” of liberty, equality and fraternity.  

Macron said Manouchian will be inducted into the Panthéon - which already honours eight other French Resistance heroes, including Jean Moulin – on February 21, 2024.

According to the wishes of his family, his wife Mélinée will join him in the mausoleum, although she will not receive the “pantheonisation” of her husband – the rare tribute reserved only for those who have played an important role in French history, such as Victor Hugo, Voltaire and Marie Curie.

Manouchian arrived in France in 1925 as a stateless refugee after fleeing the Armenian genocide with his brother, and joined the country’s communist Resistance movement in 1943 during World War II. He led a small group of fighters that carried out a string of successsful attacks against the occupying Nazi forces .

In 1944, the group, which included a number of Jews, was put out of action when 23 of its members were rounded up and sentenced to death by a German military court.

Manouchian was shot by a Nazi firing squad on February 21, 1944.

The collaborationist Vichy regime later tried to discredit the group and defuse the anger over the executions in an infamous red poster depicting the dead fighters as terrorists.

By entering the Panthéon, Manouchian will become both the first foreign and communist Resistance fighter to be awarded the honour.

In his tribute, Macron also pointed to the “bravery” and “quiet heroism” of Manouchian and other foreign Resistance fighters.

Macron decorated Robert Birenbaum—part of the foreign Resistance fighter group alongside Manouchian—at the Mont Valerien site where Manouchian and other resistants were executed by the Nazis.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

https://amp.france24.com/en/europe/20230618-french-armenian-resistance-hero-missak-manouchian-to-enter-france-s-panth%C3%A9on 

An Armenian parent attending a Glendale Unified School District Board meeting called out a teacher for evoking the Armenian genocide while defending LGBTQ+ and minority issues during the meeting. The June 6th school board meeting marked a debate about designating June as LGBTQ+ pride month and included protests from parents asking for permission to opt their children out of aspects of the LGBTQ+ curriculum.

During the meeting, a teacher identified herself as being in support of critical race theory and diversity, inclusion, and equity training. She criticized the “hetero-normative, Judeo-Christian, patriarchal, imperialist, capitalist system” and compared the Armenian genocide to the risk of suicide for LGBTQ+ youth. The teacher’s comments went viral, leading to heated debates among community members.

Tensions rose as physical fights broke out between counter-protesters and those opposing the LGBTQ+ curriculum. School officials expressed sadness at the violence and reported that those involved were not affiliated with the Glendale Unified community. Parents and community members expressed their support for removing the curriculum from schools, calling it “disgusting” and inappropriate for children as young as five years old.

Parents have been actively pushing back against school administrators regarding gender ideology and trans policies. One parent, claiming to be the “leader” of the parental pushback, said that “none of this would happen without the Armenian parents and community members.” He accused the teacher of using the Armenian genocide to legitimize radicalizing students with gender identity and disturbing their identities.

The debate over LGBTQ+ issues in schools continues to be a controversial topic in many communities, often leading to heated tensions and violence. Parents and community members must work together to find solutions that support all children while respecting individual beliefs and values.

An Armenian parent in California, who was embroiled in the protest as a Glendale Unified School District board meeting occurred last week, called out a teacher for evoking the Armenian genocide in defense of LGBTQ and minorities in the country.

"It's a completely ridiculous statement. To even conflate the two issues is insane," "Joseph," who does not want to disclose his full name, told Fox News Digital in reaction to the teacher’s statements.

While tensions were high during a protest that eventually devolved into a brawl, the June 6 school board meeting became heated among board officials and community members.

The Glendale Unified School Board listened as members of the public debated LGBTQ+ issues while the board considered a resolution to designate June as LGBTQ+ Pride month.

Some parents spoke up and asked they be given a say over what their children are exposed to in school. They asked for permission to opt their children out of aspects of the LGBTQ+ curriculum. Others defended the district's policies, saying that no one wants to "turn straight kids gay" and pointing out that LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk for suicide and Pride is about love and acceptance.

A video of a woman, who identified herself as a teacher in the area, spoke in defense of the LGBTQ+ community and criticized the "heteronormative, Judeo-Christian, patriarchal, imperialist, capitalist system."

"I'm a teacher in the district, and I also teach in LAUSD. I have two students in the district," the teacher said. "I deal with a lot of the trauma of LGBT youth related to the heteronormative, Judeo-Christian, patriarchal, imperialist, capitalist system that oppresses them." 

She continued, "Why critical race theory? I'm not just here in support of our LGBTQ youth. It's all connected. I'm in support of critical race theory and diversity, inclusion and equity training."

Many of the parents who were protesting the meetings were Armenian. The teacher attempted to compare the Armenian genocide to the risk of suicide by LGBTQ+ youth and said kids know if they are trans at 3 years old.

"Armenians talk about the genocide, but they received SSI, but they don’t want to talk about the indigenous genocide of 1850 and the lack of reparations for Black and Indigenous people in this country," she said. "How dare you as marginalized people come here, and you don't want to talk about the oppressed trans youth … your kids are even learning what they need to learn in this that 1 in 2 will commit suicide and that 95% of kids will know they're trans when they are 3, 4, or 5 years old."

Joseph took offense to the teacher's comparison.

"A genocide of 1.5 million at least Armenians by the Turkish Ottoman Turks … it's complete gaslighting on the other side," he said. "All I have got to say is kids are not allowed to drink before 21. They're not allowed to have tattoos before 18. They're not allowed to buy guns before 18. And somehow, some way, they have enough common sense to be able to choose what gender they are like."

Joseph was part of the several hundred protesters and a group of Armenians who gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters in Los Angeles. There were counter-protesters holding Pride flags to show support for gender and sexual identity curriculum in schools.

Tensions hit a breaking point when physical fights broke out between the two sides. It is unclear how the fights started.

School officials said they were deeply saddened by the unrest and that those involved were not affiliated with the Glendale Unified community.

Joseph, who sends his kids to private shool, said the community is going to stand up and aim to "remove this disgusting topic" from schools.

"The bottom line is the Armenian community and all other communities with parents that actually care for their kids … they're going to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Armenian community. And what we're going to do is completely remove this disgusting topic from our schools," he said. "This has no business in our schools if you put any type of sexualization, regardless if you're LGBTQ or straight or gay or whatever it may be, that shouldn't even be discussed at the level that they want to push this, which is 5-year-old, 6-year-old, 7-year-olds."

"It's like it's insanity," Joseph added.

Another parent who was also part of the protest spoke with Fox News Digital and blasted the teacher's comments.

"I've been trying to wake the community up to the gender ideology and the trans policies for several months, and we finally are getting a lot of traction," said "Henry," a father of a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old.

Henry claimed to be the leader in the parental pushback against school administrators.

"None of this would happen without the Armenian parents and community members," Henry said.

Furthermore, Henry told Fox News Digital that though he is not Armenian, he has worked with a "massive number" of Armenian community members – hundreds of those who are involved.

"She is leveraging history to make her very opinionated point, a biased point on gender ideology. She is using the Armenian genocide to justify radicalizing students with their gender identity and destabilizing these students' identities."

Henry said that as a taxpayer in the community he does not feel comfortable sending his kids to public schools within the district.

Fox News Thomas Phippen contributed to this report.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/armenian-parent-scorns-teacher-evoked-armenian-genocide-defending-lgbtq-students-complete-gaslighting.amp