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GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED AT MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE (SLIDESHOW)
by Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/04/23/genocide-commemorated-at-massachusetts-state-house-slideshow/
April 23, 2012
BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)-On April 20, hundreds commemorated the
97thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Massachusetts State
House in Boston. Guests included legislators, human rights activists,
and members of the Armenian American community.
A scene from the commemoration (Photo by Aaron Spagnolo) Rep. Jon Hecht
(D-Watertown) co-hosted the event, together with Sen.
Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) and Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown). "This
legislature and this state remain firmly committed to the purposes of
this event: to honor the victims and the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide, to recognize the crimes committed against the Armenian
people by the Ottoman Empire, to thank those who have made special
contributions to the world's understanding of the Armenian Genocide and
the advancement of the Armenian culture, and to rededicate ourselves
to upholding the truth of those tragic events and preventing their
recurrence anywhere in the world," said Hecht.
Following a prayer by Rev. Gregory Haroutunian, Rep. James Miceli
(D-Wilmington) led the "Pledge of Allegiance." Miceli noted that
his maternal grandmother was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide,
and remembered the late Speaker George Keverian, who had initiated
the commemoration event at the State House back in 1985.
Students from the St. Stephen's Armenian School and the Armenian
Sisters' Academy, clad in their school uniforms, sang "America the
Beautiful" and the Armenian national anthem.
Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo welcomed the guests. "We'll never
forget the million-and-a-half Armenians killed, and we must not allow
the world to forget," said DeLeo. He, too, remembered Keverian's
efforts in starting the annual commemoration ceremony at the State
House. DeLeo noted that in his office he keeps a book by Peter
Balakian, in which the author discusses the advocacy of a group
of vocal Americans who raised awareness about the crimes committed
against the Armenians as they were happening at the end of World War
I. "Those Americans included President Theodore Roosevelt, who called
the genocide the greatest crime of the war. His words are as moving
today, as they were then... As human beings we must strive to allow
the human spirit to outshine the acts of epic infamy," said DeLeo.
Brownsberger took the podium next. He commended Playwright Joyce
Van Dyke for her play "Deported/A Dream Play" and presented her
with a resolution from the Massachusetts General Court honoring her
contributions to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The play tells
the story of Van Dyke's grandmother and her friend, both survivors
from the genocide. Van Dyke accepted the resolution, and thanked the
committee for recognizing her work. She spoke about the role of art in
politics. "Why should politics and political movements care about art?
... What we all need is recognition and justice. Here is what the
theater can do: The theater broadcasts our story in a public forum at
a uniquely emotional and personal level. It makes our story visceral.
It makes it come alive," she said.
Brownsberger also presented a resolution to AFL-CIO president and
former state legislator Steven Tolman, who was unable to attend. The
resolution recognized Tolman's lifelong "diligent" and "tireless"
efforts in advocating for and ensuring that "the historical lessons
of the genocide will never be forgotten," by supporting the victims
of the Armenian Genocide and honoring them through resolutions;
by co-hosting the annual commemoration event at the State House;
by supporting the construction of the Armenian Heritage Park in
Boston; and by helping pass a law in 1998 that required elementary
and secondary schools to teach about the Armenian Genocide.
Homenetmen Scouts hold their place in the gathering. (Photo by Tom
Vartabedian) Next, the former regional director of the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL), Andy Tarsy, who was fired from his post for publically
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, greeted the attendees with the
Armenian words, "Paree louys paregamner" ("Good morning friends"). "We
must be candid about history," he continued. "To withhold the use
of the term 'genocide' to describe the war on the Armenian people in
the Ottoman Empire is a deliberate calculation that values short-term
political stability over truth. Make that bargain once or twice in a
few extreme situations, and maybe we will be safer for the moment,
but before long we will undermine the foundation of everything
else we believe in, and our safety with it. At that point, nothing
important to us will be safe at all," said Tarsy. "The world knew
what was happening in 1915," he said, underlining the fact that in
that year there were 145 articles in the New York Times about the
atrocities occurring in the Ottoman Empire. He then read the names
of the organizations and individuals who recognized and supported
the quest for justice in the case of the Armenian Genocide.
The keynote address by Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian
focused on the choices people are faced with every day: taking a stand
during the present versus postponement and inaction. He spoke about
the empty seats left behind by the victims of the genocide. "These
commemorations are reminders of the empty seats, the shattered dreams,
the destroyed communities, and the loss of a homeland," he said.
Mouradian emphasized the importance of being present, of taking
a stand and fighting for justice in the present. "We will be
able to achieve that day when those [empty] seats in the Turkish
Parliament are acknowledged, and the victims who occupied those
seats are acknowledged," he said, referring to the murdered Armenian
Parliamentarians of the Ottoman Empire. Choices are faced by all of
us, he said. "A similar choice faces Turkish civil society today:
of moving on or confronting their reality. The past is demanding an
explanation. It is not an issue of memory, but about justice."
Rep. Jon Hecht welcomes the gathering. (Photo by Tom Vartabedian)
Anahis Kechejian, a young woman who this year began a new tradition,
"Stand Up for your Survivor," introduced Sherriff Peter Koutoujian.
(Kechejian has collected the pictures and the dates and birthplaces
of survivors, and printed posters that were held by the students of St.
Stephen's Armenian School and the Armenian Sisters' Academy.)
Koutoujian then read an address by Governor Deval Patrick, who
was unable to attend the commemoration event. He also read the
proclamations that he then passed to the survivors present, during
a moving performance of Yervant Sardarian's "Armenian Sketches" by
13-year-old violinist Haig Hovsepian, accompanied on the piano by
Ani Hovsepian.
Fr. Antranig Baljian offered the Requiem prayer, which was followed
by a moment of silence. Hecht gave the closing remarks. Guests then
sang the "Hayr Mer" ("The Lord's Prayer"), led by the clergy.
by Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/04/23/genocide-commemorated-at-massachusetts-state-house-slideshow/
April 23, 2012
BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)-On April 20, hundreds commemorated the
97thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Massachusetts State
House in Boston. Guests included legislators, human rights activists,
and members of the Armenian American community.
A scene from the commemoration (Photo by Aaron Spagnolo) Rep. Jon Hecht
(D-Watertown) co-hosted the event, together with Sen.
Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) and Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown). "This
legislature and this state remain firmly committed to the purposes of
this event: to honor the victims and the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide, to recognize the crimes committed against the Armenian
people by the Ottoman Empire, to thank those who have made special
contributions to the world's understanding of the Armenian Genocide and
the advancement of the Armenian culture, and to rededicate ourselves
to upholding the truth of those tragic events and preventing their
recurrence anywhere in the world," said Hecht.
Following a prayer by Rev. Gregory Haroutunian, Rep. James Miceli
(D-Wilmington) led the "Pledge of Allegiance." Miceli noted that
his maternal grandmother was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide,
and remembered the late Speaker George Keverian, who had initiated
the commemoration event at the State House back in 1985.
Students from the St. Stephen's Armenian School and the Armenian
Sisters' Academy, clad in their school uniforms, sang "America the
Beautiful" and the Armenian national anthem.
Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo welcomed the guests. "We'll never
forget the million-and-a-half Armenians killed, and we must not allow
the world to forget," said DeLeo. He, too, remembered Keverian's
efforts in starting the annual commemoration ceremony at the State
House. DeLeo noted that in his office he keeps a book by Peter
Balakian, in which the author discusses the advocacy of a group
of vocal Americans who raised awareness about the crimes committed
against the Armenians as they were happening at the end of World War
I. "Those Americans included President Theodore Roosevelt, who called
the genocide the greatest crime of the war. His words are as moving
today, as they were then... As human beings we must strive to allow
the human spirit to outshine the acts of epic infamy," said DeLeo.
Brownsberger took the podium next. He commended Playwright Joyce
Van Dyke for her play "Deported/A Dream Play" and presented her
with a resolution from the Massachusetts General Court honoring her
contributions to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The play tells
the story of Van Dyke's grandmother and her friend, both survivors
from the genocide. Van Dyke accepted the resolution, and thanked the
committee for recognizing her work. She spoke about the role of art in
politics. "Why should politics and political movements care about art?
... What we all need is recognition and justice. Here is what the
theater can do: The theater broadcasts our story in a public forum at
a uniquely emotional and personal level. It makes our story visceral.
It makes it come alive," she said.
Brownsberger also presented a resolution to AFL-CIO president and
former state legislator Steven Tolman, who was unable to attend. The
resolution recognized Tolman's lifelong "diligent" and "tireless"
efforts in advocating for and ensuring that "the historical lessons
of the genocide will never be forgotten," by supporting the victims
of the Armenian Genocide and honoring them through resolutions;
by co-hosting the annual commemoration event at the State House;
by supporting the construction of the Armenian Heritage Park in
Boston; and by helping pass a law in 1998 that required elementary
and secondary schools to teach about the Armenian Genocide.
Homenetmen Scouts hold their place in the gathering. (Photo by Tom
Vartabedian) Next, the former regional director of the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL), Andy Tarsy, who was fired from his post for publically
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, greeted the attendees with the
Armenian words, "Paree louys paregamner" ("Good morning friends"). "We
must be candid about history," he continued. "To withhold the use
of the term 'genocide' to describe the war on the Armenian people in
the Ottoman Empire is a deliberate calculation that values short-term
political stability over truth. Make that bargain once or twice in a
few extreme situations, and maybe we will be safer for the moment,
but before long we will undermine the foundation of everything
else we believe in, and our safety with it. At that point, nothing
important to us will be safe at all," said Tarsy. "The world knew
what was happening in 1915," he said, underlining the fact that in
that year there were 145 articles in the New York Times about the
atrocities occurring in the Ottoman Empire. He then read the names
of the organizations and individuals who recognized and supported
the quest for justice in the case of the Armenian Genocide.
The keynote address by Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian
focused on the choices people are faced with every day: taking a stand
during the present versus postponement and inaction. He spoke about
the empty seats left behind by the victims of the genocide. "These
commemorations are reminders of the empty seats, the shattered dreams,
the destroyed communities, and the loss of a homeland," he said.
Mouradian emphasized the importance of being present, of taking
a stand and fighting for justice in the present. "We will be
able to achieve that day when those [empty] seats in the Turkish
Parliament are acknowledged, and the victims who occupied those
seats are acknowledged," he said, referring to the murdered Armenian
Parliamentarians of the Ottoman Empire. Choices are faced by all of
us, he said. "A similar choice faces Turkish civil society today:
of moving on or confronting their reality. The past is demanding an
explanation. It is not an issue of memory, but about justice."
Rep. Jon Hecht welcomes the gathering. (Photo by Tom Vartabedian)
Anahis Kechejian, a young woman who this year began a new tradition,
"Stand Up for your Survivor," introduced Sherriff Peter Koutoujian.
(Kechejian has collected the pictures and the dates and birthplaces
of survivors, and printed posters that were held by the students of St.
Stephen's Armenian School and the Armenian Sisters' Academy.)
Koutoujian then read an address by Governor Deval Patrick, who
was unable to attend the commemoration event. He also read the
proclamations that he then passed to the survivors present, during
a moving performance of Yervant Sardarian's "Armenian Sketches" by
13-year-old violinist Haig Hovsepian, accompanied on the piano by
Ani Hovsepian.
Fr. Antranig Baljian offered the Requiem prayer, which was followed
by a moment of silence. Hecht gave the closing remarks. Guests then
sang the "Hayr Mer" ("The Lord's Prayer"), led by the clergy.