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COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N20/armenia.html
April 24, 2012
Past, present, and future
During World War I, the world witnessed the first genocide of
the twentieth century. From 1915 to 1918, 1.5 million Armenians
(approximately 50 percent of the Armenian population at that time),
along with other minorities living in the Ottoman Empire, were
systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks. The Armenian Genocide is
commemorated on April 24; it was on this day in 1915 that the Young
Turks, the ruling party of the Ottoman Empire, ordered the killing
of Armenian intellectuals, leaders, artists, and businessmen living
in the Ottoman Empire. Following this day, many Armenian men were
massacred and plans for the genocide were implemented.
In the three years since, Armenian men, women, and children were
deported to Deir ez-Zor desert in Syria and made to march in extreme
conditions. Many died en route and many more were killed by Turkish
military men enforcing the march. Even after journalists and diplomats,
such as Henry Morgenthau, called for help for the Armenians, countries
like Great Britain and the United States failed to respond effectively.
Within the MIT community, students of Armenian descent, both at the
undergraduate and graduate level, remember the tragic losses of their
ancestors. The ancestors of one of our fellow students were among the
Armenians that experienced the Genocide first-hand. After witnessing
the murder of their family and friends, they escaped to Syria.
Throughout the years, his ancestors have passed down the story of
this terrible crime committed against the Armenian people.
To this day, the Turkish Government has made no apology or historical
admittance of the Armenian Genocide. Many Turkish historians claim
that there was no Genocide, but rather that the killings were simply
the outcome of battles between Armenians and Turks during WWI.
However, a trend has developed towards more open dialogue about the
Armenian Genocide by Turkish society, albeit a slow one. For example,
Professor Taner Akcam of Clark University is the first scholar of
Turkish descent who has publicly recognized the Armenian Genocide and
has written several books on the topic including The Young Turks'
Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
in the Ottoman Empire, and A Shameful Act: Armenian Genocide and the
Question of Turkish Responsibility.
Today, the American government does not recognize the Armenian
Genocide. President after president has made extensive promises to
officially have the US government recognize the Armenian Genocide.
However, no president has remained true to his word. Among these
presidents are President Clinton, President Bush, and President Obama.
However the list of countries that have recognized the Genocide
are growing, and include France, Canada, Argentina, Germany, Italy,
Uruguay, and many others.
Armenians at MIT and throughout the world remember the losses
incurred to our nation and people every day; and on April 24, we
come together to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. Taking into
consideration recent genocides and mass atrocities in the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries, our generation owes it to the world to
not let such crimes go unrecognized and unpunished and to ensure that
we do not see history repeated.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N20/armenia.html
April 24, 2012
Past, present, and future
During World War I, the world witnessed the first genocide of
the twentieth century. From 1915 to 1918, 1.5 million Armenians
(approximately 50 percent of the Armenian population at that time),
along with other minorities living in the Ottoman Empire, were
systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks. The Armenian Genocide is
commemorated on April 24; it was on this day in 1915 that the Young
Turks, the ruling party of the Ottoman Empire, ordered the killing
of Armenian intellectuals, leaders, artists, and businessmen living
in the Ottoman Empire. Following this day, many Armenian men were
massacred and plans for the genocide were implemented.
In the three years since, Armenian men, women, and children were
deported to Deir ez-Zor desert in Syria and made to march in extreme
conditions. Many died en route and many more were killed by Turkish
military men enforcing the march. Even after journalists and diplomats,
such as Henry Morgenthau, called for help for the Armenians, countries
like Great Britain and the United States failed to respond effectively.
Within the MIT community, students of Armenian descent, both at the
undergraduate and graduate level, remember the tragic losses of their
ancestors. The ancestors of one of our fellow students were among the
Armenians that experienced the Genocide first-hand. After witnessing
the murder of their family and friends, they escaped to Syria.
Throughout the years, his ancestors have passed down the story of
this terrible crime committed against the Armenian people.
To this day, the Turkish Government has made no apology or historical
admittance of the Armenian Genocide. Many Turkish historians claim
that there was no Genocide, but rather that the killings were simply
the outcome of battles between Armenians and Turks during WWI.
However, a trend has developed towards more open dialogue about the
Armenian Genocide by Turkish society, albeit a slow one. For example,
Professor Taner Akcam of Clark University is the first scholar of
Turkish descent who has publicly recognized the Armenian Genocide and
has written several books on the topic including The Young Turks'
Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
in the Ottoman Empire, and A Shameful Act: Armenian Genocide and the
Question of Turkish Responsibility.
Today, the American government does not recognize the Armenian
Genocide. President after president has made extensive promises to
officially have the US government recognize the Armenian Genocide.
However, no president has remained true to his word. Among these
presidents are President Clinton, President Bush, and President Obama.
However the list of countries that have recognized the Genocide
are growing, and include France, Canada, Argentina, Germany, Italy,
Uruguay, and many others.
Armenians at MIT and throughout the world remember the losses
incurred to our nation and people every day; and on April 24, we
come together to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. Taking into
consideration recent genocides and mass atrocities in the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries, our generation owes it to the world to
not let such crimes go unrecognized and unpunished and to ensure that
we do not see history repeated.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress