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ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXHIBIT OPENS AT CAPITOL HILL
armradio.am
24.04.2012 11:44
Armenia's Ambassador to the United States Tatoul Markarian, Armenia's
Deputy Minister of Culture Artur Boghosian, Reverend Michael Wilker
of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation and His Eminence Archbishop
Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Washington
presided over the formal opening April 18 of the exhibit "Witnesses
to the Armenian Genocide," hosted by the Lutheran Church of the
Reformation on Capitol Hill.
Sponsored by the Armenian Genocide Museum of America the exhibit brings
together the surviving photographic record of the Armenian Genocide
produced by German witnesses. The exhibit is being presented with
the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Institute.
"It is a special honor for the Lutheran Church of the Reformation to
host this unique exhibit about the Armenian Genocide," stated Reverend
Wilker in his welcoming remarks. "I am specially moved by the theme of
witnessing, and of speaking up in defense of our fellow human beings
in need of our care and attention. The Armenian people suffered the
ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their faith and their culture. As
the oldest Christian nation in the world, their martyrdom as a people
represents the worst that humans can do to another, and the best of
the spirit of humankind to resist and overcome evil."
"I am grateful to Reverend Wilker for his ecumenical vision in hosting
this special exhibit documenting the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide,"
said Ambassador Markarian. "On behalf of the Armenian government I want
to thank you for bringing this exhibit, this undeniable evidence of the
Armenian Genocide to Capitol Hill. This is not only about sharing our
pain. This is not just about telling the truth to the American people
about the Armenian Genocide. This is also a reminder for intervention
and prevention wherever people live under the threat of genocide."
Special mention was made on the occasion of the exhibit's formal
opening thanking Mrs. Rita Balian, who, with her late husband Vartkess
Balian, initiated the preparation of the panel exhibit and generously
contributed to make it a reality.
The research to uncover the rare photographic material displayed
was conducted by Dr. Hilmar Kaiser in several German and European
archives. Photographic evidence on the Armenian Genocide is extremely
rare. Although Imperial Germany and the Ottoman Empire were military
allies during World War I, the Ottoman Turkish authorities responsible
for the Armenian Genocide prohibited taking pictures and closely
watched anyone suspected of owning a camera. Despite the threat of
a court martial, several German civilians and other German military
officials assigned to the Ottoman Empire during the war disregarded
the ban and secretly photographed the mistreatment of the Armenian
population.
Dr. Kevork Bardakjian, Marie Manoogian Professor of Armenian Language
and Literature at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who was a
featured speaker at the Library of Congress the following day, also
visited the exhibit. He was joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans. Dr. Bardakjian, who is the author of the book Hitler
and the Armenian Genocide, published by the Zoryan Institute in1986,
commented: "Adolf Hitler's chilling reference to the extermination
of the Armenians continues to haunt all who specialize in genocide
studies. In researching the evidence on Hitler's knowledge of the fate
of the Armenians, I was surprised to discover that he referred to them
more than once. This exhibit is visual proof of the extent of knowledge
among German officials of the Ottoman policy of extermination. Could
there be more compelling evidence than Ottoman Turkey's own allies
on the ground testifying to the atrocities committed against the
Armenian people."
armradio.am
24.04.2012 11:44
Armenia's Ambassador to the United States Tatoul Markarian, Armenia's
Deputy Minister of Culture Artur Boghosian, Reverend Michael Wilker
of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation and His Eminence Archbishop
Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Washington
presided over the formal opening April 18 of the exhibit "Witnesses
to the Armenian Genocide," hosted by the Lutheran Church of the
Reformation on Capitol Hill.
Sponsored by the Armenian Genocide Museum of America the exhibit brings
together the surviving photographic record of the Armenian Genocide
produced by German witnesses. The exhibit is being presented with
the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Institute.
"It is a special honor for the Lutheran Church of the Reformation to
host this unique exhibit about the Armenian Genocide," stated Reverend
Wilker in his welcoming remarks. "I am specially moved by the theme of
witnessing, and of speaking up in defense of our fellow human beings
in need of our care and attention. The Armenian people suffered the
ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their faith and their culture. As
the oldest Christian nation in the world, their martyrdom as a people
represents the worst that humans can do to another, and the best of
the spirit of humankind to resist and overcome evil."
"I am grateful to Reverend Wilker for his ecumenical vision in hosting
this special exhibit documenting the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide,"
said Ambassador Markarian. "On behalf of the Armenian government I want
to thank you for bringing this exhibit, this undeniable evidence of the
Armenian Genocide to Capitol Hill. This is not only about sharing our
pain. This is not just about telling the truth to the American people
about the Armenian Genocide. This is also a reminder for intervention
and prevention wherever people live under the threat of genocide."
Special mention was made on the occasion of the exhibit's formal
opening thanking Mrs. Rita Balian, who, with her late husband Vartkess
Balian, initiated the preparation of the panel exhibit and generously
contributed to make it a reality.
The research to uncover the rare photographic material displayed
was conducted by Dr. Hilmar Kaiser in several German and European
archives. Photographic evidence on the Armenian Genocide is extremely
rare. Although Imperial Germany and the Ottoman Empire were military
allies during World War I, the Ottoman Turkish authorities responsible
for the Armenian Genocide prohibited taking pictures and closely
watched anyone suspected of owning a camera. Despite the threat of
a court martial, several German civilians and other German military
officials assigned to the Ottoman Empire during the war disregarded
the ban and secretly photographed the mistreatment of the Armenian
population.
Dr. Kevork Bardakjian, Marie Manoogian Professor of Armenian Language
and Literature at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who was a
featured speaker at the Library of Congress the following day, also
visited the exhibit. He was joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans. Dr. Bardakjian, who is the author of the book Hitler
and the Armenian Genocide, published by the Zoryan Institute in1986,
commented: "Adolf Hitler's chilling reference to the extermination
of the Armenians continues to haunt all who specialize in genocide
studies. In researching the evidence on Hitler's knowledge of the fate
of the Armenians, I was surprised to discover that he referred to them
more than once. This exhibit is visual proof of the extent of knowledge
among German officials of the Ottoman policy of extermination. Could
there be more compelling evidence than Ottoman Turkey's own allies
on the ground testifying to the atrocities committed against the
Armenian people."