INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PLACES THE FINAL NAIL ON THE COFFIN OF TURKISH DENIALISM
By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine
June 7, 2012
For nearly a century, Turkey has been aggressively spending millions
of dollars in the international arena in order to push forward its
denialist agenda on the Armenian Genocide.
Besides monetary resources, Ankara has been making major efforts to
bully various nations away from recognition of the Genocide.
But all the expenditures and efforts continue to prove futile. The
Turkish Genocide of Armenians has now become a universally recognized
fact. Placing the final nail on the coffin of Turkish denialism is the
U.N. International Court of Justice. This week, the official website
of the United Nations' International Court of Justice has featured
Publisher of The California Courier Harut Sassounian's groundbreaking
article titled "All Three Branches of US government Recognize the
Armenian Genocide."
Thanks to Sassounian's timely article, the U.S. record on recognition
of the Armenian Genocide has once and for all been put in a strong
perspective. Sassounian's research on U.S. legal actions on the
facts of the Genocide has revealed that "With all three independent
branches of the US government going on record reaffirming the Armenian
Genocide, the United States has gained its rightful place in the list
of righteous nations that have recognized the Armenian Genocide. In
fact, in many respects, the United States has compiled a more extensive
record of acknowledging the Armenian Genocide than most other countries
that have merely adopted a legislative resolution on this issue."
During the last few years, while certain Armenian American lobbyists
sadly opted for spinning the wheel on Genocide recognition, many
activists clamored for more accomplishments in the nation's capital,
and in U.S. and international corridors of powers.
Various Armenian American lobbying groups can do more good if they
take into consideration the common knowledge that the Genocide is a
universally recognized fact, and that Armenian Americans collectively
may move on to addressing a host of vital issues:
1) On the home front, they can make efforts to
Actively encourage the Armenian American youth to enter politics;
Inspire larger circles of Armenian American youth to serve this great
country by enlisting in the armed forces; Pave the way for increased
Armenian American participation in local, state, and federal government
elected offices and workforce; 2) On the lobbying front,
Propose congressional resolutions officially condemning Turkey's
dismal record on human rights and on Ankara's suppression of the
identity of ethnic minorities in Turkey; Propose other Congressional
resolutions calling on Turkey to abolish its unfair and universally
rejected repressive law - Article 301 on the so-called "insulting
Turkishness;" 3) On the Armenian Cause, in conjunction with world
Armenians, Armenian Americans need to
Develop a short-term and long-term master plan on the successful
resolution of the Armenian Cause; Co-ordinate worldwide boycott
of tourism to Turkey and its exported products; Promote divestment
of Turkey; Alert nations of the world on the threats posed by the
re-emergence of Pan-Turkism or Pan-Turanism that actively promote the
creation of the New Turkish Ottoman Empire; and last but certainly not
least, 4) On Armenia and Artsakh, it is vital that Armenian Americans
focus more on
Assisting the people of Armenia in containing post-Soviet corruption,
monopolies, nepotism and gross mismanagement of Armenia's natural and
national resources; ~UPursuing continuous renewal of U.S. foreign
policy on military assistance parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan;
~USoliciting increased foreign aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno
Karabagh); ~UUrging formal U.S. recognition of Republic of Artsakh's
independence; ~UEnsuring Armenia-Artsakh's consolidation of its
political, economic, social and military strengths; ~ULobby for
freezing U.S. foreign aid to, and U.S. investments in Azerbaijan as
long as Baku fails to stop its military aggression against Artsakh
(Nagorno Karabagh) and Armenia.
While it is necessary for Armenian Americans to be vigilant on the
issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide; and be willing
to punish the deniers, they should also rearrange their list of
priorities, and re-channel their resources.
By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine
June 7, 2012
For nearly a century, Turkey has been aggressively spending millions
of dollars in the international arena in order to push forward its
denialist agenda on the Armenian Genocide.
Besides monetary resources, Ankara has been making major efforts to
bully various nations away from recognition of the Genocide.
But all the expenditures and efforts continue to prove futile. The
Turkish Genocide of Armenians has now become a universally recognized
fact. Placing the final nail on the coffin of Turkish denialism is the
U.N. International Court of Justice. This week, the official website
of the United Nations' International Court of Justice has featured
Publisher of The California Courier Harut Sassounian's groundbreaking
article titled "All Three Branches of US government Recognize the
Armenian Genocide."
Thanks to Sassounian's timely article, the U.S. record on recognition
of the Armenian Genocide has once and for all been put in a strong
perspective. Sassounian's research on U.S. legal actions on the
facts of the Genocide has revealed that "With all three independent
branches of the US government going on record reaffirming the Armenian
Genocide, the United States has gained its rightful place in the list
of righteous nations that have recognized the Armenian Genocide. In
fact, in many respects, the United States has compiled a more extensive
record of acknowledging the Armenian Genocide than most other countries
that have merely adopted a legislative resolution on this issue."
During the last few years, while certain Armenian American lobbyists
sadly opted for spinning the wheel on Genocide recognition, many
activists clamored for more accomplishments in the nation's capital,
and in U.S. and international corridors of powers.
Various Armenian American lobbying groups can do more good if they
take into consideration the common knowledge that the Genocide is a
universally recognized fact, and that Armenian Americans collectively
may move on to addressing a host of vital issues:
1) On the home front, they can make efforts to
Actively encourage the Armenian American youth to enter politics;
Inspire larger circles of Armenian American youth to serve this great
country by enlisting in the armed forces; Pave the way for increased
Armenian American participation in local, state, and federal government
elected offices and workforce; 2) On the lobbying front,
Propose congressional resolutions officially condemning Turkey's
dismal record on human rights and on Ankara's suppression of the
identity of ethnic minorities in Turkey; Propose other Congressional
resolutions calling on Turkey to abolish its unfair and universally
rejected repressive law - Article 301 on the so-called "insulting
Turkishness;" 3) On the Armenian Cause, in conjunction with world
Armenians, Armenian Americans need to
Develop a short-term and long-term master plan on the successful
resolution of the Armenian Cause; Co-ordinate worldwide boycott
of tourism to Turkey and its exported products; Promote divestment
of Turkey; Alert nations of the world on the threats posed by the
re-emergence of Pan-Turkism or Pan-Turanism that actively promote the
creation of the New Turkish Ottoman Empire; and last but certainly not
least, 4) On Armenia and Artsakh, it is vital that Armenian Americans
focus more on
Assisting the people of Armenia in containing post-Soviet corruption,
monopolies, nepotism and gross mismanagement of Armenia's natural and
national resources; ~UPursuing continuous renewal of U.S. foreign
policy on military assistance parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan;
~USoliciting increased foreign aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno
Karabagh); ~UUrging formal U.S. recognition of Republic of Artsakh's
independence; ~UEnsuring Armenia-Artsakh's consolidation of its
political, economic, social and military strengths; ~ULobby for
freezing U.S. foreign aid to, and U.S. investments in Azerbaijan as
long as Baku fails to stop its military aggression against Artsakh
(Nagorno Karabagh) and Armenia.
While it is necessary for Armenian Americans to be vigilant on the
issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide; and be willing
to punish the deniers, they should also rearrange their list of
priorities, and re-channel their resources.