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UCSB'S ARMENIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION HOLDS COMMEMORATION EVENTS FOR THE 98TH ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The Bottom Line, UC Santa Barbara, CA
May 1 2013
May 1, 2013 Campus,
Nura Gabbara, Staff Writer
A genocide remembrance march, candlelit memorial, and commemoration
composed the 98th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration, held
Thursday, April 25, at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The event was held to cast light on the 1.5 million Armenian lives
lost during the first World War. Numerous students from a diverse set
of backgrounds joined the Armenian Student Association in an event
that resonated the atrocities inflicted upon the Armenian population
on part of the Ottoman Empire, today known as the Republic of Turkey.
"In 1915, under the auspices of the Ottoman Empire, a declaration
was made to wipe out every Armenian man, woman, and child living
in Anatolia," said fourth-year political science major and ASA
President, Adam Jaratanian. "Over 1.5 million Armenians were killed
in a systematic fashion."
The Armenian Genocide of 1915 is considered to be the first genocide
of the twentieth century. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide has
suffered denial by not only the Turkish government, but also on the
part of the United States government, with whom they have political
ties. To put this into perspective, 20 other major countries and 43
U.S. states affirm that this incidence is truly a genocide.
"Every Armenian [is affected] by the genocide. My great grandparents
were forced to march through the largest Armenian graveyard: the
Syrian desert," said a UCSB political science alumni Joseph Kazazian.
"My great-grandfather was left for death, but was the only survivor
in a family of 38 people."
ASA's commemoration this year highlighted how Armenians have risen
from the ashes with a plethora of positive accomplishments in society.
For example, Dr. Raymond Damadian has saved thousands of lives since
his creation of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, Hovannes
Adamian was the inventor of the color television, and Aram Chobanian
was the Dean of Boston University's School of Medicine.
"I am part of the Armenian diaspora that, despite our circumstances,
is prospering. I am here to not only defend the rights of my fellow
Armenians, but of human rights in general," said Michelle Menechyan,
a first-year student double majoring in political science and
philosophy. "I refuse to stand passively while genocide still exists
in this world."
ASA, as well as Armenians worldwide, continually attempt to give
prominence to the genocide. The genocide march, candlelight memorial,
and the commemoration accentuate recognition and awareness to never
forget the monstrosity of the Ottoman Empire.
"When you hear about Armenians you hear about them divided. Our
right as a people to be one was taken away from us by force," said
first-year psychology major, Lucina Asatryan. "We fight not to let
the horrible acts that the Ottoman Empire inflicted upon our people,
massacring 1.5 million Armenians, weaken us exactly in the way the
Turks had intended when they decided to annihilate us."
Armenians today are stronger than they once were. They are still a
minority, composed of about 9 million people, but together as one,
they urge people to recognize the Armenian massacre as a genocide
and to never forget the horrendous ways in which the Turks persecuted
their peoples.
"Armenians don't have anything against the Turkish people of today,"
said Jaratanian. "We want [the Turkish government] to recognize what
the Ottoman Empire did. We are simply against those that say a genocide
never occurred."
http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2013/05/ucsbs-armenian-student-association-holds-commemoration-events-for-the-98th-annual-remembrance-of-the-armenian-genocide
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
The Bottom Line, UC Santa Barbara, CA
May 1 2013
May 1, 2013 Campus,
Nura Gabbara, Staff Writer
A genocide remembrance march, candlelit memorial, and commemoration
composed the 98th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration, held
Thursday, April 25, at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The event was held to cast light on the 1.5 million Armenian lives
lost during the first World War. Numerous students from a diverse set
of backgrounds joined the Armenian Student Association in an event
that resonated the atrocities inflicted upon the Armenian population
on part of the Ottoman Empire, today known as the Republic of Turkey.
"In 1915, under the auspices of the Ottoman Empire, a declaration
was made to wipe out every Armenian man, woman, and child living
in Anatolia," said fourth-year political science major and ASA
President, Adam Jaratanian. "Over 1.5 million Armenians were killed
in a systematic fashion."
The Armenian Genocide of 1915 is considered to be the first genocide
of the twentieth century. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide has
suffered denial by not only the Turkish government, but also on the
part of the United States government, with whom they have political
ties. To put this into perspective, 20 other major countries and 43
U.S. states affirm that this incidence is truly a genocide.
"Every Armenian [is affected] by the genocide. My great grandparents
were forced to march through the largest Armenian graveyard: the
Syrian desert," said a UCSB political science alumni Joseph Kazazian.
"My great-grandfather was left for death, but was the only survivor
in a family of 38 people."
ASA's commemoration this year highlighted how Armenians have risen
from the ashes with a plethora of positive accomplishments in society.
For example, Dr. Raymond Damadian has saved thousands of lives since
his creation of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, Hovannes
Adamian was the inventor of the color television, and Aram Chobanian
was the Dean of Boston University's School of Medicine.
"I am part of the Armenian diaspora that, despite our circumstances,
is prospering. I am here to not only defend the rights of my fellow
Armenians, but of human rights in general," said Michelle Menechyan,
a first-year student double majoring in political science and
philosophy. "I refuse to stand passively while genocide still exists
in this world."
ASA, as well as Armenians worldwide, continually attempt to give
prominence to the genocide. The genocide march, candlelight memorial,
and the commemoration accentuate recognition and awareness to never
forget the monstrosity of the Ottoman Empire.
"When you hear about Armenians you hear about them divided. Our
right as a people to be one was taken away from us by force," said
first-year psychology major, Lucina Asatryan. "We fight not to let
the horrible acts that the Ottoman Empire inflicted upon our people,
massacring 1.5 million Armenians, weaken us exactly in the way the
Turks had intended when they decided to annihilate us."
Armenians today are stronger than they once were. They are still a
minority, composed of about 9 million people, but together as one,
they urge people to recognize the Armenian massacre as a genocide
and to never forget the horrendous ways in which the Turks persecuted
their peoples.
"Armenians don't have anything against the Turkish people of today,"
said Jaratanian. "We want [the Turkish government] to recognize what
the Ottoman Empire did. We are simply against those that say a genocide
never occurred."
http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2013/05/ucsbs-armenian-student-association-holds-commemoration-events-for-the-98th-annual-remembrance-of-the-armenian-genocide
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress