Tweet
Ottawa Citizen, Canada
April 24 2014
Armenians mark 99th anniversary of painful history
By Sammy Hudes, OTTAWA CITIZEN April 24, 2014
More than a 1,000 members of the Armenian community gathered on
Parliament Hill's east lawn Thursday.
Photograph by: Pat McGrath , Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA -- Nearly a century after hostilities between Turkey and Armenia
culminated in mass casualties, a pain that has spanned generations was
on full display once more Thursday in downtown Ottawa.
What appeared to be nearly 1,000 demonstrators gathered at Parliament
Hill with many marching to the Turkish Embassy to call on Turkey's
government to formally recognize the conflict that occurred 99 years
ago with Armenia as a genocide.
The rally was met by a much smaller group of counter-protesters who
waved Turkish flags and held up signs which denounced the cause as
"genocide mongering."
"It's going to be 100 years next year that Turkey is still denying the
genocide, so it's sad to see that," said Hrag Jinjinian, who said his
Armenian ancestors were victims of the violence.
Some historians estimate that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in
1915 by the Ottoman Empire in the region now known as Turkey. The
battle over how that legacy will be remembered continues to this day.
Turkey rejects the term "genocide," and says the death figure is
inflated.
This week, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called the 1915
deaths "inhumane" and offered his condolences. But his remarks failed
to satisfy Armenians who say compensation and official recognition is
what is needed.
On Thursday in Ottawa, the two groups of demonstrators were separated
by a fence and by police, as many shouted across the barrier.
Kevork Kazanjian said he is a "fourth generation survivor" of the
genocide because he still feels its effects every day while living in
Canada.
"I'm living outside of my homeland ... One and a half million
Armenians were slaughtered including my great-grandparents. The
perpetrator of this crime is not punished yet and they're still
denying it."
Kazanjian said another reason for the rally was to thank Canada for
recognizing the Armenian genocide. The House of Commons first did so
in 1996, but those on the other side of the fence disputed the
validity of this recognition.
"No court in the world or reputable world organization has accepted
that there's been a genocide over there," Javat Zarrin said.
Zarrin, who is from Azerbaijan, said he came to stand in solidarity with Turkey.
"It was a World War and people were killed from both sides; Turkish
sides, Armenian sides, Russian, German, you name it," said Turkish
protester Abdullah Bayat.
Bayat said Canada has unfairly supported Armenia in the conflict.
On Thursday afternoon, far removed from the land that gave rise to the
conflict, police kept an eye on demonstrators on both sides, making
sure no trouble developed on the street outside the embassy.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Armenians+mark+99th+anniversary+painful+history/9772878/story.html
From: Baghdasarian
April 24 2014
Armenians mark 99th anniversary of painful history
By Sammy Hudes, OTTAWA CITIZEN April 24, 2014
More than a 1,000 members of the Armenian community gathered on
Parliament Hill's east lawn Thursday.
Photograph by: Pat McGrath , Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA -- Nearly a century after hostilities between Turkey and Armenia
culminated in mass casualties, a pain that has spanned generations was
on full display once more Thursday in downtown Ottawa.
What appeared to be nearly 1,000 demonstrators gathered at Parliament
Hill with many marching to the Turkish Embassy to call on Turkey's
government to formally recognize the conflict that occurred 99 years
ago with Armenia as a genocide.
The rally was met by a much smaller group of counter-protesters who
waved Turkish flags and held up signs which denounced the cause as
"genocide mongering."
"It's going to be 100 years next year that Turkey is still denying the
genocide, so it's sad to see that," said Hrag Jinjinian, who said his
Armenian ancestors were victims of the violence.
Some historians estimate that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in
1915 by the Ottoman Empire in the region now known as Turkey. The
battle over how that legacy will be remembered continues to this day.
Turkey rejects the term "genocide," and says the death figure is
inflated.
This week, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called the 1915
deaths "inhumane" and offered his condolences. But his remarks failed
to satisfy Armenians who say compensation and official recognition is
what is needed.
On Thursday in Ottawa, the two groups of demonstrators were separated
by a fence and by police, as many shouted across the barrier.
Kevork Kazanjian said he is a "fourth generation survivor" of the
genocide because he still feels its effects every day while living in
Canada.
"I'm living outside of my homeland ... One and a half million
Armenians were slaughtered including my great-grandparents. The
perpetrator of this crime is not punished yet and they're still
denying it."
Kazanjian said another reason for the rally was to thank Canada for
recognizing the Armenian genocide. The House of Commons first did so
in 1996, but those on the other side of the fence disputed the
validity of this recognition.
"No court in the world or reputable world organization has accepted
that there's been a genocide over there," Javat Zarrin said.
Zarrin, who is from Azerbaijan, said he came to stand in solidarity with Turkey.
"It was a World War and people were killed from both sides; Turkish
sides, Armenian sides, Russian, German, you name it," said Turkish
protester Abdullah Bayat.
Bayat said Canada has unfairly supported Armenia in the conflict.
On Thursday afternoon, far removed from the land that gave rise to the
conflict, police kept an eye on demonstrators on both sides, making
sure no trouble developed on the street outside the embassy.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Armenians+mark+99th+anniversary+painful+history/9772878/story.html
From: Baghdasarian