Tweet
REDUCED TO JUST EVENT?: ARTISTS DENOUNCE FRIVOLITY IN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIONS
GENOCIDE | 08.04.15 | 10:25
Alina Nikoghosyan
ArmeniaNow intern
RELATED NEWS
'Forget-Me-Nots' As Business?: Sales, improper use of Genocide
Centennial Symbol create controversy
Scholars say: the idea of remembering the Armenian Genocide has
been reduced simply to a ceremony. They, in particular, refer to
last weekend's visit by a group of Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
women members to the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.
On April 4, some 3,000 RPA women visited the Memorial at
Tsitsernakaberd, urging women around the whole world to unite against
genocides. However, photos of some women smiling during the ceremony
appeared in social media and this created a lot of controversy in the
public. The focus of all criticism was the organizer, the president
of the RPA women council, Parliament Deputy Speaker Hermine Naghdalyan.
"Everything must stem from within to give you an opportunity to
concentrate once a year, to appreciate the past, the present and the
future; when it turns into an event taking part in it becomes more
important than the essence itself. We should step toward the future
with families, not with ministries. The more we treat such phenomena as
an event, the more such results we will have," Puppet Theater director,
film director Ruben Babayan told reporters on Tuesday.
Addressing the Founding Parliament's initiative of holding "the 100th
anniversary without the regime" action on April 24, Babayan said that
the Armenian Genocide must not be confused with anything and it more
looks like using the opportunity.
"That I perceive as an attempt to make use of the results of the event,
it could have been held any other day, but they are using the moment
when people will be gathered," he said.
Artavazd Bayatyan, musician and director of the Ardzagank (Echo)
radio station, addressed the same topic, saying that the Genocide is
a tragedy for every Armenian and that on April 24 Armenians must be
more united than ever.
"This belongs neither to the Communists, nor to the Republicans, nor
to the Nationalists; this is a common tragedy of the nation. Crime
was committed against our nation, and here nothing should be stuck
together in order to win," Bayatyan said.
Bayatyan addressed also the topic of the RPA women's behavior,
and said that such occurrences are rare and that the RPA women got
singled out because they are more numerous, more active and richer.
Different people climbed the height of the Memorial in all seasons,
and such occurrences are rare, mostly people who are actually concerned
and are full of the problem come. Students come often with smiles
one their face, because for them it's an excursion," he said.
According to him, the Genocide is a crime against the Armenians,
because Armenia also has many witnesses and proofs, and it must try
to solve the problem through the European Court.
"I would like the Genocide Memorial one day to turn into a revival
not a grief.
And even if some people go there smiling we will not look at it so
bitterly," Bayatyan concluded.
As for the Armenian Genocide Centennial commemorations, in a number
of spheres various events have been organized and even dental clinics
have participated in "campaigns".
Recently one of the dental clinics in Yerevan said it would offer
some services for free on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide.
http://armenianow.com/genocide/62128/armenia_publicity_genocide_100_pr
GENOCIDE | 08.04.15 | 10:25
Alina Nikoghosyan
ArmeniaNow intern
RELATED NEWS
'Forget-Me-Nots' As Business?: Sales, improper use of Genocide
Centennial Symbol create controversy
Scholars say: the idea of remembering the Armenian Genocide has
been reduced simply to a ceremony. They, in particular, refer to
last weekend's visit by a group of Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
women members to the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.
On April 4, some 3,000 RPA women visited the Memorial at
Tsitsernakaberd, urging women around the whole world to unite against
genocides. However, photos of some women smiling during the ceremony
appeared in social media and this created a lot of controversy in the
public. The focus of all criticism was the organizer, the president
of the RPA women council, Parliament Deputy Speaker Hermine Naghdalyan.
"Everything must stem from within to give you an opportunity to
concentrate once a year, to appreciate the past, the present and the
future; when it turns into an event taking part in it becomes more
important than the essence itself. We should step toward the future
with families, not with ministries. The more we treat such phenomena as
an event, the more such results we will have," Puppet Theater director,
film director Ruben Babayan told reporters on Tuesday.
Addressing the Founding Parliament's initiative of holding "the 100th
anniversary without the regime" action on April 24, Babayan said that
the Armenian Genocide must not be confused with anything and it more
looks like using the opportunity.
"That I perceive as an attempt to make use of the results of the event,
it could have been held any other day, but they are using the moment
when people will be gathered," he said.
Artavazd Bayatyan, musician and director of the Ardzagank (Echo)
radio station, addressed the same topic, saying that the Genocide is
a tragedy for every Armenian and that on April 24 Armenians must be
more united than ever.
"This belongs neither to the Communists, nor to the Republicans, nor
to the Nationalists; this is a common tragedy of the nation. Crime
was committed against our nation, and here nothing should be stuck
together in order to win," Bayatyan said.
Bayatyan addressed also the topic of the RPA women's behavior,
and said that such occurrences are rare and that the RPA women got
singled out because they are more numerous, more active and richer.
Different people climbed the height of the Memorial in all seasons,
and such occurrences are rare, mostly people who are actually concerned
and are full of the problem come. Students come often with smiles
one their face, because for them it's an excursion," he said.
According to him, the Genocide is a crime against the Armenians,
because Armenia also has many witnesses and proofs, and it must try
to solve the problem through the European Court.
"I would like the Genocide Memorial one day to turn into a revival
not a grief.
And even if some people go there smiling we will not look at it so
bitterly," Bayatyan concluded.
As for the Armenian Genocide Centennial commemorations, in a number
of spheres various events have been organized and even dental clinics
have participated in "campaigns".
Recently one of the dental clinics in Yerevan said it would offer
some services for free on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide.
http://armenianow.com/genocide/62128/armenia_publicity_genocide_100_pr