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Al-Ahram Weekly
April 16, 2015
Acknowledging the Armenian Genocide
Just as we must pay heed to the cries of victims wherever they are and
whenever they raise their voices, Armenians deserve our solidarity and
attention, writes James Zogby
In less than two weeks we will commemorate the centenary of the
Armenian genocide. Armenian Remembrance Day, 24 April, recalls the
horrific events that resulted in the deaths of more than one million
Armenians and the forced expulsion and ethnic cleansing of many more
from their ancestral homeland at the hands of Turkish nationalists.
It is an event that has defined Armenian history. And it has left an
open wound that must be acknowledged and addressed if there is to be
closure for both peoples.
For Armenians, the beginning of the healing process requires that the
events of 100 years ago be called what they were, a genocide.
Six years ago, Armenian Americans were deeply disappointed by the
Remembrance Day statement issued by the White House because the
president did not use the term "genocide" to refer to the horrors of
1915.
They had great hopes that President Obama would do so. During the 2008
presidential campaign, Obama had been forceful not only in declaring
that the events of 1915 were, in fact, genocide, but in criticising
those who would not use that word.
In a statement issued on 19 January 2008, Obama said: "As a US
senator, I have stood with the Armenian American community in calling
for Turkey's acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide ...
"The Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a
point of view, but rather a widely documented fact ... An official
policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an
untenable policy ... As president I will recognise the Armenian
Genocide."
Armenians were further encouraged in early April 2009 when the
president urged the Turks to deal with this blot on their history in
his address to the Turkish parliament. By beginning with a lesson
learned from US history, he sought to prod his hosts into dealing with
their past.
Said Obama: "The United States is still working through some of our
own darker periods in our own history ... Our country still struggles
with the legacies of slavery and segregation, the past treatment of
Native Americans ... History is often tragic, but unresolved it can be
a heavy weight.
"Each country must work through its past. And reckoning with the past
can help us seize a better future. I know there are strong views in
this chamber about the terrible events of 1915. And while there's been
a good deal of commentary about my views, it's really about how the
Turkish and Armenian people deal with the past. And the best way
forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works
through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."
To be fair, the president's statement on Remembrance Day 2009 was more
forceful than those made by his predecessors. His hesitation to use
the term "genocide" was most likely prompted by the fact that just two
days before 24 April, the Turkish and Armenian governments had agreed
to a "roadmap" for normalising relations and he was concerned that he
not disrupt this process by provoking a hostile Turkish response.
Thus, the statement the White House issued on 24 April 2009 read, in
part: "Ninety-four years ago, one of the great atrocities of the 20th
century began. Each year, we pause to remember the 1.5 million
Armenians who were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in
the final days of the Ottoman Empire.
"The Meds Yeghern must live on in our memories, just as it lives on in
the hearts of the Armenian people ... I have consistently stated my
own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not
changed. My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just
acknowledgment of the facts ...
"The best way to advance that goal right now is for the Armenian and
Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their
efforts to move forward ... To that end, there has been courageous and
important dialogue among Armenians and Turks, and within Turkey
itself.
"I also strongly support the efforts by Turkey and Armenia to
normalise their bilateral relations ... The two governments have
agreed on a framework and roadmap for normalisation. I commend this
progress, and urge them to fulfil its promise."
In the end, both Turks and Armenians were left angry. The Turks
because of the strong language the president did use, and the
Armenians because he had failed to deliver on his promise to call the
horrors of 1915 "genocide".
Six years later, Armenians are still waiting for recognition of their
national tragedy so that their healing process can begin. And the
Turkish government has remained intransigent, still not coming to
grips with its past.
The White House is not in an enviable position. They are engaged in a
battle against the Islamic State and have been pushing the Turks to
"step up their game" as part of the international coalition fighting
this evil movement.
I must admit that although I understand the demands of politics and
diplomacy, I am also acutely aware of the demands of history that
still cry out for recognition. On a personal note, I was struck how
this past week Deir Yassin Day passed unnoticed. That day, 9 April,
marks the 1948 massacre of over 200 Palestinian civilians in the small
village of Deir Yassin.
They were slaughtered, with many of the dead thrown into a well and
left to rot. It was one of the many horrors that accompanied the Nakba
-- the name given to the programme of ethnic cleansing that left
thousands of Palestinians dead, and forced hundreds of thousands more
into exile.
It is wrong to just say "Get over it" to victim nations. For there to
be reconciliation there must be acknowledgment and justice. Just as we
demand that Israel acknowledge and make recompense for its "original
sin", we can want no less for the Armenian people.
The writer is president of the Arab American Institute.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/11012/21/Acknowledging-the--Armenian-Genocide.aspx
April 16, 2015
Acknowledging the Armenian Genocide
Just as we must pay heed to the cries of victims wherever they are and
whenever they raise their voices, Armenians deserve our solidarity and
attention, writes James Zogby
In less than two weeks we will commemorate the centenary of the
Armenian genocide. Armenian Remembrance Day, 24 April, recalls the
horrific events that resulted in the deaths of more than one million
Armenians and the forced expulsion and ethnic cleansing of many more
from their ancestral homeland at the hands of Turkish nationalists.
It is an event that has defined Armenian history. And it has left an
open wound that must be acknowledged and addressed if there is to be
closure for both peoples.
For Armenians, the beginning of the healing process requires that the
events of 100 years ago be called what they were, a genocide.
Six years ago, Armenian Americans were deeply disappointed by the
Remembrance Day statement issued by the White House because the
president did not use the term "genocide" to refer to the horrors of
1915.
They had great hopes that President Obama would do so. During the 2008
presidential campaign, Obama had been forceful not only in declaring
that the events of 1915 were, in fact, genocide, but in criticising
those who would not use that word.
In a statement issued on 19 January 2008, Obama said: "As a US
senator, I have stood with the Armenian American community in calling
for Turkey's acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide ...
"The Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a
point of view, but rather a widely documented fact ... An official
policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an
untenable policy ... As president I will recognise the Armenian
Genocide."
Armenians were further encouraged in early April 2009 when the
president urged the Turks to deal with this blot on their history in
his address to the Turkish parliament. By beginning with a lesson
learned from US history, he sought to prod his hosts into dealing with
their past.
Said Obama: "The United States is still working through some of our
own darker periods in our own history ... Our country still struggles
with the legacies of slavery and segregation, the past treatment of
Native Americans ... History is often tragic, but unresolved it can be
a heavy weight.
"Each country must work through its past. And reckoning with the past
can help us seize a better future. I know there are strong views in
this chamber about the terrible events of 1915. And while there's been
a good deal of commentary about my views, it's really about how the
Turkish and Armenian people deal with the past. And the best way
forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works
through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."
To be fair, the president's statement on Remembrance Day 2009 was more
forceful than those made by his predecessors. His hesitation to use
the term "genocide" was most likely prompted by the fact that just two
days before 24 April, the Turkish and Armenian governments had agreed
to a "roadmap" for normalising relations and he was concerned that he
not disrupt this process by provoking a hostile Turkish response.
Thus, the statement the White House issued on 24 April 2009 read, in
part: "Ninety-four years ago, one of the great atrocities of the 20th
century began. Each year, we pause to remember the 1.5 million
Armenians who were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in
the final days of the Ottoman Empire.
"The Meds Yeghern must live on in our memories, just as it lives on in
the hearts of the Armenian people ... I have consistently stated my
own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not
changed. My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just
acknowledgment of the facts ...
"The best way to advance that goal right now is for the Armenian and
Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their
efforts to move forward ... To that end, there has been courageous and
important dialogue among Armenians and Turks, and within Turkey
itself.
"I also strongly support the efforts by Turkey and Armenia to
normalise their bilateral relations ... The two governments have
agreed on a framework and roadmap for normalisation. I commend this
progress, and urge them to fulfil its promise."
In the end, both Turks and Armenians were left angry. The Turks
because of the strong language the president did use, and the
Armenians because he had failed to deliver on his promise to call the
horrors of 1915 "genocide".
Six years later, Armenians are still waiting for recognition of their
national tragedy so that their healing process can begin. And the
Turkish government has remained intransigent, still not coming to
grips with its past.
The White House is not in an enviable position. They are engaged in a
battle against the Islamic State and have been pushing the Turks to
"step up their game" as part of the international coalition fighting
this evil movement.
I must admit that although I understand the demands of politics and
diplomacy, I am also acutely aware of the demands of history that
still cry out for recognition. On a personal note, I was struck how
this past week Deir Yassin Day passed unnoticed. That day, 9 April,
marks the 1948 massacre of over 200 Palestinian civilians in the small
village of Deir Yassin.
They were slaughtered, with many of the dead thrown into a well and
left to rot. It was one of the many horrors that accompanied the Nakba
-- the name given to the programme of ethnic cleansing that left
thousands of Palestinians dead, and forced hundreds of thousands more
into exile.
It is wrong to just say "Get over it" to victim nations. For there to
be reconciliation there must be acknowledgment and justice. Just as we
demand that Israel acknowledge and make recompense for its "original
sin", we can want no less for the Armenian people.
The writer is president of the Arab American Institute.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/11012/21/Acknowledging-the--Armenian-Genocide.aspx