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A GENOCIDE NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT: YEZIDIS PROTEST IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT
02.23.2015 16:13 epress.am
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/02/23/a-genocide-no-one-knows-about-yezidis-protest-in-front-of-parliament.html
Representatives of Armenia's Yezidi Community will fight so
that RA National Assembly Deputy-Speaker, Republican Party member
Eduard Sharmazanov's authored draft statement about the Genocide of
ethnic-religious minorities in the Ottoman Empire be excluded from the
Assembly's agenda or include the fact of the Yezidi Genocide as well.
Today, about 2 dozen Yezidi community representatives demonstrated in
front of the National Assembly entrance demanding an amendment to the
draft in order for the Genocide against Yezidis to also be mentioned.
Police did not allow the protesters to stand near the NA entrance,
therefore the protest took place across the street. The protesters
noted that even if the current draft was to be included in the
agenda, they would continue to fight for another draft specifically
for Yezidis.
Yezidi Youth Association of Armenia President Sayid Avdalyan recalled
that last year Zaruhi Postanjyan's proposed draft statement mentioned
the genocide of Yezidis, while the Republican Party representative's
(Sharmazanov) document did not include the line about Yezidis.
Avdalyan said that the NA's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs had
told that there was not sufficient archival documents that testified
to a Yezidi Genocide, however the Association claim there are and
that they would present them to the MPs. The President of the Yezidi
Association cited Genocide historian Israel Charny, who wrote about
the Ottoman Empire's genocide against Yezidis, calling it "a genocide
no one knows about."
Avdalyan expressed his surprise about the MP's behavior, stressing
that Armenian-Yezidi friendship is spoken about frequently in Armenia,
however it has been forgotten in this case. Avdalyan assumed that
such an attitude might have an underlying political motive.
"On February 7, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Nalbandyan
met with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani in Munich (Germany)
and spoke about developing cooperation between Armenia and Iraq. We
think that in [Postanjyan's] draft statement, not only was included the
Yezidi genocide on Ottoman territory, but also the current one by the
terrorist group Islamic State. Subsequently, if Zaruhi Postanjyan's
draft were to be accepted, it would condemn not only the Yezidi
genocide in the Ottoman Empire but also on Iraqi territory.
It is not in the interests of the Armenian authorities to condemn
the genocide in Iraq, because it would shatter plans on cooperation
between Armenia and Kurdistan," said the President of the Yezidi
Youth Association of Armenia.
During today's hearing at the National Assembly Zaruhi Postanjyan
raised the issue of the Yezidi Genocide not being included in the
draft. Postanjyan noted that she would present evidence about the
fact that a Genocide against Yezidis had taken place. NA Speaker
Galust Sahakyan stated that they had not found any document which
justified that a genocide against Yezidis had actually happened. The
NA Speaker said that the committee would look over the issue and
study Postanjyan's presented documents.
02.23.2015 16:13 epress.am
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/02/23/a-genocide-no-one-knows-about-yezidis-protest-in-front-of-parliament.html
Representatives of Armenia's Yezidi Community will fight so
that RA National Assembly Deputy-Speaker, Republican Party member
Eduard Sharmazanov's authored draft statement about the Genocide of
ethnic-religious minorities in the Ottoman Empire be excluded from the
Assembly's agenda or include the fact of the Yezidi Genocide as well.
Today, about 2 dozen Yezidi community representatives demonstrated in
front of the National Assembly entrance demanding an amendment to the
draft in order for the Genocide against Yezidis to also be mentioned.
Police did not allow the protesters to stand near the NA entrance,
therefore the protest took place across the street. The protesters
noted that even if the current draft was to be included in the
agenda, they would continue to fight for another draft specifically
for Yezidis.
Yezidi Youth Association of Armenia President Sayid Avdalyan recalled
that last year Zaruhi Postanjyan's proposed draft statement mentioned
the genocide of Yezidis, while the Republican Party representative's
(Sharmazanov) document did not include the line about Yezidis.
Avdalyan said that the NA's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs had
told that there was not sufficient archival documents that testified
to a Yezidi Genocide, however the Association claim there are and
that they would present them to the MPs. The President of the Yezidi
Association cited Genocide historian Israel Charny, who wrote about
the Ottoman Empire's genocide against Yezidis, calling it "a genocide
no one knows about."
Avdalyan expressed his surprise about the MP's behavior, stressing
that Armenian-Yezidi friendship is spoken about frequently in Armenia,
however it has been forgotten in this case. Avdalyan assumed that
such an attitude might have an underlying political motive.
"On February 7, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Nalbandyan
met with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani in Munich (Germany)
and spoke about developing cooperation between Armenia and Iraq. We
think that in [Postanjyan's] draft statement, not only was included the
Yezidi genocide on Ottoman territory, but also the current one by the
terrorist group Islamic State. Subsequently, if Zaruhi Postanjyan's
draft were to be accepted, it would condemn not only the Yezidi
genocide in the Ottoman Empire but also on Iraqi territory.
It is not in the interests of the Armenian authorities to condemn
the genocide in Iraq, because it would shatter plans on cooperation
between Armenia and Kurdistan," said the President of the Yezidi
Youth Association of Armenia.
During today's hearing at the National Assembly Zaruhi Postanjyan
raised the issue of the Yezidi Genocide not being included in the
draft. Postanjyan noted that she would present evidence about the
fact that a Genocide against Yezidis had taken place. NA Speaker
Galust Sahakyan stated that they had not found any document which
justified that a genocide against Yezidis had actually happened. The
NA Speaker said that the committee would look over the issue and
study Postanjyan's presented documents.