Remembering Armenia

categories: Armenian Genocide, Darfur & Sudan, Obama Administration, Remembrance

Published April 24, 2009 @ 06:43PM PT

On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire rounded up some 250 Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople, marking the beginning of the genocide that would see the demise of 1.5 million Armenians.

On his blog "Life's a Journey...", Hovig (from whom I stole above the video) wrote today:

"Stories of extreme hardship are shared by every single genocide survivor, not just Armenians. They each have their own stories of hardship and survival that we, as the next generation, must honor by fighting to have these atrocities recognized and preventing their repetition. The debt is due.

And as we honor the Armenian Genocide today, let us also pray for God's people who continue to suffer persecution and war through out the world."

On WaPo's "44" blog, Michael Fletcher parses the politics behind President Obama's less-than-genocide commemoration remarks. (Which is particularly interesting, given that Obama spoke out against denial during his Holocaust remembrance speech on Thursday.)

After watching the survivor speak in the video, it's not difficult to understand why the lack of official recognition of the genocide remains a sore spot for the Armenian community.

(Also watch Archbishop Vicken Aykazian's remarks at last week's "Honor the Past, Act Now for Darfur" event by the White House, filmed and posted by Righteous Pictures.)

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Comments (1)

Great post.

Obama's trying to be a centralist, he recognizes the Armenian genocide. He and Hilary Clinton as senators tried to get Bush to recognize the Armenian genocide.

Although, yes; if only more people recognized this genocide.

Posted by Dina Yazdani on 04/26/2009 @ 09:33AM PT
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Author

Michelle became involved in the anti-genocide cause at a young age, and has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns, ever since.