AZG Armenian Daily #071, 21/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

PODIUM LEFT TO POLITICIANS AS JOURNALISTS HAVE SPOKEN OUT

Bundestag to Discuss Armenian Genocide Today

The Bundestag website informs that the announcement of Christian
Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) will be read
during the 172d session of Bundestag on April 21. During 45 minutes
granted for the Genocide issue all parties will have to express
their opinion. Answering Der Tagesspiegel’s questions representatives
of CSU said that only CDU/CSU’s initiative will be presented at the
Bundestag and the discussions will show whether it is possible to work
out a common project of all parties. CDU/CSU eschewed using the word
“genocide” in its project and labeled the events with word “Massaker”
— massacre.

Analysts in Germany think that official Berlin will hardly offend its
former ally and today’s partner on the eve of Chancellor Schroder’s
May visit to Turkey especially considering the fact that 2.5 million
Turks of overall 4 Turks in Europe live in Germany.

Our survey of German Armenians’ expectations from Bundestag discussions
showed that most of them expect recognition. But the greatest part of
our compatriots is suspicious that German politicians will display
impartiality in making assessment of the historic events. One of
German-born Armenians says that the Bundestag will cook a thick soup,
then will pour water and we will see only vapor.

Dr. Mihran Dabagh, head of the Institute of Diaspora and Genocide at
the Ruhr University of Bochum, commented: “The announcement has 2 key
features: the term ‘genocide’ is omitted, secondly, the Diaspora as
an institution that bears the memory of the Genocide is not included
in it. This is very important and it demonstrates Germany’s and
Europe’s strategy of wiping the history of Western Armenians from
mankind’s memory. This is in fact the continuation of the executioner’s
program. Armenia being a state institution and overloaded with its
own problems is more vulnerable and likelier to compromise. A nation
wounded by the Genocide is now forced if not to deny the Genocide
then accept another definition of it”. Mr. Dabagh mentions the widely
used statement that relations between two countries should normalize.
“They love the word ‘normal’ too much in Armenia. It is impossible
to have normal relations with a nation that has the Genocide as
legacy, those relations must be private and there must be present
responsibility for the Genocide. Relations with a genocided nation
cannot be normal but only private. Private means guaranteeing absolute
security for the Republic of Armenia, never let threats go off and
secure Armenia’s development. The issue of the genocide should not
be viewed as a burden. It is what ‘differentiates’ our history and
draws attention to it. The Western Armenians need to be resolute
to prevent Armenia from sacrificing their historic peculiarity
to normalization but instead make Armenia stand on guard of the
history together with Diaspora”, he says. Dr. Mihran Dabagh reminded
relations of Germany and Israel, which are not normal but private.
“Armenian reality is not limited to the Armenian state but there
is the Diaspora which is the result of the Genocide and is one of
the central concerns. Both Turkey and EU strive to isolate Diaspora
from the argument. The greatest concern is that the RA authorities
are showing readiness to compromise, making agreements with Turkey,
completely overlooking Diaspora’s claims. One of Turkey’s objections
to the Genocide recognition is linked with the claims of the Armenian
side that are usually ascribed to the Diaspora. It is impossible to
reduce the Genocide issue to the formula ‘give up everything and I
will recognize it’. The issue of reparations and territory return will
find its course after the acknowledgement. RA authorities may be less
resolute than the Diaspora but resolution is the only way out from
this situation. The Genocide can never be a means of bargain. This
is what we owe our victims and even more our survivors worldwide”.

The head of Genocide and Diaspora Institute recalled the
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission and quoted a Turkish
journalist’s words, “It is a policy of gaining time in order to
wipe the memory of Armenian presence out of the society as it is
still present in stories of families. To create a Turkish society
cleared off memories about Armenians. There can be no talk about the
non-existence. There can be no dialogue with a memory free society
nor even about reconciliation. The Commission is to bring a political
solution and not to study. The issue of the Armenian Genocide is
not an issue for the historians; historiography has conducted its
research and named the events Genocide. A descent study may be done
only when it is recognized, when a scientist is free, has no burden
of getting the Genocide recognized”, Dr. Dabagh says.

Coming to our main question as to his expectations from official
Berlin, he said that “Germany has created a political culture of
post-holocaust memory which demands a clear position on negation of
genocides. In case of the Armenian Genocide, it is unacceptable that
Germany will not call it a genocide especially considering the latter’s
complicity. I hope that Bundestag’s statement will go beyond being
simply an attempt but will recognize Germany’s responsibility as well”.

By Anahit Hovsepian