ARMENIANS PAUSE TO REMEMBER GENOCIDE
By: Steven S. Couse, The Record 04/25/2006

Troy Record, NY
April 25 2006

TROY – Armenians and Americans of Armenian heritage gathered once again
on Monday to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

They plan events every year on April 24 to press Turkey to acknowledge
its part in the 1915-1923 massacre, and to press the U.S. government
to formally recognize it.

“Our voices are heard all over the world,” said Aram Barkamian of
the Armenian National Committee of Albany. “Don’t give up the fight.”

He welcomed local officials and Armenian clergy to the Collar City,
where the second Armenian church parish in the U.S. was established
100 years ago.

“We’re growing in numbers each year,” said Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian,
who is “100 percent Armenian.”

He pointed to the Armenian flag flying outside of City Hall. “To
see that from my office is very exciting,” he said. It will fly over
Monument Square for one month.

“It’s a deep wound that we try to overcome,” he said of the genocide,
and then displayed a proclaimation declaring April 24, 2006, Armenian
Martyrs Day in Troy. “We will never forget.”

The first Armenian church parish established in the U.S. was in
Worcester, Mass., and the second, St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church,
moved from Fifth Avenue in Troy to Watervliet in the early 1970s
after land was donated to the church.

Watervliet Mayor Robert Carlson also proclaimed the day Armenian
Martyrs Day in his city.

Carlson said the federal government was close to recognizing the
genocide just before the war in Iraq started, but pulled back for
fear of offending U.S. ally Turkey.

“The pressure has to continue,” he said. “I hope before the 100th
anniversary, there will be recognition.”

“He’s going to continue the fight,” said Rep. John Sweeney, who is
50 percent Armenian. “It’s something he feels very passionate about.”

Letters of support from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gov. George
Pataki, Albany Mayor Gerry Jennings and Schenectady Mayor Brian
Stratton were read aloud.

Pataki again proclaimed April 24, 2006, Armenian Martyrs Day in New
York, as he has done for the past 10 years. Albany and Schenectady
did likewise.

Earlier in the day, Armenian historian Aram Arkun from New York City
addressed lawmakers in the Assembly well of the Legislative Office
Building in Albany.

Arkun later addressed students at Siena College, and after the events
outside City Hall in Troy, moved in to the City Council chambers to
address the Armenian Students Association of Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute.

Armenian commemorations in the Capital District were started
at Monument Square in Troy in 1987 by the Homenetmen of Albany,
established a year earlier.

The Albany chapter of the Armenian National Committee, based in
Washington, D.C., was started in 1995 and took over the events
that year.

The monument was selected to host events because it closely resembles
a monument in Armenia.

On Monday, the Very Rev. Father Dajad Tsaturyan was in Troy to offer
a requiem. He is from the Holy Etchmiadzin, or “Vatican” in Armenia.

He came to America last May for a year to work at St. Peter in
Watervliet.

Joining him at the ceremony Monday were Deacon John Khachadourian
and Rev. Bedros Shetilin of Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church
on Spring Avenue in Troy and Rev. Stepanos Doudoukjian of St. Peter
Armenian Church in Watervliet.