POPE’S SILENCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SHAMEFUL
Opinion By Mark Geragos

ABC News , USA
Dec 2 2006

Benedict Missed a Chance During His Historic Visit to Turkey

Dec. 1, 2006 – After an initial foray into interfaith relations by
inciting almost 2 billion Muslims with ill-advised references to the
legacy of their prophet Mohammed, Pope Benedict XVI leaves Turkey
with the press hailing the visit a success.

Much like the war in Iraq, however, defining the simple concept
of "success" has become increasingly like declaring "mission
accomplished." Case in point, the pope’s recent visit to Turkey.

Following the pontiff’s gaffe heard ’round the Muslim world, the
fact that larger protests and riots didn’t accompany his visit to
Turkey must have certainly elicited a collective sigh of relief from
the Vatican and tempted many prognosticators to proclaim the trip
a success.

Perhaps prompted by a sense of relief and joy at not being embarrassed
by a rancorous reception upon his arrival to Turkey, the pontiff even
took time to don his political advisor cap and stump for Turkey’s
admission into the European Union.

Fortunately, the more discerning European nations see that issue
in a slightly different light and are waiting for Turkey to adopt
something other than medieval standards of justice before setting
out the welcome mat.

Still, as the leading spiritual figure for Christians around the world,
much more is expected and required of the pope.

After all was said and done, and as the cameras rolled and the press
jockeyed to capture and transmit images of the pope being led on
a tour of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque by local Islamic and Christian
leaders, the press failed to capture the big, fat, noisy elephant
parked squarely amidst this assemblage – Turkey’s ongoing legacy of
intolerance and oppression.

For too long, the various Christian and other minorities of Turkey have
silently suffered the suppression of their rights and the deliberate
erosion of their collective memories through the state sponsored
destruction of ancient churches and other historical monuments dating
back almost two millennia.

These minorities remain mute, not unlike hostages, who are constantly
reminded of the harsh consequences visited upon those who dare speak
the truth, or see the elephant for what it is.

This past year’s stern waggle of the finger by the Turkish government
at the mischievous and misbehaving came when the Turkish government
prosecuted and convicted the editor of the Armenian language weekly
Agos, Hrant Dink for "insulting" Turkish identity.

Ironically, Dink’s alleged transgression can be traced to a series of
articles he wrote encouraging Armenians in the diaspora to shift their
focus away from outing the Turkish denial of the Armenian genocide
of 1915 to 1918 and toward assisting the fledgling Republic of Armenia.

Nonetheless, explanation notwithstanding, Dink got dunked and was
eventually convicted.

According to press accounts, aside from a vague reference to the
Armenian genocide – painfully couched as "tragic conditions …

experienced in the past century" – to the Armenian Patriarch in
Istanbul, the pontiff said precious little about the genocide or
Turkey’s unconscionable denial of the same to the Pope’s hosts,
the people who actually needed to hear it.

While this may be the most glaring omission from what most might
envision as an item that would have been on a spiritual leader’s
"things to do list," it was, unfortunately, not the only one.

The pope evidently failed to mention the destruction of some of
the oldest remaining Christian churches in the world located in the
ancient Armenian city of Ani, located in present day eastern Turkey.

Nor is there any indication that he brought up the issue of the
destruction of Greek Orthodox churches in Northern Cyprus, which
remains illegally occupied by the Turks after the invasion of 1974.

It is also unclear whether the pope broached the mistreatment of
the Muslim Kurds. Of course, in order to be understood by his hosts,
the Pope would have had to refer to them as "Mountain Turks," since
the Turkish government blanches at the thought of identifying the 8
million to 10 million Kurds living in Turkey as "Kurds."

While the Armenians, Greeks and Kurds may be the minorities with the
most well known grievances, the Jewish and Syrian Orthodox Christian
communities have legitimate cause to complain as well.

It is no secret that the Christian and other minority communities in
Turkey constantly walk a thin line when seeking to preserve their
religious and cultural heritage. These minorities have learned to
march to the beat of the intolerant Turkish drum, regardless of the
indignities they continue to suffer.

No one can blame them for assuming that position, given Turkey’s
history of intolerance and retribution.

However, it is situations like this where leadership steps in. In
fact, the very purpose of leadership is to speak for those who can
not. Evidently, such leadership was not on display as the cameras
rolled and dignitaries exchanged pleasantries while strolling through
the expansive Blue Mosque.

In the hopes of bridging differences that exist between the Christian
and Muslim worlds, turning a blind eye to the festering wounds that
exist only serve to widen the gap between East and West.

Perhaps we vest too much hope in religious leaders to stand up and
say the things that need to be said. However, I can’t help but look
at the photos of the pope and other religious leaders assembled and
feel that the teetering elephant is ready to collapse upon these
leader’s followers.

Seems to me that if we start accepting something less than success as
success, we may end up having to deal with the same type of success
as we have in Iraq.

Mark Geragos is a lawyer who has represented former Rep. Gary Condit,
former first brother Roger Clinton, Academy award-winning actress
Winona Ryder, pop star Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson.

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