Armenian Youth Federation
104 N. Belmont St. Suite 306 Glendale, CA 91206
Tel. (818) 507-1933 Fax. (818) 240-3442 Email: AYFwest.org
Contact: Ani Garibyan – (818) 618-3058
PRESS RELEASE
December 21, 2006
Armenian Youth Federation and the United Human Rights Council to hold a
fast at the Los Angeles Turkish Consulate
`Fast for Remembrance’; remembering the victims of the Armenian Genocide
Los Angeles, CA- The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) and the United
Human Rights Council (UHRC) in a joint collaboration will hold a fast in
front of the Turkish Consulate from January 2nd-6th. The fast, titled
`Fast for Remembrance’ aims to raise awareness about the Armenian
Genocide, phases of the genocide and genocides that followed.
Beginning January 2nd at 9am and concluding on January 6th at 5pm, a
group of youth activists will give up all food in order to bring
attention to the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey; a
crime still denied by subsequent Turkish governments.
`Our ancestors were forcefully starved for weeks while being beaten,
tortured and raped. We are willing to fast for a few days in order to
try to educate others about what our people went through during the
Armenian Genocide’ said Soseh Esmaili, a Fast for Remembrance
organizer and faster.
`As a member of the UHRC, I understand how important it is to educate
people about the Armenian Genocide and all genocides. The cliché,
`history repeats itself’ is true. Due to the fact that the perpetrators
of the Armenian genocide went unpunished, it showed future genocide
perpetrators that it is ok to try to wipe out an entire race because
there will be no repercussions for it’ said UHRC member, Marie
Ghanime.
January 6th will not only mark the end of the fast, it also marks the
day that Armenians worldwide celebrated Christmas. `Ending the fast on
this day is symbolic. Armenians kept their Christian faith while living
under a Muslim state for over 600 years, they were subject to genocide
because of it, but were able to persevere and survive’ said Esmaili.
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