Albany Times Union, NY
Jan 13 2007
The ‘forgotten’ Armenian genocide also is a crime against humanity
First published: Saturday, January 13, 2007
This writer was drawn to a Dec. 31 article in the Times Union by John
Rodden and Michael D. Kerlin, "Human rights crimes keep escalating."
The article details the "crimes against humanity" that were
perpetrated during 2006 against — but not exclusive to — the people
of Chile, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Liberia, Ethiopia, Sudan,
Colombia and the Congo. The article points out that, while some of
the perpetrators of these injustices, e.g., Pinochet, Milosevic and
Hussein, have "all met their fates," the process of bringing the
remaining "criminals" to justice is more difficult to define and
implement.
It is the final paragraph of this article that this writer wishes to
address: "Matters have grown more complicated in the 60 years since
Nuremberg. 2006 was indeed a successful year. Let’s hope the world
doesn’t have to wait another 60 years for its next big leap forward
against war criminals and human rights abuses."
The world must be made aware that there was another tragic crime
against humanity that preceded the Holocaust, namely the Armenian
genocide, also known as "the forgotten genocide." The final sentence
of Rodden and Kerlin’s article underscores why the Armenian genocide
continues to be ignored by authors who write on the topic of "crimes
against humanity." To complicate matters, the modern Turkish
government continues to deny that a "genocide" took place. The
Turkish position is that a "civil uprising" had to be quelled, and
during the process, Armenian as well as Turkish peoples died.
This writer has visited schools and colleges in the Capital Region
(including Albany Academy for Girls, Canajoharie, Schoharie,
Scotia-Glenville, Shaker, Shenendehowa high schools, and Siena
College), speaking on the topic of the "Armenian genocide." Most of
our young people know about the Holocaust. At least, they have heard
of it.
On the other hand, most people of today’s generation — young and old
alike — have no idea what the Armenian genocide was. They don’t even
know where Armenia is located. I would continue to urge the world to
recognize that the history of genocide in the 20th century did not
begin with the Holocaust. Rather, it began with the planned and
systematic extermination of an ethnic race, a plan that left my
parents as orphans, and my generation without grandparents, aunts,
uncles and cousins.
RALPH ENOKIAN
Albany