38&nt=Politics
Financial Mirror (Cyprus)
COMMENT: US House panel helps end the cycle of
Genocide
12/10/2007
By Nikolaos Taneris
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2007 — Long before the hearing on Armenian
Genocide H. Res. 106 was to commence, yesterday, in Room 2172 in the
House Rayburn building, a long line had already formed by droves of
Turkish parliamentarians and Turkish government agents, including
Turkey’s ambassador. All flanked by well-heeled lobbyists like Mr. Bob
Livingstone and a slew of Turkey-sponsored Genocide denial groups,
most notable was the heads of the `interfaith dialogue’ group that
calls itself the RUMI FORUM, who treated us to long hard hate-stares
as we walked by them to the back of the line.
The tragic episode of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 resonates
with our people, because as the Armenians were methodically deported
and massacred by Ottoman Turkey’s government, and even into the
nationalist era of Mustafa Kemal’s rule. Likewise , our own parallel
population in the Black Sea littoral , in some areas even surrounding
Angora, and finally in the legendary Greek Orthodox Christian city of
Smyrna were uprooted and killed, unlike the Armenians , our people at
least had a free homeland (of their own) to flee to, and find
refuge. Culturally, its difficult for our people to ever forget this
time and crime, many of modern Greek culture’s most legendary
contributors were descended from refugees, — Harry Klynn, Apostolos
Nikoliades , and Stelios Kazantzidis to name just a few, our culture
in Greece and Cyprus remains inextricably tied to the some two million
refugees and survivors of this time, not surprisingly, Greece and
Cyprus were amongst the first countries in this world to officially
recognize the Armenian Genocide.
It was against this background that STOP coalition (Stop Terrorizing
Orthodox Peoples!) activist Fotios Cheung, and me and veteran Hellenic
activist Alex Aliferis, saw firsthand a successful attempt by our
representative American democracy to finally, begin to end the cycle
of genocide by the Turkish government.
The Turks clearly want to see blood in this campaign, as always,
trying to bluff their way out of their responsibility, by use of
threats and intimidations. Shamelessly, the Bush administration, the
State Department and even the Pentagon has been relentless in calling
up Congressmen, essentially pleading with them to cave in to Turkish
Genocide denial.
We couldn’t help but feel profound sadness upon seeing the four
elderly women in wheelchairs lined up in the first row of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee hearing room, with the simple tag on their
shirts reading `I am a survivor of the Armenian Genocide’, and behind
them a gaggle of Turks, flown in from Turkey, wearing a big white
sticker on the lapels of their expensive suits, with a big black `NO’
to H. Res. 106 pinned to their lapels underneath their sneering
pugs. Two elderly Armenian gentlemen who demonstrated with us for
Smyrna Massacre remembrance, last month, were also there, and gave
Fotios and me, big, heartfelt hugs.
— HOUSE PANEL SUPPORTERS
Chairman of House Committee on Foreign Affairs Congressman Tom Lantos
opened the debate, the only Jewish Holocaust survivor ever to serve in
the House, mentioning the alleged importance of the American bases in
Turkey, he followed up by quoting the writings of Henry Morgenthau,
the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time of the
atrocities – `I am confident that the whole history of the human race
contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and
persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared with
the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.’ The opening remarks
ended with the statement `This is a vote of conscience, and the
Committee will work its will.’ Ultimately, Chairmen Lantos lunged
forward and offered a resounding `YES’ to H. Res 106.
Congressman Gary Ackerman whose district covers familiar territory in
Queens New York, such as Flushing, pretty much told it like it is and
said he felt so sorry for these people who travelled here , the
survivors, in wheelchairs, through airports, from different parts of
the country , gesturing to them he said "What time can they come
back?"
Chinese-American Congressman David Wu, a Democrat from Oregon, in
solemn dignity, told the Committee that his vote, `YES’, is a vote for
truth!
Greek-American Gus Bilirakis, Republican from Florida, said `the
Armenian Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915, can no longer be
put on the back burner’.
Most memorable was Cuban-American Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ), who
in a beautiful Spanish accent, revealed to all and sundry the real
murderers of truth, Sires said `a Turkish sword is over my head’,
before boldly offering a proud `YES’.
— WHO SAID NO?
Dan Burton, the Republican from Indiana, has a long record of support
for Turkish Crimes and their cover up, over the years Burton has been
an active participant, from the very beginning, of US delegations
visiting the pseudo-regime in northern Cyprus, disregarding
international law, Burton has also been involved in numerous official
delegations and receptions with the pseudo-regime in Turkish-occupied
Cyprus. Burton said that this resolution would mean `cutting off our
nose’ and `shooting ourselves in the foot’, no surprise here, he voted
`NO’.
Robert Wexler (D-FL), is co-chair of the pro-Turkish caucus in
Congress, claiming that Turkey helped twice in America’s wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and emphasizing this by slamming his fist on the
podium , he voted `NO’, again , no surprise.
The BIG SURPRISE came from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the
Republican from Florida. Last weekend she was honoured, in a Terrace
on the Park New York event, as a `philhellene’ in Congress, with a
Justice for Cyprus award from Cypriot businessman Nikos Mouyiaris, who
heads up the Pancyprian Association of America. This was one of the
biggest Cypriot events of the year, Philip Christopher, the Chairman
of the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA)
was there for her, Andrew Manatos the long-time Washington lobbyist
was said to be there, even Dalaras the musician, who ironically
composes songs about refugees, was there. In her speech to the House
Panel, however, citing Iraq, and claiming fear for her
daughter-in-law’s safety in Iraq, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, bailed
out , `NO’ was what she said to the Armenian Genocide resolution.
When the final vote was announced of 27-21, the room exploded in
cheers, many wept, the Turks quickly cleared out, and we were left
with a victory for truth, thanks to the conscience of those who truly
believe in truth and American democracy, rather than those who cower
to threats and intimidation. We were not the only ones who traveled
from several states away, we met young men and women who took off from
work and flew in from as far away as California and Canada, to see our
democratic representatives affirm a truth, that Turkey and its
supporters have spent the last 92 years trying to run and hide from,
all over the world.
The day after, Turkey has continued its threats and its shameless
expressions of `disappointment’ at the House panel’s affirmation of
truth. The US State Department’s Daily Briefing, late today also
reiterated who they support, in regards to truth, Undersecretary
Burns, also long regarded as a `philhellene’ has already been speaking
to Turkish officials, repeating the US State Department’s `commitment
to work with Congress on this to see that the full House in fact votes
to defeat this resolution as we move forward.’
My friend Christos, compared this struggle in the coming days to a
football game, or what we call in America, soccer, when a team wins by
a narrow margin, it’s more and more enthused to work, ever harder, to
set right what went wrong.
The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has promised, publicly, that
the full vote on the House floor will take place before Thanksgiving,
or end of November, some say it may even take place within the next
ten days.
Let’s also not forget that the one advantage the Turks always have is
time, after all, the years are passing and the survivors may not be
around anymore as living testaments to the Armenian Genocide, if not
now, then "What time can they come back?"
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Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)
2578 Broadway #132
New York, NY 10025
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