LOCAL ARMENIAN-AMERICANS PRAISE HOUSE GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
By Brendan O’brien
Journal Times, WI
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Oct 15 2007
RACINE – In 1939, at the height of his monstrous regime, Adolf
Hitler prophetically proclaimed that history will forget the Armenian
genocide.
"Who, today, speaks of the annihilation of the Armenians?" he asked
according to news reports a week before Germany invaded Poland as he
ordered the murder of the Polish people.
That quote spoke volumes this weekend for local Armenian-Americans,
who praised the approval in the U.S. House of Representatives last
week of a resolution recognizing the World War I-era killing of
Armenians as genocide.
"I’m very much satisfied that they took the right route after many,
many years of discussion," said Skarkis Cherkinian a member of St.
Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church in Caledonia before services began
Sunday morning.
"It’s about time. It’s the same thing the Jewish people went through.
It’s the same thing," he added.
An estimated 200 Armenian families live in the Racine area. A handful
of survivors of the genocide are still members of the church.
"It’s brought up a lot more awareness in that it has gotten front
page headlines," said church member Bill Binetti, who noted that some
members of Armenian community to whom he has spoken have expressed
their concern with the timing of the acknowledgement on the part of
the U.S. "Generally speaking, this is something that Armenians have
been fighting for for decades and generations."
On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 27-21 to
approve the resolution that would recognize the slaughter of 1.5
million Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a genocidal event.
Turkey denies that the deaths constitute genocide, says the toll has
been inflated and insists that those killed were victims of civil
war and unrest.
The Journal Times recognizes the Armenian genocide as historical fact.
Turkey, a key NATO ally that has supported U.S. efforts in Iraq, has
warned that the measure may result in impeding logistical and other
U.S. military traffic now using Turkish airspace. President Bush
admonished the panel vote and indicated it would damage U.S. goals
in the Middle East.
"Turkey needs the U.S. more than we need Turkey. Somehow we’ll do what
we have to do, but the Turks rely on us because we supply them with
lots of cash and lots of arms," church member Perry Paragamian said.
Paragamian’s mother was the only survivor of the genocide in her
immediate family.
"Absolutely, every day, one way or other it’s talked about," Paragamian
said of how local Armenians discuss their history. "You can’t sweep
the truth under the carpet."
The measure now heads to the House floor where, unless Democratic
leadership heeds the president’s warnings, it will be up for a vote.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
