National Public Radio (NPR)
October 18, 2007 Thursday
SHOW: Tell Me More 9:00 AM EST
Armenian-American Singer Weighs in on Turskish-U.S. Relations
Mr. SERJ TANKIAN (Lead Vocalist, System of a Down): I’ve been talking
about the recognition of the Armenian genocide within Congress for
many years now. And that to me is even a personal issue because my
grandfather is a survivor of the Armenia genocide.
MARTIN: That’s Serj Tankian, an Armenian-American best known as the
front man for the rock group System of a Down. We’ve been talking to
Serj about his latest CD – an interview will bring you in the coming
days. But he’s also an outspoken social critic.
To help you better understand that sometimes fierce debate over the
word genocide, here’s a short outtake from our recent interview.
You’ll hear more for him next week. But I asked him to talk about the
dispute over language that he says isn’t a dispute at all.
Mr. TANKIAN: It’s a source of great tension. It’s not a matter of
historical dispute because, you know, it’s been accepted worldwide as
a genocide. But it seems to be a contention of experience having to
do with certain governments that are allied with Turkey like the
United States. And so, you know, the United States uses the genocide
issue – the G issue – as a way of bartering with Turkey having to do
with Iraq or having to do with the Kurdish issue, which is really
sad. The military-industrial complex, the Turkish government,
Condoleezza Rice and the administration, you name it. Everyone’s kind
of stacked against the truth.
MARTIN: I understand it, but I’m just saying that the use of the word
genocide to describe this historic event is a matter of great dispute
– it’s a matter of political dispute. And as you mentioned, there are
all kinds of issues caught up with that. And I – clearly, it means a
very great deal to you. I just wanted to talk to you about how you
take on an issue like this as an artist, which – is it most important
to you to expose the issue to people who may not be aware of it or
will what?
Mr. TANKIAN: Yeah, I mean besides past tragedy, it’s also a current
tragedy. Genocide is something that whole planet is suffering from –
in Darfur right now. And it still continues because we obviously
haven’t learned the lessons of what is a true intervention or reason
for intervention or what is a time that we need to get involve in
these things. You know, with Sudan we’ve made a lot of concession
because they had intelligence on al-Qaida apparently, so we didn’t
push them. The Chinese have their oil interest et cetera, et cetera.
I mean, you know, when its genocide, everything’s got to stop. And
the United Nations should go, okay, everything stop. Not- business is
not as usual. This is a genocide. We need to go. You know, and
that…
MARTIN: Why do you think…
Mr. TANKIAN: …hasn’t been happening.
MARTIN: I’m sorry. Why do you think it’s so important to have the
United States among other countries recognize this historical event
and call it genocide? Why do you think that’s important?
Mr. TANKIAN: Well, ultimately, the important thing is to gain justice
by the descendants of the government that committed the atrocity,
which is the Turkish government. And the United States has a very
close allied relationship with Turkey and it would – whether it’s
overtly or discretely, there would be diplomatic pressure in dealing
with that country having to do with them committing this crime.
MARTIN: What – this is an area where I do believe some, which – I’m
not speaking from a government, but I’m saying that they are those
who would argue that the American national security and diplomatic
interests are complicated and vary. And here is an area where I think
some might argue that they’re – whatever compromises they are making
are appropriate in light of the responsibility of government
officials to protect the country, to balance competing American
interest. And what would you say to that?
Mr. TANKIAN: Well, I think that’s a sellout, you know, kind of
democracy in my opinion. I mean, anytime that you’re taking the truth
and you’re using it as an experience issue for geopolitical or
economic interest then you can’t really call yourself an honest
democracy. I think…
MARTIN: Well, forgive me, I think this an area where some might argue
that they are more qualified to assess these matters than you are,
and that is, I think, the question.
Mr. TANKIAN: Well, to me, qualification is truth. You know, when
you’re dealing with the truth, that’s the important thing. It doesn’t
matter whether someone has military experience over my knowledge of
foreign policy. The genocide is the genocide. You shouldn’t – you
know, you can’t go to Germany and say, you know, if you want to back
us up in Iraq, well, forget about the holocaust. How would that go?
You know, that doesn’t work. You know, not if you want to call
yourself a democracy. We have to deal with foreign policy in honest
way. We can’t deal with it by selling genocides or denying things
that are in our own archives.
MARTIN: Okay.
Mr. TANKIAN: That’s wrong.
MARTIN: That was Serj Tankian, an Armenian-American activist and lead
singer for the group System of a Down. His hopes for a passage of a
congressional resolution are looking dimmer right now. A number of
House Democrats have dropped their support because of concerns that
the resolution would seriously damage relations with Turkey.