Northern District Times (Australia)
October 17, 2007 Wednesday

Armenians find their political voice

POLITICS simmered just below the surface of the Armenian Family Day
festivities at Eastwood Oval last Sunday.

There was traditional festival fare, including Armenian delicacies
and a display of traditional dancing.

But the celebration of Armenian culture was billed as a genocide
recognition rally to commemorate the deaths of an estimated 1.5
million Armenian Christians from 1915 to 1922.

The Armenian National Committee said there were 4000 voters of
Armenian descent in the Bennelong electorate more than the margin of
3000 votes keeping Prime Minister and local MP John Howard in
Parliament.

They have demanded a voice on the national stage and are meeting with
Labor candidate Maxine McKew to raise the issues that concern their
community.

Mr Howard has agreed to a similar meeting.

Organisers expected 1000 people to attend the Armenian Family Day on
Sunday, where remembrance went hand-in-hand with a celebration of
cultural heritage.

”As children and grandchildren of genocide survivors, we must work
toward ensuring that the experiences of the Armenians, Jews,
Cambodians and Rwandans are never allowed to be repeated,” ANC
Australia president Varant Meguerditchian said.