REPRESENTATIVES OF ANC ER HONORED MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF PONTIAN GENOCIDE COMMITTED IN TURKEY
DeFacto Agency
May 26 2008
Armenia
YEREVAN, 26.05.08. DE FACTO. On May 19, 2008, Armenian National
Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA ER) Executive Director
Karine Birazian took part in commemorating the 89th Anniversary of
the Pontian Genocide.
Organizing the event was the Federation of Hellenic Societies
of Greater New York and the Pan-Pontian Federation of USA and
Canada. Dimitris Molohides, Secretary of the Pan-Pontian Federation
of USA and Canada, addressed the crowd in attendance and urged for
decisive action for recognition of the Pontian Genocide.
Speaking on behalf of the ANCA, Birazian addressed the crowd. In
her statement she remarked: "the tragic sufferings of Armenians,
Assyrians, and Greeks will never be forgotten. The Turkish Government
tries to silence us, but we will not be silenced, and together we will
in fact end Turkey’s "Gag Rule" and seek recognition of this great
crime. Nine decades ago they tried to silence the innocent victims
that fell under the Turkish sword, and today we are still here. Nine
decades from now we will still be here for we will never forget and
work to seek justice".
Also present at the event included the Cypriot Action Network
of America (CANA), the presidents and members of the two local
associations "Komninoi" of New York and "Pontos" of Norwalk Connecticut
and from the "Holy Institution Panagia Soumela."
To note, the Pontian Genocide has been formally acknowledged by Greece
and Cyprus and, within the United States, by the states of New York,
New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and
Illinois, among others. Most recently, the International Association
of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) released a statement commenting: "BE IT
RESOLVED that it is the conviction of the International Association
of Genocide Scholars that the Ottoman campaign against Christian
minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923 constituted genocide
against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Association calls upon the government
of Turkey to acknowledge the genocides against these populations,
to issue a formal apology, and to take prompt and meaningful steps
toward restitution."