Calgary Herald, Canada
March 28 2010

Armenians: the true story

By Eduardo Kalaydjian, Calgary Herald March 28, 2010 Re: "It was
chaos, but not genocide," Letter, March 23.

The Armenian genocide is recognized by numerous historians and
academics, such as the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Deniers depend on a handful of historians funded by the Turkish
government and their interest groups. Historians in Turkey deny the
genocide for fear of being imprisoned for breaking Turkish law 301
(Insulting Turkishness).

Taner Akcam, a Turkish historian, left Turkey in fear of his life for
claiming there was a genocide. Deniers state the Armenians had to be
deported because they posed a threat. However, most deported Armenians
were infants, children, women and old men.

It is hard to fathom that the Ottoman Empire’s army would feel
threatened by these people. What country forces its weakest citizens
to march for hundreds of miles into the desert without food or water
unless there is an intent to exterminate them?

Armenian orphans placed in Ottoman orphanages were converted to Islam,
prevented from speaking Armenian and given Turkish names. Most
Armenians today are unable to provide you with a family tree beyond
the genocide of 1915.

The Armenian-Turkish Protocols and Armenian rapprochement will not be
harmed by the acceptance of the genocide. Acceptance will bring both
countries closer and allow them to move forward. Most Armenians want
acknowledgment of the genocide to come from the Turkish government,
for that is who is trying to rewrite history and hide behind denial.

Eduardo Kalaydjian, Calgary
Director of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Calgary

ns+true+story/2735772/story.html