CALIFORNIA RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Kristina Hacker
The Turlock Journal
/3740/
April 21 2010
Local man present at State Senate remembrance
Local businessman Daniel Aydenian grew up hearing stories of his
father’s survival of the darkest time in Armenian history.
His father was 5 years old when the Ottoman Turkish government
arrested and murdered several hundred Armenian religious, political
and intellectual leaders. During the years 1915 to 1923, the Ottoman
Empire executed a systematic destruction of Armenian culture through
the forced exile, imprisonment and annihilation of men, women and
children of Armenian descent.
That time is known as the Armenian Genocide to Armenians around the
world. However, many countries — including the United States — have
yet to recognize the Ottoman Turkish government’s actions as genocide.
As an Armenian Rights Council of America representative, Aydenian
continues to fight for recognition of the Armenian Genocide
internationally, nationally and statewide.
"We must never forget the 1.5 million Armenians who perished and the
others who were driven from their historic homeland," Aydenian said.
"(We must also remember) our brothers and sisters, the Assyrians and
Greeks (who were also persecuted) by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. (We
must have) continued recognition of this crime against humanity. My
father was 5 years old and was a genocide survivor. Over 80 percent
of his family perished. For every Armenian, Assyrian and Greek,
and myself, it is important (to remember)."
Aydenian was present on April 15 when the California State Senate
remembered the Armenian Genocide with a ceremony that began with
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, primate of the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church in North America, offering the opening prayer at the
start of the session.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also proclaimed April 19-26 as "Days of
Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."
"It is important to remember the horrors of the past in order to keep
history from repeating itself. The Armenian Genocide was a terrible
breach of human rights and an event that has outraged the world.
Between 1915 and 1923, 1.5 million innocent Armenians lost their
lives at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, and 500,000 more were forced
from their homeland," reads the proclamation. "…Today, California
is honored to be home to a vibrant Armenian-American population, the
largest outside the Republic of Armenia. This thriving community is
a proud reminder of survival and determination even in the face of
extreme injustice.
"As Americans and Californians, it is our duty to raise awareness
of the Armenian Genocide and to participate in the remembrance and
mourning of the loss of innocent lives."
Forty states have already passed legislation or issued proclamations
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, including California, but
the federal government has thus far been hesitant to refer to the
historical event as genocide due to fears of Turkish repercussions.
The Turkish government does not agree that Armenian deaths can
be termed "genocide" and questions the numbers and conclusions of
those who have termed the event genocide. Many members of the Turkish
intellegencia have been imprisoned in recent years for mentioning the
Armenian Genocide under a Turkish statute which outlaws "insulting
Turkishness."
During a meeting between President Barack Obama and Armenian President
Serzh Sargsian on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit last
week, Obama commended Sargsian for his courageous efforts to achieve
normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey and encouraged
him to fulfill the promise of normalization for the benefit of the
Armenian people. President Obama also urged that both Armenia and
Turkey make every effort to advance the normalization process and
achieve legislative ratification of the protocols of normalization,
according to a statement released by the White House.
Obama’s reconciliatory comments come after the U.S. House Foreign
Affairs Committee approved a resolution to recognize the Armenian
Genocide by a vote of 23 to 22 on March 4.
"At some point, every nation must come to terms with its own history.
And that is all we ask of Turkey," said Chairman Howard Berman
(D-CA) in his opening remarks at the resolution’s markup. "Germany
has accepted responsibility for the Holocaust. South Africa set up a
Truth Commission to look at Apartheid. And here at home, we continue
to grapple with the legacies of slavery and our horrendous treatment
of Native Americans.
"It is now time for Turkey to accept the reality of the Armenian
Genocide."
The resolution has yet to reach the House floor.
A 95th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide will be held
on Saturday at St. Paul Armenian Church, 3767 N. First St., Fresno.
The Hokehankisd service will begin at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary, with
a civic program beginning at 8 p.m. in the Haig Berberian Hall. The
keynote speaker will be Dr. Taner Akcam, chairman of the Department
of Genocide Studies at Clark University, Worcester, Mass.