ARAM I: THE GUARDIAN OF THE CAUSE

February 10, 2015

By Dania Ohanian

The international conference on the Armenian Genocide: from recognition
to reparation, took place at the Catholicosate of Cilicia, in
Antelias, Lebanon, from February 23-25, 2012. The philosophy of such
a thought-provoking conference flew academicians from around the world
and was organized by His Holiness Aram I, a visionary church leader.

The objective of the conference was to bring experts from around
the world to cogitate the legal dimensions of reparations for the
Armenian Genocide. Why a religious institution was to organize a
conference with a topic on reparations? His Holiness Aram I wrote
in the International Criminal Law Review[1] “Human rights are not
optional; they are integral to Christianity. What is more, human
rights are essential to the vocation of church institutions. Human
rights in general and the Armenian Genocide in particular are part of
the missionary calling of the Armenian Church and occupy, therefore,
an important place on its agenda.”

The conference on “Recognition to Reparation” validated that this
indispensable issue is crucial to collectively be addressed in the
circles of scholars and specialists.

Armenian Communities around the world are preparing to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24,
2015. The sobering experience of the Genocide, the profound shock
will reverberate and hundred years of continued denial will yield on
into the future.

In September 2014, His Holiness Aram I shocked the world during his
dynamic and courageous speech at the Fifth Armenia-Diaspora Conference
in the capital city Yerevan, Armenia. “The Great House of Cilicia will
soon petition to Turkey’s Constitutional Court to demand the return
of Sis Catholicosate to its owner, namely the Armenian Church and
Armenian people. We can not remain indifferent to the violated rights
of our nation, as indifference is treason,” His Holiness said. The
Catholicos gave the Armenian Nation a hope for the future by bravely
announcing that He has chosen to embark on a new challenge with an
extraordinary resilience.

The idealistic church leader writes in the International Criminal Law
Review “Church properties represent a central and unique place in any
reparative process. Both spiritually and culturally, the church has
for almost two millennia been at the center of Armenian existence and
identity. Thus, the return of church lands and buildings, particularly
consecrated churches, is perhaps the most meaningful starting point
for the restoration of Armenian identity.”

Far from cause for satisfaction, this claim only highlights the tragedy
of a Nation and seeks justice beyond retribution. Is retribution
included in Transitional Justice?[2] This petition will make wider
claims about the mechanisms of Transitional Justice and will intend
to integrate researchers who concentrate on issues of legal transition
and institutions and mechanisms of “dealing with the past”.

It is indisputable, that His Holiness Aram I will warmly welcome and
encourage any assistance by policy makers addressing decision making
and legitimacy issues.

[1] International Criminal Law Review, Volume 14, No. 2, 2014,
Special Issue, Armenian Genocide Reparations

[2] Transitional Justice has become an increasing field of research
and academic discussion during the decades after World War II. What
originally was a subject mainly for historians and lawyers has now
become a field for sociologists and political scientists.