ARMENIAN COMMUNITY CHEERS POPE FOR ACKNOWLEDGING GENOCIDE
Breitbart News
April 14 2015
by Adelle Nazarian14 Apr 20153
Pope Francis took a brave leap forward on Sunday, risking backlash
from the Turkish government, when he spoke out against the Armenian
genocide that took place almost 100 years ago at the hands of Ottoman
Turks.
While his words provoked Turkish anger and prompted Turkey to recall
its ambassador to the Holy See and summon the Vatican’s ambassador in
Ankara to condemn the Pope’s remarks, members of California’s over
200,000-strong Armenian community rejoiced at his courage to name and
condemn the genocide.
“As far as the Armenian American community is concerned, the pope has
taken a courageous stand despite the threats from the Republic of
Turkey,” Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan told the Los Angeles Times. His
sentiment was echoed by fellow Armenian-American Rob Saroyan, who told
the Fresno Bee, “As an important spiritual leader in the world, this
recognition (of the genocide) means a lot to humanity. It’s not just
Armenians, but everyone who suffers or is persecute.”
Pope Francis’s statements at the Vatican were delivered just two weeks
shy of the 100-year anniversary marking the start of “the first
genocide of the 20th century,” in which over 1.5 million Armenians
were executed. “The remaining two were perpetrated by Nazism and
Stalinism,” Francis said.
Still, the United States’ close relationship with Turkey, in addition
to Turkey’s membership in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization),
have discouraged the U.S. from recognizing the genocide because
Turkey’s government does not recognize the Armenian genocide.
“I hope that the pope’s words will inspire our president and Congress
to demonstrate a like commitment to speaking the truth about the
Armenian genocide and to renounce Turkey’s campaign of concealment and
denial,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said, in a statement from his
office that was a acquired by the Times.
Mark Shirin, like many Armenians within the United States, said he is
also upset at the U.S. government for not officially recognizing the
Armenian genocide.
“The next step in this process is asking for reparations-demands for
lands and property lost,” Shirin told the Bee. The same sentiment has
been echoed by many Iranians who were forced to flee their homes and
had their businesses seized by the Iranian regime following the
revolution of 1979. They are hopeful that with regime change or
improved U.S.-Iran relations that they may be able to regain land and
assets that were unjustly taken away from them.
“Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding
without bandaging it!” Francis had said. Mayor Sinanyan said the
United States’ refusal to recognize the genocide has also kept
Armenians from moving on, telling the Times that without closure,
there cannot be healing.
Fresno State will soon unveil a stone monument commemorating the
Armenian genocide, which is believed to have begun on April 24, 1915
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
