US hip hop artist Kanye West – husband of reality TV star Kim Kardashian – should use his relationship with President Donald Trump to contribute to the US recognition of the Armenian Genocide – Markos Kounalakis writes in an article titled ‘Kanye West can help Trump recognize the Armenian genocide’ in The Wichita Eagle.
“Armenia is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Kanye West and the Kardashians. Truth is, however, Kanye has always cared and sang about justice and his wife’s Armenian-American family has always felt strongly about the need to recognize one of the world’s greatest crimes and injustices — the Armenian genocide. Kanye should leverage his newfound kinship with President Trump to prod him towards doing what no other sitting American president has done: Use an executive order to declare that the murderous events of 1915 were the world’s first modern genocide”, Markos Kounalakis writes.
The author reminds that Kim and Kanye traveled to Armenia in 2015 for the Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration events.
“Modern Turkey does not like to be reminded of this historic fact. It prefers to look at the Christian Armenian deaths as unfortunate collateral damage during a World War, not a group targeted by Turks for ethnic and religious cleansing. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatens to exact punishment from countries recognizing that genocide”.
“President Trump does not take kindly to threats. Trump is always inclined to do things differently and buck tradition”, the article said.
The author reminded that nearly 100 US lawmakers wrote Trump a letter recently urging to follow the lead of 29 countries and 48 US states in recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
“If lawmakers can’t convince Trump to recognize the genocide and his good friend Rep. Devin Nunes, whose political future hangs on the love of his Fresno Armenian-American electorate can’t do it, and if Kanye can’t do it, then who’s left? Maybe Hip Hop artists Kendrick Lamar or Nazo Bravo can find the right beat and lyrics to pull the president’s heartstrings. It’s time.”