THOSE TOUCHED BY GENOCIDE BRING STORIES OF TRAGEDY, COURAGE
by By Dale M. King
Boca Raton News, FL
Nov 1 2007
They came to Boca Raton Sunday with stories that bled.
Two genocide survivors recalled personal horrors. And the granddaughter
of people who endured the early 20th century effort to wipe out the
Armenian race told how that "blueprint" of death showed up again in
Germany, Rwanda and Darfur.
The League for Educational Awareness of the Holocaust (LEAH) opened
its 2007-2008 season at Boca Raton Community Church with a shocking
presentation that left many in the audience sobbing.
The three speakers all noted that the outrage over the Nazi Holocaust
during World War II – and cries of "Never Again" – appear to be
falling on deaf ears. Genocide, they said, has not been eradicated.
"Even today, with all our technical advances, we are still vulnerable,"
said Natalie Garibian Peters, granddaughter of Armenian Genocide
survivors.
History Repeats
With the Darfur genocide going unchecked, "History has repeated
itself," she said. "We sat back, shook our heads and said, ‘How can
this be?’"
LEAH’s program opened with a video presentation called "The Wall
of Genocide," with stark and graphic photos of starving, dying
Armenians. One image showed a man and woman who were hanged "as an
example" to other Armenians, the narrator said.
Garibian Peters said the Turks removed "the intelligencia" from
Armenia, mocked and killed them, deported thousands and led others
to the desert where they had to walk past corpses to their own death.
Former LEAH President Connie Packman said the speakers’ narratives
were important because they represented "real world examples of what
happens when bigotry and hatred go unchecked."
Stephanie Nyombayire, a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide who is
now a student at Swarthmore College in suburban Philadelphia and a
representative of its Genocide Intervention Network, said the massacre
in her nation was one of the "fastest and best-organized."
"In 100 days, a million Rwandans were killed – not because of what they
did, but because of who they were," she said. "They were slaughtered
with machetes and any weapons that could be found."
The "methodical and systematic" killed of Rwandans, she said, even
included rape of women by HIV-infected men.
"Instead of taking action," she said, "The world turned its back
on Rwanda."
Visiting Darfur
Nyombayire said she has toured Darfur and seen the carnage. She
recalled seeing young children drawing pictures of dead bodies and
bombs falling from planes – so prevalent in their lives.
"You can’t honor the Holocaust and Rwanda if you ignore Darfur,"
she said. "That is why we created the Genocide Intervention Network –
to give citizens the means to help. It is only when citizens demand
action that there is action."
Also speaking was George Salton, a board member and treasurer of
LEAH’s Palm Beach chapter and Holocaust survivor who endured the
Rzeszow Ghetto in Poland only to be moved among 10 concentration
camps before being liberated by American troops.
He recalled emotionally how his life changed after fifth grade when
his family was taken away to what was purported to be a Ukranian work
camp. But it was actually to the gas chambers where "they were given
20 minutes to die."
Salton said the only thing that kept the detainees going was "hope.
To survive, you had to be lucky. It wasn’t heroism, it was luck.
You had to live one day at a time."
Salton and his wife of 53 years, Ruth, now live in Palm Beach
Gardens. He published his memoir, "The 23rd Psalm," in 2002.
He has spoken throughout the United States and Europe and recently
returned from Germany where he addressed the parliament.
Facilitating the discussion Sunday was Dr. Rose Gatens, director of
Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Holocaust and Human Rights
Education.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
