WALK FOR GENOCIDE AWARENESS
By Daniel Tedford
Daily Pilot
0/religion/dpt-armeniangenocide042108.txt
April 21 2008
CA
The Rev. Fr. Moushegh Tashjian, the pastor at St. Mary Armenian
Apostolic Church, has been waiting a long time for the U.S. government
to give him what he wants.
Tashjian’s father was orphaned when Tashjian’s grandmother was
killed during the Armenian Genocide, which began April 24, 1915. And
since he first learned of the tragedy he has wanted justice from
the U.S. government — something he thinks is found in the simple
acknowledgment of what took place early in the 20th century.
"There are millions of Americans that sympathize with us, but it is the
government that stubbornly is standing with the [Turkish government]
on this issue," Tashjian said. "It’s not a hopeless thing we are
pursuing."
Tashjian and many others in the Armenian community took to the streets
of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana for an Armenian Genocide awareness walk
starting at 1 p.m. Sunday. More than 250 people walked from St. Mary
Armenian Church to Forty Martyrs Armenian Church in Santa Ana, an
8-mile walk. Congressman Edward Royce spoke briefly to begin the
event while Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez meet the group at Forty
Martyrs for the closing ceremonies.
"Our efforts here begin with the children," Royce said of the large
amount of youths who turned out for the walk. "We have to remind them
of their heritage."
Royce has worked on legislation concerning the Armenian Genocide and
spoke out against the refusals of both President George W. Bush and
former President Bill Clinton to acknowledge the atrocities documented
since 1915.
Ara Malazian, one of the organizers of the event from the Armenian
National Committee of Orange County, reiterated the congressman’s
thoughts by describing how vast the genocide has affected the Armenian
people.
"Talk to any Armenian here, every one of us has been touched in
some way," said Malazian, whose grandfather escaped the country at
5 years old.
"We are looking at the Armenian Genocide as the first crime against
humanity in the 20th century."
The event was free to anyone who wanted to register and walk, but
the Armenian National Committee did ask for donations it would use
toward generating educational opportunities, Malazian said.
Those educational benefits would go to educating teachers on how to
teach students about the Armenian Genocide in schools and raising
awareness in the public, Malazian said.
"[The youth] will be the torch bearers for justice," Tashjian
said. "There is hope."
This was the second awareness walk the group has put on in Orange
County.
Last year’s walk generated $15,000 in donations and the organization
was hoping for more of the same this year, Malazian said.