MONUMENT DEDICATED TO MEMORY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS DEFILED IN FRANCE
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2006
CHAVILLE, OCTOBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The monument
dedicated to memory of the Armenian Genocide victims was defiled by
vandals on early October 14, in Chaville, suburb of Paris. As Marmara
states quoting monk Grigor Khachatrian, the spiritual pastor of the
Saint Gregory the Illuminator church of Chaville, they stole the
bronze cross placed in the center of the monument.
The monument, erected on October 5, 2002, with resources of the
community members, symbolizes with its twelve columns 12 old Armenian
colonies, as well as both Masises, and the pivotal part makes a binding
of bronze letters that looks like a cross in the central part, what
was, factually, stolen.
The local authorities as well as police representatives believe that
the monument was stolen for its metal value, thus, the police does not
see a political motive in it, but Armenians consider interesting that
it was stolen in almost two days after the votion for the French draft
(fixing punishment for denial of the Armenian Genocide).
After the liturgy celebrated at the Saint Gregory the Illuminator
Church of Chaville on October 15, those present directed towards the
monument to condemn the mentioned deed. Deputy Jean-Jacques Guillet,
Mayor Jean Levain, representatives of the Mayor’s Office and regional
administration as well as the population of Chaville were present.
The Mayor and the Deputy not only condemned at the monument the
happened, but also promised in a short time to restore in the same
way the monument valueable for Armenians in the symbolic sense,
using resources of the Mayor’s Office and the Regional Council General.
The Turkish press stated touching upon that theme that the Police
continues examination but was not able to check any trace.