Armenian National Committee of Canada
130 Albert St., Suite 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel. (613) 235-2622 Fax (613) 238-2622
E-mail:[email protected]
www .anccanada.org
PRESS RELEASE
April 11, 2007
Contact: Kevork Manguelian
Tel. (613) 235-2622
ANCC Participates in Rwandan Genocide Commemoration
Ottawa–The Rwandan community of Greater Toronto commemorated the 13th
anniversary of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide in Rwanda with a solemn gathering on
April 7. The commemoration theme was "We Will Forgive But Not Forget".
The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) was invited to participate
in the commemoration of the Rwanda Genocide which resulted in the death of
countless innocent civilians.
In his opening remark, Aris Babikian, the executive director of the ANCC,
said that he "considered it our privilege to participate in this solemn
occasion and to address the assembled crowd to show our solidarity with a
fellow victim nation of Genocide.
"It is ironic that at the dawn of a new century and after 92 years of the
Armenian Genocide, we are gathered, as victim nations of Genocide and
Holocaust to commemorate another Genocide-your people’s Genocide-and to
remind the international community of its obligation to eradicate the
scourge of Genocide."
Mr. Babikian said: "Survivors of these heinous crimes must unite to remind
the international community and our fellow human beings that such crimes
will not be forgotten, denied or be allowed to be repeated."
In his comments, titled "Exposing the Denial Machine," Babikian said: "Once
the denial machine is set into motion, the planners and executors of
genocide get emboldened and feel confident that they have gotten away with
their demonic plan of wiping out a whole race. They then proceed to blame
the victims and the survivors for their plight.
"In all genocides the survivors are subjected to the denial machine one way
or another. The denial can originate in individuals, organizations or even
states," Babikian pointed out.
Denial of mass killings is to "deflect justice and to perpetuate the hatred
cycle against the victims. Once the guilty part covers up its crime and gets
away with it, it spreads falsehoods in its educational system, to
indoctrinate future generations with hatred and animosity towards the victim
nation. The denialist portrays the victims as the enemy of the state and of
the nation. It injects the US against THEM concept into the mentality of its
society," said the ANCC executive director.
Furthermore, by suppressing the truth the perpetrator discharges its
responsibility. It also justifies its demonic action as a "righteous
crusade" for the welfare of its own people. "With incredible chutzpah
Turkey, since the early 1920s, has turned the tragedy of the Armenian
Genocide upside down and has depicted itself as the victim! ‘It was
the Armenians who had committed genocide against the Turks,’ blithely
says Turkey," sarcastically concluded Babikian.
The executive director of ANCC assured the gathering that "Armenians all
over the world believe in accountability and responsibility. The punishment
of the guilty is imperative because it will help the civil society of the
perpetrator to atone for the crimes of its leaders and to reconcile with the
victim nation. As we have seen, without recognition of the crime and
punishment of the guilty there can be no reconciliation."
Gerry Caplan, the African Unite reporteur on the Rwandan Genocide talked
about the French Government’s crucial role in the genocide. He also gave a
detailed account of the French Government’s attempt to absolve its guilt
through a sham judicial inquiry.
With heart wrenching testimonies and eyewitness accounts many survivors of
the Rwandan Genocide recalled how they survived the 100 days orgy of
killing. Many of them lost their entire families.
Leo Kabalisa, a Tutsi community leader, stated that his community’s days of
grief are over. "It is time for action, to help the survivors," he said and
urged the assembly to support the various projects the community has
initiated.
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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of
the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
Regional ChaptersMontréal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton –
Cambridge – St. Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
