At Monday’s City Council meeting Mayor Terry Tornek issued a proclamation remembering the Armenian Genocide.
“On April 24, 1915, the Turkish government perpetrated against Armenian people what is commonly referred to as the first genocide of the twentieth century, which continued until 1923 and resulted in the death of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children; and since memories fade with time, it is important to remind ourselves about human tragedies that have taken place.” Tornek wrote in his proclamation.
Also known among Armenians as the Great Crime, the genocide began in 1915 and, by the time it ended eight years later, 1.5 million Armenians had been hanged, poisoned, drowned or marched into the desert to die at the hands of soldiers from the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Along with the Jewish Holocaust and the enslavement of African Americans, it remains one of the darkest episodes in human history.
The Turkish government vehemently denies the event took place.
Typically, the city remembers the Genocide on April 24, but due to the safer at home orders, there won’t be a ceremony this year,
“The time of protesting is over,” said former Mayor Bill Paparian, “this is about our ancestors who deserve a prayer.
“They would want to see us come together, honor them, and celebrate their memory. Let this become a new tradition, an Armenian Thanksgiving.”
In 1984 Paparian’s uncle, Arshag Dickranian, shared with the Shoah Foundation the story how his mother Serpouhi, and other members the family survived the Genocide.
After managing to find a house to hide in, informers turned them in. After the police came, Paparian’s grandfather bribed the driver, and they were taken to another house.
In their first month hiding in Konya, the family stayed in 60 different houses to avoid being caught.
Eventually, the family changed their name and began living as Turkish Muslims in the city.
Dickranian’s father went to mosque, and Dickranian began attending a secret Armenian school in the attic of a house. When he went there each day, the eight students each entered the building separately, so as not to arouse suspicion.
By 1923 the family made its way to America.
“This coming Friday, April 24, the Armenian-American community will pause to remember the Armenian Genocide of 1915.” Paparian said.
In October, the US government finally recognized the 1.5 million lives that were taken during the genocide when the House voted 405-11 to approve a resolution formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena) fought for 19 years to get the government to recognize the Genocide.
“Today, the House decisively voted to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.” Schiff said in a prepared statement. “In so doing, the House declared that it will no longer be party to the cause of genocide denial. This is a vote I have fought for 19 years to make possible, and one that tens of thousands of my Armenian American constituents have worked, struggled, and prayed for decades to see.”
17:55,
YEREVAN, 22 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 22 April, USD exchange rate down by 1.06 drams to 479.81 drams. EUR exchange rate stood at 520.93 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 6.26 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.20 drams to 593.29 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 121.48 drams to 25947.72 drams. Silver price down by 3.29 drams to 230.93 drams. Platinum price down by 1,013.83 drams to 11029.77 drams.
The United States, through the International Atomic Energy Agency, recently provided a total of $6 million to support the agency’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 outbreak around the world – including in Armenia, the U.S. Embassy reports.
“U.S. funds will provide COVID-19 testing kits, and Armenia is receiving 2,000 tests,” the embassy said.
11:33, 8 April, 2020
YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. As 28 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan voiced a general “cautious optimism” and said that if the recent statistics is maintained it would mean that the country has overcome the peak of the outbreak.
“Today we have 28 new cases of the coronavirus out of 311 tests. 27 patients recovered. The total number of recoveries is 114, the number of active cases is 758. Around 90% of the patients don’t even have fever. Overall, we are maintaining cautious optimism. If this statistics continues, it will mean that we have overcome the coronavirus peak and that the peak was on March 31,” Pashinyan said on social media.
On March 31st, Armenia had the highest number of new cases in one day – 92.
The Prime Minister said that a 93-year-old patient, who suffered from cancer, has died from coronavirus complications, becoming Armenia’s ninth COVID-19 fatality. He said that eight other patients are currently in critical condition.
Earlier on April 7, for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak began in Armenia, the number of recovered patients in 24 hours was more than the number of new cases.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
PanARMENIAN.Net – Celebrated Russian physicist of Armenian descent Mishik Kazaryan has passed away in a hospital in Moscow shortly after the death of his wife, epidemiologist Arpik Asratyan, RBC reports citing a family member.
According to the person familiar with the matter, both spouses had bilateral pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.
Kazaryan was 72 years old. The source said the scientist and his wife were both hospitalized on March 23 and had no symptoms other than high fever.
Arpik Asratyan, a doctor of medical sciences and a prominent voice in the treatment of viral hepatitis, died in a Moscow medical center on March 27.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The so-called “presidential and parliamentary elections” held on March 31st, 2020, sponsored by the fascist government of Armenia inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, is a blatant act of provocation, Peter M. Tase, strategic adviser on international affairs and public diplomacy to governments, universities and corporations in Europe and the Americas, told Trend.
He noted that Yerevan is scoffing the four UN Security Council Resolutions, and orchestrating a mockery to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
It demonstrates once again the aspirations of Armenian leadership to maintain the current status-quo inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan and foster ambiguous statecraft practices that encourage greater levels of poverty inside Armenia, the expert believes.
He said it is becoming a deep concern that the international community is not swiftly acting and making condemning public statements on this matter.
The policy pursued by Armenian authorities in this region of Azerbaijan is a serious threat to European security and serves as a dangerous precedent for other conflict zones in Europe, Tase believes.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.