WITH UNPRECEDENTED SHOW OF UNITY IN FRANCE, ARMENIANS AROUND THE WORLD CONTINUE THEIR QUEST FOR JUSTICE
By Appo Jabarian
USA Armenian Life Magazine
May 10, 2010
In Paris, France, the commemoration of the 95th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide was attended by more than 8,000 people.
Marked by anger, 2010’s largest April 24 commemorative event in Europe,
was also attended by numerous representatives of French politics,
Jewish, Cypriot, and Kurdish delegations, along with official
representatives of Armenia and Artsakh.
Also in attendance were Harut Sassounian, a major Armenian-American
commentator, and Publisher of The California Courier, and Appo
Jabarian, Managing Editor and Executive Publisher of USA Armenian
Life Magazine, who had especially come all the way from the United
States to share this painful event with their brothers and sisters
of France, reported Jean Eckian of Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine.
Sassounian and Jabarian delivered their remarks joining other political
representatives and community leaders including Rene Rouquet, Member
European Parliament, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Andre Santini, Mayor
of Issy-Les-Moulineaux, Archbishop Norvan Zakarian, Ara Toranian,
Armen Seropyan, Hratch Varjabedian and Mourad Papazian.
A day earlier, during a special commemorative reception at the City
of Hall of Paris, Alexis Govciyan, the Chairman of the Coordinating
Council of the Armenian Organizations of France delivered his remarks
along with the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, and Honorable Vigen
Chitechian, Armenia’s Ambassador to France.
A delegation composed of various personalities and officials was
spear-headed by Charles Aznavour. The more than 8,000 attendees
marched from Champs Elysees to the Arch of Triumph where the flame
of the Unknown Soldier was lit by Aznavour himself.
This was the first time that Aznavour, the famous singer and proud
son of France and Armenia, Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland and
a UNESCO Ambassador at Large, participated in the commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide.
Apart from Armenia and Artsakh, protest demonstrations or commemorative
events were also held worldwide in such diverse centers of the Diaspora
as Paris, New York, Boston, Sydney, Lyon, Marseille, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Fresno, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Beirut, The Hague, Caracas,
Athens, Buenos-Aires, Sao Paulo, Nicosia, Berlin, Santiago, Brussells,
Barcelona, Tehran, Damascus, London, Geneva, Sofia, Stockholm, Rome,
Ottawa, Montreal, and even Constantinople (Istanbul).
For the first time ever, righteous Turks commemorated the Armenian
Genocide without shying away from using the word GENOCIDE exposing
Pres. Obama to shame for his failure in keeping his presidential
campaign promise to the world in officially recognizing the Armenian
Genocide.
In reference to Armenians’ quest for justice vis-a-vis Turkey, Eckian
reported Aznavour as saying: "The Tango is not danced by one person,
it takes two to tango. I believe that in time they will learn how to
dance the real Tango."
In recent years, the French Armenian community has exhibited contagious
spirit of co-operation, and wisdom in its pursuit of justice with
a unified front. It is with deep appreciation that Sassounian, Gary
Bedian, this writer and many others decided to fulfill their pilgrimage
to this sanctuary of renewed Armenian unity in France. Some French
Armenians trekked long distances to join their brethren in Paris. Sako
Jabarian and his two sons Brian Nareg and Maxime Armen came from Gap,
a town in distant Hautes Alpes region in southern France.
Below is the English translation of Jabarian’s and Sassounian’s
speeches which were delivered in French language.
Speech by Appo Jabarian:
Dear friends of France, Dear Compatriots, I am very honored to be
amongst you.
I would like to thank the Coordinating Council of the Armenian
Organizations of France for kindly giving me the opportunity to express
my thoughts on this solemn day and to commemorate with you the living
memory of one and one half millions victims of the Armenian Genocide
and to reflect with you on the destruction of our ancestral homeland
of more than 3,000 years in Western Armenia and Cilicia that continue
to be forcibly occupied by denialist Turkey.
The recent Icelandic natural eruption emanated volcanic ash which
has clouded much of Europe causing the interruption of daily lives.
Now let’s take a look at Turkey that 95 years ago, has ignited one and
one half million human volcanoes; a Turkey which has been continuously
clouding the civilized world.
During the last few years, thanks to a series of political tsunamis
organized by Armenians everywhere, the Armenian Cause has entered an
important phase.
Our orphaned grandparents, known as the Survivor Generation, have
seen the worst in human experiences.
Their children – meaning our parents, known as the Transition
Generation, helped their people regenerate and rebuild their shattered
lives in exile.
We, the grandchildren of the Survivor Generation are serving as the
bridge to the Liberation Generation.
Each of these four generations, gathered here and throughout the
world, is determined to out-maneuver Turkey by not falling in its
newest traps.
Fifteen days ago, Turkey announced plans to hold so-called "dialogue"
with so-called "moderate" representatives of the Diaspora.
Turkey must know that these individuals are not even the
representatives of even the tiniest segment of the Armenian Diaspora.
What is now called Turkey is desperate to "discover" spineless
individuals to masquerade as moderates, who could be satisfied with a
false acknowledgment of the Genocide by Turkey and to trade our just
rights with meaningless apologies.
What is now called Turkey should know well that millions of us are
the genuine moderates who are simply seeking the return of the lands
of Western Armenia and Cilicia that continue to be occupied by Turkey.
These moderate Armenians are not seeking the disappearance of Turkey.
They are simply seeking to recover what’s theirs.
If Turkey is honest in its intentions to hold genuine dialogue with
the Diaspora, it should abstain from deceiving the Armenians (and
the world) by attempting to manufacture false "moderates."
As a result of the genocide, the forcibly-uprooted Armenians and
their offsprings refused to vanish from the face of the Earth.
They have done the opposite: They have formed a very powerful Diaspora
that vehemently refuses to lay its struggle down vis-a-vis the Turkish
armed hand.
They have become a determined people both in Armenia-Artsakh and the
Diaspora that are united in their efforts to achieve their right to
their reunified Homeland.
As long as Turkey continues to be dishonest in its intentions to
reconcile with the Armenian people, millions of moderate Armenians have
no choice but to continue to seek further international recognition
of their Just Cause.
If the political Tsunami of the recent years has caused many sleepless
nights in Ankara, let’s wait and see how the Armenians will be
steadfast as one man challenging the denialism.
I would like to acknowledge France for its humanity in opening her
heart and noble spirit to the survivors of the genocide and their
descendants. I would like to further acknowledge Paris, Marseilles
and Lyon for being hospitable toward the exiled Armenians as the
Ellis Islands of Europe.
I applaud the French Parliament for recognizing the genocide and the
National Assembly for adopting the law penalizing the denial of the
Armenian Genocide.
In 1940 London hosted one of my childhood heroes – the then exiled
General De Gaulle and the French liberation forces saved France from
the Nazi danger.
Today, it is from Paris that the world Armenians are re-launching
their patriotic drive for the liberation of Western Armenia and
Cilicia from the Turkish occupation.
Ankara has well-understood! The Armenians of the entire world will
not rest until they fulfill their patriotic mission to liberate and
reunify their homeland remain unfinished.
The Armenians, victims of the first genocide of the 20th century will
not let the rights of the victims of all genocides be trampled upon
by the perpetrators of crime against humanity. It is a must that the
cycle of genocides ends; so that no other potential criminals become
inspired by Hitler’s remark: "Who nowadays speaks of the extermination
of the Armenians?"
We speak! And we must continue to speak and fight until the end to
the cycle of genocides is achieved; until amends are made to the
victims of the first genocide of the 20th century and their homeland
Armenia reunified.
Long live the international solidarity for Justice, and the civilized
world, Long live France, and Long live Armenia and the Armenian people!
Speech by Harut Sassounian:
I bring you the greetings of more than one-million Armenian-Americans.
I am here to express my gratitude to the French-Armenian community
for its activism and to the representatives of the elected officials
who are with us today.
I am also here today to transmit to you the solidarity of all Armenian
Americans.
The Armenian communities of France and the United States are two of
the most important communities in the Diaspora. They could accomplish
much more by coordinating their efforts, and sharing their considerable
experience in lobbying.
Many of you want to know if President Obama is going to say Genocide
later today.
Many of you also want to know if the U.S. House of Representatives
would adopt the Armenian Genocide resolution that was approved by
the Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 4, 2010.
I am here to tell you that it is not important if President Obama
uses the term "Armenian Genocide" in his annual April 24 statement.
Why?
Because you have been misinformed regarding the non-recognition of
the Armenian Genocide by the United States. That is not true because
President Ronald Reagan issued a Presidential Proclamation in 1981
that specifically mentioned "the genocide of the Armenians."
The House of Representatives, twice, in 1975 and 1984, adopted
resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Furthermore, 43 out
of 50 U.S. States and countless governors and mayors have recognized
the Armenian Genocide.
In fact, the U.S. government first acknowledged the Armenian Genocide
in 1951, in a document it submitted to the World Court.
In addition to the United States and of course France, more than
20 other countries have acknowledged the Armenian Genocide ever
since 1965.
Furthermore, the U.N. Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination
and Protection of Minorities adopted a report in 1985 stating that
the Armenian Genocide meets the United Nations’ criteria for genocide.
As you know. The European Parliament also adopted a resolution in 1987,
recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
In addition, hundreds of Holocaust and Genocide scholars have issued
joint statements confirming the facts of the Armenian Genocide.
After so many acknowledgments, the Armenian Genocide has become a
universally recognized historical fact.
However, a simple acknowledgment of the Genocide would not heal the
wounds and undo its devastating consequences.
Armenians seek justice, in order to restore their historic rights
and gain the return of their confiscated lands and properties.
You already know about the successful lawsuits against American and
French insurance companies and pending lawsuits against German banks.
Armenians are entitled, as in the case of the Holocaust, to just
compensation for their enormous losses of homes, lands, houses of
worship and personal properties.
Armenian organizations in France and other European countries, after
consulting international lawyers, should file lawsuits against Turkey
with the European Court of Human Rights to return to the Armenian
Patriarchate in Istanbul the more than 2,000 Armenian churches and
religious properties that have been expropriated and converted to
mosques, warehouses, homes or outright destroyed.
Armenian organizations no longer need to devote their human and
material resources to prove that Genocide was committed against
Armenians. Instead, they should devote their valuable time and energy
to obtain restitution for their losses.
Let us not fall in the Turkish trap of getting us stuck on proving
the Genocide year after year.
Let us move on to the next step, demanding our historic rights from
Turkey through the World Court, European Court of Human Rights,
and U.S. Federal Courts.
Today, we must seek justice, rather than Genocide recognition!