Armenian Genocide

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Recognize the Armenian Genocide

Why do you boycott Turkish products? I’m asked all the time. My answer is quite simple; Until the day the Turkish government recognizes the Armenian genocide then I will boycott anything Turkish.

What makes this boycott different from someone who is Jewish who would boycott Germany? Germany has admitted to the holocaust. It will be and has been written in history. It is recognized and remembered. An act that will not be forgotten. This is not the case for the Armenian genocide that happened less than a century ago.

Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians? – Adolph Hitler while persuading his associates that a Jewish holocaust would be tolerated by the west

The conventional date that the genocide began was April 24, 1915. The day that Armenians, like myself, recognize and memorialize each year. April 24th is the day when Ottoman authorities arrested some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople.

The Ottoman military uprooted Armenians from their homes and forced them to march for hundreds of miles, depriving them of food and water, to the desert of what is now Syria. Massacres were indiscriminate of age or gender, with rape and other forms of sexual abuse. Both were common during the genocide.

It is generally not known in the world that, in the years preceding 1916, there was a concerted effort made to eliminate all the Armenian people, probably one of the greatest tragedies that ever befell any group. And there weren’t any Nuremberg trials. – Jimmy Carter

Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies the word genocide is an accurate description of the events.In recent years, it has faced repeated calls to accept the events as genocide. To date, twenty countries have officially recognized the events of the period as genocide, (The United States is not one of them) and most genocide scholars and historians accept this view.

The persecutions continued with varying intensity until 1923 when the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by the Republic of Turkey. The Armenian population of the Ottoman state was reported at about two million in 1915. An estimated one million had perished by 1918, while hundreds of thousands had become homeless and stateless refugees. By 1923 virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolian Turkey had disappeared. The genocide had quite nearly wiped out my entire race.

• Armenia is a ‘landlocked’ country. It is bordered by Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Nakhchivan.
• Wrestling, weightlifting, judo, chess and boxing are the most popular sports in Armenia.
• In Armenia, it is traditional for the groom and his family to pay for the wedding.
• Jazz music is very popular in Armenia.
• Armenians have their own language and alphabet. The alphabet was invented in 405 AD. 96% of the population speak Armenia and about 75% Russian.
• Copper, zinc, gold and lead are mined and produced in Armenia.
• Mount Ararat is the highest mountain in Armenia. According to the Bible, this is where Noah’s Ark came to rest after the flood waters receded.
• Armenians drive on the right hand side of the road.
• The total Armenia population (worldwide) is estimated to be 11 million. However, only 3 million Armenians actually live in Armenia! 8 million live in other countries. Russia, the United States, France, Turkey and Lebanon have the highest populations of Armenians living outside Armenia.

ՀՐԱԶԴԱՆ

Հրազդա՜ն, գետակդ իմ հայրենի,
Հրազդա՜ն, ջրիկդ իմ անուշիկ,
Ահա թողել զհողն օտարի,
Բաբկենս հասել եմ պանդըխտիկ.
Ա~յ Հրազդան, ա՜յ ջուրք Հայրենիք,
Ա՜յ ափունք, է՞ր կու լայք լըռիկ:
Ես ձեր դրացենակն եմ, չե՞ք ճանչել,
Սիրտս ըզձեզ չէ մոռցել իսկի,
Դուք կարկըջիկդ է՞ր եք մոռցել,
Ծիծղուն երեսդ է՞ր սուգ ունի։
Ա~յ Հրազդան, ա~յ ջուրք հայրենիք,
Ա՜յ ափունք, է՞ր կու լայք լըռիկ։
Վա՜հ, մեր կանաչ անտառիկս ո՞ւր,
Ո՞ւր տաղվարիկս, ո՞ւր մեր նըշիս,
Հովո՞ւն եղան, թե ծովուն կուր.
Ո՞ւր մեր տընակն, ո՞ւր մեր այգիս.
Ա՜յ Հրազդան, ա՜յ ջուրք հայրենիք,
Ա~յ ափունք, Է՞ր կու լայք լըռիկ։
Ո՞ւր ես, ալիցըս լույս Խանտուկ.
Ւմ ընկերներն ո՞ւր են, Հրազդան,
Միթե Պարսկի՞ն եղան գերուկ,
Միթե ամենքն ի հո՞ղ մըտան.
Ա՜յ Հրազդան, ա՜յ ջուրք հայրենիք,
Ա~յ ափունք, է՞ր կու լայք լըռիկ։
Ա~հ, անցուգնաց եղել ամեն.
Ա~հ, անցուգնաց է Հայաստան,
Զիս անմեկիկ թողած աստեն
Ետ անցնիս գնաս դո՞ւն այլ Հրազգան…
Անցի՜ր, գընա, ջրիկդ հայրենի,
Արտսունք հերիք են Բաբկենի

What can you do to help? Spread awareness by sharing this blog post with everyone you know!

Thank you to Empower Network who has given me the voice and means to do just that.

Recognize the Armenian Genocide~!

The Accidental Writer AND The Proud Armenian,