Armenian Issues: March 2013

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Over 40 Armenian Genocide specialists from nine countries met in Yerevan on March 22-23 to strategize on how to devise a legal framework to mitigate the consequences of the Genocide, counter Turkish denialism, and organize genocide studies programs and museum exhibits. The conference was organized by the State Commission coordinating activities leading to the 100^th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In his message to the conference, Pres. Serzh Sargsyan expressed regret that the Armenian Genocide has gone unpunished which paved the way for the Jewish Holocaust. He hoped that the 100^th anniversary would be an occasion to demonstrate Armenian unity and resolve to alleviate the consequences of the Genocide, secure restorative justice, and pass on to the next generation new methods of struggle and survival. The President welcomed the fact that more conscientious elements of Turkish society are shattering the wall of silence and denialism, and reexamining the revisionist policies of their country. The President asked conference participants to recommend suggestions to the State Commission for the commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Shortly after Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis I, Armenian and Turkish media outlets rushed to inform their audiences that the Argentinean Archbishop had acknowledged the Armenian Genocide on a number of occasions.

When Catholicos Karekin II visited Buenos Aires on April 23, 2004, Cardinal Bergoglio joined him in an ecumenical liturgy and spoke during the commemoration of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The Cardinal stated: "We are united in grief over a genocide -- the first of the 20^th century -- a genocide that powerful empires seek to silence and cover up by all means."

I received the following email from our Diocesan Office in Baghdad:

Dear all,
Greetings from warm Baghdad.
This is how our Cathedral's landscape use to look like prior to the early 80s.

Also, it is to be noted that recently emails have been circulated with a reference to St. Mary Church in Shorja district which came under difficult circumstances. Due to the similarity of names, some people thought it was the Armenian Church in Miadan square. Of course this is not true, as we Armenians take good care of our Churches and other Community institutions.
The compound of Our Church in Miadan Square (Sourp Asdvadzadzin) has been constantly modified during the past 30 years, each time adding a new building. Now it looks beautiful bringing honor to our Armenian name and Community in Baghdad.
The other St. Mary Church, which is the subject of some confused emails, is another Church and she fell under difficult circumstances and belongs to the Latin Community. It was made available to the Coptic Community in Baghdad to use as house of worship for 20 years. For some years now the Copts have moved to their new facility in New Baghdad. The reference therefore is about the ill-fated church (not the Armenian Church).
It behooves our Iraqi Armenians to be correct regarding their information before passing undue judgment. All Armenians should know how our Diocesan office (Arachnortaran) works for the constant betterment of our Churches and institutions.

With best regards,
Diocesan Office.

More than a century The Blue Mosque in Yerevan represents a very small portion of the Iranian culture with its unique architecture and incredible atmosphere.

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

The Empire Strikes Back, not in a science fiction movie, but in a French court!

For several years, the French-Armenian community has been trying to pass a law to penalize Armenian Genocide denial, similar to the law that sanctions Holocaust denialism. Even though the French Parliament and Senate have approved such a law, and both Pres. Hollande and former Pres. Sarkozy have supported it, the Armenian efforts have been aborted by powerful Turkish political and economic circles.

Turning the proposed law on its head, Sirma Oran-Martz, a French citizen of Turkish origin, had filed a lawsuit in France against Laurent Leylekian, a French-Armenian, for defamation of character. Leylekian, former editor of "France-Armenie" magazine and former executive director of the European-Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, had written a sarcastic editorial titled, "Martz Attack" in the magazine’s website, denouncing attempts to transplant Turkish denialism to French soil. Ironically, Oran-Martz is daughter of Prof. Baskin Oran who resides in Turkey and acknowledges the facts of the Armenian Genocide without using that term because Turkish law penalizes those who recognize the Genocide.