For much of my adult life I was aware, on a minimal level, of the genocide engineered by the Turks against the Armenians, a genocide that claimed the lives of 1.5 million people in the early part of the 20th century. We don't like to talk about that genocide in this country. Much like our refusal to discuss the malignant indifference of the entire U.S. government to the Rwandan genocide, led by then President Bill Clinton, as I previously mentioned in my blog mention of Hillary.In the 1990's I married the daughter of an Armenian American. His parents escaped the genocide and fled to the United States. Now, I am the proud father of two Armenian American daughters.
In recent weeks there has been a new and contentious debate going on here in New England about the supposed Armenian Genocide, along with yet another shameful response from the Turkish government and the Anti-Defamation League. Please take time to read up on this and other related articles in the Boston Globe. Also take time to read Peter Balakian's groundbreaking work: The Burning Tigris.
All of us, as an international community, must take a firm stand against the nation of Turkey through political and economic pressure. The Turkish government, and the Turkish people, must be accountable to all of the human community. We must also call on our own government to officially acknowledge and condemn the Armenian Genocide.
The words we use are vital, and ultimately create their own reality. The word was, and is, GENOCIDE!
3 comments:
I agree with the "spirit" of what you have written. The holocaust against the Armenians was just that, a genocide. The problem is that the Western powers including America stood aside while the Ottoman Empire committed genocide. This is when the language of genocide should have been used.
Americans, and American government should not be using the language of genocide against the modern state of Turkey that had not yet even been formed when these genocidal acts were committed.
Rather, we should hold Turkey AND EVERY OTHER PARTNER country to a standard of civilized actions, rather than only speaking out against our "enemy" countries, or referring to historical acts committed in another time.
I am eagerly waiting for an American government to refer to America's action against the Indian (indigenous) nation as genocide; I am waiting for American government, religious institutions, political parties to speak of the genocide we committed against the farmer/peasants of Viet Nam, the Laotions in the Plain of Jars, and the illegal bombing of Cambodia which paved the way for Pol Pot and his genocide.
I am waiting for America's religious institutions as well as its governmental and political institutions to speak up WITH A UNITED VOICE against the current genocide being committed in the unjust American war adventure in Iraq.
Until we begin to right some of these wrongs, our statements against any genocides in the past bear no moral authority or power!
A Concerned citizen for Administrative responsibilities of a Christian denomination operational in Turkey
Thanks for your comments, Art -
It is the responsibility of the international human community to call genocide, genocide -
The current German government is not responsible for the genocidal atrocities committed by the Hitler government, yet they acknowledge the genocide.
That Clinton stood by and did nothing in Rwanda does not change the nature of the genocide
No one is saying that the modern Turkish goverment is responsible for the past, but they are wholly responsible for their steadfast denial and ongoing distortion of the truth of the Turkish genocide against the Armenians.
The failure of the United States to acknowledge the crimes of their past and present does not excuse the Turks, nor change the truth of the need for political and economic sanctions.
You make a very valid point. The Turkish government should and could make a statement regarding the abuses (genocide) against the Armenians. The problem is that Turkey is still highly influenced by the military arm of government, an arm that is hyper-nationalistic, totally sectarian, and has the power to ultimately intervene in any elected government that does not "pass muster" in their concept of nationalism. It is a delicate balance that keeps the Republic together without triggering a coup by the Turkish military. Turkey has never democratized to the point where they understand how to handle issues involving their "minorities," whether these minorities are Kurds, Armenians, Greeks, Christians, etc.
I am thankful that the European Union keeps holding Turkey's "feet to the fire" as it relates to human rights as outlined in Turkey's own Constitution. While this includes the Armenian issues, it is larger than just this.
The problem with American foreign policy is that it is marked, still, with a geopolitical pragmatism/self-interest that endures and/or supports abuses as long as the abusing country is America's "friend."
President Franklin Roosevelt spoke well in defining America's support of tyrants and abusive governments, when in the 1930's he defended America's support of a bloody Central American dictator by saying, "I know he(the dictator) is an S.O.B., but he is OUR S.O.B. Until this governmental policy changes, America has little moral authority to speak out against the "human rights" abuses of others.
Post a Comment