Armenian Genocide Commemorations List and related articles

[Yervant1]

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
January 27, 2015 Tuesday 12:59 PM EST

Pope to lead special Armenian Mass on 100th anniversary of genocide

Vatican City


DPA CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT Vatican religion Armenia Turkey Pope to
lead special Armenian Mass on 100th anniversary of genocide Vatican
City Pope Francis will celebrate a special mass for Armenian Catholics
in St Peter's Basilica on April 12, the Vatican announced Tuesday.

No official motivation was given, but the service will be held in a
year marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Up to 1.5 million Armenians are estimated to have been killed by
Turkish Ottoman troops during World War I through massacres and death
marches.

The topic is taboo in Turkey, where authorities reject classifying the
killings as genocide.

In June 2013, meeting Armenian Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni at
the Vatican, Francis referred to the 1915 events as "the first
genocide of the 20th century." His remarks prompted an official
complaint from the Turkish government.

Jan 27 '15 1259 GMT

[Yervant1]

Global Post
Jan 27 2015


Majority of international community supports recognition of Armenian
Genocide: survey


YEREVAN, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The majority of the world community votes
for international recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the
Armenpress news agency reported Tuesday citing a survey.

According to the index issued by the Foundation for Political
Innovations, based in Paris, 70 percent of the people around the world
considered the 1915 bloody event in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

The survey was conducted among the residents, aged from 16 to 29, in
Germany, Russia, the United States and other countries.

About 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the Ottoman Empire in
1915-1923, and the survivors were expelled and found refuge in
different parts of the world.

Now more than 20 countries have officially recognized the fact of the
Armenian Genocide.

Armenians across the world will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1915
Genocide on April 24, 2015.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/150127/majority-international-community-supports-recognition-armeni

[Yervant1]

Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 27 2015

April 24 and Turkish worries

DOÄ?U ERGÄ°L
January 27, 2015, Tuesday


April 24, 1915 is the date when the Ottoman (Young Turk) government
arrested 250 Armenian intellectuals in Ä°stanbul and banished them to
Çankırı and AyaÅ?, both close to Ankara, on the grounds that they had
participated in subversive activities against the state. One-hundred
seventy-four of them never came back. This date has been acknowledged
as the beginning of the `genocide' of the Armenians and an official
reflex of defensive nationalism by the Turks.

Differences in opinion and historiography that subsequently ensued
have shaped the psyches of both nations. For Armenians, the fatal
measures of the Ottoman government against them have ended in the
destruction of the Armenian presence in Anatolia. They were left
bereft of a homeland and a history. Families were destroyed either by
extermination or deportation. Children were separated from their
families. Those who remained had to convert and change their ethnic
identities. The remaining Armenians hid themselves within other
collective identities (Sunni Muslim, Kurdish or Alevi). Altogether,
this havoc was named Medz Yeghern, or the "Great Calamity."

Armenians believe this painful past is further rendered unbearable
because the Turks have not acknowledged what happened 100 years ago
and instead have systematically denied any responsibility. They could
have at least condemned the government of the time and those who took
part in the execution of orders that put an end to the presence of
Armenians in Anatolia. Their expectations were never satisfied
formally.

World War I descended on the Ottoman Empire as an impoverished polity
fighting to hold onto its disintegrating periphery composed of
conquered lands and peoples. The choice of the Young Turk leaders to
participate in the war was not out of expected spectacular triumphs,
but was aimed at preserving what was left of the empire with the help
and support of the shining German war machine and its imperial
ambitions in the East.

The Russians and the British were obstacles to Germany's expansion
toward the East. Rising Turkish nationalism idealized an all-Turkish
union with Turkic peoples of Asia (the Turan utopia). This made
removing Russia as an obstacle all the more important.

Enver PaÅ?a, the strongman of the Young Turk triumvirate, decided to
conduct a surprise attack on the Russian Caucasian army in January
1915 to open the way to Central Asia. The attack ended in disaster,
and a whole army was defeated by cold, frost and bad judgment.

While imposing an air-tight news ban on the disaster in the eastern
front, Enver PaÅ?a and his accomplices wanted to cover up their flop by
accusing the Armenians of siding with the enemy and engaging in
fifth-column activities. The rest was a human disaster.

Halil PaÅ?a, the uncle of Enver PaÅ?a and the man in charge of Ottoman
forces in Persia, is on record saying, `The Armenian nation, which I
had tried to annihilate to the last member of it, because it tried to
erase my country ¦ in the most horrible and painful days of my
homeland ¦' This became the official view of Turkey and later
generations have been greatly affected by it.

While Turkish officials acknowledge that many Armenians died during
World War I, they present this misfortune as part of a wider war and
say massacres were committed by both sides.

The argument is as follows: The campaign of Gallipoli in 1915
coincides with the time of the Armenian debacle in Anatolia. Faced
with the Western onslaught, both the Ottoman Turks and the Armenians
suffered the dire consequences of war.

Some commentators call this strategy `comparing and/or racing pain.'
In accordance with this strategy, the government is organizing an
ostentatious commemoration of the Gallipoli campaign on the same day
of the accepted date of the Armenian Genocide (April 24).

What is odd is that there are two important dates in the
aforementioned battle: March 18 is the day of the naval battle when
the passage of the Allied fleet was aborted. The other is the landing
of ANZAC forces on the peninsula on the April 25, 1915.

Starting the commemorations on April 24 is a totally arbitrary move to
associate Armenian losses with that of the whole country. The focus of
attention is to be put on the fallen soldiers, among whom there were
Armenians.

The invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan to Çanakkale on
the same day he is expected to pay homage to the victims of Medz
Yeghern at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan may reflect an
amateurish evasion of empathy with a suffering nation.

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/dogu-ergil/april-24-and-turkish-worries_370969.html

[Yervant1]

19:15 29/01/2015 » IN THE WORLD

Uruguayan President sympathizes with victims of Holocaust and recalls Armenian Genocide

The President of Uruguay, José Mujica, delivered a speech in a national radio and TV chain on January 27 to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, which he described as "a real affront to humanity," and used the occasion to remember the Armenian Genocide, Prensa Armenia reported.
"We reaffirm our solidarity with the Jewish people. This people composed an important part in the building of our nation. We do it with the same respect and bonhomie that deserves every smaller and larger communities, which form the genesis of our construction," said the president. "We should not forget the genocide, not yet recognized, of the Armenian people. Uruguay maintains that characteristic of respect and solidarity towards all," said Mujica.
At the end of his speech he said "only a fierce and strong education and training in tolerance can ensure a peaceful coexistence in this world."
Last week, Mujica received a delegation of representatives of the Armenian community and accepted an invitation to join the Committee to Commemorate the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide as a member of honor when he leaves the presidency in March this year. Uruguay, which has a large Armenian community, was the first country to recognize, in 1965, the genocide against the Armenians perpetrated by the Turkish state.

Source: Panorama.am

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11:47 29/01/2015 » IN THE WORLD

Hollande urges Turkey to 'break taboos' on Armenian Genocide

French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday called on Turkey to take new steps towards the "truth" behind the mass killings of Armenians a century ago, saying "it is time to break the taboos," according to AFP.
"The effort towards the truth must continue and I am convinced that this centenary year will see new gestures, new steps on the road to recognition," Hollande said at a dinner with Armenian groups in Paris.

Source: Panorama.am

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11:05 29/01/2015 » DAILY PRESS

Haykakan Zhamanak: Representatives of Turkish NGOs to visit Armenia on April 24

Representatives of a number of Turkish NGOs will come to Armenia on April 24 - the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Haykakan Zhamanak writes. According to the newspaper, the Turkish anti-racism group DurDe! (Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism) is among these organizations.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

PRESS RELEASE
ASU Law Students Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee
17470 N Pacesetter Way #100
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Contact: Zari Panosian
Tel: 480-371-5651
Email: armeniangenocideconference.asu@gmail.com
Web: http://conferences.asucollegeoflaw.com/azarmgenocide/


TEMPE, Ariz. - On Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, the ASU Law
Students Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee will host `100 Years
Later,' a two-day conference on the Armenian Genocide at the ASU Sandra
Day O'Connor College of Law. Conference speakers and panelists include
scholars, attorneys, and community leaders from across the state, the
nation, and around the world.

The inaugural keynote will be given by Professor Taner Akgam on
Saturday evening, and will be followed by a networking event. Sunday's
program will feature four afternoon panels, including `The Armenian
Genocide in a Comparative Perspective,' `The Legal Framework of the
Armenian Genocide,' `Armenian Futures: Reconciliation & Remediation,'
and `From the Ashes: Perspectives on Post-Genocide Culture and Art.'
The conference will conclude with a keynote by Professor Peter
Balakian.

The conference is generously co-sponsored by the ASU Jewish Law
Students Association, The ASU Melikian Center, The ASU Center for
Jewish Studies, The ASU Center for the Future of War, The ASU School
of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, and countless
other individual sponsors. Conference attendance is free and is open
to the public. To register, and for more information, visit the event
website.
http://conferences.asucollegeoflaw.com/azarmgenocide/


For more information contact armeniangenocideconference.asu@gmail.com

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Video From Delhi to Yerevan: Recounting the Armenian Genocide in Hindi - Video

January 27, 2015 By administrator


Well known Indian writer and poet Suman Keshari is embarking on a
journey to present the Armenian Genocide of 1915 through the words of
Armenian poets, stories and letters in Hindi. Keshari spoke to
CivilNet about the motivation to recount the narrative of the
Genocide.


http://www.gagrule.net/video-delhi-yerevan-recounting-armenian-genocide-hindi/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7fPDyLjWv4

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"Aznavour Story 2015" documentary to be screened in Marseille on April
25 - Video


19:26, 28 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan


"Aznavour Story 2015" - a two-part documentary by Richard Findykian
will be screened in Marseille on April 25 as part of an event
dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, Nouvelles
d'Armenia reports.

A series of radio programs "Aznavour Story -2015" presented by Richard
Findykian and Jacques Bonnadier will air on French Armenian radio
stations in Paris, Lyon, Vienna, Valencia and Marseille (AYP FM, RADIO
ARMENIE, RADIO A, RADIO DIALOGUE, RADIO JM and the Jewish Radio in
Marseille).

The trailer of the film presents an episode, where Charles Aznavour
says he expects an important decision from Ankara. "Turkey is a
powerful state, and will become even more powerful of it recognizes
what has happened. I think it's time for Ankara to make an important,
real decision," Aznavour said.

At tonight's dinner to be attended by French President Francois
Hollande Charles Aznavour will be honored with a medal of the
Coordinating Council of the Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF).

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/01/28/aznavour-story-2015-documentary-to-be-screened-in-marseille-on-april-25/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjsTXyQO_6M

[Yervant1]

Neos Kosmos - Hellenic Perspective, Australia
Jan 28 2015


Bishop soothes Turkish concerns

Armenian Genocide recognition: FOI request reveals Government's worry
over Ankara backlash

Michael Sweet

A letter sent by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop obtained last month
under a Freedom of Information request - along with a file of heavily
redacted documents - is proof that the Australian government
"continues to be gagged" by Turkey on the issue of the Armenian
Genocide, according to the Armenian National Committee of Australia
(ANCA).

In the letter in question, written on May 15 last year, Julie Bishop
wrote to her Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, to soothe Ankara's
unease over statements made just days earlier by Treasurer Joe Hockey.

Mr Hockey (who is of Armenian heritage) was unable to attend the
annual Armenian Genocide commemoration in Sydney on April 24, but made
his position clear in a message to the event's organisers, saying the
word 'genocide' was the only possible way to define the actions of
Turkey 100 years ago.
"Back in 1915, the word genocide did not exist, as the UN Convention
on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was only
adopted in 1948 in the aftermath of the Holocaust," wrote Mr Hockey,
before adding, "...there is simply no other word for what happened to
the Armenian people of Ottoman Turkey."

The statement - distributed to the world's media - caused
consternation in Ankara, and motivated the then Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to seek assurances from his Australian
counterpart that Mr Hockey's views were his own, rather than a new
position adopted by the Australian government.

Ankara has previously condemned parliamentary motions passed by South
Australia and New South Wales recognising the genocides carried out
between 1915 and 1922, which included the decimation of Pontian Greek
and Assyrian communities.

In August 2013 Turkey threatened to ban NSW MPs from attending this
year's Anzac centenary commemorations at Gallipoli, after the state
parliament passed a motion recognising the genocide.

Forced to qualify her cabinet colleague's statement, Julie Bishop's
May 15 response sought to calm Turkish concerns, saying:
"Recognising the important interests at stake for both countries, I
assure you that there has been no decision to change the long-standing
position of successive Australian governments on this issue."

Ms Bishop said that while the government was "sympathetic to the
Armenian people and other communities that suffered such terrible
losses during the tragic events at the end of the Ottoman Empire, the
Australian government does not, however, recognise these events as
'genocide'."

The minister added: "We do not seek to intervene in this sensitive
historical debate. We believe the issue is best resolved through
dialogue between the communities and governments concerned."

While the FOI request asked for background documents to the letter,
large sections of the files released by DFAT - containing briefings
and other correspondence - were redacted, citing disclosure of
information would cause damage to "the international relations of the
Commonwealth".

Meanwhile the ANCA has suggested that Minister Bishop's phrase
"recognising the important interests at stake for both countries" is
shorthand; an implicit agreement by the government not to 'rock the
boat' with Turkey in Anzac centenary year.

"It is obvious that Australia has succumbed to Turkey's ongoing
threats to ban MPs from attending the Centenary commemorations at
Anzac Cove, and even close Anzac Cove in its entirety in the lead up
to the centenary, should Australia recognise the events of 1915 as
genocide," ANCA executive director Vache Kahramanian told Neos Kosmos.

"Sadly, the Australian government continues to be gagged by a
so-called 'ally' when it comes to discussing the Armenian Genocide."

Mr Kahramanian said he was bewildered by the redactions in the
documentation which outlined the government's consideration of the
matter.

"It's clear that Australian government officials continue to succumb
to ongoing threats by Turkey and as a result, allow a foreign
government to dictate Australia's position on this issue," said the
ANC director.

"In this centenary year, where Australia will commemorate the horrors
of WWI, it should also have the moral courage to unequivocally
recognise and condemn the Armenian Genocide and pay homage to the
thousands of Australians - who were at the forefront of providing
international aid during and after the genocides of 1915-1923."

Panayiotis Diamadis, director of the Australian Institute for
Holocaust and Genocide Studies, told Neos Kosmos that the letter from
Julie Bishop confirmed an "obsequious approach" by DFAT to the issue
of Armenian Genocide official recognition.

"The third-ranking member of the federal government calling for
recognition of the genocides thoroughly shook Ankara. They were, and
remain, terrified of further recognitions by parliaments in Australia.

"Australian parliamentary recognition of the genocides of the
indigenous peoples of Anatolia and eastern Thrace is inevitable,
because it constitutes recognition of the genocides in Australian
history."


http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Bishop-soothes-Turkish-concerns

[Yervant1]

French president reconfirms his intention to attend centenary of
Armenian genocide in Yerevan

YEREVAN, January 29. / ARKA /. French President Francois Hollande
reconfirmed his intention to visit Armenia to attend a remembrance
ceremony for the centenary of the Armenian genocide to be held in
Yerevan on April 24.

Hollande made the statement on January 28 during an event organized by
the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF),
marking the start of activities in that country dedicated to the
centenary of the Armenian Genocide.

Referring to the 1915 genocide, Holland said: "The effort towards the
truth must continue and I am convinced that this centenary year will
see new gestures, new steps on the road to recognition."

Hollande praised also the role of French Armenians in the development
of the country.

"Today, when our country has become the target of barbarism,
intolerance, hatred and terrorism, you, the Armenians of France,
give us all an example of dignity, which is the subject of our common
pride," he was quoted as saying by the Armenian ministry of foreign
affairs.

On the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process the French president said his
country will continue its efforts for a peaceful settlement of the
conflict.

The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.
According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million
Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by the
government of Turkey. Turkey has been denying it for decades.

The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first
was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France,
Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 42
U.S. states.

It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the
World Council of Churches and other international organizations. -0-


http://arka.am/en/news/politics/french_president_reconfirms_his_intention_to_attend_centenary_of_armenian_genocide_in_yerevan/#sthash.oZxd9Ewq.dpuf

[Yervant1]

PRESS RELEASE
Ararat Home of Los Angeles, Inc.
15105 Mission Hills Rd.
Mission Hills, CA 91345
Tel: (818) 838-4860
Fax: (818) 838-4861
Email: info@ararathome.org
Web: http://www.ararathome.org/


Mission Hills, CA - On the occasion of the Centennial of the Armenian
Genocide (1915-2015), the Board of Trustees of Ararat Home of Los Angeles, a
home for Armenian elderly, is organizing a commemoration and "Celebration of
Life" to honor the Home's centenarian residents as well as the survivors of
the Genocide. Two of those residents, Mrs. Rose Garjian and Mrs. Yevnige
Salibian, are survivors of the Genocide and were honored by the USC Shoah
Foundation in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Two events are planned for this commemoration. The first will be a memorial
service to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to
1923. It will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2015, at 10:30 a.m., in Sheen
Memorial Chapel on the Ararat Home Mission Hills campus. The program will
include: a requiem service to be officiated by the Diocese and Prelacy of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church and the Armenian
Evangelical Union in the greater Los Angeles area; a musical performance by
heavenly chants flute and harp duo, Salpy and Sossy Kerkonian; the unveiling
of a memorial monument; and, a tree planting ceremony in Heritage Courtyard
by Ararat Home residents.

The second "Celebration of Life" event will reflect on the survival of the
Armenian nation by highlighting the testimonies and life stories of the
Home's centenarian residents, which will be presented by the future
generation of Armenians - students from Los Angeles area Armenian day
schools. It will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2015, at 3:00 p.m., in
Deukmejian Grand Ballroom on the Ararat Home Mission Hills campus. Mr.
Gerald S. Papazian, Chairman of the Armenian Film Foundation, will serve as
the Master of Ceremonies, and Dr. Stephen D. Smith, Executive Director of
the USC Shoah Foundation-The Institute for Visual History and Education,
will deliver the keynote address. The program will also include a film clip
presentation by Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker Bared Maronian, a
performance by multi-faceted artist Dr. Vatche Mankerian as well as by tenor
Raffi Kerbabian. Near East Relief archival photos not seen in public for
nearly a century will be on exhibit. The program will conclude with a
"Celebration of Life" dance performance by Hamazkayin Nairi Dance Group.

Board Chairman Joseph Kanimian, Esq. commended the meticulous planning and
efforts of the Co-chairs of the Ararat Home Armenian Genocide Centennial
Commemoration Committee, Maggie Mangassarian-Goschin and Nadya Verabian, and
the participation of Committee members - Debbie Avedian, Ani Dikranian, Nora
Hampar, Margarita Kechichian, Varsenik Keshishyan, Rita Noravian and Kohar
Mardirossian Pelter, - who have worked diligently to immortalize the memory
of the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century and to celebrate
the revival and resurrection of the Armenian nation.

The public is cordially invited to attend both events. Admission is free.
For additional information, call Ararat Home at (818) 365-3000 or email
info@ararathome.org.

[Yervant1]

"N'oubliez pas": France's Eurovision 2015 entry said to allude to
Armenian Genocide

Genocide | 30.01.15 | 11:48
Photo: www.eurovision.tv

A French song to be presented at Europe's biggest pop music contest
this year is believed to be about the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in
Ottoman Turkey a century ago.

According to the official website of the Eurovision Song Contest, the
song of France's contest Lisa Angell, 46, entitled "N'oubliez pas", or
"Don't Forget" was first performed at a concert in November during the
commemoration period of the First World War, "while the singer
emphasizes that the song refers not only to this very special event in
history but to any kind of conflict."

There is a part of the lyrics in the song sung in French that
translates as: "I remember the smiles of the kids, the voice of the
men when they went out in the fields, the Thanksgiving celebrations,
the scent in the houses, the love and laughter. But I am here, do not
forget."

The song makes no specific reference to any historical event,
including the Armenian Genocide, as Eurovision rules prohibit
"political messages" in contestants' entries.

France was one of the nations that gave refuge to many Armenian
survivors of the Ottoman-era massacres. The country that has a sizable
ethnic Armenian community today officially recognized the Armenian
Genocide in 1998.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 is due to take place in Vienna,
Austria, on May 19-23.


http://armenianow.com/genocide/60214/armenia_france_eurovision_song_genocide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gctKM1Iu79w

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Pan-Armenian Declaration best answer to Turkey - Ruben Safrastyan

14:40 * 30.01.15


The Pan-Armenian Declaration on the 100thanniversary of Armenian
Genocide is an unprecedented event - Armenia, Artsakh
(Nagorno-Karabakh) and the Armenian Diaspora issued the first-ever
joint declaration, Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of
Oriental Studies, told reporters on Friday.

"I am deeply convinced that the common will the Armenian people is
showing on the threshold of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
is the greatest benefit.

"The declaration is evidence that all Armenians perceive the issue as
requiring tremendous efforts and that Armenia, Artsakh and the
Armenian Diaspora are acting jointly. This is the best answer to
Turkish authorities' policy," Mr Safrastyan said.

The declaration proves that it is time for the issue to be considered
in its legal respects.

"We must start the most serious work and carry it through - having the
issue considered in its legal respects thus achieving our historical
aim. Yes, for decades we have made efforts at recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, and it is time for the issue to
be considered in legal respects. I think the relevant work will be
done at a proper level," Mr Safrastyan said.


http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/01/30/safrastian/1574351

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Derby hosts Armenian Genocide recognition event, Turkish embassy tries
to interfere


To give the whole occasion the due respect it deserved, I invited a
representation from the Armenian Embassy in London to join the day.

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place on January 27 each year to
remember the Nazi atrocities during the Second World War, and
subsequent Genocides throughout the world. It is an important day
marked in many of the major cities in the UK, and governed by a
central committee in London.
January 30, 2015

PanARMENIAN.Net - In January 2014, I challenged the Chair of the
committee in my home city of Derby, as to why none of the planned
events dealt with the Armenian Genocide. His response was twofold;
firstly, the UK committee does not endorse the reference to any
genocides prior to 1939, and secondly, Derby does not have an Armenian
community to justify any change to that policy. Despite this, he made
the offer to me to join the committee, for the 2015 events, and work
with the team to make sure that we did recognize the Armenian
Genocide.

As 2015 is the 70th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the
HMD UK committee commissioned a special candle from Sir Anish Kapoor (
Indian sculptor living in London). Just 70 candles were made and they
were only given to those cities who could demonstrate that their
events would be of sufficient high standard to qualify for this
important artefact. Derby was successful in being awarded one of the
candles.

Although officially, the HMD UK event was remembering the Holocaust
and the 20th Anniversary of the Srebrenica massacres in Bosnia, the
Derby committee jointly agreed to change the scope of our events to
include the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This was
reflected in all of the publicity surrounding the occasion.

HMD in Derby focuses its events in 3 locations, and it was decided,
that we would take the opportunity to light the candle on 3 occasions
for the 3 Genocides. It was decided that the lighting of the candle in
the Derby Cathedral, the seat of the Church of England in the City,
would be to remember the Armenian Genocide. The most fitting of places
for this.

The candle was first lit in the Bosnia-Hercegovina Centre by 2
survivors of the massacre of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. Their
moving stories were read out to a shocked and silenced audience.

As the second lighting of the candle, and the carrying of it to the
front of the Cathedral, was a solemn and important moment in the
proceedings, I wanted that to be performed by an Armenian. Mr Ara
Nahadedian, from Crewe, attended to perform that, resplendent in
traditional Armenian costume.

The final lighting of the candle, on behalf of those Jews who perished
in the Holocaust, was in the QUAD Arts Centre, the venue for the main
event of the day, with an audience of over 300 people.

After that ceremony I was given the opportunity to make a 10 minute
presentation on the Armenian Genocide.

To give the whole occasion the due respect it deserved, I invited a
representation from the Armenian Embassy in London to join the day. I
am pleased to have welcomed Mr Hayk Khemchyan to Derby in that
capacity. We were also joined by others from the Armenian community
who were able to travel from Manchester, Crewe and London.

Throughout all of the planning, the committee had never wavered from
the fact that we were going to refer to the Armenian Genocide. We
never discussed using any other euphemisms. In Derby, the planning
committee is an independent group of people, not formally linked to
any political structure. In the few days prior to the HMD itself, the
Mayor of Derby received an email from the Turkish Embassy complaining
about the fact that we were making overt references to the killings in
1915 as "Genocide", and that we should change our position and use
less provocative language.

For the few brief references made by the Mayor, and one other
official, the script was changed, on the instruction of the local
Council. The script for the main event, including my presentation
remained totally unchanged. We were resolute that we were not going to
be dictated to.

Ironically, the fact that the Turkish Government had tried to
influence our events proved to be helpful in highlighting to the
audience, the gravity of the political situation, even 100 years on.

The purpose of my presentation was to make the link from 1915, to the
plight of the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, today, and how the policy
of denial was the last act of Genocide.

I highlighted the fact that the iconic Mt Ararat being in Turkey is

"a daily reminder of the injustice of their situation....and the
weakness and possible corruption of politics in the post- WW1 period
which resulted in a treaty and division of lands that rewarded those
who committed the crime of Genocide."

The theme of the HMD events this year was "Keep the Memory Alive" and
I used this to emphasise that

".. for the Armenians it is worse than forgetting.....it is the denial
that it is taking place. Today is not just about a historical
remembrance of something that happened 100 years ago... Today is about
recognising and understanding that the Genocide of the Armenians is
unfinished business for Turkey and Azerbaijan...."

Bearing in mind the antics of the Turkish Embassy with respect to our
events, and the extent to which Governments avoid holding Turkey to
account, and comply with perceived pressure, I went on to say:

"The Nazi Holocaust happened because too many people stood by and did
nothing - this is happening today for the Armenians. We must not allow
ignorance and political expediency to facilitate the Genocidal
intentions of Turkey and Azerbaijan."

The local committee were shocked about the conduct of the Turkish
Embassy and it has simply reinforced our resolve to ensure that we
will remember and recognize the Armenian Genocide, and its impact on
Nagorno Karabakh every year. For many, this experience has highlighted
the reality of the plight of the Armenians in a way which I could
never have planned and, perversely I am grateful to the Turkish
Embassy, for their actions, on this occasion.

Russell Pollard is an English journalist and photographer, who has
visited Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh 10 times over the past 4 years.
He is the founder of the website www.Artsakh.Org.UK and writes
regularly on issues relating to Artsakh. He is active in promoting
recognition of the current situation from an Armenian perspective and
also in influencing an understanding of the truth about the events in
and around Khojalu in 1992.


http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/details/187711/

[Yervant1]

Turkey-based DurDe organization members to arrive in Armenia, pay
tribute to Armenian Genocide victims

13:17 * 29.01.15


Members of the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism (DurDe)
organization, which is well-known for its principled position on the
Armenian Genocide, were critical of Dogu Perinçek at the Wednesday
hearing of the Perinçek v Switzerland case at the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR).

"They are a good and brave organization, extremely consistent in
dealing with the issue of the Armenian Genocide. Among the members are
Turkish intellectuals who recognize the Armenian Genocide. Turkey's
authorities are persecuting them, and opposition forces dislike them,"
expert in Turkic studies Hakob Chakryan told Tert.am.

The Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Time) newspaper reported earlier that
members of the DurDe organization plan to arrive in Armenia from
Istanbul on April 24 to pay tribute to Armenian Genocide victims.


http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/01/29/durde/1573132

[Yervant1]

State commission unveils Armenian genocide centenary dedicated events


YEREVAN, January 30. / ARKA /. Chief of presidential staff Vigen
Sargsyan, who is coordinating a long string of events designed to
commemorate the centenary of the Armenian genocide unveiled them
today.

He said an international media forum entitled 'At the Foothill of
Mount Ararat' for journalists from CIS and other countries is
scheduled for April 18-20. They will arrive to cover the commemoration
that will run April 22-24.

On April 22-23 Yerevan will host an international conference entitled
'Against Genocidal Crimes' with participation of executive and
legislative authorities and religious leaders from many countries.

On April 23 a special ceremony will be conducted by the Armenian
Apostolic Church in Etchmiadizn to
sanctify 1.5 million Armenians killed by the government of Turkey in
1915-1923. On the same day the famous System of a Down music group
will perform a concert under the motto 'Wake up the Souls.'

A torchlight march to Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial is scheduled
for April 23 evening. The genocide victims remembrance ceremony will
be held on April 24 morning. In the evening a concert of classical
music will be held featuring musicians from the countries which
officially recognized the Armenian genocide.

A flower called 'forget-me-not' was chosen as the symbol of the
events. The motto of the events is "We Remember and Demand..." -0-


http://arka.am/en/news/politics/state_commission_unveils_armenian_genocide_centenary_dedicated_events_/#sthash.jKCP2CRv.dpuf

[Yervant1]

Norway's Public Television (NRK) broadcasts program devoted to the
Armenian Genocide

19:41, 30 January, 2015

YEREVAN, 30 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. On January 28, Armenian American
writer Chris Bohjalian visited friend of the Armenian people, great
humanist Fridtjof Nansen's granddaughter, Marit Grev in light of the
release of the Norwegian version of his book "Sandcastle in Aleppo",
which is devoted to the Armenian Genocide.

As "Armenpress" reports, on the same day, Norway's Public Television
(NRK) broadcast a video report on Chris Bohjalian's meeting with Marit
Grev, during which the two talked about the Armenian Genocide. The NRK
also showed the Nansen passport, mentioning that the program is about
the meeting of two grandchildren who had established relations during
the historic events of 1915. In the program, it is mentioned that
Chris Bohjalian's book "Sandcastle in Aleppo" is about his
grandparents who survived the Armenian Genocide thanks to Fridtjof
Nansen and that the meeting with Nansen's family is a very important
event for the writer. "All Armenians today are inheritors of the
survivors. So, all Armenians having started new lives in Norway,
France or the United States must be
grateful to Fridtjof Nansen and the Nansen passports," Chris Bohjalian
says in the television program. Marit Grev mentions that she has
visited Armenia and seen what Nansen means to the Armenians.


http://armenpress.am/eng/news/792220/norway%E2%80%99s-public-television-nrk-broadcasts-program-devoted-to-the-armenian-genocide.html

[Yervant1]

Washington Post
Jan 30 2015


Turkey's Erdogan says history will be the judge of the 'Armenian
genocide.' Really?


By Adam Taylor

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey was ready
to "pay the price" for mass killings of Armenians that began in 1915 --
if, and only if, an "impartial board of historians" agree the dying
Ottoman Empire was truly guilty of the crime.

"If the results actually reveal that we have committed a crime, if we
have a price to pay, then as Turkey we would assess it and take the
required steps," Erdogan told state-run TRT channel on Thursday,
according to Agence French Presse.

"We are saying, 'If you are sincere on this matter, then come, let's
leave this to historians, let historians study the issue, let's open
our archives,'" Erdogan continued. "We have opened our archive. We
have revealed more than one million documents on this. If Armenia also
has an archive, then they should open it too."

Erdogan's comments come a few months before the centenary of the
Armenian killings, one of the most disputed and controversial events
of the 20th century. In the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, soldiers
were accused of killing hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians
living in what is now Turkey and deporting many more to what is now
modern-day Armenia.

The Turkish government argues that the killings were a result of the
widespread chaos of the end of the Ottoman era and that many Turks
died too. For almost a hundred years, Turkey has disputed the killings
and hit back against the use of the "Armenian genocide" label, widely
used by Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. In 2014, the Turkish
foreign ministry criticized a U.S. Senate committee resolution that
described the killings as a genocide, arguing that it "distorts
history and law."

In recent years, Erdogan has made some efforts at conciliation. Just
before the 99th anniversary of the killings, he expressed condolences
for the "inhumane" incident, a small yet still unprecedented gesture.
Some Armenian groups hit back at the comments, however: Armenian
Weekly, an English-language Armenian publication from Massachusetts,
wrote that the Erdogan had simply used "the age-old 'everyone
suffered' denialist refrain." Other comments made by Erdogan haven't
helped.

The Turkish president's latest comments are unlikely to placate his
biggest critics, who would argue that the historical record on the
Armenian killings has already been set. Twenty-five countries
currently call the 1915 killings a genocide, and many historians
already use the term: In fact, the man who coined the word genocide,
Raphael Lemkin, was thinking of the killings of Armenians in what is
now Turkey when he created it.

On Twitter, Sarah Leah Whitson, the executive director of Human Rights
Watch's Middle East and North Africa Division, called Erdogan's
comments "doublespeak."

The anniversary of the Armenian killings will place renewed focus on
the matter and a high-profile case at the European Court of Human
Rights may draw further headlines. The Turkish government has been
accused of attempting to detract attention from the anniversary by
hosting centennial commemorations of World War I's Gallipoli Campaign
on the same day as Armenia's events, and Erdogan has said he would
"actively" challenge a campaign to recognize the events as a genocide.

Adam Taylor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post.
Originally from London, he studied at the University of Manchester and
Columbia University.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/01/30/turkeys-erdogan-says-history-will-be-the-judge-of-the-armenian-genocide-really/

[Yervant1]

Classified Archives on Armenians or What Erdogan Hints

Lragir.am
Politics - 31 January 2015, 14:06


The Turkish president Erdogan has again dwelled on the Armenian
Genocide, criticizing the Armenian Diaspora. The interesting thing in
his speech is his statement on setting up a commission of historians
and publishing documents.

He said the Turkish archives are open while the Armenian archives are
classified.

"Open up your archives, we have opened ours. If there are third
countries as well, let them also open them, let historians work
together and let all of us respect their reports," he said.

One question is whether Turkey has opened the archives, and if yes,
which part of it. For example, the progressive Turkish intelligentsia
insists that it is impossible to work with those documents.

Another question is what is there in Armenian archives when Armenia
was not a state then and did not have archives. In those years Armenia
was divided between Turkey and Russia and apparently the important
documents are in the archives of these countries.

In this regard, Erdogan's statement on the archives of "third
countries" is quite interesting.

The point is that no matter how carefully these archives were kept
close, over years a lot of information has been published on World War
I, the actions of the governments of Germany and Russia in 1915, which
favored Turkey's anti-Armenian plans one way or another. Documents
have been published which were "checked out" on the developments of
the time of World War I.

Germany is a leading country of the European Union and has a big
influence on Europe's political decisions, and Russia is Armenia's
"patron" and can keep any archive closed and curb Armenia's claims.
Maybe this is Erdogan's hope.

It is not ruled out that Erdogan, aware of its own archives, resorts
to blackmail against the international community, thereby trying to
prevent the process of international recognition of the genocide,
involving "allies".

Hence, Turkey probably hopes to get the support of "third countries"
to avoid responsibility and retribution for the ultimate crime -
genocide and displacement of the Armenians people.

It is impossible, and retribution will be inevitable. As to how soon
it will happen depends on the sovereign policy and decisions of
Armenia.


http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/politics/view/33563#sthash.Fx86BTmx.dpuf

[Yervant1]

Armeniangenocide100.org Official Website of Armenian Genocide Centenary Launched

By MassisPost
Updated: January 30, 2015

YEREVAN -- Armeniangenocide100.org official website of Armenian
Genocide Centennial was launched on January 30 in Yerevan.

Harutyun Berberian, author of the site, said the site will contain
information on events, foreign articles and video materials.

Vigen Sargsian, Chief of Staff of the President of Armenia,
Coordinator of the Events Dedicated to the Armenian Genocide
Centennial, said the goal of the website is to educate rather than to
collect database.

"We expect schoolchildren and students to be actively involved in this
project," Sargsian said.
During a press conference Sargsian also unveiled the program of events
designed to commemorate the centenary of the Armenian genocide.

He said an international media forum entitled 'At the Foothill of
Mount Ararat' for journalists from CIS and other countries is
scheduled for April 18-20. They will arrive to cover the commemoration
that will run April 22-24.

On April 22-23 Yerevan will host an international conference entitled
'Against Genocidal Crimes' with participation of executive and
legislative authorities and religious leaders from many countries.

On April 23 a special ceremony will be conducted by the Armenian
Apostolic Church in Etchmiadizn to sanctify 1.5 million Armenians
killed by the government of Turkey in 1915-1923. On the same day the
famous System of a Down music group will perform a concert under the
motto 'Wake up the Souls.'

A torchlight march to Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial is scheduled
for April 23 evening. The genocide victims remembrance ceremony will
be held on April 24 morning. In the evening a concert of classical
music will be held featuring musicians from the countries which
officially recognized the Armenian genocide.


http://massispost.com/2015/01/armeniangenocide100-org-official-website-of-armenian-genocide-centenary-launched/

[Yervant1]

Las Vegas Sun, NV
Feb 1 2015

Genocide monument breaks new ground for Clark County

February 1, 2015
by Conor Shine


A tragedy that began a century ago in the Middle East is being
memorialized in what may seem like an unlikely place -- Sunset Park.

Thanks to the dedication of Las Vegas' Armenian-American community, an
estimated 1 million to 1.5 million victims of World War I-era genocide
of Armenians will be honored with a monument in the park.

"The genocide is a part of our history, it's part of our identity,"
said Andy Armenian, who helped lead the monument planning effort. "The
monument will be a healing process for the community. For the broader
(Las Vegas) community, we hope this monument will serve as a history
reminder and with that be a deterrent to future genocides."

The monument is a major accomplishment for Las Vegas' Armenian
community, which has been working for five years to raise money and
get permission to put the sculpture in one of the region's biggest
parks.

It's also opening the door for other public monuments to be placed
around the valley. During a yearlong debate about whether to allow the
Armenian Genocide monument, Clark County commissioners realized they
had no rules in place for deciding whether to green light requests for
proposed monuments. The result was a new policy, passed in December,
that lays out guidelines for how to get monuments approved for display
in public spaces.

Monuments must address historic events, groups or people, have
relevance to the broader community and be meaningful to future
generations. They can't include religious speech and can be denied if
they're considered objectionable to the general community. Other
guidelines cover the look and location, and bar monuments from parks
smaller than 25 acres.

Commissioner Mary Beth Scow, whose district includes Sunset Park, said
the rules ensure anyone requesting permission to build a monument in a
park would receive a fair chance at approval. It also gives the county
flexibility to deny proposals that don't meet the requirements.

"I think (the Armenian genocide monument) hits the criteria," she
said. "It's timeless. It has a lot of community significance. I don't
think a lot of people are aware of that genocide. It's important for
people to see, so we don't forget something like that and don't repeat
it."

Monuments also must be privately funded, something the Armenian
American Cultural Society of Las Vegas accomplished by raising more
than $100,000 to pay for construction and long-term maintenance.

Andy Armenian said Sunset Park was chosen because of its proximity to
the Armenian community's largest church, at Eastern Avenue and Desert
Inn Road.

"It's centrally located in Las Vegas," he said. "It's one of the
largest and most visited parks. At the same time, many Armenian
families live within five to 10 minutes of Sunset Park."

Las Vegas' monument is modeled after a similar sculpture in Armenia,
with 12 decorative concrete pillars representing the 12 provinces
where Armenians were killed during the genocide. Construction is
expected to begin in the next three months and finish in about a year.

BOX:
What is the Armenian Genocide?

The Armenian Genocide began April 24, 1915, when the Ottoman
government in what today is Turkey arrested about 200 Armenian
community leaders. Systematic killing of Armenian men followed, and
women, children and the elderly were forced out of their homeland on
death marches to the Syrian desert.

Between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what is
considered one of the first modern genocides. The remaining Armenian
community was scattered in a diaspora, eventually settling around the
world, including in the United States.

Controversially, the Turkish government, which succeeded the Ottoman
Empire, still disputes the use of the term genocide to describe the
mass killings.


http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/feb/01/genocide-monument-breaks-new-ground-clark-county/

[Yervant1]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE QUOTES

January 30, 2015

Anatole France
French author, 1916

Armenia is dying, but it will survive. The little blood that is left
is precious blood that will give birth to a heroic generation. A
nation that does not want to die, does not die.

Fritdjof Nansen
Norwegian public figure, 1915

The massacres that started in 1915 have nothing to compare with the
history of mankind. The massacres by Abdul Hamid are minor in
comparison to what today's Turks have done

Jacques de Morgan
French scientist, 1917

The deportations of Western Armenians are nothing but concealed race
extermination. There is no language rich enough to describe the
horrors of it

Valeri Brusov
Russian poet, 1917

Turks continued their previous policy. They would not stop commit
massive and most awful massacres that even Leng Timur would not dare
do

Fayer el Husein
Arab publicist, 1917

Who can describe the feelings that an eyewitness experiences when he
thinks of this heroic and unfortunate nation. Its courage and spirit
surprise the world. A nation that yesterday was one of the most
energetic and progressive nations of the Ottoman Empire is becoming a
memory

Joseph Markwart
German scientist, 1916

Even after proclamation of the Constitution, the main slogan of the
Turkish policy has been 'Without Armenians there will be no Armenian
problem

Henry Morgenthau Sr.

U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Ambassador, Morgenthau's Story, 1919

When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations,
they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they
understood this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made
no particular attempt to conceal the fact. . . . I am confident that
the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode
as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost
insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in
1915.

James Bryce
British Viscount October 6, 1915, speech

The massacres are the result of a policy which, as far as can be
ascertained, has been entertained for some considerable time by the
gang of unscrupulous adventurers who are now in possession of the
Government of the Turkish Empire. They hesitated to put it in practice
until they thought the favorable moment had come, and that moment
seems to have arrived about the month of April. House of Lords,
Hansard (5th series), Vol. XIX, 6 October 1915. Cols? I am sorry to
say that such information has reached me from many quarters goes to
show that the figure of 800,000 which the noble earl thought
incredible as a possible total for those who have been destroyed since
May last is, unfortunately, quite a possible number. That is because
the proceedings taken have been so absolutely premeditated and
systematic.

Count Wolff-Metternich
German Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire July 10, 1916, cable to the
German Chancellor

In its attempt to carry out its purpose to resolve the Armenian
question by the destruction of the Armenian race, the Turkish
government has refused to be deterred neither by our representations,
nor by those of the American Embassy, nor by the delegate of the Pope,
nor by the threats of the Allied Powers, nor in deference to the
public opinion of the West representing one-half of the world.

Theodore Roosevelt
US President, May 11, 1918, letter to Cleveland Hoadley Dodge

...the Armenian massacre was the greatest crime of the war, and the
failure to act against Turkey is to condone it ... the failure to deal
radically with the Turkish horror means that all talk of guaranteeing
the future peace of the world is mischievous nonsense.

Herbert Hoover
US President, The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover, 1952

The association of Mount Ararat and Noah, the staunch Christians who
were massacred periodically by the Mohammedan Turks, and the Sunday
School collections over fifty years for alleviating their miseries--all
cumulate to impress the name Armenia on the front of the American
mind.

Jimmy Carter
US President, May 16, 1978, White House ceremony

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.

Ronald Reagan
US President, April 22, 1981, proclamation

Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the
Cambodians which followed it, ... the lessons of the Holocaust must
never be forgotten.

George Bush Sr.

US President, April 20, 1990, speech in Orlando, Florida

[We join] Armenians around the world [as we remember] the terrible
massacres suffered in 1915-1923 at the hands of the rulers of the
Ottoman Empire. The United States responded to this crime against
humanity by leading diplomatic and private relief efforts.

John Evans
US ambassador to Armenia said to American Armenians on February 19, 2005

Today I shall call this Armenian genocide". "I think that we, the US
government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more straightforward and
honest discussion of this problem. I can tell you as a person who has
studied this problem - I have no doubts about what happened." "I think
that it is inappropriate for us, the Americans, to play with words in
this case". "I believe that we must call a spade a spade.

http://www.horizonweekly.ca/news/details/60735

[Yervant1]

VATICAN MASS TO BE HELD IN MEMORY OF 1915 VICTIMS

Ferda Balancar 01.29.2015 10:28 NEWS
http://www.agos.com.tr/en/article/10391/vatican-mass-to-be-held-in-memory-of-1915-victims

Confirmation announced that Pope Francis is to conduct mass in person
in memory of 1915 Armenian Genocide victims to be held at the Vatican
on April 12.

Pope Francis's program for the next three months has been announced.

The Vatican has made public the mass and religious ceremony program
of the spiritual leader for the months of February, March and April.

The Pope has recently been in the news with his visits to Strasbourg,
Turkey, Sri Lanka and the Philippines in the last three-month period,
and He will focus on activities at the Vatican for the next three-month
period. According to the program made public by the Vatican, the
Pope will appoint 14 new cardinals in February, and will conduct the
inauguration ceremonies of the new cardinals.

The Pope will carry out a visit to the city of Napoli, and the
historical site of Pompeii nearby in March, and will fulfil Easter
rituals in late March and early April.

The Pope's April program, in addition to the Holy Mass of Easter Day,
features a mass to be held with Armenians on April 12. The Vatican's
statement divulged no further details regarding the mass to be
held at the Saint Peter's Basilica on April 12. However, as Agos,
according to information we have received from sources close to the
Milan Archdiocese, the mass in question will be held in memory of
the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Pope Francis is known for his public statements on the Armenian
Genocide during his term as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires before
being elected Pope. The first statement regarding the mass to be held
on April 12 at the Vatican had also come from the current Archbishop
of Buenos Aires, Mario Poli. Archbishop Poli, during mass at the
Armenian Catholic Church on August 17 last year, had declared that
Pope Francis would hold mass in 2015 in memory of the victims of
the Armenian Genocide. However, the Vatican had since retained its
silence on the matter.

[Yervant1]

THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE OF A FORGOTTEN GENOCIDE

Sunday Business Post, Ireland
February 1, 2015

What is it to be in exile, questions Irish photographer Helen Sheehan.

What, doesn't she know? For Sheehan has been in exile of sorts - four
years, self-imposed exile as she completed a startling photography
project on the displaced Armenian people of the old Ottoman empire.

Forced exile, a forgotten diaspora and a hidden genocide are at the
root of the question Sheehan seeks to answer.

This year, 2015, marks the centenary of a genocide which took place
during the fall of the Ottoman empire. According to reports from the
period, up to one million Armenian people are believed to have been
disappeared or displaced during this time. Thousands of people were
brutally murdered, intellectuals and leaders of society were beheaded,
thousands more families were marched across deserts to their death.

With no offer of food or shelter, their path was littered with corpses.

Yet in modern-day Turkey - which comprises the Armenian territories
where the genocide took place - the act remains unrecognised.

Sheehan is haunted by diaspora narratives. During the 1990s she
photographed the break-up of three formerly multi-ethnic towns and
cities in the former Yugoslavia - Sarajevo, Vukovar and Mostar.

Her interest in Armenia and its diaspora, she says, was triggered
while teaching English on the Armenian island of St Lazzaro in Venice
in the 1990s.

A decade later, in 2009, work photographing an oil pipeline in eastern
Turkey brought the ruined Armenian homes and churches into sharp
relief. Sheehan began to seek out descendants of Armenian exiles
where they had settled in Paris and London, forge relationships and
begin to reawaken their history.

In January of this year, she presented the photographic answer to
her questions in an acclaimed exhibition in Istanbul, titled Armenian
Family Stories and Lost Landscapes. Finally, she says, Turkey and the
world is lifting the blindfold placed over the events of a century ago.

My starting point was the question that interests every photographer:
what would you take with you if you had to leave? says Sheehan as
she prepares to leave Turkey for the last time.

I photographed objects kept by the survivors in exile - a woman's veil,
a man's robe. It was similar to the Holocaust in that families could
take the odd thing with them if they got out before the massacre. So
anything that was brought out was treasured.

The Armenian culture, she says, is a hugely interesting one. They were
the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity. They are a very
talented people with a strong intellectual side. They contributed some
of the world's greatest architects and artisans at that time. When
the tide turned against them, it destroyed the artisan world.

Sheehan's work photographing the homes and spaces the Armenians
left behind is a testament to these talents. One hundred years on,
the houses and churches retain a crumbling grandeur, with flashes of
an intricate workmanship borne of love.

I wanted to go through people's family histories. Over four years,
I got to know families in Paris and London and Syria and hear their
stories, then I searched for the places their families came from. Even
when they try to disappear everything, traces of people remain.

I discovered these ruins and old houses - which are completely
beautiful - and I thought, 'This is incredible, this memory, and
the people can't go back there because what happened to them hasn't
been recognised'.

Piecing together the lives people had left behind, she says, was
fascinating: I was a conduit of their memories.

A small Armenian diaspora exists in both Dublin and Belfast, with
larger communities in London and Paris, and over one million Armenians
in the US.

Of those that remained in Turkey, the men were just taken out and
killed and the women were forcibly converted. Up to seven million
Turkish people are estimated to have had an Armenian grandmother ,
says Sheehan.

In some areas of Turkey, Sheehan says, she encountered hostility
when photographing Armenian spaces. In others, the areas have been
populated by displaced Kurdish people, who are working to restore
the Armenian churches.

Within the civil society, there is some recognition of what happened
, says Sheehan. But it's not just a problem in Turkey. While France,
Italy, Greece, Scotland and the North have officially recognised the
genocide, Britain and the US have not. Obama promised to recognise
the genocide before he came into power. He recognised it in the
Armenian language but not in English. Everyone is afraid of Turkey
on the world market, says Sheehan.

On the day that we speak, Armenians are marching in Istanbul over
the death of an Armenian in 2007, whom they say was shot because
he spoke out about the genocide. A lot of people within the civil
society in Turkey are working on this history. My exhibition was
packed with people, I was on national television, CNN, there were
non-stop interviews, says Sheehan.

The exhibition, which was funded by Culture Ireland and Portugal's
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, now moves to Brussels and then London
and possibly Ireland .

There is still a lot of fear, even though these acts took place
100 years ago. There is a lot of anger, the feeling of cultural
destruction. I can see parallels with the Irish Famine. Imagine what
it was like for the Irish back then?

With a strong commitment to human rights, Sheehan was angered that
there was no 'travail de memoire' being done on behalf of the Armenian
people. She would bring her slide projector on her travels and project
images of the houses' original owners onto the crumbling stonework,
photographing the effect. Groups of people would form around me and
wonder. It's been a labour of love.

Throughout the four years of searching and research, photography,
Sheehan says, drove her on. The photographs kept getting more
interesting. The Armenian families themselves, they were so warm. They
took me into their houses. I was touched by them as a people. Also,
when I was photographing in eastern Turkey, I found the homeless
Kurds who now inhabit the Armenian houses to be so hospitable.

There's a duality in the exiled people filling the homes of exiles.

It's tough on the spirit, says Sheehan, who affirms that her next
project will be as far away from the political as possible.

One old Armenian man who came to the exhibition said he now felt less
alone in his suffering. It makes it all worthwhile, says Sheehan.

http://www.businesspost.ie/