Date marks anniversary of Armenian Genocide
Campus Times
April 23, 1999
by Nune Gazdhyan
Assistant Features Editor
People butchered on the street, blood too dry to run down the drain
rots in the sun. Mothers in mourning, orphans in begging -- melancholy all
around. This is the story that many Armenian elders pass on to their children,
their memories of the Armenian Genocide ignites a flame in all their descendant's
heart. The flame will never die.
The Armenian Genocide was carried out by the "Young Turk"
government of the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1916 (with subsidiaries
to 1922 and 1923). 1.5 million Armenians were killed, out of a total of
2.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
This tragedy is commemorated by Armenians all over the world on April
24, because it was on that day in 1915 when 300 Armenian leaders, writers,
thinkers and professionals in Constantinople (present day Istanbul) were
rounded up, deported and killed. Also on that day, 5,000 of the poorest
Armenians were butchered in the streets and in their homes.
The Armenian Genocide was concocted by the Central Committee of the
Young Turk Party which was dominated with racism.
The Armenian Genocide was directed by a Special Organization, Teshkilati
Mahsusa, which designated "butcher battalions," made up of violent
criminals released from prison.
While there were officials against the killings, they were quickly dismissed
for not complying with the extermination campaign. And any Turks who protected
Armenians were killed.
The genocide was carried out in stages. First, the Armenians in the
army were disarmed and placed into labor battalions, then they were killed.
Finally, the remaining Armenians were called from their homes, told
they would be relocated, and then marched off to concentration camps in
the desert between Jerablus and Deir ez-Zor, where they would starve and/or
die of thirst.
During the march, they would often be denied food and water, and many
were brutalized and killed by the guards.
Also, to ensure mass, quick killings, Turks loaded Armenians on barges
and sank them at sea.
The Armenian Genocide was condemned at the time by representatives of
the British, French, Russian, German, and Austrian governments -- namely
all the major powers. The United States, neutral toward the Ottoman Empire,
also condemned the Armenian Genocide and was the chief spokesman on behalf
of the Armenians.
Despite Turkish denial, there is no doubt about the Armenian Genocide.
For example, German ambassador Count von Wolff-Metternich, Turkey's ally
in World War I, wrote in 1916 saying, "The Committee [of Union and
Progress] demands the annihilation of the last remnants of the Armenians
and the [Ottoman] government must bow to its demands."
Only the Turkish government of Damad Ferit Pasha has recognized the
Armenian Genocide. In fact, the Turkish government held war crimes trials
that condemned, to death, the major leaders responsible.
The Turkish court concluded that the leaders of the Young Turk government
were guilty of murder. They concluded that the genocidal scheme was carried
out with as much secrecy as possible. The public was unaware of the killings
because the government claimed that they were "relocating" the
Armenians.
Today, there is a large population of Armenians in the United States
as a result of the group's fleeing, and, every year, many commemorate the
day with memorial services, lectures and assemblies to educate and strengthen
their cultural ties.
Former U.S. President George Bush issued a news release in 1990 calling
on all Americans to join with Armenians on April 24 in commemorating "the
more than a million Armenian people who were victims."
Also, current U.S. President Bill Clinton issued a news release on April
24, 1994, to commemorate the "tragedy" that Armenians endured.
The Armenian Genocide is similar to the Jewish holocaust in many ways.
Both people adhere to an ancient religion. Both were religious minorities
of their states. Both have a history of persecution. Both are surrounded
by enemies.
Each year, Armenian-Americans remember the Armenian Genocide with public
gatherings and share family histories. They offer prayers and sing traditional
Armenian songs in order to educate the next generation about the tragedy
that fell upon them.
