TURKISH RESPONSE TO FRANCE'S FORMAL RECOGNITION OF THE GENOCIDE

For a report on this important milestone and Turkey's inevitable response, please follow this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16695133

Please use your Browser's Back button to return here when you have finished.

WATCH NOW: MPP Addresses Armenian Genocide In Ontario Legislature

On Tuesday, May 3rd 2011, Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges-Markham, made a statement in the Ontario Legislative Assembly recognizing the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and commending the work of the Canadian Armenian community. Dr. Jaczek took the opportunity to note her attendance at the Armenian Genocide Joint Commemoration event held at the Armenian Youth Centre on April 23rd, and reminded Ontarians why it is important to remember the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. Mark Atikian, member of the Armenian National Committee of Toronto said "Dr. Jaczek is a long-time friend of the Armenian community. We deeply appreciate her strong stance on the issues we care about most, like the Armenian Genocide."

You can read the full text of Dr. Jaczek’s statement below, or view the video of her statement as presented in the legislature.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Ms. Helena Jaczek: It was a great privilege for me to attend and speak at an event on April 23, 2011, to commemorate the anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Members of all levels of government from all three political parties were present at the Armenian Youth Center in North York.

The genocide is known to have started on April 24, 1915, the day that some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were arrested in Constantinople. From then on, Armenians were uprooted from their homes and forced to march for hundreds of miles, while being deprived of food and water, to the desert in what is now Syria.

The year 2011 marks 96 years since the terrible atrocities that occurred between 1915 and 1923, when more than 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were massacred. The Armenian genocide set the stage for other genocides and human tragedies. Although many countries around the world refuse to acknowledge the horrific events that took place, we here in Ontario choose to recognize this tragedy and take the time to mourn the lives that were lost.

The Armenian community has made many significant and enriching contributions in Canada and in my riding of Oak Ridges–Markham. I offer my sincerest condolences to the families of all those lost. By honouring these victims, we also remember to cherish our freedom and the sanctity of human life.


For more information please contact:
Ms. Araz Hasserjian 416-491-2900 araz.hasserjian@anctoronto.org

About ANCT
The Armenian National Committee of Toronto is a chapter of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, a grassroots organization that was founded in 1965 to address the concerns of the Canadian Armenian community on a broad range of issues.

CHURCHILL AND THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Winston Churchill described the massacres [of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks] as an "administrative holocaust" and noted that "the clearance of the race from Asia Minor was about as complete as such an act, on a scale so great, could well be. [...] There is no reasonable doubt that this crime was planned and executed for political reasons. The opportunity presented itself for clearing Turkish soil of a Christian race opposed to all Turkish ambitions, cherishing national
ambitions that could only be satisfied at the expense of Turkey, and planted geographically between Turkish and Caucasian Moslems."

Sounds very much as if he is describing genocide to me although the word was of course not coined until 1944 to describe the extermination of Jews by the Nazis...

Churchill, like David Cameron and David Lidington today, was a Conservative - you might expect present day Tories to follow the views of their renowned and illustrious predecessor, who is generally regarded as someone who knew what he was talking about...

Meeting on Darfur & Denial of the Armenian Genocide in the UK Parliament

Armenia Solidarity
British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications

Armenian Genocide Trust
eilian@nantperis.wanadoo.co.uk
baappg.bazil@btinternet.com
norserount@btconnect.com

Meeting on Darfur and Denial of the Armenian Genocide in the UK Parliament (in the context of an ethical foreign policy)

Police Take an aggressive attitude to Armenian Lobbyists

In London yesterday, 27.06.2007, on Tony Blair's last day as Prime Minister, British-Armenian activists lobbied parliament all day in support of Early Day Motion 357. This motion, recognising the Genocide, has now been signed by 144 Members of Parliament. Police took an unwarranted intolerant attitude, tearing a large "Recognise the Genocide" banner and detaining the director of Armenia Solidarity for half an hour under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for holding the banner too close to Parliament. The distribution of leaflets was continued throughout and the banner redisplayed where it could still be noticed by those entering the Houses of Parliament.

A meeting on Darfur and Armenia was organised by Armenia Solidarity, the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group, Nor Serount Publications & the Armenian Genocide Trust in the House of Commons, in the evening, in conjunction with, the Genocide Prevention All Party Parliamentary Group and the Aegis Trust.

In the meeting in the House of Commons, Dr James Smith of The Aegis Trust, in a major speech on Ethical Foreign Policy emphasised the parallels between Armenia and Darfur where the Turkish model of the 20th century is being successfully repeated. Ruth Barnett spoke on the psychological effects of denial and introduced the concept of reducing the present "Genocide Footprint" by addressing the issues of past genocides. The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, Dr Vahe Gabrielyan, emphasised the political dimensions of genocide recognition which could not be addressed by any commission of historians however eminent. The meeting was chaired by John Bercow MP of the Genocide Prevention All Party Parliamentary Group, and attended by several other parliamentarians including Lord Avebury, Lord Alton of Liverpool David Burrowes MP as well as David Drew MP, the sponsor of the meeting.

The present Armenian Genocide Recognition effort in the UK is an ever expanding coalition which is gathering momentum involving more and more Armenian and UK supporters. "Genocide recognition is a human, not merely an Armenian, issue" said Eilian Williams, a spokesman for the organisers. "We urge all Armenians to continue lobbying to obtain further parliamentary support as well as to consider joining the Aegis Trust in their Genocide Prevention Campaigns."

Calling All Armenian Americans - ANCA Plea for Special Memorial Day Action

If you are an American of Armenian descent or if you are concerned about Genocide issues, please click here to take special action at the request of the Armenian National Committe of America on Memorial Day (Monday, 28th May 2007).

Please help - it will take only a few minutes and your contribution is valuable.

Armenia and the Ottoman Empire in the Early 20th Century

These videos (click here to view) explore the circumstances leading to the expulsion and massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. How very pitiful is man's inhumanity to man...