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Nations must take action to end cycle of genocide

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  • Nations must take action to end cycle of genocide

    Daily Bruin
    Tuesday, February 01, 2005


    Nations must take action to end cycle of genocide


    By Raffi Kassabian

    At the Jan. 27 ceremonies for the 60th anniversary of the liberation of
    Auschwitz, the prevalent reaction was "never again." And yet we still
    continue to see genocide occurring today, most notably in Darfur, Sudan.

    The systematic annihilation and displacement of millions of Sudanese in
    Darfur is nothing less than a part of the repetitious cycle of
    systematic genocide that continues to haunt the world community to this
    day.

    How can today's governments stand by while groups of people in the world
    are subject to targeted extinction policies? How can the United States
    send its sons and daughters into battle exclaiming that democracy and
    freedom in Iraq are worth their lives, yet ignore those very same
    principles in another situation?

    Darfur demands a similar sacrifice, but the determination of engagement
    is conspicuously absent when addressing this crisis.

    Over 1.5 million Armenians were systematically executed, raped and
    deported by the Ottoman Empire in what is acknowledged as one of the
    first genocides of the 20th century. Volumes of academic research on the
    subject are accompanied by acknowledgments by genocide scholar societies
    as well as proclamations by numerous countries and state governments.

    But the United States, a country that continually unfurls the banner of
    ethical and moral values to justify the pursuit of domestic as well as
    foreign policy agendas, has yet to come to terms with the Armenian
    Genocide and join the world in admitting, let alone seeking justice for,
    this crime against humanity.

    Instead, in deference to the Republic of Turkey, an alleged "strategic
    partner and NATO ally," according to the U.S. Agency for International
    Development, the United States has avoided facing the Armenian Genocide.

    The threats of limited access to NATO bases and the loss of military or
    other business contracts is apparently enough for the United States to
    drop the ethical banner in this particular case and pick up the pennant
    of obscure "national interests" excuses.

    Until there is an equitable pursuit of justice, we are left to fight not
    one battle, but two. Not only must we fight to prevent crimes against
    humanity, but we must also fight the denial of such crimes. In doing so
    we can ensure that we are combating the recurring cycle of genocides.

    The citizens in Darfur cry for their justice. Their government has
    failed to protect their lives, families and homes, but instead has
    instigated or even organized those responsible for murdering and
    dislocating them.

    For nearly 90 years, successive Turkish governments have actively denied
    the Armenian Genocide. It is their hope to absolve themselves of any
    punitive measures that are a natural part of the process of justice for
    this crime.

    Because the Turkish government has not been held accountable for its
    crimes against humanity in the past, the government has been able to
    continue human rights abuses into the present day. It stifles the lives
    and tramples on the rights of its minorities.

    Turkey is noted for having some of the highest numbers of imprisoned
    journalists, and it continually strikes down - via legal or brute
    tactics - those who question the fallibility of the state. The Turkish
    government wants to intimidate its own citizens into silence or
    self-censorship on issues like the Armenian Genocide.

    The world continues to turn a blind eye out of convenience and enables
    this behavior of the Turkish government, facilitating what I call the
    "Campaign of Silence."

    When the United States and governments worldwide behave in such a
    manner, is it any wonder why "never again" sounds so hollow? Is it any
    wonder that after 1915, there was a 1938? Is it any wonder that the
    Armenians were followed by Cambodians, Rwandans and now the citizens of
    Darfur?

    The silence continues today because we as human beings have not come to
    terms with our past. We have turned the other cheek because it is easier
    than seeking justice.

    Adolf Hitler proclaimed to the Nazi Army before invading Poland, "Who,
    after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" Will we
    finally learn to consistently apply American values to our national
    interests - recognizing everyone's rights to a pursuit of happiness,
    freedom and self-determination?

    Or will the next genocidal government say, "Who, after all, speaks today
    of the annihilation of the people of Darfur?"


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Kassabian is a fourth-year political science and communication studies
    student.
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