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`Auschwitz is the Der Zor of the Jews,' Says President Sarkisian

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  • `Auschwitz is the Der Zor of the Jews,' Says President Sarkisian

    `Auschwitz is the Der Zor of the Jews,' Says President
    of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sarkisian


    By Asbarez Staff on Mar 24th, 2010

    YEREVAN-`Auschwitz is the Der Zor of the Jews,'
    said President Serzh Sarkisian in a speech delivered Wednesday at the
    historic mass grave-site of Armenian Genocide victims, adding that the
    details of the atrocities that took place at Der Zor were well known
    even to those `who publicly deny the veracity of the [Armenian]
    Genocide.'

    Sarkisian also made an apparent reference to recent comments by, among
    others, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that a so-called
    `historic commission,' as cited in the Armenia-Turkey
    protocols, will be tasked to address the Genocide issue. Sarkisian
    provided perspective by saying that `It is inappropriate to cite
    some commission of historians, since the Armenia-Turkey protocols task
    the creation of a mere governmental sub-commission on historic matters.
    I assume everyone understands what it means and what the differences
    are.'

    He then blasted the use of the Armenian-Turkey normalization process as
    a justification for not recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

    The Armenian president went on to urge all those who are discussing the
    Armenian Genocide and its recognition to `remember this desert,
    remember the ruined fate of millions and this ancient people deprived of
    their homeland.'

    `What has brought me here is the greatest pain of my
    nation-the first genocide of the 20th Century and the greatest
    disgrace of the civilized world. The stigma of that shame, even in the
    21st century, stains those who have turned the denial of obvious facts
    into their policy, have turned into a bargaining chip and into a norm of
    their behavior and lifestyle,' said Sarkisian.

    Armenians in Der Zor, Sarkisian said, were doomed to lose their life
    `in accordance with the state orchestrated and meticulously
    developed plan of extermination.'

    `The most horrifying acts of the tragedy took place in the
    desert of Der Zor. It is neither possible to describe the specifics of
    the tragedy in a language known to humankind, nor will I attempt it,
    since those details are well-known even to those who publicly deny the
    veracity of the Genocide,' said Sarkisian.

    `Quite often historians and journalists correctly compare De Zor
    with Auschwitz saying that `Der Zor is the Auschwitz of the
    Armenians.' I think the chronology of events forces us to
    formulate the facts in a different manner: `Auschwitz is the
    Deir ez Zor of the Jews.' Merely a generation later humanity
    witnessed the De Zor of the Jews,' said Sarkisian.
    `Today, as the President of the Republic of Armenia, the
    homeland of all Armenians, I am here to ask: `Where and when
    will our Nuremberg [trials] be held?'

    Despite the Genocide and all that has happened, Sarkisian said Armenian
    stands ready to normalize relations with the republic of Turkey.
    `We are ready to have open borders and economic relations; we
    are ready to take steps toward building confidence between the people of
    Armenia and Turkey; we are ready to bring closer the two societies by
    breaking stereotypes and myths that have nothing to do with reality and
    have developed throughout decades in the absence of any meaningful
    relations,' he said.

    `We do this sincerely since we believe that neighboring people
    have no alternative but to coexist and develop, and, at least as a
    start, through the implementation of what has been proposed and is still
    on the table,' the Armenian leader added. `The signing
    of the Armenian-Turkish protocols presented us with an historic
    opportunity that should have its logical conclusion.'

    `However, we do not accept the manner in which the
    Armenian-Turkish dialogue is being used as reasoning to refrain from
    recognizing the Armenian Genocide. It is inappropriate to cite some
    commission of historians, since the Armenia-Turkey protocols task the
    creation of a mere governmental sub-commission on historic matters. I
    assume everyone understands what it means and what the differences
    are,' he said.
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