Tweet
The New Britain Herald (newbritainherald.com),
Serving New Britain, Conn., and surrounding areas
News
Mechanic fights for recognition of Armenian genocide
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 11:56 AM EDT
By Susan Corica
Staff Writer
SOUTHINGTON - Harry Terdjanian's mission in life is to keep alive the
memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who died by Turkish hands early in
the 20th century. He especially wants the U.S. government to
officially recognize their deaths as a genocide.
Terdjanian, owner of Automaster Service Center of Southington, is of
Armenian descent and lost relatives in the massacre. His parents,
Peter and Mariam Terdjanian of New Britain, moved to the U.S. in 1975,
when he was 8.
`The Armenian genocide is the first genocide of the 20th century, so
it's very important symbolically,' he said. `Many scholars believe it
was the blueprint for the Jewish Holocaust. It's documented very well
that Hitler, before he entered into Poland, said basically, `Who
remembers the Armenian nation? So who's going to question me?' '
Former Connecticut Secretary of State Julia Tashjian, herself of
Armenian descent, began the annual commemoration of the genocide each
April 24 at the state capitol. April 24, 1915, is the date Ottoman
Empire authorities arrested more than 250 Armenian leaders in
Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). It's considered the beginning of
the genocide, although Armenians had been targeted before that.
The Republic of Turkey, successor to the Ottoman Empire, refuses to
recognize the killings as a genocide. As Turkey is a valued U.S. ally,
the federal government has not pressed the issue with the Turkish
government. Many scholars, meanwhile, dispute various historical
accounts of the killings.
`Of course Turkey is going to deny it. To me it's not sensitive, the
truth is always the truth and it must come out,' said Terdjanian. More
and more countries are officially recognizing the genocide, some 30 so
far, including Muslim countries like Lebanon and Iran, he said.
Terdjanian said his family traveled through 20 different countries
before finding safe haven in the U.S.
`This country is great, we love it,' he said. `The only part that I'm
not satisfied with is this country is not standing up for the truth as
far as accepting the Armenian genocide.'
There are about 150,000 Armenians in Connecticut now, mostly centered
in the New Britain and Hartford area, according to George Rustigian of
Newington.
A retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Rustigian said his family was
fortunate enough to get out of Turkey before the Muslim Turks began
targeting the Christian Armenians en masse.
He said Connecticut's state and federal representatives have always
been receptive to the cause of recognizing the Armenian genocide. It's
the presidential candidates who often promise recognition but don't
fulfill the promise when in office, he said.
The 100th anniversary of the mass arrest is coming up in a few years,
which will help bring focus to the issue, Rustigian said. `We always
have hope.'
URL: http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2011/08/14/news/doc4e41e0734e8ae053293350.prt
© Copyright 2011 The New Britain Herald, a Central Connecticut
Communications Property. All rights reserved
http://newbritainherald.com/articles/2011/08/14/news/doc4e41e0734e8ae053293350.txt
From: A. Papazian
Serving New Britain, Conn., and surrounding areas
News
Mechanic fights for recognition of Armenian genocide
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 11:56 AM EDT
By Susan Corica
Staff Writer
SOUTHINGTON - Harry Terdjanian's mission in life is to keep alive the
memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who died by Turkish hands early in
the 20th century. He especially wants the U.S. government to
officially recognize their deaths as a genocide.
Terdjanian, owner of Automaster Service Center of Southington, is of
Armenian descent and lost relatives in the massacre. His parents,
Peter and Mariam Terdjanian of New Britain, moved to the U.S. in 1975,
when he was 8.
`The Armenian genocide is the first genocide of the 20th century, so
it's very important symbolically,' he said. `Many scholars believe it
was the blueprint for the Jewish Holocaust. It's documented very well
that Hitler, before he entered into Poland, said basically, `Who
remembers the Armenian nation? So who's going to question me?' '
Former Connecticut Secretary of State Julia Tashjian, herself of
Armenian descent, began the annual commemoration of the genocide each
April 24 at the state capitol. April 24, 1915, is the date Ottoman
Empire authorities arrested more than 250 Armenian leaders in
Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). It's considered the beginning of
the genocide, although Armenians had been targeted before that.
The Republic of Turkey, successor to the Ottoman Empire, refuses to
recognize the killings as a genocide. As Turkey is a valued U.S. ally,
the federal government has not pressed the issue with the Turkish
government. Many scholars, meanwhile, dispute various historical
accounts of the killings.
`Of course Turkey is going to deny it. To me it's not sensitive, the
truth is always the truth and it must come out,' said Terdjanian. More
and more countries are officially recognizing the genocide, some 30 so
far, including Muslim countries like Lebanon and Iran, he said.
Terdjanian said his family traveled through 20 different countries
before finding safe haven in the U.S.
`This country is great, we love it,' he said. `The only part that I'm
not satisfied with is this country is not standing up for the truth as
far as accepting the Armenian genocide.'
There are about 150,000 Armenians in Connecticut now, mostly centered
in the New Britain and Hartford area, according to George Rustigian of
Newington.
A retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Rustigian said his family was
fortunate enough to get out of Turkey before the Muslim Turks began
targeting the Christian Armenians en masse.
He said Connecticut's state and federal representatives have always
been receptive to the cause of recognizing the Armenian genocide. It's
the presidential candidates who often promise recognition but don't
fulfill the promise when in office, he said.
The 100th anniversary of the mass arrest is coming up in a few years,
which will help bring focus to the issue, Rustigian said. `We always
have hope.'
URL: http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2011/08/14/news/doc4e41e0734e8ae053293350.prt
© Copyright 2011 The New Britain Herald, a Central Connecticut
Communications Property. All rights reserved
http://newbritainherald.com/articles/2011/08/14/news/doc4e41e0734e8ae053293350.txt
From: A. Papazian