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Assyrian International News Agency AINA
April 15 2012
Armenia Must Recognize the Assyrian Genocide
Posted GMT 4-15-2012 20:19:1
(AINA) -- On March, 19 2012, the Armenian Parliament rejected a
proposal tabled by Armenia's Heritage Party to consider a bill
recognizing the Assyrian and Greek genocides (AINA 3-20-2012). The
proposal was also supported by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun Party) but opposed by the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA).
According to Galust Sahakyan, the head of the RPA parliamentary
faction, there was no political need for the adoption of the bill.
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Samvel Nikoyan (RPA) noted that
the rejection of the proposal demonstrated Armenia's respect for its
international partners 'who have made a lot of effort for the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.'
The motion was supported by 17 Members of Parliament but ultimately
was not placed on the parliamentary agenda because of abstentions from
all other members, which prevented the quorum necessary to table the
motion.
The refusal by the majority of the Armenian Parliament to even place
the proposal on the parliamentary agenda has been met with dismay and
deep concern by Assyrians, Armenians and Hellenes worldwide (AINA
3-28-2012).
A clear contradiction is seen in this move considering that the
Parliament of Armenia had itself called on other governments to
recognize the Assyrian genocide in the past, specifically in a
Parliamentary Declaration on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide in 2011, with then National Assembly Speaker of
the Republic of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan declaring that the
'recognition of the genocides perpetrated against the Armenians,
Hellenes and Assyrians' by parliaments and legislative bodies
throughout the world 'would lead to the restoration of justice and the
prevention of other genocides in the future.'
Commenting on the decision, Armenian organizations, including the
Armenian National Committee of Australia, have 'strongly encouraged
every member of the National Assembly of Armenia to vote in favor of a
similar motion when it is presented to the Parliament in the future.'
Only weeks before the decision, 36 Assyrian organizations and 22
renowned genocide scholars had called on the Republic of Armenia to
recognize the Assyrian and Greek genocides (AINA 2-19-2012). In a
letter signed by the organizations and scholars and addressed to His
Excellency Serzh A. Sargsyan, the President of the Republic of
Armenia, Sabri Atman, Director of the Assyrian Genocide Research
Centre (Seyfo Center) stated: 'We would also like to take this
opportunity to call upon the Republic of Armenia, through your good
offices, to move towards recognizing the Assyrian Genocide alongside
the Armenian Genocide. It is our hope that the Republic of Armenia
will also take steps to include references to the Assyrian Genocide
within school textbooks and the general curriculum taught in schools
throughout Armenia. By itself recognizing the co-victims of the
Armenian Genocide, namely the Assyrian and Greek peoples, the Republic
of Armenia will provide the impetus for greater cooperation between
our three peoples and a united front on the global stage.'
The breadth of response to this letter from Assyrians, Armenians,
Hellenes and others around the world is a testament to the strong
feeling amongst victim groups on the matter and the desire of both
Assyrians and Hellenes to see this most important recognition by the
Republic of Armenia become a reality.
Assyrians, including Seyfo Center Director Sabri Atman, will be in
Armenia in April to attend Armenian Genocide commemorations and the
unveiling of the first Assyrian genocide monument in Yerevan. During
this visit Mr Atman will meet with Armenian political leaders and
stress the desire of Assyrians worldwide to see the Republic of
Armenia recognize the Assyrian genocide.
By Joseph Haweil
http://www.aina.org/releases/20120415151901.htm
April 15 2012
Armenia Must Recognize the Assyrian Genocide
Posted GMT 4-15-2012 20:19:1
(AINA) -- On March, 19 2012, the Armenian Parliament rejected a
proposal tabled by Armenia's Heritage Party to consider a bill
recognizing the Assyrian and Greek genocides (AINA 3-20-2012). The
proposal was also supported by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun Party) but opposed by the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA).
According to Galust Sahakyan, the head of the RPA parliamentary
faction, there was no political need for the adoption of the bill.
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Samvel Nikoyan (RPA) noted that
the rejection of the proposal demonstrated Armenia's respect for its
international partners 'who have made a lot of effort for the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.'
The motion was supported by 17 Members of Parliament but ultimately
was not placed on the parliamentary agenda because of abstentions from
all other members, which prevented the quorum necessary to table the
motion.
The refusal by the majority of the Armenian Parliament to even place
the proposal on the parliamentary agenda has been met with dismay and
deep concern by Assyrians, Armenians and Hellenes worldwide (AINA
3-28-2012).
A clear contradiction is seen in this move considering that the
Parliament of Armenia had itself called on other governments to
recognize the Assyrian genocide in the past, specifically in a
Parliamentary Declaration on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide in 2011, with then National Assembly Speaker of
the Republic of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan declaring that the
'recognition of the genocides perpetrated against the Armenians,
Hellenes and Assyrians' by parliaments and legislative bodies
throughout the world 'would lead to the restoration of justice and the
prevention of other genocides in the future.'
Commenting on the decision, Armenian organizations, including the
Armenian National Committee of Australia, have 'strongly encouraged
every member of the National Assembly of Armenia to vote in favor of a
similar motion when it is presented to the Parliament in the future.'
Only weeks before the decision, 36 Assyrian organizations and 22
renowned genocide scholars had called on the Republic of Armenia to
recognize the Assyrian and Greek genocides (AINA 2-19-2012). In a
letter signed by the organizations and scholars and addressed to His
Excellency Serzh A. Sargsyan, the President of the Republic of
Armenia, Sabri Atman, Director of the Assyrian Genocide Research
Centre (Seyfo Center) stated: 'We would also like to take this
opportunity to call upon the Republic of Armenia, through your good
offices, to move towards recognizing the Assyrian Genocide alongside
the Armenian Genocide. It is our hope that the Republic of Armenia
will also take steps to include references to the Assyrian Genocide
within school textbooks and the general curriculum taught in schools
throughout Armenia. By itself recognizing the co-victims of the
Armenian Genocide, namely the Assyrian and Greek peoples, the Republic
of Armenia will provide the impetus for greater cooperation between
our three peoples and a united front on the global stage.'
The breadth of response to this letter from Assyrians, Armenians,
Hellenes and others around the world is a testament to the strong
feeling amongst victim groups on the matter and the desire of both
Assyrians and Hellenes to see this most important recognition by the
Republic of Armenia become a reality.
Assyrians, including Seyfo Center Director Sabri Atman, will be in
Armenia in April to attend Armenian Genocide commemorations and the
unveiling of the first Assyrian genocide monument in Yerevan. During
this visit Mr Atman will meet with Armenian political leaders and
stress the desire of Assyrians worldwide to see the Republic of
Armenia recognize the Assyrian genocide.
By Joseph Haweil
http://www.aina.org/releases/20120415151901.htm