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ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 98TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION TO BE HELD IN TIMES SQUARE ON APRIL 21, 2013 DURING GENOCIDE AWARENESS MONTH
Sacramento Bee, CA
Feb 19 2013
By Knights & Daughters of Vartan
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- A large throng is expected
to participate in the 98th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide to be held in Times Square (46th St. & Broadway) on Sunday,
April 21 from 2-4 pm. The organizers invite people of all backgrounds
to join together to commemorate the Armenian Genocide and subsequent
genocides during Genocide Awareness Month and to speak out against
this horrendous crime against humanity.
The theme of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration is "Turkey is Guilty
of Genocide: Denying the Undeniable is Criminal." This historic event
will pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred by
the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire and to the millions
of victims of subsequent genocides worldwide. Speakers will include
civic, religious, humanitarian, educational, cultural leaders, and
performing artists. This event is free and open to the public.
Dennis R. Papazian, PhD, immediate past National Grand Commander
of Knights of Vartan and Founding Director of the Armenian Research
Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Dr. Mary A.
Papazian, President of Southern Connecticut State University, will
preside over the ceremonies.
Dr. Dennis Papazian comments, "Recent momentous events encourage
me to believe that the long vigil of the Armenian people waiting
for recognition of their genocide by the Turkish government may be
coming to a positive conclusion. An influential Kurdish leader in
Turkey, a member of Parliament and vice-president of the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Congress, Ahmet Turk, admitted that the Kurdish
people played a significant role in the 'torture and massacre of
Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis' during the Armenian Genocide and
apologized to the Armenian people. Turk stated, 'Our grandfathers and
fathers were used in the injustices perpetrated against Armenians,
Assyrians and Yezidis. There is blood on their hands. With the blood
of these peoples they bloodied their own hands. Thus, as their children
and grandchildren, we apologize.'"
Dr. Papazian continues, "A second momentous event was the publication
of a book in Turkey entitled 'The Armenian Genocide' by Hasan Cemal,
the grandson of Cemal (Jamal) Pasha, one of the three main authors
of the Armenian Genocide. Hasan Cemal, a member of the Turkish
establishment and a newspaper columnist, began his inquiry into the
Armenian Genocide following the killing of Turkish diplomats by a
group of young Armenians who went by the name of ASAlA. At first,
Hasan Cemal supported the official government point of view, and as
he became more knowledgeable, finally concluded that indeed there was
a genocide of the Armenians perpetrated by the Young Turk party which
controlled the Ottoman government in 1915-1923. The book has inspired
many members of the Turkish elites to reevaluate their denial of the
Armenian Genocide."
Papazian adds, "Itzak Alaton, the owner of one of the largest
corporations in Turkey, urged the Turkish Socio-Economic Research
Center to pursue the Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide."
"April 24, 1915 is just around the corner," stated Alaton, "let us
change our denialist policies. I am tired of the fear to face our
past. Let us raise our voices to our deputies in Ankara and those
deputies should raise their voices to their political parties and
leaders in order for us to open our skeleton-fill closets."
Dr. Papazian concludes, "These three significant events which took
place without any reprisal from the Turkish government imply that a
positive change may be in the air."
The 98th Commemoration is organized by the Mid-Atlantic chapters
of the Knights & Daughters of Vartan www.kofv.org, an international
Armenian fraternal organization headquartered in the United States,
and co-sponsored by Armenian General Benevolent Union (www.agbu.org),
Armenian Assembly of America (www.aaainc.org), Armenian National
Committee of America (www.anca.org), Armenian Council of America and
the Armenian Democratic League-Ramgavars.
Participating Organizations include the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America, Prelacy of the Armenian Church, Armenian Missionary
Association of America, Armenian Catholic Eparchy for US and Canada,
Mid-Atlantic ACYOA, AYF, Armenian youth organizations, Armenian
university and college clubs.
For more information please visit http://april24timessquare.com,
www.kofv.org, www.april24nyc.org, www.armenianradionj.net,
http://theforgotten.org, www.armenian-genocide.org,
www.twentyvoices.com.
Media Contact: Linda Millman Guller Ph: (203) 454-9800 Email:
[email protected]
This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release
Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Knights & Daughters of Vartan
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/19/5200223/armenian-genocide-98th-anniversary.html
Sacramento Bee, CA
Feb 19 2013
By Knights & Daughters of Vartan
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- A large throng is expected
to participate in the 98th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide to be held in Times Square (46th St. & Broadway) on Sunday,
April 21 from 2-4 pm. The organizers invite people of all backgrounds
to join together to commemorate the Armenian Genocide and subsequent
genocides during Genocide Awareness Month and to speak out against
this horrendous crime against humanity.
The theme of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration is "Turkey is Guilty
of Genocide: Denying the Undeniable is Criminal." This historic event
will pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred by
the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire and to the millions
of victims of subsequent genocides worldwide. Speakers will include
civic, religious, humanitarian, educational, cultural leaders, and
performing artists. This event is free and open to the public.
Dennis R. Papazian, PhD, immediate past National Grand Commander
of Knights of Vartan and Founding Director of the Armenian Research
Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Dr. Mary A.
Papazian, President of Southern Connecticut State University, will
preside over the ceremonies.
Dr. Dennis Papazian comments, "Recent momentous events encourage
me to believe that the long vigil of the Armenian people waiting
for recognition of their genocide by the Turkish government may be
coming to a positive conclusion. An influential Kurdish leader in
Turkey, a member of Parliament and vice-president of the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Congress, Ahmet Turk, admitted that the Kurdish
people played a significant role in the 'torture and massacre of
Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis' during the Armenian Genocide and
apologized to the Armenian people. Turk stated, 'Our grandfathers and
fathers were used in the injustices perpetrated against Armenians,
Assyrians and Yezidis. There is blood on their hands. With the blood
of these peoples they bloodied their own hands. Thus, as their children
and grandchildren, we apologize.'"
Dr. Papazian continues, "A second momentous event was the publication
of a book in Turkey entitled 'The Armenian Genocide' by Hasan Cemal,
the grandson of Cemal (Jamal) Pasha, one of the three main authors
of the Armenian Genocide. Hasan Cemal, a member of the Turkish
establishment and a newspaper columnist, began his inquiry into the
Armenian Genocide following the killing of Turkish diplomats by a
group of young Armenians who went by the name of ASAlA. At first,
Hasan Cemal supported the official government point of view, and as
he became more knowledgeable, finally concluded that indeed there was
a genocide of the Armenians perpetrated by the Young Turk party which
controlled the Ottoman government in 1915-1923. The book has inspired
many members of the Turkish elites to reevaluate their denial of the
Armenian Genocide."
Papazian adds, "Itzak Alaton, the owner of one of the largest
corporations in Turkey, urged the Turkish Socio-Economic Research
Center to pursue the Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide."
"April 24, 1915 is just around the corner," stated Alaton, "let us
change our denialist policies. I am tired of the fear to face our
past. Let us raise our voices to our deputies in Ankara and those
deputies should raise their voices to their political parties and
leaders in order for us to open our skeleton-fill closets."
Dr. Papazian concludes, "These three significant events which took
place without any reprisal from the Turkish government imply that a
positive change may be in the air."
The 98th Commemoration is organized by the Mid-Atlantic chapters
of the Knights & Daughters of Vartan www.kofv.org, an international
Armenian fraternal organization headquartered in the United States,
and co-sponsored by Armenian General Benevolent Union (www.agbu.org),
Armenian Assembly of America (www.aaainc.org), Armenian National
Committee of America (www.anca.org), Armenian Council of America and
the Armenian Democratic League-Ramgavars.
Participating Organizations include the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America, Prelacy of the Armenian Church, Armenian Missionary
Association of America, Armenian Catholic Eparchy for US and Canada,
Mid-Atlantic ACYOA, AYF, Armenian youth organizations, Armenian
university and college clubs.
For more information please visit http://april24timessquare.com,
www.kofv.org, www.april24nyc.org, www.armenianradionj.net,
http://theforgotten.org, www.armenian-genocide.org,
www.twentyvoices.com.
Media Contact: Linda Millman Guller Ph: (203) 454-9800 Email:
[email protected]
This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release
Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Knights & Daughters of Vartan
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/19/5200223/armenian-genocide-98th-anniversary.html