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Los Angeles Times
April 12 2015
Armenian American community lauds pope's recognition of genocide
By Soumya Karlamangla, Anh Do and Ruben Vives
embers of Southern California's Armenian American community on Sunday
lauded Pope Francis, calling him "courageous" for his recognition of
the mass killings of Armenians a century ago under the Ottoman Empire
as genocide.
"As far as the Armenian American Community is concerned, the pope has
taken a courageous stand despite the threats from the republic of
Turkey," said Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan, whose city has been a
haven for Armenians for generations.
Sinanyan said Turkey's denial of the genocide and the United States'
refusal to acknowledge it has not allowed Armenians to move on from
the killings.
"It's like a bleeding wound that just won't go away," he said.
"There's no closure, there's no healing."
lRelated EuropePope speaks out on Armenian genocide; Turkey pulls
ambassador in protestSee all related
8
He said the pope's statements on Sunday were powerful.
"When people with high public profiles like the pope are not only
using the word "genocide" but actually holding the Mass in the Vatican
dedicated to the victims ... that resonates in the Armenian American
community," he said.
Speaking before a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica to mark the centenary
of the killings, Francis defined the slaughter of as many as 1.5
million Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century," quoting
a statement made by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
"The remaining two were perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism," he said.
"And more recently there have been other mass killings, like those in
Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia."
cComments
The Pope must be commended for acknowledging this massacre. The Turks
have absolutely refused to take responsibility for this attempt at
genocide, but now the world is watching. No doubt that Turkey's nose
is out of joint over the truth of the Armenian genocide being accepted
as historical...
AuroraB.
at 1:14 PM April 12, 2015
Add a comment See all comments
1
In response, Turkey summoned the Vatican's ambassador to the country
to complain about Francis' remarks. It also recalled its ambassador to
the Vatican over the incident, according to the Associated Press.
Sinanyan said he hopes the pope's statements will encourage the U.S.
to "stop playing politics" and acknowledge the genocide. He said he
hopes that President Obama will do so as well. "I'm really hoping that
he will really take a courageous step and do what's right," he said.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who is the lead sponsor of the proposed
Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution in Congress, said in a
statement he hopes that "the pope's words will inspire our President
and Congress to demonstrate a like commitment to speaking the truth
about the Armenian Genocide and to renounce Turkey's campaign of
concealment and denial.
"America must speak plainly about the facts of what happened one
hundred years ago, when in the throes of defeat, the Ottoman Empire
murdered one and a half million Armenian men, women and children. With
the centennial of the genocide fast approaching, and with a few
survivors still among us, the time for inexcusable silence has come to
an end."
Turkey claims that just half a million Armenians died in fighting when
they rose up against their Ottoman rulers after World War I, and
denies that their deaths constitute an act of genocide.
That position conflicts with the views of most historians of the
period, who agree that Armenians were victims of genocide. A number of
countries have issued statements over the years condemning Turkey's
actions as genocide. Although Obama, before his election, referred
several times to the deaths as genocide, he has not done so as
president, maintaining his predecessors' reluctance to alienate
Turkey, a highly valued ally in the Middle East.
In a statement, Montebello Mayor Jack Hadjinian, who became the city's
first Armenian American mayor in last November's election and is the
grandchild of a genocide survivor, said, "I am comforted by the words
of Pope Francis and his courage to stand on the side of truth and
human rights. His words go beyond the political and offer healing and
possibility for the Armenians who had to suffer decades of denial and
transgenerational trauma from the Turkish Government.
"The fact that Turkey recalled its envoy from Rome proves that they
are not working hard enough to push their propaganda and take
responsibility for crimes against humanity. With Turkey's continued
denial, the cycle of genocide continues and allows for these heinous
crimes to happen again in the world."
Before Sunday Mass at St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church in
Glendale, Father Antoine Noradounghian said he had "joy in his heart"
after hearing the pope's message.
"What it means is we have to always remember -- even after another 100
years," he said.
Peter Haig, who is the Armenian diocese's representative to the United
Armenian Council of Los Angeles, told worshipers after the service
"that this is a great thing that the pope did for us Armenians. ... He
had the courage in spite of all the political pressure. He said what
is on his mind for the sake of all humanity.
"For young Armenians, this should give them hope," Haig said. "For
everyone, there's comfort that the world has not forgotten about us.
For years, big, civilized countries have not accepted this truth, but
many are still fighting to bring justice to the table."
Haig's wife, Seta, who is a mental health therapist, said the denial
of the genocide is "a wound that continues to fester. That's why this
message is so healing. It's very, very exciting that the pope has the
strength to say it. He is fearless. He has guts."
Naris Khalatian, an attorney from Glendale, clasped her hands together
as if in prayer, her voice deep with emotion. Pope Francis
"acknowledged the fact that this was evil. Thank you," she said
fervently, standing in the shade of the church's three pomegranate
trees, the fruit of Armenia representing fertility.
"I woke up at 6 a.m. today and went straight for my phone. I googled
Pope Francis and Armenia and genocide. I kept wondering if he was
going to use the 'g' word," Khalatian said, sharing family stories
about how her grandfather and his brothers were forced to pretend to
be Muslims to survive the genocide.
"Basically, what you see now with [the terrorist group Islamic State]
is what happened all those years ago," she said.
"Only then, she said, we didn't have Facebook to show everyone" what
the Turks "were doing. The whole Ottoman empire decided to get rid of
one race. I personally can't forgive them until they recognize what
they did."
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-armenian-american-pope-francis-genocide-20150412-story.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
April 12 2015
Armenian American community lauds pope's recognition of genocide
By Soumya Karlamangla, Anh Do and Ruben Vives
embers of Southern California's Armenian American community on Sunday
lauded Pope Francis, calling him "courageous" for his recognition of
the mass killings of Armenians a century ago under the Ottoman Empire
as genocide.
"As far as the Armenian American Community is concerned, the pope has
taken a courageous stand despite the threats from the republic of
Turkey," said Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan, whose city has been a
haven for Armenians for generations.
Sinanyan said Turkey's denial of the genocide and the United States'
refusal to acknowledge it has not allowed Armenians to move on from
the killings.
"It's like a bleeding wound that just won't go away," he said.
"There's no closure, there's no healing."
lRelated EuropePope speaks out on Armenian genocide; Turkey pulls
ambassador in protestSee all related
8
He said the pope's statements on Sunday were powerful.
"When people with high public profiles like the pope are not only
using the word "genocide" but actually holding the Mass in the Vatican
dedicated to the victims ... that resonates in the Armenian American
community," he said.
Speaking before a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica to mark the centenary
of the killings, Francis defined the slaughter of as many as 1.5
million Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century," quoting
a statement made by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
"The remaining two were perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism," he said.
"And more recently there have been other mass killings, like those in
Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia."
cComments
The Pope must be commended for acknowledging this massacre. The Turks
have absolutely refused to take responsibility for this attempt at
genocide, but now the world is watching. No doubt that Turkey's nose
is out of joint over the truth of the Armenian genocide being accepted
as historical...
AuroraB.
at 1:14 PM April 12, 2015
Add a comment See all comments
1
In response, Turkey summoned the Vatican's ambassador to the country
to complain about Francis' remarks. It also recalled its ambassador to
the Vatican over the incident, according to the Associated Press.
Sinanyan said he hopes the pope's statements will encourage the U.S.
to "stop playing politics" and acknowledge the genocide. He said he
hopes that President Obama will do so as well. "I'm really hoping that
he will really take a courageous step and do what's right," he said.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who is the lead sponsor of the proposed
Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution in Congress, said in a
statement he hopes that "the pope's words will inspire our President
and Congress to demonstrate a like commitment to speaking the truth
about the Armenian Genocide and to renounce Turkey's campaign of
concealment and denial.
"America must speak plainly about the facts of what happened one
hundred years ago, when in the throes of defeat, the Ottoman Empire
murdered one and a half million Armenian men, women and children. With
the centennial of the genocide fast approaching, and with a few
survivors still among us, the time for inexcusable silence has come to
an end."
Turkey claims that just half a million Armenians died in fighting when
they rose up against their Ottoman rulers after World War I, and
denies that their deaths constitute an act of genocide.
That position conflicts with the views of most historians of the
period, who agree that Armenians were victims of genocide. A number of
countries have issued statements over the years condemning Turkey's
actions as genocide. Although Obama, before his election, referred
several times to the deaths as genocide, he has not done so as
president, maintaining his predecessors' reluctance to alienate
Turkey, a highly valued ally in the Middle East.
In a statement, Montebello Mayor Jack Hadjinian, who became the city's
first Armenian American mayor in last November's election and is the
grandchild of a genocide survivor, said, "I am comforted by the words
of Pope Francis and his courage to stand on the side of truth and
human rights. His words go beyond the political and offer healing and
possibility for the Armenians who had to suffer decades of denial and
transgenerational trauma from the Turkish Government.
"The fact that Turkey recalled its envoy from Rome proves that they
are not working hard enough to push their propaganda and take
responsibility for crimes against humanity. With Turkey's continued
denial, the cycle of genocide continues and allows for these heinous
crimes to happen again in the world."
Before Sunday Mass at St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church in
Glendale, Father Antoine Noradounghian said he had "joy in his heart"
after hearing the pope's message.
"What it means is we have to always remember -- even after another 100
years," he said.
Peter Haig, who is the Armenian diocese's representative to the United
Armenian Council of Los Angeles, told worshipers after the service
"that this is a great thing that the pope did for us Armenians. ... He
had the courage in spite of all the political pressure. He said what
is on his mind for the sake of all humanity.
"For young Armenians, this should give them hope," Haig said. "For
everyone, there's comfort that the world has not forgotten about us.
For years, big, civilized countries have not accepted this truth, but
many are still fighting to bring justice to the table."
Haig's wife, Seta, who is a mental health therapist, said the denial
of the genocide is "a wound that continues to fester. That's why this
message is so healing. It's very, very exciting that the pope has the
strength to say it. He is fearless. He has guts."
Naris Khalatian, an attorney from Glendale, clasped her hands together
as if in prayer, her voice deep with emotion. Pope Francis
"acknowledged the fact that this was evil. Thank you," she said
fervently, standing in the shade of the church's three pomegranate
trees, the fruit of Armenia representing fertility.
"I woke up at 6 a.m. today and went straight for my phone. I googled
Pope Francis and Armenia and genocide. I kept wondering if he was
going to use the 'g' word," Khalatian said, sharing family stories
about how her grandfather and his brothers were forced to pretend to
be Muslims to survive the genocide.
"Basically, what you see now with [the terrorist group Islamic State]
is what happened all those years ago," she said.
"Only then, she said, we didn't have Facebook to show everyone" what
the Turks "were doing. The whole Ottoman empire decided to get rid of
one race. I personally can't forgive them until they recognize what
they did."
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-armenian-american-pope-francis-genocide-20150412-story.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress