Why Armenia pays high price for 'genocide' campaign

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | April 23, 2007 | Nicole Itano

[A. Pole]

[...]

the mass killing and expulsion of ethnic Armenians from Turkey [] took place between 1915 and 1917, [] is widely recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey disputes that characterization, however, saying there was no organized campaign to kill Armenians and that the deportations took place in the context of war. As the last witnesses reach the twilight of their lives, the question of how to judge what happened in those years remains center stage in the region's complex politics.

The international campaign for universal recognition of the massacres as a genocide has been generally led by the Armenian diaspora, many of whom are descendants of families scattered from 1915-17. While the Armenian government and most Armenians support the campaign, there is also a growing recognition within the country that Armenia pays a heavy price for continued tensions with Turkey.

Currently there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries, and Turkey has closed all land borders to Armenia, in part because of the genocide recognition issue. All trade between the two countries must pass through neighboring Georgia, which levies heavy taxes on goods.

[...]

A resolution to recognize the events of 1915-17 as genocide was introduced in the US House of Representatives early this year, with supporters pushing for its passage around April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

The Bush administration – like previous administrations – opposes the resolution, saying it will compromise national security by harming relations with Muslim ally Turkey, which has lobbied hard against it. But new House speaker Nancy Pelosi's longtime support of such a resolution, together with the broadest House support such a resolution has seen in 20 years, has led to expectations that the resolution has the first realistic chance of passing in many years.

[...]

[A. Pole]

This map shows present (yellow) and past territory of Armenia. Armenia was the first Christian nation (from 301 AD).

The surviving part was under Russian and Soviet rule.

[A. Pole]

Armenia bump

[Wuli]

ping

[FormerLib]

I think it would be some sort of poetic justice if Pelosi does move forward with this thing.

[Incorrigible]

I was in Manhattan yesterday and part of Times Square was blocked off for an Armenian genocide rally.

[ZULU]

Troublesome people those Armenians aren’t they? So are th Greeks and Kurds. But at least the Turks don’t have to worry about people like Cilicians, Ephesians, etc. They exterminated them all centuries ago.

The Turks are the Japanese who refuse to apologize for their own war crimes. The difference is th Japanese War crimes were committed over a period of two decades.

The Turks have CENTURIES of experience wiping out other people - or stealing their children to Islamicize, turn into soldiers and send back to butcher their parents.

[ZULU]

Also,

I think Ethiopia predated Armenia as a Christian nation - although the dates are close.

[David_G_Burnet]

I worked with Armenian engineers for years. Great guys.

It's just one man's experience with a half dozen well educated, highly skilled individuals, but the ones I knew were solid citizens all, tough, hard working family men, grateful and happy to be in America. And I mean happy. When I try to picture their faces, they're smiling or laughing.

First displaced to Iran, where it was my understanding that Armenians made up a large part of the skilled labor force, then displaced again when the Shah fell. The ones I knew were lucky and made it to America.

Yet they bore their people's hardships mostly in silence, would talk about their history when asked, but they weren't "in your face" about it, unlike... well, pick your victim-du-jour.

Sshhh, the PC police are at the door...

[Wiz]

The western portion of Armenia currently occupied by Turkey should be given back.

[A. Pole]

I think Ethiopia predated Armenia as a Christian nation - although the dates are close. Ethiopia is second - about the same time as Rome, Armenia 301 AD. Actually there was a small state Edessa which became CHristian a century earlier.

[Cicero]

I’ve always found it somewhat bewildering that Turkey won’t admit to the genocide. Why can’t they just say that was the old Turkey, and this is the new, improved, sweetness & light Turkey, where they only torture Bible distributors a few at a time?

[eleni121]

Everyone knows about the genocide of the Armenians—they suffered disproportionately.

Let us also not forget the sufferings of the Pontian/other Greeks and Assyrians...who were virtually wiped out either in killing them or deporting them.