Even a child knows expediency when he sees it: Armenian protesters in Los Angeles were angered by President Obama's refusal to call the Armenian genocide by its proper terminology, as he promised he would when campaigning for president. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
It's official. As expected, President Obama has broken his promise on the Armenian genocide.
While campaigning for the presidency, when every vote mattered, Obama, was unequivocal:
I also share with Armenian Americans – so many of whom are descended from genocide survivors - a principled commitment to commemorating and ending genocide. That starts with acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world history. As a U.S. Senator, I have stood with the Armenian American community in calling for Turkey's acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide. Two years ago, I criticized the Secretary of State for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, after he properly used the term "genocide" to describe Turkey's slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with Secretary Rice my firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence. The facts are undeniable.So much for those facts.
On the very same day that he recognized, eloquently and powerfully, the holocaust in which Nazi Germany murdered 6 million Jews, Obama issued a statement in remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians murdered by Ottoman Turks--and refused to use the word "genocide."
He acknowledged the 1.5 million Armenians, he said they were "massacred or marched to their death." He referred to it as "one of the great atrocities of the 20th century." He even referred to the Meds Yeghern. "In Armenian, Meds Yeghern means genocide, but only in Armenian. Better than nothing, of course, but still not quite the G word," blogger Unzipped wrote, noting perceptively: "Effectively he recognised the Armenian Genocide for Armenians only (who understand the meaning of "Meds Yeghern") but not to the outside world."
"It's like talking about the Holocaust without using the word Holocaust, lest you offend the Germans," Armenian blogger Sevana, wrote. "As if it's the German's feelings that are important in that case."
In fairness to Obama, he also did not use the word "genocide" in his Holocaust address, using the word "atrocity" or its derivatives three times in various contexts, which enabled him, in a circuitous way, to link the Holocaust to other genocides, recognize them as such, but still not use the word: "The Holocaust was driven by many of the same forces that have fueled atrocities throughout history"; Eisenhower understood that "if no one knew what had happened, that would be yet another atrocity" (though it can be argued that textual tap-dancing around the word genocide is itself a lethal silencer); we must do "everything we can to prevent and end atrocities like those that took place in Rwanda, those taking place in Darfur."
Clever. But is it enough? It's clear what Obama is up to with Armenians. He's subordinating them to American relations with Turkey--Turkey, which has turned bullying of western powers over the Armenian and other issues into a black art. Obama is also mindful of relations between Turkey and Armenia, which are being normalized after years of enmity: what this means to the United States isn't just a happy hand-holding moment, but the potential for a safer route for oil from the Caucasus through Armenia and Turkey (a route now made unappetizing by Iranian and Central Asian instability).
Those are all valid geopolitical reasons--if your moral compass swings between the bony poles of Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski. They're not valid reasons morally or historically.
See Also:
- Obama, Turkey and the Armenian Genocide
- The Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turks - Facts and Figures
- Why Isn't Turkey's Holocaust-Denying Condemned Like Iran's?
- Turkey's Genocide Problem--and the U.S. House's
- 1915 - Allies Condemn Turkish Genocide of Armenians
- U.S. House Resolution recognizing Armenian genocide: full text
Notable Bloggers:
- Sam Lapena: Obama's "Non-comment" (and a good video)
- Egalicontrarian: If It Quacks Like a Genocide...
- Talk Turkey: Obama Chickens Out
- Whatever: Unkept Promise
- Ianyan: Thoughts on the Armenian Genocide
- Istanbul Calling: An Opportunity Missed
Comments
It is astonishing to read that President Obama did not use the word “genocide” to describe the Armenian experience 1915-23, when the word “genocide” was coined by Raphael Lemkin to specifically describe the barbarity that befell the Armenians at the hands of the Turks.
Raphael Lemkin, a lawyer of Polish-Jewish descent and a holocaust survivor, coined the word “genocide” to properly characterize the slaughter of the Armenians, explaining that the Turks acted with intent to annihilate.
Prior to the use of the word “genocide”, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other world leaders described the events as the “Armenian holocaust.”
President Obama who does not speak Armenian, used the Armenian words “Medz Yeghern” (The great catastrophe) thus shielding Turkey of any legal accountability for its crimes under UN and international laws for the prevention and punishment of the crimes of genocide.
Imagine if back in the days of West Germany the US president refrained from using the word “Holocaust” not wanting to offend or sour relations with a strategic NATO ally, thus describing the events of WWII as “Shoha”.
GENOCIDE IN BRAZIL: THE MISSING MASS GRAVE WITH 1000 VICTMS OF “SÍTIO CALDEIRÃO”
THE MASSACRE OFF THE BRAZILIAN HISTORY BOOKS
In CEARÁ, BRAZIL, there was a massacre committed by army forces and military police of Ceará state in 1937, against the peasant community of Catholics of “SÍTIO CALDEIRÃO”, which had as its religious leader Blessed JOSE LOURENÇO, follower of Father CICERO ROMÃO BATISTA.
THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
The criminal acts took place initially through aerial bombardment, and then, on the ground, the military using various weapons such as rifles, revolvers, pistols, knives and machetes, killed women, children, adolescents, elderly, sick and all living things that was within reach of their arms, acting as if at the same time, were judges and executioners.
A CIVIL ACTION BROUGHT BY THE ONG “SOS DIREITOS HUMANOS”
As the crime committed by the Army and the Military Police of Ceará State was against humanity / GENOCIDE / CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY is considered inalienable by Brazilian law and by international agreements and conventions, and so the “ SOS DIREITOS HUMANOS”, an NGO based in Fortaleza – Ceará, Brazil, filed in 2008 a Public Civil Action in Federal Court against the Federal Government and the State of Ceará, requiring that: a) they inform on the location of the mass grave, b) exhumed and identified through DNA and buried with dignity all victms in the mass grave, c) the documents about the massacre be released to the public and crime should be included in Brazil history books, d) the descendants of victims and survivors are compensated in the amount of R$ 500 thousand reais, e) other applications
EXTINCTION WITHOUT TRIAL OF MERIT OF ACTION
The Public Civil Action was extinguished without ruling on the merits on 16/09/2009 by the 16ª Federal Court in the city of Juazeiro do Norte , Ceará, Brazil.
“SOS DIREITOS HUMANOS” APPEAL BEFORE THE TRF5ª REGION
The “SOS DIREITOS HUMANOS” disagreement with the magistrate’s decision of the judge, appealed to the Regional Court of the 5th Region of Recife, with the following arguments: a) there is no limitation for the massacre of the “SÍTIO CALDEIRÃO”, because it’ s a crime against humanity, b) the remains of victims of the “SÍTIO CALDEIRÃO” not disappeared from the Araripe mountain (CHAPADA DO ARARIPE), and can be founded like the Czar of the Romanov family, who was killed in 1918 and found in 1991 and 2007;
“SOS DIREITOS HUMANOS” DENOUNCES RIGHTS TO BRAZIL TO THE OAS
THE “ SOS DIREITOS HUMANOS” , like the families of the victims of the Araguaia Guerrilla, reported in 2009, the Brazilian government in the Organization of American States – OAS, human rights violations perpetrated against the community of “SÍTIO CALDEIRÃO” na Chapada do Araripe, Crato, Ceará, Brazil.
THE “URCA” AND “UFC CAN FIND MASS GRAVE
The Regional University of Cariri – URCA, the Paleontological Research Laboratory – LPPU and the Federal University of Ceará can find the mass grave, as they have technology to do so.
Please help us to find the MASS GRAVE with technical suport or with people.
Peace and Solidarity,
Dr. OTONIEL AJALA DOURADO
OAB / CE 9288 – 55 85 8613.1197
President of SOS – DIREITOS HUMANOS
http://www.sosdireitoshumanos.org.br
sosdireitoshumanos@ig.com