The Beginnings of a Genocide on Armenians by Turkey and Azerbaijan in 2020
I can’t believe this is a title I have to write in 2020. A year where we have seen the systemic racism in America grow and divide us, even to a point where we don’t recognize the America we thought we lived in. In the same year we are seeing Genocidal acts we thought we would never see.
As Armenians we have been able to pick up the pieces and our Diaspora has survived and we are not persecuted for our ethnicity outside of Turkey, thankfully, until today. I want people to feel and understand what we, as Armenian People are going through. Over the past week I have shed more tears than I ever thought I would have to again, about this.
Put this into perspective though, we have fought for 105 years to have the first Genocide of the 20th century recognized, and to this day, the United States of America, has not. Take a minute and breathe that in. While 32 other countries including France, Germany, and Italy and recognized the Ottoman Era Genocide of Armenians.
While Germany continues to pay reparations to Holocaust survivors, our Armenia Diaspora still has to fight for the truth, fight to survive, and listen to the Turkish Government deny the Genocide even occurred. Imagine what this has done the psyche of generation upon generations of Armenians.
Some of us, like me, have used that as a giant chip on our shoulder to become successful. To others, it has become a giant weight on their shoulder and a reminder the world will never be kind to them. But even for me, this war in Artsakh, which was started by Azerbaijan has weighed so heavy on me that I can not ignore it any more. I go through moments of anger, sadness, tears and feelings of defeat.
One thing though Armenians have developed because of the Genocide of 1915 that will never be taken from us, is our willingness to fight. And, no matter what emotion I feel, I feel the need to keep moving forward and to keep fighting. I can’t be on the front lines, but I can help by donating. I can help in the cyber warfare, and I can help generate awareness. Our resiliency will not allow us to go easy, that, I promise you.
What is crazy to me is that the world is standing by, watching the makings of a Genocide occur without a single word being said. And, there are so many strikingly similar details that are appalling to me, on many levels.
FACT: The New York Times covered this issue extensively — 145 articles in 1915 alone by one count — with headlines like “Appeal to Turkey to Stop Massacres.” The Times described the actions against the Armenians as “systematic,” “authorized, and “organized by the government.” (Source: New York Times)
In the year 1915, with print only being available, there were still 145 articles written by the New York times, alone. Today’s coverage of this should be an order of magnitude more given the number of channels. We see very few articles and limited TV Spots covering this in a fair, reasonable way.
Are we not as aware as we were in 1915? I sure hope not, or, as a society we are doomed.
FACT: In 1915 Henry Morgenthau Sr. American Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, resigned from the ambassadorship in 1916 after many attempts at getting the attention of the US Government. Looking back on that decision in his The Murder of a Nation, he wrote he had come to see Turkey as “a place of horror. I had reached the end of my resources. I found intolerable my further daily association with men, however gracious and accommodating…who were still reeking with the blood of nearly a million human beings.” (Source Wikipedia) AND he also famously said “When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.” (Source: New York Times)
Today, we are seeing, in real time, Azerbaijan is bombing hospitals and churches with Turkey’s full support. President Erdogan and President Aliyev are operating as Terrorist Dictators. Their direct reports doing precisely what Morgenthau states, being “gracious and accommodating” in meetings but turning around calling strikes that violate ceasefire.
FACT: In 1915, Americans decided to form a public fund-raising committee to assist the Armenians — the Committee on Armenian Atrocities (later renamed Near East Relief and @NearEastFdn on twitter) — raised $100 million in aid, the equivalent of $1 billion today. (Source: International Encyclopedia of the First World War)
The Armenia Diaspora has banded together to raise over $100MM since the conflict began for ArmeniaFund.org but we need more support. We need the support of the United States, or at the very least the people, to help.
Today, the people of the Republic of Armenia and the people of the Republic of Artsakh are facing a crisis that we never thought imaginable in 2020. We are in the middle of watching Turkey and Azerbaijan attempt to “Echo of Turkey’s Genocidal Campaign A Century Ago” (via New York Post).
This is eerily similar to 1915
Look at the strikingly similar things we are seeing every day. Previously these are stories we heard from parents and grand parents through their parents and grandparents.
It turns out that a Qatar Airways flight to Armenia with 100 tons of relief cargo was denied flying through Turkish airspace. “We also have grounds to claim that Turkey deliberately closed the air route. This is not the first time that Turkey has obstructed cargo transportation to Armenia.” Chair of the Civil Aviation Committee Tatevik Revazyan said.
War crimes being committed by Azerbaijan through Turkey
Armenian Soldiers are being held to be murdered execution style by Azerbaijan troops. (WARNING, this is a graphic execution we found on Reddit cc Humans of Reddit (Editor)). Last time I checked this is a violation of the Geneva Convention and Summary Execution is a War Crime. Here is an excerpt of the comments on Reddit:
The Propaganda Machine is alive and well in Azerbaijan.
There are many accounts of photos that have been edited (poorly I might add) to show Azerbaijan as the victim but they are using their own children as propaganda in this mess to push out to their people and the world. Watch the video until the end, the girl walks away smiling to her mom. (Side note: poor thing has no idea she is being used like this.)
When will the world hold Turkey and Azerbaijan accountable?
We have been speaking up for almost a week, asking for help, but it is not coming to our aid. All Armenians want is peace. We protested over 100,000 strong, peacefully, respectfully, and left the streets cleaner when we left. (My mother-in-law even picked up multiple bottles of water and threw them away with her own hands). Even with this, we are combating a bought and paid for media. Azerbaijan and Turkey have spent millions of dollars on Lobbying efforts through BGR and Mark Tavlarides to put misinformation out there.
But there is truth out there you can listen to and read about yourself:
NBA Player Enes Kanter has spoken out publicly about Erdogan being a Dictator and Terrorist.
Cenk Uygur of “The Young Turks” has spoken about the Revisionist History of Turkey and Erdogan.
Just look at the assassination of Hrant Dink in Turkey and you’ll see how this continues to this day.
#RecognizeArtsakh
My only hope in my life at this point is that the Armenian Diaspora will have the United States and Turkey Recognize the atrocities of 1915 and stop the bloodshed. But, right now, we need Azerbaijan and Turkey to back down and we need to Recognize Artsakh and is right to Self Determination. I am doing what I can, with my platform to help my people and I ask that anyone and everyone with a platform will do the same. Donate, even $1 to ArmeniaFund.org and help my Armenian people. Don’t just read, but share this with your friends.
