The Turkish opposition – echoed by some U.S. diplomats, military leaders and corporate executives – has also helped block congressional Armenian genocide resolutions for years.
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An global selection committee will award the prize on Sunday at a ceremony in Yerevan timed to coincide with commemorations in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora of the 101st anniversary of the genocide.
“It is important to look into the sufferings of that time objectively and howsoever it should be handled with a just memory”, Kilic said.
President Barack Obama is declining to call the 1915 massacre of Armenians a genocide, breaking a specific promise he made when he ran for president.
Recalling that April 24 has been designated as Day to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, Omirou referred to the ruthless methods Ottoman Turks had applied to wipe out the Armenians. Other Armenians were beaten or tortured, and as many as 1.5 million died. Other nations, like the US, have passed resolutions, but have yet to formally use the word “genocide”. At a moment of regional turmoil to Armenia’s south, we also thank the people of Armenia for opening their arms to Syrian refugees, welcoming almost 17,000 into their country.
“It’s important to raise cultural awareness about the genocide because we are a growing community here in Fresno, and it’s nice to see different people from different communities coming together”, she said.
It was proved in the discussions that not Azerbaijanis, but Armenians committed genocide against Azerbaijanis and Turks.
He said: “Fame has an interesting element to it but if you tend to be followed round by a camera then you can feel suffocated at times”.
“What we are doing today has two objectives”.
“We have a clear vision that it is necessary to strengthen absolute understanding that genocide is impossible if we want to protect ourselves against such tragedies”, the Armenian president said. “At the time, those who needed a word borrowed it from the Bible, and called it holocaust”. So why does the USA avoid using the term genocide?
Hamparian, who met with White House National Security Council staff Thursday about the issue, likewise blasted Obama for “caving in to pressure from Turkey and betraying his commitment to speak honestly about the Armenian genocide”. “To change USA policy on the Armenian genocide will not be easy”, he said.
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10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Every 30 minutes music will be played by Saint Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church Bell Choir of Washington, D.C. Ararat and Masis cemeteries, Fresno.
