Armenia: The case for genocide
Dec 22, 2005
The Hamilton Spectator
RE: 'When is murder genocide?' (column, Dec. 17)
By Albert Kaprielian,
I am extremely disappointed that you published Gwynne Dyer's article on the Armenian genocide, the Pamuk trial and Turkey's aspirations to join the EU. He and the so-called "scholar" he cites have no credibility to make sweeping generalizations on this subject.
I invite Dyer and the editors of The Spectator to look into the real scholarly work that has been published on the subject by non-Armenian scholars. Then, look at the archival materials published and researched from German, Turkish, American and European sources. Then, read the journals and memoirs of genocide survivors. Read the newspaper reports from the New York Times, the Canadian press and European press during the genocide years. Then read the confessions and trials of the perpetrators of the genocide.
Read about the Canadian government classifying these crimes as crimes against humanity (before the term genocide was coined) and providing Armenian families with some form of compensation. Read the words of Adolph Hitler who used what happened to the Armenians and the lack of consequences to the Turkish state as a clear green light to commit the Holocaust against the Jews.
Read the words from the diaries of the Turkish leaders of the time. Read the works of current reputable Turkish scholars, whom Dyer fails to mention.
Read the testimonies from parliaments around the world that have researched the topic and come to the conclusion that what occurred was genocide.
Then, after reviewing all of this, please try to tell me that the Armenians did not suffer genocide. Then try to tell me that this was not premeditated genocide. Try to tell me that the Armenians suffered only as a consequence of war and their aspirations for independence. It is offensive to read the words of Turkish state apologists in a Hamilton newspaper.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
The Hamilton Spectator
RE: 'When is murder genocide?' (column, Dec. 17)
By Albert Kaprielian,
I am extremely disappointed that you published Gwynne Dyer's article on the Armenian genocide, the Pamuk trial and Turkey's aspirations to join the EU. He and the so-called "scholar" he cites have no credibility to make sweeping generalizations on this subject.
I invite Dyer and the editors of The Spectator to look into the real scholarly work that has been published on the subject by non-Armenian scholars. Then, look at the archival materials published and researched from German, Turkish, American and European sources. Then, read the journals and memoirs of genocide survivors. Read the newspaper reports from the New York Times, the Canadian press and European press during the genocide years. Then read the confessions and trials of the perpetrators of the genocide.
Read about the Canadian government classifying these crimes as crimes against humanity (before the term genocide was coined) and providing Armenian families with some form of compensation. Read the words of Adolph Hitler who used what happened to the Armenians and the lack of consequences to the Turkish state as a clear green light to commit the Holocaust against the Jews.
Read the words from the diaries of the Turkish leaders of the time. Read the works of current reputable Turkish scholars, whom Dyer fails to mention.
Read the testimonies from parliaments around the world that have researched the topic and come to the conclusion that what occurred was genocide.
Then, after reviewing all of this, please try to tell me that the Armenians did not suffer genocide. Then try to tell me that this was not premeditated genocide. Try to tell me that the Armenians suffered only as a consequence of war and their aspirations for independence. It is offensive to read the words of Turkish state apologists in a Hamilton newspaper.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Labels: Genocide Denial
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 7:46 AM
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