Peter Balakian: On Armenian genocide, go ahead and offend Turkey

16/04/2015 13:44

Peter Balakian: On Armenian genocide, go ahead and offend Turkey


By Peter Balakian. Los Angeles Times

A friend once sent me a Christmas card with a handwritten greeting: "May your genocide be recognized this holiday season." It still makes me laugh out loud, because it captures something about the absurd and profound impasse between Turkey and the Armenian people.

One hundred years ago this month, the Ottoman Empire began carrying out a systematic plan to exterminate its minority Armenian population. Between 1 million and 1.5 million people were killed or died of starvation. Yet the Turkish government won't admit this historical fact. It spends a fortune annually to stop scholarly and cultural events about the genocide, even going so far as to pay former Sen. Richard Gephardt's Gephardt Group more than $1 million each year to lobby against congressional resolutions on the genocide. Turkey has threatened several times, most recently in 2007, to close Turkish missile bases to U.S. airplanes if Congress passes a simple non-binding statement acknowledging the events of 1915 as genocide. And its tactics work; the resolution, which had the votes to pass, was killed at the State Department's behest.

The United States isn't the only target of this censorship effort. At their government's prompting, Turkish diasporan organizations in 2009 mounted a campaign to stop the Toronto school board from including the Armenian genocide in a human rights curriculum. In 2010, Ankara succeeded in pressuring the Rwandan government to scrap a presentation on the Armenian genocide at a panel on genocide at the United Nations. In 2012, the Turkish government was successful in demanding that the British government order the Tate Gallery to remove the word "genocide" from the wall text of an Arshile Gorky exhibit.

Substitute "Jews" for "Armenians" and "German government" for "Turkish government" and you can imagine the ensuing moral outrage. The Armenian community has been waiting a century for the international community to stand up to Turkey. It shouldn't have to wait any longer.

The word "recognition" hovers over the history of the Armenian genocide like a hawk. It's a defining word that embodies an ethical basis for accountability after a human rights crime. The issue of recognition is not an abstraction, or a rhetorical game. The "R-word" is about responsibility, social justice and repair in the aftermath of one of the most extensive human rights crimes of the modern era: the crime that was instrumental in Raphael Lemkin's coining the very word and concept of genocide.

When Lemkin was asked in February 1949, just after the U.N. Genocide Convention was ratified, why he became interested in genocide, he answered, "Because it happened so many times. It happened to the Armenians. And after — the Armenians got a very rough deal at the Versailles conference because the criminals who were found guilty weren't punished." Lemkin was not only noting the importance of the event but also pointing out that it's ethically harmful to commit such a crime with impunity.

Denial of genocide is the final stage of genocide because it strives to kill the memory of the event; denial seeks to demonize the victims and rehabilitate the perpetrators; denial creates what the psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton has called "a morally counterfeit universe for the survivors and their legacy."

In December, after North Korea organized a hacking operation against Sony Pictures to stop the release of "The Interview," President Obama spoke out against the use of threats by foreign powers to inhibit free speech in the United States.

"We cannot have a society where some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States," he said, "because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they'll do when they see a documentary that they don't like, or news reports that they don't like — or even worse, imagine if producers or distributors or others start engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended."

Obama has gone further than any other president in confronting Turkish leaders by asking them to deal with the events of 1915 honestly, as he did in 2009 when he visited Turkey. But he should heed his own wisdom and stop self-censoring.

The president understands clearly that what happened to the Armenians is genocide. In 2008, before his election, he stated, "My firmly held conviction [is] 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 president should follow the example of Pope Francis who, in acknowledging the historical significance of the Armenian genocide on Sunday, refused to be intimidated by Turkish government bullying and cajoling.

The Turkish government, for its part, should stop interfering with cultural events and intellectual freedom in democratic societies. And it should listen to many of its own ethically committed citizens who work hard for truth in Turkey. The Turkish scholar and journalist Cengiz Aktar spoke for many of his citizens when he wrote, "The Armenian genocide is the Great Catastrophe of Anatolia, and the mother of all taboos in this land. Its curse will continue to haunt us as long as we fail to talk about, recognize, understand and reckon with it."

Removing the curse won't require magic. All that's necessary is moral leadership.


In case you have found a mistake in the text, please send a message to the editor by selecting the mistake and pressing Ctrl-Enter.

Newsfeed

28/03/2024 14:02 IoT Lab opens at National Polytechnic University of Armenia 26/03/2024 16:58 “START+”: “Kinodaran” without subscription fee, 10 GB internet, 1000 minutes and favorite apps without any limits 25/03/2024 16:14 Change in Viva-MTS company name and General Terms of Provisioning Services 22/03/2024 17:24 Marzes remain in the focus of attention of Viva-MTS: New service center opened in Tchambarak 21/03/2024 14:12 In 2023, the SME Loan Portfolio of Ameriabank Reported More Than 30% Growth 19/03/2024 10:20 Mikael Vardanyan donated 117 mln drams for garbage trucks and 230 waste bins for Masis community 14/03/2024 18:12 New technologies at the core of rural infrastructure development 13/03/2024 16:32 The number of Team mobile subscribers is over 1 million 13/03/2024 13:01 “RED”: fixed and mobile services in one package for customers valuing convenience and quality 11/03/2024 14:51 Global Finance Recognizes Ameriabank's Leadership in Sustainable Finance in Armenia 06/03/2024 14:07 Byblos Bank Armenia named CaseKey title sponsor again 05/03/2024 13:36 Doing Digital Forum Returns Featuring Brett King as Keynote Speaker 01/03/2024 18:42 "The Innovator's Dilemma": Byblos Bank Armenia supports publication of Armenian edition 29/02/2024 16:45 “Personal Assistant” program changes popular mindset in regions 27/02/2024 18:12 Viva-MTS: 30-day internet-package for the many destinations within “VOYAGE” service 22/02/2024 17:53 The kindergarten of Armavir village is already being supplied with solar photovoltaic panels 19/02/2024 16:53 Viva-MTS, a company cultivating reading traditions 19/02/2024 12:48 Ameriabank set to join BOGG, a London Stock Exchange (LSE) listed financial group as a standalone entity 14/02/2024 14:53 Years of hard work and a sustainable approach to infrastructure development in regions 07/02/2024 14:49 Virtual PBX: Smart tool for corporate clients 02/02/2024 18:26 Viva-MTS named one of the ten most attractive employers 26/01/2024 18:15 Ameriabank is the Largest Taxpayer Among Armenian Banks 25/01/2024 17:03 Viva-MTS and “SOURCE” Foundation's “Personal Assistant” program is achieving the desired result in Syunik 24/01/2024 19:14 The shareholder of Viva-MTS has changed: The company will reach new achievements 23/01/2024 12:56 Byblos Bank Armenia to sponsor CaseKey team’s participation in Budapest’s CUBE 2024 22/01/2024 14:27 53% increase in Internet traffic in the Viva-MTS network. New Year's Eve and the first day compared to the same period last year 18/01/2024 18:30 “Viva University”: a long-term investment in youth empowerment 29/12/2023 15:49 Viva-MTS: investments that ensure sustainable development using innovative solutions 28/12/2023 14:46 The Christmas Miracle in Shirak Region - Ameriabank Santas Visited Children from Artsakh 22/12/2023 11:43 12 participants of “Get Started” program will explore the startup ecosystem 20/12/2023 20:38 Byblos Bank Armenia donates New Year gift funds to Soldier's Home 14/12/2023 15:51 Daily solutions for Viva-MTS clients based on artificial intelligence and deep neural networks 13/12/2023 16:24 How Ameriabank continued to deliver success amid the volatility of the global markets 13/12/2023 10:15 Mikael Vardanyan donated the maternity hospital of the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center the modern medical equipment amounting 116 million drams (Video) 11/12/2023 15:53 Viva-MTS: business for business. Virtual PBX has become an effective management tool for corporate subscribers 09/12/2023 20:46 “We rule out the return of citizens of the Republic of Artsakh to the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan”: Tհe appeal of the political and civil organizations of the Artsakh to the International community 08/12/2023 14:01 «Wi-Fi Calling». call through Wi-Fi network from Armenia or abroad in frames of the tariff plan 30/11/2023 15:25 Changes in the terms of provisioning “M2M Tracker Plus” package of services 28/11/2023 18:34 A new phase of the educational program “Viva University” has started 27/11/2023 10:56 Armen Avetisian, Viva-MTS General Director, had an open-door lecture at YSU 20/11/2023 16:40 Viva-MTS and “SOURCE” foundation will support four families in Syunik through the program “Personal Assistant” 17/11/2023 17:36 Ameriabank Named the Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Armenia for 2023 16/11/2023 19:43 Best offer: Postpaid “UNLIM” – unlimited Internet for only 4500 AMD 15/11/2023 09:19 Byblos Bank Armenia Celebrates Education at CaseKey 2023 Gala 06/11/2023 16:18 30 years on stage: The partnership between Viva-MTS and “Paros” Chamber Choir continues 01/11/2023 17:12 Thinking “green” is a lifestyle․ Viva-MTS and "My Forest Armenia" continue the environmental partnership 01/11/2023 11:47 Red Flag Alert for Genocide - Azerbaijan in Armenia 31/10/2023 16:12 Now more than 500 thousand Viva-MTS subscribers use the VoLTE service 28/10/2023 10:44 Five times more internet in MTS Russia network 24/10/2023 16:53 “Recharge+”: now for up to AMD 3000 20/10/2023 11:05 Amundi-Acba made the first direct investment in the equities of an Armenian company 18/10/2023 14:53 Viva-MTS is the General Partner of the State Award of Republic of Armenia for Global Contribution to Humanity through High-Tech 16/10/2023 14:46 “UNLIM” tariff plan also available for postpaid subscribers 13/10/2023 12:35 Solar energy in Viva-MTS mobile stations: saving resources and oxygen 04/10/2023 18:06 Technological support to farmers: Electric fences in the border village of Vahan 27/09/2023 10:25 Financial support in the amount of 123 million drams from Karen Vardanyan to the families having many children, evicted as a result of the 44-day war (Video) 18/09/2023 14:15 President Samvel Shahramanyan has appointed Artur Harutyunyan as State Minister 07/09/2023 23:24 Ex-Ambassador Mikayel Minasyan: “Will Armenia face a war or not?” 31/08/2023 18:28 Ex-Ambassador Mikayel Minasyan has provided an analysis of the Armenian issue 30/08/2023 19:30 S&P Upgrades Ameriabank to 'BB-', Outlook Stable 26/08/2023 13:52 Ex-Ambassador Mikayel Minasyan calls for unconditional consolidation to preserve national identity and save Stepanakert 26/08/2023 13:51 Ex-Ambassador Mikayel Minasyan: “The situation still has a diplomatic resolution” 25/08/2023 12:29 Freedom Broker Introduces Full Brokerage Services for Individuals, Pioneering the Market in Armenia 15/08/2023 12:36 Ameriabank Wins in 3 Nominations of Global Finance World’s Best Digital Bank Awards 2023 01/08/2023 13:55 «Viva University»: Starting inception for university students 01/08/2023 09:57 “I do not know how to interpret the persecution of talented and creative people who have served Armenia all their lives” Defender of Armen and Sergey Smbatyans 19/07/2023 16:16 Amundi-Acba made a huge investment in the RA economy 19/07/2023 10:30 Electric Fences are a new replacement for scarecrows: modern technologies made available to villages by Viva-MTS 14/07/2023 11:39 Viva-MTS presents a podcast series on a variety of themes 13/07/2023 16:45 20,000 trees were mulched in Lori with the support of Viva-MTS Partnership to increase forest cover in Armenia 11/07/2023 11:42 A modern infrastructure system has been launched in border village of Koti 04/07/2023 18:39 Ameriabank Receives 4 Sustainable Finance Awards from Global Finance 01/07/2023 10:52 Viva-MTS turns 18: The best is yet to come 30/06/2023 20:18 Shell brand is already in Armenia. The first fuel stations were put into operation 29/06/2023 15:51 Moody's changes Ameriabank's outlook to stable; affirms Ba3 rating 28/06/2023 16:00 The latest volume of the book series "The Armenians of the World” " is dedicated to Armenian philanthropists of the world 27/06/2023 16:22 Mobile “Electric fences” in Yeghegis community have become an “obstacle” for bears 22/06/2023 13:16 Viva-MTS: Harmless interaction between "Electric Fences" and bears 22/06/2023 11:35 Governor of the State of Kansas Laura Kelly visited Tsitsernakaberd memorial 22/06/2023 10:57 Flynas started operating flights on the route Riyadh-Yerevan-Riyadh 16/06/2023 11:42 MyInvest. Ameriabank has Launched an Online Investment Platform 15/06/2023 13:04 Four projects of infrastructure development in border village Koghb 13/06/2023 15:36 Practical business skills in focus of CaseKey 2023–Byblos Bank Armenia partnership 12/06/2023 12:03 International experience and new football skills: Milan Academy Junior Camp wraps up in Yerevan 09/06/2023 13:55 Viva-MTS’ digital B2B services show steady growth 06/06/2023 12:33 Viva-MTS expands and strengthens the entire mobile infrastructure along with the development of the 5G network 05/06/2023 11:31 Partnership for Environmental Protection and Community Development 03/06/2023 11:56 15 schoolchildren face Gabriel Sargissian in open-air simultaneous display (Video) 02/06/2023 15:53 Team Telecom Armenia is undertaking its initial public offering (IPO) 01/06/2023 10:43 We hope that some of these Armenian children will become professional football players. Claudio Zola 01/06/2023 10:18 On the occasion of June 1st Karen Vardanyan provided 115 million drams to the parentless children of Yerevan 31/05/2023 19:15 Team Group of Companies has acquired 30% of Georgian SkyTel 29/05/2023 13:34 Fly Arna launches new direct flights connecting Yerevan to Kuwait 25/05/2023 14:33 Regional Call Center of Viva-MTS opens in Vanadzor 23/05/2023 17:48 15 YSU students will receive Byblos Bank Armenia scholarships and tuition reimbursement 23/05/2023 11:49 “Unlim”: New prepaid tariff plan by Viva-MTS 17/05/2023 15:37 “The path to creating this brandy was an endless aspiration to excellence for us, and I feel that we succeeded” - Olivier Chapt 17/05/2023 14:17 Border village Berdavan is almost completely illuminated 03/05/2023 14:02 The second batch of electric fences has been introduced in Vayots Dzor 28/04/2023 13:28 Poqr Vedi will save around 1 million AMD a year