Their hearts may have been filled with immense sadness at the senseless loss of life, but it was superseded by steeled determination for justice.
On the evening of April 25, hundreds of Armenians filled the sanctuary of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Dearborn, Mich. If the preceding day of Easter Sunday marked the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, then Martyr’s Day in 2011 was a promised renewal of dedication, with a large gathering saying “Never Forget” on this 96th anniversary of the 20th century’s first genocide.
I refer to Armenians as “exiles” because it was through no choice of their own that they were ejected from their homes, and were either killed or sent on a death march to the Der Zor desert in northern Syria.
Villages and cities were emptied of their Armenian citizens. Layers of history were peeled away by the Turks with their bloody yataghans. The mass killings from 1915-23 saw 1.5 million Armenians dead, with hundreds of thousands of Pontic Greeks and Assyrians. It remains a permanent, shameful mark on human history denied by the heirs of the perpetrator state, present-day Turkey.
The memorial on April 25 was held under the leadership of the Metro Detroit Committee. Participating clergymen included Rev. Fr. Daron Stepanian of St. Sarkis Church, Rev. Makarios Darawi of the Armenian Congregational Church, and Very Rev. Andon Atamian of St. Vartan Armenian Catholic Church.
Raffi Ourlian, the chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) “Azadamard” Gomideh, gave the opening remarks. Oghi Mouradian was again honored as one of the few remaining survivors in the area.
Guests included U.S. Congressmen Thad McCotter (R-11) and Hansen Clarke (D-13), both members of the Armenian Caucus. For them to be present on this ultimate day of mourning was a tribute to the character of these elected government officials.
McCotter has earned a high degree of respect from the Armenian community for his years of support of Armenian issues. He acknowledged the day as a “solemn occasion in the presence of the sole survivor,” stating, “I am honored to walk beside you. If it is asked by the martyrs if we remember them, the answer is a resounding Yes!”
Clarke, who was newly elected to his post in 2010, said, “This is a very solemn occasion. I want to underscore the fact my colleague McCotter and I stand together as Republican and Democrat in support of you. The only way we will have peace in the world if we stand together. You can count on me.”
Shogher Ourlian recited Siamanto’s heart-rending and graphic “Dance of the 20 Brides,” which lives on in poem form as a major reminder of Turkish brutality foisted upon innocents for the sake of their bedeviled pleasure. Kanoun music was provided by Ara Topouzian.
Guest speaker Ara Sanjian, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the Armenian Research Center, focused on where we presently stand just four years away from the 100th year anniversary. He said, “The [Turkish-Armenian] protocols were not signed, they are frozen, all is static. What this year holds we will not know until the June Turkish elections.”
“The Turks are trying to convince themselves and the world of their innocence. The ‘good Armenians’ of Turkey say what the Turks want them to say, and the Diasporan Armenians are the Turks’ source of consternation. It was against all odds that this issue would become an international issue but it has. Twenty countries have recognized the Armenian Genocide. Every president has promised to recognize the genocide but later reneged,” he said
“We are the exiles but we also are the inheritors of Hai Tahd. Our demands must be firmly formulated concerning reparations and restitution. More and more people in Turkey are talking about the genocide. There are those who agree the Turks committed the genocide and others who say ‘No, it was the fault of the Armenians.’”
“Our efforts in the diaspora must continue. We now have the financial, political, and intellectual clout and we are making a difference. It is only since the late 50’s and early 60’s that the diaspora has picked up speed in the effort for justice and we have made a difference. We must continue to push forward.”
The program concluded with a film called the “Orphans of the Genocide.” If you have ever peered closely into the face and eyes of photos of Turks and instead saw an Armenian looking back at you it is no wonder. Thousands of Armenian youth were placed in orphanages and Turkified. One of these notorious sites was in Antoura, Lebanon, where the children, if they survived, were given Turkish names and converted to Islam.
Madagh, roasted lamb sandwiches, prepared by the St. Sarkis Ladies Guild, were given to everyone who attended the commemoration services.
Others who helped organize the event were the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Mid Council and the “Maro,” “Shakeh,” “Sybille,” “Tsolig,” and “Zabel” Chapters, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Detroit Chapter, Detroit Homenetmen, Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Society, Vosbouragan Society and Musa Lehr Society, and Ladies Guild and Fellowship Club.
Betty Apigian-Kessel
Latest posts by Betty Apigian-Kessel (see all)
- Meet the Legendary Margaret Lafian of Detroit - October 3, 2017
- The Lament of the Armenian Lady Farmer: How Green Is My ‘Bardez’ - September 22, 2017
- A Purposeful Visit to Great Lakes National Cemetery (Part II) - August 8, 2017
Be the first to comment