A new Armenian Genocide resolution is being introduced in the House of Representatives this week.
What would Armenians gain by adopting the resolution for the third time? And if it passes this year, would another attempt be made to pass it again for the fourth time next year?
The first question is why Congress is being asked to pass a genocide resolution for the third time. As is well known, the House of Representatives twice adopted resolutions acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, in 1975 and 1984. What would Armenians gain by adopting the resolution for the third time? And if it passes this year, would another attempt be made to pass it again for the fourth time next year?
Some may be under the mistaken impression that such resolutions would help Armenians obtain restitution from Turkey for their confiscated lands and stolen possessions. This is simply not true. Commemorative resolutions express “the sense” of Congress and do not have the force of law. Furthermore, if these resolutions had any real benefits, Armenians would have taken advantage of them during the decades since their adoption.
On the positive side, the passage of these resolutions have ethical, psychological, and political dimensions. Morality dictates that the mass murder of an entire nation not be forgotten or ignored. Yet, it is the Turkish government’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide that compels Armenians to present such resolutions to Congress year after year. Regrettably, successive U.S. administrations also share the blame in this sordid affair by aiding and abetting the Turkish denialists, and playing unethical word games with the extermination of 1.5 million innocent men, women, and children.
The psychological advantage of passing such a resolution is the satisfaction received by descendants of genocide victims when their loss and pain are acknowledged by the legislature of the world’s greatest democracy.
The political raucous, whenever an Armenian Genocide resolution is introduced in Congress, is due to the Turkish government’s scandalous behavior. Dozens of commemorative resolutions on a variety of issues are adopted by the U.S. Congress each year, yet not a single one makes the news. Because Turkish leaders create such mayhem by making threats against the United States, dispatching high-level delegations to Washington, hiring powerful lobbying firms, and spending valuable political capital, they end up making millions of people aware of the facts of the Armenian Genocide. While the Turkish intent is to cover up the mass murder of Armenians almost a century ago, their berserk reaction inadvertently succeeds in publicizing to the world the dastardly crimes committed by their forefathers.
Hopefully, the Turkish government will once again resort to its normal bullying tactics, thereby attracting the attention of the international community to the Armenian Genocide issue. The newly introduced resolution can only benefit from such Turkish-generated publicity, since the Republican-dominated House is not likely to act on it anytime soon (not that the more sympathetic Democrats had a greater degree of enthusiasm to bring it to a vote late last year, when they were in power).
Certainly, Turkish officials could be even more helpful should they create unexpected crises with the United States, thus forcing the hand of both the Democratic administration and Republican House leadership to support the resolution. Meanwhile, the Armenian American community would keep the issue alive and ready to be triggered at the opportune moment, causing the Turkish side to spend millions of dollars in ongoing lobbying efforts.
Such an opportunity may come later this month with a possible bloody confrontation between the second Turkish “humanitarian” flotilla and Israel’s navy, which could trigger the ire of U.S. and Israeli leaders, compelling them to put the pending genocide resolutions to a vote in their respective legislatures. While Armenians would resent seeing the genocide issue used as a political football, they may not have much of a choice, since they have been just as offended when the resolution was not being adopted for all the wrong reasons.
Going beyond the genocide issue, Armenian Americans may introduce several other resolutions in Congress this year involving Armenian-Turkish relations:
Urging Turkey to return the expropriated Armenian churches to the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, allowing them to function as churches, not museums, mosques, or touristic sites;
Honoring the distinguished jurist Raphael Lemkin who coined the term genocide and was influenced by the mass murder of Armenians in 1915;
Advocating the lifting of the blockade of Armenia imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan; and
Supporting the protection of human rights of all minorities in Turkey (Alevis, Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, Jews, and Kurds).
With the upcoming Congressional and presidential elections, and unexpected developments in the eastern Mediterranean, we may be facing a hectic and chaotic political season. It is critical for Armenian Americans and their supporters to remain well informed, active, and committed to the pursuit of Armenian interests.
Harut Sassounian is the publisher of The California Courier, a weekly newspaper based in Glendale, Calif. He is the president of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization that has donated to Armenia and Artsakh one billion dollars of humanitarian aid, mostly medicines, since 1989 (including its predecessor, the United Armenian Fund). He has been decorated by the presidents of Armenia and Artsakh and the heads of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic churches. He is also the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Dear Harout,
I like your reasoning.It is true to the point,except one slight comment and that at the resumee at the end.To be precise the sentence that deals with the lifting of blockade both by great turkey and little brother azerbaijan.
I am in yerevan ,have attended already two seminars one at the Ani Plaza,organized by Civilitas,entitled one hundred questions and that many answers..etc. when the new Ministre of Justice delivered a course and at those Questions I also posed one.-
Aksing him if there is direct contact between his Ministry and the diaspora´s more than a 500 strong BAR Association .And if already there is , how about enhancing it.The reply was that his Minsitry would do that,to that effect.
The other one was at the AUA when prof. Aftandilian gave a talk about the First Armenian lobby in the U.s. organized by Vahan Kardashian.I happen to have the book by Vartkes yeghiayan(he sent that to me) was quite inteeresting at end of which again I posed my question as to how come RA got so little from U.S -and that by quite a bit of lobbying-whereas others such as Turkey,Israel and Egypt had received many many times over of the Qty RA got.Anyhow, my main comment to your above post ,as I was referring to was re Blockades:-Right?
Well I am a rather miticulous person and go into the markets here whether the High class stores or the very modest bazar Firdus. Be informe d please that both such carry `plenty of turkish made gloods,clothing etc.,while supposedly borders are closed. Azerbaijan does not deliver the Soviet times caviar,fish and petrol.Armenia receives these either form Russia or Iran,so no real panic or suffering from that frontier being closed either…
We do not need to beg them or their supporters in softening up their stance that wise.Rather we should try to have more goods imported from S.korea,Taiwan China ,iran and a host of other countries rather than great Turkey the Genocide State!!!
best to you and to those who will wish to consider above.
ADDENDUM
By the by border opening pre supposes establishment of diplomatic relations….
and that without ¨their¨¨ recognition and restitution of the Genocide perpetrated on Ermeni Rayas……IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOME OF US ,who grasp the meaning of diplomatic relations foregoing said preconditions
best,
Hasgcoghin
While it is true that similar language has been adopted by Congress twice previously, I thought that the point of introducing and re-introducing resolutions pertaining to the Armenian Genocide was to perpetuate the commemoration, to make it an annual event, and to permanently direct US state policy on this issue.
Once the same resolution is passed two or three years in a row, it won’t be a struggle to have it passed every year around April 24th or otherwise, and the position of Congress on this issue will become clear and set, regardless of which party or who all are occupying however many seats.
Again, I thought the point was to direct state policy, the national position of the United States, as expressed by the national legislature, the Congress.
It appears that many Genocides have been recognized… but yet, the first Genocide of the 20th century – Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation – is obviously being bandied about… actually,
discriminated against by the greatest republic the world has known, the leaderships of the USA,
our State Department, our White House leadership, even some members of USA Congress (and too, some actually, retired, are now in the ‘service’ of the perpetrator nation, Turkey).
Sadly, if President Woodrow Wilson’s efforts had succeeded, Turkey admitting it crimes, Turkey paying reparations… Then all Genocides shall hav never been. Morally, no Genocides – forever.
Dear Harout,
National public radio of RA this morning ,7 a.m *double checked at 8 a.m, reported that in London ,Prime Ministre of RA has stated to BBC and I quote>/
We shall be happy to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any preconditions…..
Shocking news again, after thje protocol one..
Without any preconditions_____GO FIGURE OUT WHATSS GOING ON>>>
please.
If I were you, I wouldn’t pay much attention to what this banker-turned-prime-minister says. A couple of years ago he said he should be happy if Turks partook in the construction of a new Armenian nuclear power plant. A moronic statement. Take it easy…
Paul. wow never heard that one. “build nuclear reactors with our enemy”. O.k. Let turkey build it DEEP in turkey with turkish money to supply free electricity to Armenia. That still sounds horrible just cuz it’s still turkey. I had to bite my lip when both presidents sat at a soccer game together a little while back. How weak was that! Paul do you know where Sasounian made that comment? I’d love to find his motive.
Gomidas, PM Sarkissian made the offer back in 2009 at the time when the moronic Turkish-Armenian protocol process was ongoing. Many news agencies picked his announcement, here’s one: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav033109.shtml. I remember Ararat Research Center in Yerevan conducted a poll in which most yerevantsis responded that their PM must have had a “good sense of humor.”
Dear Harout,
I like your reasoning.It is true to the point,except one slight comment and that at the resumee at the end.To be precise the sentence that deals with the lifting of blockade both by great turkey and little brother azerbaijan.
I am in yerevan ,have attended already two seminars one at the Ani Plaza,organized by Civilitas,entitled one hundred questions and that many answers..etc. when the new Ministre of Justice delivered a course and at those Questions I also posed one.-
Aksing him if there is direct contact between his Ministry and the diaspora´s more than a 500 strong BAR Association .And if already there is , how about enhancing it.The reply was that his Minsitry would do that,to that effect.
The other one was at the AUA when prof. Aftandilian gave a talk about the First Armenian lobby in the U.s. organized by Vahan Kardashian.I happen to have the book by Vartkes yeghiayan(he sent that to me) was quite inteeresting at end of which again I posed my question as to how come RA got so little from U.S -and that by quite a bit of lobbying-whereas others such as Turkey,Israel and Egypt had received many many times over of the Qty RA got.Anyhow, my main comment to your above post ,as I was referring to was re Blockades:-Right?
Well I am a rather miticulous person and go into the markets here whether the High class stores or the very modest bazar Firdus. Be informe d please that both such carry `plenty of turkish made gloods,clothing etc.,while supposedly borders are closed. Azerbaijan does not deliver the Soviet times caviar,fish and petrol.Armenia receives these either form Russia or Iran,so no real panic or suffering from that frontier being closed either…
We do not need to beg them or their supporters in softening up their stance that wise.Rather we should try to have more goods imported from S.korea,Taiwan China ,iran and a host of other countries rather than great Turkey the Genocide State!!!
best to you and to those who will wish to consider above.
ADDENDUM
By the by border opening pre supposes establishment of diplomatic relations….
and that without ¨their¨¨ recognition and restitution of the Genocide perpetrated on Ermeni Rayas……IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOME OF US ,who grasp the meaning of diplomatic relations foregoing said preconditions
best,
Hasgcoghin
While it is true that similar language has been adopted by Congress twice previously, I thought that the point of introducing and re-introducing resolutions pertaining to the Armenian Genocide was to perpetuate the commemoration, to make it an annual event, and to permanently direct US state policy on this issue.
Once the same resolution is passed two or three years in a row, it won’t be a struggle to have it passed every year around April 24th or otherwise, and the position of Congress on this issue will become clear and set, regardless of which party or who all are occupying however many seats.
Again, I thought the point was to direct state policy, the national position of the United States, as expressed by the national legislature, the Congress.
It appears that many Genocides have been recognized… but yet, the first Genocide of the 20th century – Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation – is obviously being bandied about… actually,
discriminated against by the greatest republic the world has known, the leaderships of the USA,
our State Department, our White House leadership, even some members of USA Congress (and too, some actually, retired, are now in the ‘service’ of the perpetrator nation, Turkey).
Sadly, if President Woodrow Wilson’s efforts had succeeded, Turkey admitting it crimes, Turkey paying reparations… Then all Genocides shall hav never been. Morally, no Genocides – forever.
Dear Harout,
National public radio of RA this morning ,7 a.m *double checked at 8 a.m, reported that in London ,Prime Ministre of RA has stated to BBC and I quote>/
We shall be happy to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any preconditions…..
Shocking news again, after thje protocol one..
Without any preconditions_____GO FIGURE OUT WHATSS GOING ON>>>
please.
Dear Gaytzag,
If I were you, I wouldn’t pay much attention to what this banker-turned-prime-minister says. A couple of years ago he said he should be happy if Turks partook in the construction of a new Armenian nuclear power plant. A moronic statement. Take it easy…
Paul. wow never heard that one. “build nuclear reactors with our enemy”. O.k. Let turkey build it DEEP in turkey with turkish money to supply free electricity to Armenia. That still sounds horrible just cuz it’s still turkey. I had to bite my lip when both presidents sat at a soccer game together a little while back. How weak was that! Paul do you know where Sasounian made that comment? I’d love to find his motive.
Gomidas, PM Sarkissian made the offer back in 2009 at the time when the moronic Turkish-Armenian protocol process was ongoing. Many news agencies picked his announcement, here’s one: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav033109.shtml. I remember Ararat Research Center in Yerevan conducted a poll in which most yerevantsis responded that their PM must have had a “good sense of humor.”