E-Mail 'Making Sense of Senselessness: The Lessons of Lisbon' To A Friend

Email a copy of 'Making Sense of Senselessness: The Lessons of Lisbon' to a friend

* Required Field






Separate multiple entries with a comma. Maximum 5 entries.



Separate multiple entries with a comma. Maximum 5 entries.


E-Mail Image Verification

Loading ... Loading ...
Rupen Janbazian

Rupen Janbazian

Rupen Janbazian is the editor of Torontohye Monthly. He is the former editor of The Armenian Weekly and the former director of public relations of the Tufenkian Foundation. Born and raised in Toronto, he is currently based in Yerevan.
Rupen Janbazian

Latest posts by Rupen Janbazian (see all)

11 Comments

  1. Thank you, Rupen, for reminding us all, and particularly our youth, of the essence of the Armenian Cause and the Lisbon Five young men’s dedication to it. Unfortunately, today, such acts are far less unusual and shocking to us. Fortunately, our youth now have much more effective means by which to further our cause. But, they’ll need the same depth of commitment and courage to devote their lives to our struggle and reap the rewards.

  5. From Wikipedia, “When anti-terrorist police stormed the building, they met no resistance and found six burned corpses. The dead included 4 militants, the Turkish diplomat’s wife, and a Portuguese policeman, identified as Manuel Pacheco.” When I read the words, ‘burned corpses’ my mind goes to the multitude of Armenians who were burned alive during the Genocide. So to speak of the Lisbon 5, however well meaning they may have been, as heroes, is to me a very tragic kind of hypocrisy that is in fact very dangerous for the Armenian nation today. How can we Armenians speak of the brutality of the Genocide or of the Azeri Safarov killing an Armenian army officer in his sleep, when we honor the brutal killing of the wife of a Turkish diplomat and a Portuguese police officer? Speaking as an ardent believer in Hye Tad, the Armenian Cause, I would say that the Lisbon 5 attack, like most terrorism, reflects a desperate and ill fated effort. Do we Armenians want to be considered desperate? I say No! Instead we should to be focused on what needs to be done in the present in a clear and effective way so that we succeed in ever strengthening Armenia, Artsakh, and in liberating the occupied Western Armenia provinces. Let us not forget that the Armenian nation has real problems breathing down it’s neck that threaten its very existence, e.g. Azeri aggression that seeks to steal away our beloved Artsakh. We must be ready to hammer the Azeri into the ground should they make war on us, i.e. to punish them by destroying their economic infrastructure and taking so much of their land that other nations loose interest in their viability as a nation. This may very well be achievable if we properly prepare. Certainly it’s no time to act desperately or to honor desperate acts like the Lisbon 5 terrorist attack.

  6. Hello, these 4 Young Armenians gave theire young lives to cause of crimes committed to Armenian Nation in all. For them entire world knew Armenian Cause , after effect still we see , they sow the justice seeds in Lisbon so many years ago. I am sure they are all together in heaven watching for Armenian Nation for full hearth . GOD BLESS THEIRE SOUL , RESTING IN PEACE.

  7. I’m sorry for the loss but whatever they say said and did were acts of terror , today if they were continuing there acts the Lisbon 5 would be classed as terrorists that targeted the innocent victims, of course they’d motivated by an ulterior motive and in the name of nationalism ! In the end there lives were a waste the world only recognises them as the introducers of terror in an unsuspecting nation , nothing was gained and no one should or nation should secumb to terrorist demands , thankyou

  8. They were terrorists. Nothing admirable about their actions.They murdered a Turkish wife and a Portuguese Law Enforcement Officer. The hero is the Portuguese Policeman who died trying to stop the killing.

  10. These fine five young men stand unblemished in history. I would not say the same to those who trained them, armed them, equipped them, moved them and recorded their messages before sending them on a sure suicide mission but they stood behind safe and took cover in anonymity. They are despicable cowards who continue to take cover in anonymity.

Comments are closed.