40th remembrance of the Lisbon 5 held in Boston

Dr. Dikran Kaligian explains the significance of remembering the Lisbon 5

WATERTOWN, Mass.—A requiem service was held in memory of the 40th anniversary of the Lisbon 5 martyrs at St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church last Sunday, August 6. Following the church service, Dr. Dikran Kaligian delivered a short and powerful speech about the significance of the occasion, highlighting the impact of the ultimate sacrifice made by the five young men and the subsequent attention it brought to the Armenian cause. Setrak Ajemian, Ara Kuhrjulian, Sarkis Abrahamian, Simon Yahniyan and Vatche Daghlian were five members of the Armenian youth in Lebanon who occupied and destroyed the Turkish embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, giving their lives. Their actions raised awareness of the injustice of Armenian Genocide denial by Turkey and much of the world. “We have decided to blow up this building and remain under the rubble,” they said. “This is not suicide, nor an expression of insanity, but rather our sacrifice to the altar of freedom.”

Looking back now, many view the actions of these men as controversial, and in fact, many also thought similarly in the 1980s. Indeed, it sparked much discussion and divided large segments of the community to either strongly support the approach or not. However, as with most cases, historical context is essential here.

Dr. Kaligian noted that in 1965, at the 50th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, thousands took to the streets around the world and in the U.S., yet there was almost no coverage of the Armenian Genocide in any newspaper. Today, there are many academic books and articles published about the Armenian Genocide, but before 1983, there were very few. The sacrifice of the Lisbon 5 in 1983 forced the world to consider the Armenian cause more seriously, bringing the discussion of the Armenian Genocide to the forefront. For the first time, the topic was featured on the front pages of newspapers and in books about the Genocide published in the U.S., including the works of the late Prof. Richard Hovannisian and others.

In closing, Kaligian noted that for these young men who sacrificed their lives, the wall of silence surrounding the Armenian Genocide was too much to bear, and they were able to pierce it. May they rest in power, as the Armenian nation will not forget their sacrifice.