Remember the Armenian Genocide: Confront the Deniers!

Today is remembrance day for the Armenian genocide.

The world's silence over the Islamist Turks' annihilation of the Christian Armenians from 1915 - 1924 emboldened Hitler's attack on the Poles. Who now remembers the Armenians? he asked when members of his staff demurred over his plans. I remember as a child my mother urging us to eat and not waste anything. We were so blessed. "Remember the starving Armenians," she often said.

Don't let this genocide be forgotten. It was, in fact, the first genocidal atrocity of the 20th century. It is as well documented as the German holocaust against the Jews. And yet, like other atrocities, the deniers are out there including high level government officials. Representative Brad Sherman has encouraged President Obama to acknowledge the Armenian genocide Rep. Adam Schiff did the same. . Obama, politician to the core, won't use the word. Since his election, he has avoided calling genocide genocide. As he did again this year calling it "Meds Yeghern" which means "great calamity." A "great calamity" is an earthquake or a devastating forest fire or a deadly hurricane. The Armenian massacres were "genocide." Does the word matter? It sure did in Rwanda. The U.N. refused to call the assault "genocide" which would have required continued action in the country. Instead, they pulled out all their troops leaving the Tutsis at the mercy of their enemies who engaged in the bloodiest machete attacks, even against women and children. "Kill the cockroaches," was the government's clarion call broadcast daily over the radio. And the Hutus proceeded to do it slaughtering up to 3/4 of the Tutsi population.

Yes, the Armenian assault was genocide by the Islamist Ottoman Turks against the Christians, the same type of attacks going on today in Iraq, Iran, the Sudan, and many other places.  It needs to be recognized for what it was. Instead, Turkey portrays it as a control measure against a rebellious population. The Armenian news service Asbarez calls Turkey, "the original pioneers of genocide denial." Denial matters! Revisionist history undermines reality and allows perpetrators of evil to deny evil. It must be confronted. Scroll down and watch the video by the French writer on this website and check out the photographs.

Words matter. What happened to the Armenians was not just a "great calamity," it was premeditated slaughter of a population because of their religious beliefs. It was carried out systematically just like the genocide by the Third Reich two decades later and it annihilated 1.5 million men women and children through outright murder, forced marches, and other gruesome means including crucifixion of women (Does that tell you something about the religious connection?).  One of the murdered, along with his flock, was Blessed Ignatius Maloyan, Archbishop of Mardin. His testimony about the persecution of the Armenians is a primary, historical source.

Remember the Armenians today. Pray for the repose of their souls and for the mercy of God on their exterminators and those who, even today, perpetuate the lie by denying what really happened!