‘WE WILL REMEMBER NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES, BUT THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS’
As Armenians are commemorating the anniversary of the this week, they should keep in mind that 91 years after the fact, a distinguished U.S. diplomat has become its latest victim!
John Evans, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, fortunately has not lost his life, but has sacrificed his diplomatic career for speaking out on the Armenian Genocide. He is being recalled by the State Department for publicly acknowledging the facts of the Genocide during his tour of the United States last year.
As Martin Luther King said: "At the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." This famous statement aptly describes the regrettable situation Amb. Evans and Armenians find themselves in. The U.S. Ambassador is a true friend of Armenia and Armenians. But, more importantly, he is a defender of the truth. His friends should not remain silent about his predicament.
By speaking out, Armenians would be defending not so much the Ambassador -- who deserves their full support -- but their own cause. They cannot remain silent when the State Department is indirectly trying to bury the truth about the Armenian Genocide. A noble messenger is being eliminated in order to silence his message!
The upcoming commemorative events of the are the perfect opportunity for Armenians to raise their voices in defense of the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, in solidarity with Amb. Evans. As Armenians gather in various cities throughout the world during the week of April 24, the keynote speakers at commemorative events in every city should condemn the shameful action of the State Department against one of its finest diplomats! They should urge their audiences to write to the State Department expressing their outrage about its inexcusable treatment of Amb. Evans.
A group of Armenian Americans and their friends in Yerevan are launching this week a "Yellow Ribbon" campaign in order to shatter the wall of silence surrounding this affair. As more than a million Armenians will be marching in a solemn procession to the Genocide Memorial Monument in Yerevan on April 24, volunteers will be asking each individual to tie a yellow ribbon on a rope along the path leading toward the Monument. The organizers have chosen the "Yellow Ribbon" campaign as a mode of silent and respectful protest that is so familiar to Americans. This activity will be publicized throughout Armenia as well as the Diaspora.
These actions and the ensuing publicity would add to the extensive media coverage in recent weeks of the State Department’s shocking recall of Amb. Evans. As the Los Angeles Times wrote in an editorial published on March 22: "Punishing an ambassador for speaking honestly about a 90-year-old crime befits a cynical, double-dealing monarchy, not the leader of the free world." In a similar harshly worded editorial published on March 24, the Fresno Bee wrote: "Shame on the State Department" for recalling Amb. Evans.
Prominent British journalist Robert Fisk wrote a scathing article in The Independent on April 8. He castigated the State Department for recalling Amb. Evans and took Pres. Bush to task for reneging on his campaign promise of acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Fisk said that after getting elected, Pres. Bush "caved in, gutlessly calling it [the Armenian Genocide] a ‘tragedy’ so that he wouldn’t get his fingers burned by that wonderful democratic NATO ally – and would-be EU member – called Turkey."
Despite extensive critical media attention and several letters of inquiry by members of Congress to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the State Department continues to stonewall and remain officially silent on the Evans affair.
If Armenians worldwide react strongly on this occasion, maybe in the future the State Department and the White House would carefully weigh the repercussions of their actions, before contemplating important decisions on Armenian issues. Silence and inaction are not valuable commodities in the pursuit of any cause, let alone a noble one!
- By Harut Sassounian, Publisher, The California Courier
‘WE WILL REMEMBER NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES, BUT THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS’
By Harut Sassounian, Publisher, The California CourierAs Armenians are commemorating the anniversary of the this week, they should keep in mind that 91 years after the fact, a distinguished U.S. diplomat has become its latest victim! John Evans, the U.S. ...FRENCH ARMENIANS CONDEMN DESECRATING OF MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN LYON
The Coordination Board of the France based Armenian Organizations strictly condemned the act of desecration of the memorial to the Victims of the Armenian Genocide in Lyon that was due to be unveiled ...THE OPENING OF THE ARMENIA-TURKEY BORDER IN THE LIGHT OF ARMENO-IRANIAN RELATIONS
By Khajag MgrdichianFor most Armenian political and intellectual circles, the blockade forced on Armenia by Turkey—and the fact, that the Armeno-Turkish border still remains closed—are proof of Turkey’s ...GEORGIAN NGO RESPONSES ST. ETCHMIADZIN
Georgiy Andreadze, head of "National Lobby" Georgian NGO, believes that Georgia has both the moral and the legal rights to demand back the so-called "Georgian" churches in the territory ...EU DELEGATION TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA APRIL 20
A delegation of the European Union headed by Hans Winkler, state secretary of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, will arrive in Yerevan on April 20 on the sidelines of regional visit. Among delegation members ...UNDP ALLOCATES $100 THOUSAND FOR EACH OF CITY COMMUNITIES
By Karine DanielianRA Fund for Social Investments and UNDP signed a memorandum, yesterday. According to it, a joint social program will be carried out in the city communities of Masis, Dilijan, Vedi, Abovian and Ijevan ...8 COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF 13 IN YEREVAN
By Ara MartirosianAs it is known, the issue of Yerevan’s status was one of the key issues before constitutional amendments were adopted. After a long wait the amended constitution declared that the capital should ...LILIT MKRTCHIAN BRONZE MEDAL WINNER
Armenian WGM Lilit Mkrtchian won the bronze medal at the European Individual Chess Championship in Kusadasi, Turkey. With other nine players Lilit had 7.5 and she needed to play additional rapid and blitz ...
LILIT MKRTCHIAN BRONZE MEDAL WINNER
MEKHITARISTS’ STOLEN TREASURES FOUND
By Nana PetrosianKAREN AVANESIAN WILL NOT BE DEPORTED TO AZERBAIJAN
By Nana PetrosianGENOCIDE MEMORIAL DOWNTOWN LYON
By M. HovsepianNO USED TOYS, SHOES AND PCS TO ENTER ARMENIA
EUROPE’S SECOND WARNING TO AZERBAIJAN
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF AGBU CELEBRATED IN YEREVAN
GEORGIAN NGO RESPONSES ST. ETCHMIADZIN
‘JOIN US TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’
By Hakob TsulikianENVER’S MONUMENT IN BAKU
By Hakob Chakrian
- 1861 Meekael Nalbandian's "Two lines" (tract) published in Paris.
- 1884 Birth of Daniel Varujan (poet). He was killed during the Armenian Genocide implemented by the Turks in 1915.
- 1915 Start of the one-month defense of Van.
- 1919 Creation of the Communist Youth "Spartak" organization in Yerevan.
- 1926 The All-Armenian Congress of the Yezidi people opens in Yerevan.
- 1948 Death of Avetees Aharonian, one of the leaders of Armenian liberation movement. He was born in 1866.
- 1965 The Law on the Armenian Victims' Commemoration Day is adopted at a joint session of Uruguay's Senate and House of Representatives.
- 1994 The Russian Duma (the lower house of the bicameral Russian legislature) votes to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
- Դավադրություն Հայաստանի Դեմ
- Անկախության 20-ամյակ
- Մեր սիրելի երգերը
- Հանապազօրյա Նավթը և Հայաստանի Աշխարհաքաղաքական Դիրքը
- Armenians and 2011 OSCAR
- Turks and Germans: Partners in Crime and Allies in Court
- Վերջ ապագիտական դեզինֆորմացիային
- Իսկ ե՞րբ մենք պիտի ունենանք մե՛ր Վրեժի Կտակարանը
- 2011 թվականը
- L’ARMENIE OCCIDENTALE ET LE DROIT INTERNATIONAL, AUJOURD’HUI !
ARMENIAN NEWS
INTERACTIVE NEWS
INFORMATION
MY ARMTOWN
How to quit smoking?
How to write in Armenian on Windows XP?
All materials published on this website are taken from open sources and are copyrighted by their respective owners. You cannot reproduce or copy any materials published on armtown.com without written consent of original copyright holder. If you want to remove any material, please send us an email with proof of ownership/copyright and your material will be removed immediately. All materials published for information purposes only.