BY APPO JABARIAN
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine (English-language print edition)
USA Armenian Life E-Newsletter (Electronic Distribution — e-blast)
Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly (Armenian-language print edition)
USA Armenian LifeFACEBOOK
www.armenianlife.com
On April 24, U.S. President Joe Biden stated: “The American people honor all those Armenians who perished in the genocide.”
As Pres. Biden acknowledged the 1915-1923 Turkish-executed Armenian genocide, an avalanche of international media coverage took place.
No doubt it was welcome News for millions of Armenians around the world.
It was a moral booster for hundreds of thousands of descendants who marched on the streets and thoroughfares of the world as they experienced the memory of their ancestors who had been murdered for no reason except that they were the indigenous masters of ancestral lands in Western Armenia and Cilicia that continue to be illegally occupied by Turkey.
For many activists, US executive branch’s acknowledgement marked only the beginning of a new phase in their quest for Justice for the nine-year (1915-1923) Turkish genocidal campaigns resulting in the loss of 1.5 million innocent lives; Turkey’s illegal occupation of lands in Western Armenia and Armenian Cilicia; and Turkey’s massive illegal confiscation of real and personal properties of Armenians throughout what is now called ‘Turkey.’
Many noted that while ‘Ottoman authorities’ were mentioned in U.S. presidential statement, Turkey was left out.
Many Armenians were asking, what has Pres. Biden’s genocide recognition brought to them in terms of Justice? Have Armenians recovered any ancestral lands back? Have their martyred ancestors’ real and personal properties — illegally confiscated by Turkey, been returned to their rightful owners – the descendants of the victims? How about the one and one half million victims’ blood money?
‘Where’s the beef?”
Now, that the U.S. Executive Branch has finally joined its legislative counterpart — U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in officially recognizing the genocide, American Armenians should focus on bringing home ‘the beef’ — comprehensive Justice for Armenia and Diaspora.
In the wake of 2020 44-day genocidal campaign against Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), Armenians shouldn’t feel any safer against future Turkish atrocities just because U.S. President Biden spoke courageously and openly about the veracity of Armenian Genocide and the necessity of preventing future crimes against humanity. Turkey can use future global crises as cover to pursue its genocidal policy against Armenians, Assyrians, Geeks, Kurds, Yezidis and other minorities.
In 2020 during the Covid-19 global pandemic and U.S. preoccupation with presidential politics, Turkey masterminded and executed a genocidal campaign against Armenians along with Islamic terrorist mercenaries and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
In 1915, Turkey used World War I as cover to execute the nine-year genocide against Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks.
The victims of the 1915-1923 Turkish-perpetrated genocide must remain vigilant and be ready to defend themselves at all times as long as Turkey’s remains unrepentant and continues to obstruct Justice for the victims of its crimes against humanity.
Armenians shouldn’t sit and wait. It’s time for Armenians to think and act boldly on the world scene and see if
- They can help righteous Americans and Europeans secure Turkey’s expulsion from NATO;
- They can join forces with other peoples with common grievances against Ankara such as Greeks, Assyrians, Kurds and Syrians to execute Turkey’s disintegration in order to recover illegally occupied ancestral lands in Western Armenia, Greek Pontus, Greek Smyrna, Greek Constantinople, Assyrian Merdin, Northern Kurdistan, Armenian Cilicia, Syrian Alexandretta (Hatay);
- they can stage the total collapse of Turkey’s economy; and the disintegration of its army by way of stopping U.S. military aid subsidized by American taxpayers.
Do these aspirations seem unrealistic?
In the 1980’s, who could have anticipated the collapse of the Soviet Union?
In the 1800’s, who could have foreseen the fall of the Turkish Ottoman Empire?
Now in 2021, can we envision a right-sized Turkey in 2030, 2040, 2050? Is ‘Balkanization’ of Turkey a remote or a real possibility? Time will tell.
But before we envision a right-sized Turkey through balkanization, world Armenians must do their homework and bring their collective preparedness to highest level not just in Armenia and Artsakh but globally. They have ‘promises to keep’ and ‘miles to go’ before they sleep.
Re: President Biden’s Statement on Officially Recognizing the Armenian Genocide
Dear Editor,
I give President Biden my gratitude and utmost respect on recognizing the Armenian Genocide which is a big step.
However, here are the key questions that are on my mind and should be on the Armenian Diaspora’s mind right now:
- Will President Biden now make Armenian Genocide recognition official U.S. State Department policy?
- Will President Biden start pressuring President Erdogan and the government of Turkey to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide and have them look into compensation of the Armenians who suffered during the Genocide?
- Will President Biden be a supporter of the Armenian Genocide Resolution bill that was passed 3 years ago unanimously by both houses of Congress and not block it like President Trump did?
- Will President Biden start pressuring the government of Azerbaijan to stop the massacres of Armenians in Artsakh by cutting military funds and also officially recognize Artsakh as a viable country for the Armenians?
These are the questions that the Armenian Diaspora need to think about and pressure the Biden administration to now look into.
John Merguerian
Glendale, CA 91202 | April 24, 2021
Thank you!