Pastor Wartan Mardiros : Armenian Genocide tragic incident in humankind history

It has been 109 years since the Armenian Genocide, also known as the Armenian Massacres or Armenian Holocaust, was a campaign of systematic killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I by Ottoman authorities, who carried out mass killings, forced deportations, detention, rape and torture.

As for its reasons: It is a combination of political, cultural and religious factors, as the Armenians were a Christian community living in the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman authorities claimed that the Armenian people threatened their security and stability, so they committed massacres and killed 80% of the Armenians. The is why the survivors seeked refuge in other countries such as the United States, France, Syria, Lebanon, and other countries.

The Turkish occupation has not stopped massacring people with different ethnic and religious cultures. It is trying to bring back the time of the Ottoman Empire to life, but the resistance of the free people is invincible. In Armenia now, the Turkish occupation does not admit to committing genocide, while many countries have recognized it as a crime against humanity.

Moreover, Turkey’s occupation of parts of Syrian lands specifically the occupation of Afrin, Girê Spî, Serêkaniyê, Jarabulus, Aziza, Al-Bab, and Marea, and the continuous attacks against the Kurds are nothing but one of Erdogan’s attempts to repeat what his Ottoman predecessors did against the Armenians.

As for hidden intentions, the Turkish occupation fears the existence of democratic Autonomous Administration, because it is a threat to its tyrannical and occupying authority.

The Turkish occupation will not stop its attacks against the Kurds, as it seeks to occupy more lands in NE Syria, and destroy any evidence related to the Kurds, by destroying infrastructure, displacing thousands of people, stealing property and livelihoods, and killing hundreds of citizens.

 Father Wartan Mardiros, pastor of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Beirut, spoke to ANHA agency about the Turkish occupation on the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and considered the Armenian Genocide massacre a tragic and dark event in history by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, which led to the killing of about one and a half million Armenians, included minorities in the Ottoman Empire, such as the Assyrians and Syriacs.

Mardiros added that the Turkish occupation is trying to keep the Kurdish people away from its borders, and everyone who is trying to demand their rights as in NE Syria.

On the eve of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Mardiros said, "There is a kind of letdown and deliberate silence from all countries, in terms of shameful massacres of what being repeated today with the displacement of all the residents of the Karabakh region."

Mardiros stressed that "the challenges are great and require a stand of conscience for all nations to stop what has happened and is being done against the Armenians. How could we not when we are watching and seeing with our own eyes how churches and temples are being destroyed and a legacy thousands of years old is being destroyed."

Mardiros stressed that it is possible to contribute to preventing the occurrence of genocide crimes in the world, especially in light of the wars and conflicts the region is witnessing, through human rights organizations that stand helpless and with society coming together to show the ugliness of what has happened and is happening of systematic displacement and deliberate killing, and to demand that The Hague Court take retribution against those who committed crimes against them. The Turkish occupation, which carries out killing and displacement of people.

Mardiros  added: “From here, attention must turn towards building peace, respecting human rights, and restoring national sovereignty to the affected peoples, regardless of their color, religion, and culture.”

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ANHA