Ambassador Yeganian's Speech on the Parliament Hill in Ottawa during the commemoration event of the 101st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

24 April, 2016

Excellences,
Your Eminences,
Members of Clergy,
Members of Parliament,
Distinguished representatives of diplomatic corps;
Esteemed Guests,

My fellow compatriots from Armenian Communities of Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Toronto and Vancouver and other Canadian cities,

Ladies and gentlemen,

We stand on Parliament Hill today to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide. On the 24th of April, this day 101 years ago, the extensive enactment of one of the gravest crimes of the 20th century began with mass arrests of the Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and other cities of the empire. It had been preceded by the disarmament and massacre of the Armenian servicemen – citizens of the Ottoman Empire who served in the military at the time. What subsequently happened in 1915 and the years that followed was unprecedented in terms of its volume and its ramifications.

Armenians, who for millennia had lived and prospered in their homeland, in the cradle of world civilization, a Nation that created amazing art and literature, architecture and science, a Nation that embraced Christian values and became the First Nation to adopt Christianity in the World, was displaced and annihilated under a state-devised plan by the descendants of nomadic Turkic tribes, who came in 11th century from Altay mountains, conquered our homeland and established one of the most brutal regimes known to the world. This devious plan was implemented with direct participation of the army, police and other state institutions, including gangs comprised of criminals released from the prisons specifically for this purpose.

Human language is not capable of describing all that was experienced by a whole nation. Around 1.5 million human beings were slaughtered merely for being Christian Armenians, as unimaginable atrocities of the human race became concealed in eternal silence. Some survived, with their life stories conveyed as historical testaments for generations to come.

Just a year ago, on April 23rd, 2015, the Armenian Apostolic Church canonized the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. They are victims no more. They are saints, whose blood was shed, victorious over death and evil, heavenly soldiers calling for justice.

Dear friends,

Unfortunately, 20th Century left a black trace in the history of not only the Armenian people, but humankind as a whole. We stayed united with all progressive humanity of the world to remember and respect the victims of Holodomor, the Holocaust, the genocides in Rwanda and Cambodia and elsewhere. We stand here today to proclaim: May there never again be a need to erect a memorial to commemorate new disgraceful chapters of history anywhere in the world! May there be no more need for a new Tsitsernakaberd, Yad Vashem, Killing Fields, and Gisozi! Never Again!

The goal of our policy, anchored in memory and responsibility, is to form effective mechanisms for preventing future crimes against humanity. As Pope Francis justly said, “concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it.” The wound is bleeding, because there is too much neutrality, silence, and denial around the world, and there is still too little humanity.

We shall not forget that for centuries humanism and benevolence have been the engine that led the formation of international human rights mechanisms. Moral aspirations and universal values were what inspired Henry Dunant to lay the ground for creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Moral values and the horrifying reality of the Armenian Genocide were what urged Raphael Lemkin to coin the term “genocide,” which would unfortunately have to be used over and over again
As we speak, there are still too many instances of denying universal values and distorting history, which pave the way to the recurrence of these crimes: we can all see the situation in the Middle East, which is a Genocide of our days and we need to do more. We need to stop the killing of our brothers and sisters, Christians or Muslims, Jews or Yezidis by the evils who call themselves DAESH or ISIL.

We must find solutions before humankind once more breaks its “never again” vow. Countries around the world and international organizations recognize the first Genocide of the 20th Century, some reaffirm their recognition, and others criminalize attempts of its denial, all sharing the belief that it is the only way to shed light on the dark pages of world history and to prevent such pages from being written ever again.

Distinguished Guests,

I want to share an incredible story with you. It is a story about a young Armenian lady, Aurora Mardiganian who was born Arshaluys Mardigian in Western Armenia in 1901. In 1915, her family was slaughtered by Ottoman forces, as were most other Armenians in her town and elsewhere in Western Armenia. She and many other young women there were rounded up for a forced march toward Tigranakert or what they now call Diyarbakir. The Turkish soldiers decided to nail 17 girls in the group to crosses but they miscounted and only constructed 16 crosses; she was the lucky one who was not crucified.

She endured much, being sold into a harem as a teen, for 85 cents. She was lucky, however, and managed to escape, reaching Armenians in Yerznka and then, eventually, reaching USA. In 1918, her book, Ravished Armenia; the Story of Aurora Mardiganian, the Christian Girl Who Survived the Great Massacres, was published, with eventual sales of half a million copies.

At the same time, William Selig, a Chicago native, moved to Los Angeles to make movies, becoming in the process the founder of modern Hollywood. He became interested in Mardiganian’s story. Selig decided that the real heroine should star in the movie and Aurora ended up playing herself just three years after her escape. The film was titled “Ravished Armenia” and it was a hit from coast to coast.

Just in an hour, in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity will be granted first time ever to individuals whose actions have had an exceptional impact on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. The Aurora Prize Laureates will be honored with the grant of US $100,000. In addition, those individuals will have the unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that inspired their work to receive a US $1,000,000 award. The finalists, who have spent a lifetime working in the shadows with little recognition, are selected by a committee boasting a roster of high profile names such as George Clooney and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel.

Aurora Mardiganian lives on!

Yesterday the Second Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide took place in Yerevan. It brought together representatives of governments, parliaments, major international and human rights organizations, acclaimed experts of international law, representatives of the leading media, and many others. Among other delegations, a Canadian delegation, representing the Government of Canada, participated at the Forum as well.

Around the world, conscience and probity are withstanding the cruel, but retreating machine of the Armenian Genocide denial. Conscience and probity are the antipodes of denial. Recognition of the Genocide is not the world’s tribute to the Armenian people and our martyrs. Recognition of the Genocide is the triumph of human conscience and justice over intolerance and hatred!

Hence, on behalf of all Armenians, I am grateful to the Government of Canada. Both the Senate and the House of Commons have adopted resolutions referring to the Armenian Genocide. All Canadian Prime Ministers since 2006 issue a proper proclamation on that day. We are grateful to the global civil society and international press representatives that have been voicing the importance of the Armenian Genocide recognition. We are grateful to all people of good will — all those who stood by the side of the Armenian people in the course of commemorative events around the world this year.

The Armenian people will always remain standing by the side of those who suffered from crimes against humanity. The unyielding international struggle against crimes of genocide will remain an integral part of our foreign policy.

I am grateful to all of you for being here to reiterate your commitment to universal values, to say that nothing has been forgotten, and to say that, hundred and one years past but we remember and we demand!

Բարբարոսներ շատ կգան ու կանցնեն անհետ,
Արքայական խոսքը մեր կմնա հավետ:

Չի հասկանա ձեր հոգին և՛ ծույլ, և՛ օտար,
Տաճար է մեր երկիրը, սուրբ է ամեն քար:

Thank You. Շնորհակալություն:

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