Genocide, Holocaust or Mets Yeghern?

A year ago Armenians criticized US President Barack Obama for using the word “Mets Yeghern” instead of “Genocide” in his annual April 24th address.If we try to draw parallels between the words “Mets Yeghern” and “Holocaust,” it will become obvious that the world conceives the pretext of the Holocaust, while what Mets Yeghern means is clear only to Armenians.

Political scientist Sergey Shakartants is assured that the world does not perceive the words “Genocide,” “Mets Yeghern” and “Holocaust” as the same. Therefore, Obama’s use of the word “genocide” a year ago could not be viewed as recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“Jewish communities have been working for decades to knock into the head of “the last Bushman” that the Holocaust refers to the tragedy of Jews. Therefore, even the Australian aborigines understand what it is about. Perhaps there are similar words in let’s say Albanian or the language of some tribe. However, any tragic event in Africa, Balkans or elsewhere is referred to as genocide. Why are the events in Rwanda described as genocide, while the crimes against Armenians are called “Mets Yeghern?”

Specialists explain that the events in Rwanda or the Balkans constitute genocide since they happened after 1943, i.e. after Polish lawyer of Jewish descent Rafael Lemkin brought the word “genocide” into use, meaning the Genocide of Armenians. Since the atrocities that befell Armenian and Jews happened much earlier than the word “genocide” was brought into use, every nation gave its own characteristics to the events.

It’s interesting that although the word “Holocaust,” which means “burning” and “sacrifice,” was presented to the world as the tragedy of the Jews, Jews themselves prefer to us the word “Shoah,” which they consider to be more correct and exact. The Jewish word “Shoah” can be considered the equivalent of the Armenian “Mets Yeghrn,” which means great calamity.

Despite all this, Director of the Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation considers that Obama’s use of the word “Mets Yeghern” could be viewed as recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“We can say that if Obama uses the word “Mets Yeghern” once again this year, refraining from uttering the word “Genocide,” it will mean an affirmation that what happened at the turn of the 20th century was genocide. I have no doubt that in a while the term “Mets Yeghern” will come to describe genocide and will become an equivalent of the “Holocaust.” It’s not ruled out that Obama might utter the word “Genocide.” The probability is rather high taking into consideration the recent policy of Turkey, especially the harsh statements of the Turkish Prime Minister,” Stepan Grigoryan said.

It doesn’t matter which word is used to characterize the events of 1915, says Richard Giragosian, Director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies. He does not attach much importance to what Obama will say this time. The most important for him is that Turkey acknowledges the Armenian Genocide.

Whatever, Armenians of the world will be waiting for the use of the word “genocide” instead of “Mets Yeghern.” http://www.armradio.am/news/?part=pol&id=17345


Marie Jovanovich: April 24 is the day when all Americans support the Armenian people

April 24 is the day when all Americans support the Armenian people, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Jovanovich told journalists at Tsitsenakaberd Complex in Yerevan.“We remember what happened in 1915 and express our solidarity with the Armenian people worldwide,” she added.

“The US President Barack Obama should make the decision by himself whether to use genocide word or not,” U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Jovanovich said in response to the question whether she thinks Obama will use the g-word this time.

Last year Obama used the word “Mets Yeghern” to characterize the events of 1915.
http://www.armradio.am/news/?part=pol&id=17351