The World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Armenian Apostolic Church are hosting a one-month
exhibition on the Armenian genocide.
It will display
information on the history of genocidal events in the Ottoman Empire which
killed more than a million Christian Armenians between 1915 and 1923.
Open to the public
until 30 September 2013, the exhibition is being held at the Ecumenical Centre
in Geneva, Switzerland, addressing the theme “Because I live, you too shall
live” (St John 14.19, New Testament).
The exhibition is
organized by the Armenia Inter-Church Round Table Foundation.
At the opening of the
exhibition, Fr Mesrop Parsamyan, vicar general of the South from the Armenian
Diocese of France, declared starkly: “People need to know what happened.”
“Knowing the history
of the Armenian genocide is one way to make sure that such atrocities never
happen again. There is still a need for churches, communities and governments
to recognize the Armenian genocide, and condemn these events in order to pave
the way for reconciliation and healing of the scars from the past,” said Fr
Parsamyan.
The Armenian genocide
has been recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century, with several
historians documenting the number of Armenians killed at around 1.5 million. It
is alleged that their deaths were brought about by agents of the Ottoman Empire
through deportation, torture, starvation and massacres.
Turkey, however,
denies that there was a planned campaign to eliminate Armenians but says both
Turks and Armenians lost their lives during World War I and in the post-war
years. Turkey also says no more than 300,000 Armenians lost their lives in the
clashes.
Fr Parsamyan went on
to say that the “exhibition on Armenian genocide is timely” given the theme of
the WCC 10th Assembly, 'God of life, lead us to justice and peace'. The WCC
assembly is set to take place from 30 October to 8 November in Busan, Republic
of Korea.
“The God of life has
let Armenians carry on their journeys for justice and peace,” he said. The WCC
assembly theme is important for the Armenians who are demanding condemnation of
the Armenian genocide from the international community, added Parsamyan.
Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri,
the WCC’s associate general secretary for Public Witness and Diakonia, voiced
appreciation for the exhibition project and affirmed the WCC’s support of the
initiative.
“We acknowledge and
recognize the injustice faced by Armenian Christians during the genocide,” said
Phiri. “It is a pity that after so many years the Armenian genocide is still
not acknowledged. This is why initiatives like this exhibition are important,”
she added.
Phiri also mentioned
the WCC’s efforts in the past toward recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian genocide.
The WCC 6th Assembly
at Vancouver, Canada in 1983 issued a report focusing on the historic realities
of the Armenian massacre and its aftermath, while the WCC member churches have
commemorated an annual remembrance day of the Armenian genocide for several
years.
The exhibition
displays banners in English and French, attracting the local and international
community in Geneva, and will travel to other countries.
Simon Barrow,
co-director of the religion and society think-tank Ekklesia, which has been
helping to raise awareness of the Armenian genocide since 2007, has welcomed
the initiative.
"Facing up to
crimes of the history with honesty and addressing the pain of the past with
hope is essential to negotiating a better future for us all in a still-divided
world," he said.
"This ecumenically
supported exhibition will help in the task of recovering a proper memory of
what the Armenian people endured during the first genocide of the twentieth
century, in addition to developing an understanding of how and why it has
resonated down the ensuing decades. It will also assist with the healing of
memories and the encouragement of a common quest for justice."
Ekklesia associate Dr
Harry Hagopian, an ecumenical, legal and political consultant and commentator
on Middle East and interfaith issues, is also an adviser to the Primate of the
Armenian Church in UK & Ireland, and author of The
Armenian Church in the Holy Land. He has worked closely with the
Campaign for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide (UK).
* Armenian Orthodox
Church: http://www.armenianchurch.org/
* World Council of
Churches: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/armeniangenocide
* More about the
Armenian Genocide on Ekklesia: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/armeniangenocide
* Harry Hagopian on
Ekklesia: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/HarryHagopian
and his own website: http://www.epektasis.net
[Ekk/3]
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