1980_06 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper June 1980

              June 1980
Hye Sharzhoom
Page 3
Letters to the Editor
Pro-Turkish letter draws sharp criticism
(Editor's note: The first of the two following letters appeared in the April,
1980 issue of the Chicago newsletter,
"United Turkish Americans," addressed
as an open letter to the President of the
United States.
The second letter, written as a rebuttal
by Mr. Richard Ashton, appeared in the
May, 1980 issue of the Fresno-based
"California Courier.")
Dear Mr. President:
I was informed of an initiative by some
Armenians to include the alleged "Armenian Genocide of 1915" in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,
D.C., which is to be dedicated to the
memory of the genocide victims of the
Nazis in World Warn.
It is preposterous and an aberration
of history to compare the tragic events
stemming from an insurgency, with the
genocide of the Jewish people by Nazis.
The Armenian groups, during the Ottoman Empire, rose in armed revolt,
against their government and murdered thousands of innocent Turks, as
well as other Armenians who did
not endorse their treason and treachery.
Such treacherous activities, which
reached the dimension of waging open
war against the other ethnic groups of
the Empire, at a time when the Empire
was engaged in the struggle against the
most powerful nations of Europe to preserve her existence, were bound to provoke violent reaction. Under such circumstances, measures, including resettlement of the insurgents, taken by
the lawful government of a country at
AUB CUPcMlNT
ARMENIAN
ACTION
Editors - Bill Erysian, Mark
Malkasian
Staff - Barlow Der Mugredechian
Bryan Bedrosian, Cindy Avakian,
Karekin Setian, Mark Arax.
Production - Bill Erysian
Ad. Manager -Jim Malkasian
Advisors - Dr. Dickran Kouymjian,
Allen Jendian.
"Hye Sharzhoom" is the official
publication of the CSUF Armenian
Students Organization.
Armenian Studies Program
CSUF
Fresno, CA 93740
war with foreign powers, to establish law
and order cannot with any stretch of
the imagination be described as genocide.
The Ottoman Empire has never declared a policy aiming at the total destruction of the Armenian people, neither
has she conducted such a policy, nor
were Armenians killed because they
Christians.
What would you do, Mr. President, if
in cooperation with the Russians, although in minority, the Armenians worked for an independent Armenian State in
California and murdered thousands of
Americans, their fellow citizens?
Over 60 years have passed since these
incidents. After the First World War, a
modern Turkish Republic has been established over the ruins of the Ottoman
empire. There are some 60,000 Armenians in Turkey today who live prosperous and happy lives as equal and free
Turkish citizens, without any discrimination as to creed or origin. They have
their own schools, churches and newspapers as also acknowledged in the
"Report on Human Rights" of the U.S.
Administration submitted to the Congress in 1979.
However, there are some extremist
Armenians, both inside and mainly outside Turkey, who do not wish this
peaceful state of affairs to continue.
They murdered Turkish Ambassadors
(to Paris, Vienna and the Vatican),
other diplomats (Consul General
and Consul to Los Angeles) and their
families: wives and children (wife of
Turkish Ambassador to Spain, son of
Turkish Ambassador to the Netherlands), in an attempt to keep alive the
bitter memories of the past, and serve
Keeping the culture
alive in Texas
Editor:
We thank you for mailing the "Hye
Sharzhoom" newspaper to our home.
It is the only way that we are informed
about the Armenians at work throughout our nation and the world.
We are the only Armenians in this
area. We live about 35 miles east of
Dallas, Texas. I, the mother, am Armenian. My husband is non-Armenian,
but I cling and hold fast to my Armenian
heritage. I am very proud to be born
an Armenian. As far as I'm concerned
we are a unique people, never to be
forgotten. My children are also proud
of their background. Although they are
half Armenians, they cannot escape
the fact that there is "Armenian" in
them. Their dark hair, eyes and skin,
and their love for Armenian foods and
music and dancing will be always be
a part of their lives. Keep up the good
work!
their own evil purposes. They are ready
to do anything that would contribute
to their ends.
The request for inclusion of events of
1915 in the Holocaust Memorial Museum would only encourage these terrorists and help fan the flames of hatred
when all we need is love, mutual trust,
respect for fundamental rights and freedoms and peace.
It is not only terrorism, but it is also unreasonable demands based on false premises that prolong past agony. I am confident that you will consider the matter
within its correct context and help reject the outrageous demands of such
extremists.
Editor:
MY! What a stranger truth is to the
editor of the United Turkish American
Newsletter.
In paragraph 3 of the letter to President
Carter he says, "The Ottoman Empire
has never declared a policy aiming at
the total destruction of the Armenian
people, neither has she conducted such
a policy. Nor were Armenians killed
because they were Christians."
If the editor is truly anxious to establish
the truth, let him consult the distinguished historian Arnold Toynbee, or the
American Ambassador to Turkey,
Henry Morgenthau, who was a witness
to some of the tragic events. There is
also illumination for the editor in,
"The Blackest Page in History," by Dr.
Herbert A. Gibbons, published in 1916.
If this were a resettlement for security,
why did the Interior Minister, Taalat
Pasha, send out telegrams to Provincial Governors and community mayors,
expressly forbidding any aid of food,
water or shelter to the refugees driven
through their areas?
This writer also was eye witness to
some 70 weak, hungry, thirsty, unarmed
Armenians in the refugee line of march,
a tacked, robbed and brutally murdered!
Why did an interim Turkish Government, in the transition to a so-called
Democratic Government, the former
empire, did itself "Try and Condemn to
death" in absentia the architects of the
planned genocide under the guise of
resettlement, TAALAT BEY, ENVER
PASHA and JEMEL BEY?
Taking a page from the first genocide
of the 20th century, Adolph Hitler
said in a speech delivered at Obersalz-
burg on Nov. 23, 1939: "Our strength
is in our quickness and our brutality...
For the time being I have sent to the east
only my Death's Head units with the
order to kill without pity or mercy, all
men, women and children...Who talks
nowadays of the extermination of the
Armenians?"
The newsletter says, "Over 60 years
have passed since these incidents.
After the first world war a modern Turkish Republic has been established.
There are some 60,000 Armenians in
Turkey today, who live prosperous and
happy lives as equal and free Trukish
citizens." A Turkish census of 1913
(incomplete and inadequate as it was)
showed 2,026,000 Armenians living in
Turkey. Best actual estimates are
nearer 3,000,000. Can the editor of the
United Turkish Americans pray inform
us as to what happened to the rest of
the 2,000,000-plus Armenians who
"Lived Free, and Equal, Prosperous,
Happy Lives" in Turkey after 1913?
Richard Ashton
Mrs. Rose Maranjian Watson
Armenian Assembly
Oral History Project
The Armenian Assembly, with the cooperation of the Armenian Students Organization, the Armenian Studies Program, and the United Armenian Commemorative Committee, is working on
the Armenian Oral History Project. Our purpose is to interview individuals who have survived the
Armenian Genocide. We are interested in recording the story of the survivor's life in Armenia
as well as his/her deportation route and life in the United States. The interviews can be conducted
in Armenian or English.
We would appreciate your help in this important project. We need to approach as many survivors
as possible. Please help us by listing, in the spaces below, the names, addresses and telephone
numbers of those survivors you know.
Return this form to:
Ms. Cindy Avakian, Coordinator
Cental California Region
6790 E. Belmont Ave.
Fresno, CA 93727
NAME
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE*