Armenian News – NEWS.am presents the abridged version of the article by the Indian journalist Jagdish N. Singh, published in the American Jewish newspaper The Jewish Press:
“I admire Pope Francis. He is not just spiritual or religious. He is courageous too and does not believe in refraining from calling a spade a spade . The Pope has now referred to the 20th century mass killings of Armenians as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Significantly, in his message to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (January 27) in 2011 then Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams too had spoken of the need to remember the atrocities committed against the Jewish people in the Holocaust and even in Britain’s own history. He had stressed the need to remember also the other victims of genocide.
It is heartening to learn that more than 20 nations, including Russia, France and Germany, have now come recognize the Armenian genocide. I wonder why American President Barack Obama and some other leaders in the democratic world still shy away from branding the Armenian killings as genocide.
It is time the American President retained his courage of conviction, spoke the truth in the case and acted in the great American spirit that stands against all kinds of injustice the world over.
The civil society and liberal progressive forces in Turkey should also assert and prevail over their government in Ankara to accept the historical fact related to the Armenian genocide and move forward. They must be heroic and condemn any crimes against humanity. They have a tough battle ahead.
A Middle East researcher says that since the rise of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) under Erdoğan in 2002 religion has ceased to be strictly in the private domain. It has come to intervene in the fields of education, marriage and even one’s diet, dress and other activities.
Will the progressive forces in Turkey checkmate the growing influence of this kind of conservatism and see to it that truth about the Armenian genocide prevails in their land?”
