Next month marks the remembrance of 107 years since the start of what is recognized as the world’s first modern genocide: the Armenian Genocide.
Many have seen reports on the video where the mayor of my city, Irvine, Farrah Khan joked with one of America’s most notorious Armenian Genocide deniers about Armenians “disappearing.” The joke-teller himself confirmed that the joke was about genocide.
Since then, several people have requested to learn more about the Armenian Genocide. It is hard, as someone whose family were victims of that genocide to have to re-visit the history, but I have put together the following primer because these events should be known:
There is a good 3 1/2 minute history crash course here. It uses stick figure animations, so it feels a bit inappropriate for the topic of genocide. But, they probably are a frugal YouTube channel.
This is a longer video and has a much more detailed history in it, though some details I feel that the commentator does get inaccurate, such as the importance of a document discovered in 2017 for establishing the Young Turks’ intent. That intent was clear in an overwhelming set of primary sources, including the reports of the American ambassador to Ottoman Turkey at the time, Henry Morgenthau. Also, since this video, President Biden did recognized the Armenian Genocide last year, and President Reagan also did in 1981. Importantly, the commentator makes an excuse for the name of a news channel called “The Young Turks.” That is a reprehensible name, equivalent to calling it “The Nazi Channel.” Those are the names of the political groups that perpetrated genocide. The channel must change its name.
The online Armenian Genocide Museum of America is excellent.
The LA Times had significant coverage with the 100th commemoration in 2015.
Wikipedia’s page is very detailed.
PBS produced a good documentary released in 2006, simply called Armenian Genocide. Unfortunately, it seems to only be available publicly by DVD purchase. I own a copy, and if you live nearby, I would be happy to loan it out.
Women of 1915 (2016) by Bared Maronian is an excellent documentary as well. It is available on Amazon for rent or purchase. I also own a DVD of this documentary and can loan it out. Thank you goes to Bared for gifting me a copy.
To delve further into it, I recommend the books The Burning Tigris by Peter Balakian, as well as the first-person account of the events by Henry Morgenthau, the American Ambassador to Ottoman Turkey at the time of the Armenian Genocide: Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, which is beyond copyright and so is available for free as an e-book.
To close, I must also say that the mayor’s association with Armenian Genocide denalists and her laughter at their jokes is reprehensible, and must be condemned. Sadly, only Armenian-American organizations have, so far: the ANCA OC, and the Southern California Armenian Democrats. In responses to the video on twitter, there have been denials of the Armenian Genocide, and even calls for its completion. A person on reddit put it well when the discussion focused on the details of the nature of the perverse joke, and not the fact that it was coming from one of America’s most notorious genocide deniers saying something, anything about Armenians “disappearing:”
[I]t is really shocking to see the state of this country and especially Southern California.
The absolute lack of care from those of you here and those of you in this state in general. From Americans in general. We as Armenians really are treated worse than second class citizens. Worse than animals. A man is allowed to very openly and publicly deny the genocide committed against us. Not only that he’s allowed to be involved with the mayor of an American city. AND he and said mayor are allowed to make jokes regarding the fact that Armenians suffered a genocide, in public.
Please tell me those of you here making excuses, tell me if a holocaust denier laughing about the extermination of Jews with the mayor of Irvine would be acceptable to you. Or a klansman laughing about the lynching of African Americans? Would such people be welcome to be involved with your mayor? Would anybody associating with such a person get away with it? No they wouldn’t.
Yet here I see many of you come in quick defense of your major. “But wait what if this was said” “No this was actually said” “No I don’t think that’s what it was”. Of course, it’s just a man who is a known Turkish identity supremacist and a man who writes hateful disgusting insults about Armenians online, having a get together with YOUR MAYOR and making disparaging comments about us SHE LAUGHED AT.
But it’s against Armenians it’s ok. You can mock us. You make fun of our appearance, you deny our genocide or ignore it. It is really shocking that still, a hundred years later, I have to be worried. In Southern California I have to be subjected to racist hateful people that don’t even think I have the right to exist.
If you excuse the behavior of this mayor you are excusing racism and hatred against me and the rest of us. I am depressed and ashamed tonight. I regret knowing so many Armenian-Americans served this country in war, and contributed to this country’s development. We should not be where we are not wanted I guess.
Many Armenians remain hurt and victimized by the losses of their own families, and revictimized by the dismissals, denials, and hate that continue. Learning about what happened helps bring healing and assurances of #1915NeverAgain. Tragically, with the attacks by Azerbaijan on civilians in Armenian Artsakh right now, many Armenians feel that the genocide only continues.