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BEIRUT—The two-day
international conference entitled “The Armenian Genocide and
International Law” organized by Haigazian University and the
Armenian National Committee of the Middle East (ANC-ME)
concluded on September 4.
This long-planned
conference began on Sept. 2, with an inaugural speech by the
President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Marios
Garoyan who stated that his presence as the guest speaker of the
conference was driven by his country’s “commitment to
international law, peace, security and stability, but also the
determination to continue to condemn, on every possible
occasion, any infringement of International Law by acts of
Genocide.”
During the next two days
of the conference, 13 experts in the fields of Genocide and
international law from the US, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland,
Armenia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon
joined more than 80 local political scientists, activists,
sociologists, historians, religious leaders, educators,
academicians, international correspondents, journalists and
students, in taking an important step forward in addressing the
consequences of the Armenian Genocide and promoting a fair
perspective through international law.
In a profoundly academic
atmosphere, the conference covered such topics as genocide
denial and recognition issues, Turkish nationalism and the
politics of denial, as well as the economic aspect of the
genocide and the issues of lands and assets. Within the
framework of international law, the conference discussed the
general topics of genocide and crimes against humanity,
retribution, and preservation of the Armenian cultural heritage.
More specifically, Dr.
George Charaf from the University of Lebanon lectured on the
problem of minorities and majorities, discussing the case of the
Ottoman Empire.
Dr. Ugur Ungor, from the
University of Sheffield, talked about demographic engineering in
the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian Genocide.
Dr. Mohammad Rifaat, from
the University of Alexandria, discussed the Armenian Question
according to Arab sources.
Dr. William Schabas from
the National University of Ireland discussed the problems and
prospects of the Genocide and international law, 60 years after
the International Genocide Convention.
Dr. Alfred De Zayas, from
the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations,
elaborated on the issues of justice and international law
regarding the Armenian Genocide.
Khatchig Mouradian, a
Ph.D. candidate in Genocide Studies at Clark University,
lectured on the Armenians, Raphael Lemkin and the UN Convention.
Dr. Taner Akcam’s paper
entitled, “Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide Issue
in Turkey Today” was presented in absentia.
Dr. Ragip Zarakolu, Vice
President of Human Rights Association of Turkey, tackled the
issue of Genocide denial and law in Turkey.
In the same context, Dr.
Seyhan Bayraktar, from the University of Zurich, covered the
evolution of the Armenian Genocide denial in the Turkish Press.
A PhD. Candidate, at John
Hopkins University, Bilgin Ayata discussed Kurdish-Armenian
relations and the Armenian Genocide.
Dr. Roger Smith, a
professor emeritus of government at the College of William and
Mary in Virginia, lectured on professional ethics and the denial
of the Armenian Genocide.
Dr. Henry Theriault, from
the Worcester State College, discussed restorative justice and
alleviating the consequences of genocide.
And finally, Dr. Richard
Hovannisian, from UCLA, covered the issue of universalizing the
legacy of the Armenian Genocide.
The sessions were
moderated by Dr. Arda Ekmekji, Dr. Naila Kaidbey, Giro Manoyan,
Dr. Rania Masri, Dr. Joseph Bayeh, Dr. Ohannes Geukjian,
Antranig Dakessian and Dr. Haig Demoyan.
Haigazian University
President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian said that such conferences
will always keep the Genocide issue alive, giving an
increasingly growing international momentum to it. Haidostian
said that “the topic of Genocide, and this conference in
particular, will hopefully open the door to further academic
studies and research, activating deeper study in the economic,
social and legal aspects of inter-state relations.”
On the sidelines of the
conference, public lectures were held spanning over three
evenings on related topics.
Conference organizers
announced that the presentations were expected to be published
in a volume.
The inaugural session of
the conference took place at the hall of the First Armenian
Evangelical Church of Beirut.
Among the capacity
audience were present Minister Alain Tabourian, representing the
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Parliament Member Hagop
Pakradouni, representing the Parliament Speaker Mr. Nabih Berry,
Minister Jean Oghasabian, representing the President of the
Council of Ministers, Fouad Sanioura, Member of Parliament
Sebouh Kalpakian, representing the appointed President of the
Council of Ministers, Saad Rafic Hariri, Parliament Member Shant
Chinchinian, ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Uruguay,
the Czech Republic, President of the Union of Armenian
Evangelical Churches in the Near East, Rev. Megrdich Karagozian,
Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Lebanon, Bishop
Kegham Khatcherian, the president of the Armenian Protestant
community in Syria, Rev. Haroutune Selimian, representatives of
embassies, Armenian and Lebanese political parties, cultural
associations, former members of parliament and ministers,
religious leaders and guests of the conference.
Haigazian University’s
public relations director Mira Yardemian welcomed the audience,
noting that “this conference is being held at a time when world
politics and indeed the relations between Turkey and Armenia are
witnessing significant change, a season of breaking news.”
In his message, the
President of Haigazian University Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian
emphasized that “the Armenian Genocide is not simply an Armenian
problem but essentially an international burden.” Haidostian
added that, “the victim carries a strong sense of ownership of
pain, but human civilization cannot be considered as highly
developed if it does not embrace a sense of advocacy for the
victimized.”
Speaking of Genocide,
Haidostian drew the attention to four key points. First, “that
injustices of any nation against any other nation are part of
the same human manifestation of evil that require joint, and
effective global action.” Second, “that this international
conference convenes in a country, Lebanon, which continues to be
a unique land of dialogue and culture despite the ever-present
seeds of misunderstanding.” Third, giving the example of
Haigazian University, and more specifically, giving the name of
Armenag Haigazian, a victim of the Armenian Genocide, Haidostian
emphasized, “our calling has been and continues to be standing
up for new life not only for Armenians but especially for our
Arab brothers and sisters, and really, all people of the world.”
Finally, Haidostian explained that given the fact that this
conference is being held at a university it reminds us that no
academic community can be value-neutral. “A university may be a
neutral medium of dialogue, but it is essentially a forum of
passion for deeper knowledge, responsibility, and
enlightenment.”
In her message, Executive
Director of the ANC-ME, Vera Yacoubian, spoke about the efforts
of the Armenian National Committee in highlighting the important
role of the Armenian community throughout the Middle East and
its coexistence with it surrounding Arab and Islamic communities
and the efforts it invests in addressing the Armenian question
with all its historical, political and judicial implications to
public opinion.
Yacoubian expressed hope
that this conference would provide a significant breakthrough in
analyzing the Armenian Genocide given the fact that it brings
together a large group of specialists in the arena of genocide
and international law and because that this conference is taking
place in a region which is still suffering the its Ottoman
inherited values.
Regarding Turkish-Armenian
relations, Yacoubian noted: “we cannot ignore or disregard
recent developments and address these pending issues without
resolving past history between the two nations.” Yacoubian added
that “indeed Turkish-Armenian relations carry the heavy burden
of the Armenian genocide and there is high level of doubt and
mistrust regarding Turkish intentions.”
Yacoubian concluded by
questioning that in the context of these developments, what are
Turkey’s responsibilities towards the acknowledgement of the
Armenian Genocide and the future of the Armenian Question.
Garoyian expressed his
gratitude to the organizing bodies, expressing that his presence
here is driven by his country’s “commitment to international
law, peace, security and stability, but also their determination
to continue to condemn, on every possible occasion, any
infringement of International Law by acts of Genocide.”
Garoyian reiterated the
fact that “on the one hand, governments and parliaments should
act together and closely cooperate in terms of assessing the
progress made with regard to the implementation of the United
Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime
of Genocide and identify measures to be taken at all levels. On
the other hand, it is the States that must cooperate for the
prevention and punishing of those responsible for the crime of
Genocide.”
Garoyian questioned the
role that Turkey is playing as mediator, peacemaker and
peacekeeper, in the wider Middle East, while Turkey continues to
deny the truth of the crimes perpetrated by its Ottoman
predecessors.
He noted that Cyprus has
always stood by the side of the Armenian people in regard to
their struggle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In
1975 the Cyprus House of Representatives was one of the first
Parliaments in the world to adopt a resolution calling the
atrocities inflicted upon the Armenians in and around 1915 as
genocide. Garoyian added that Cyprus and its people have many
more reasons to understand the injustice of the Armenian
Genocide due to, “the implementation of Turkey’s policy of
ethnic cleansing against Cyprus’ population during the 1974
invasion and the continuing occupation of 37 percent of Cyprus’
territory.”
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