Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Holocaust Day 'Should Not Ignore Armenian Massacre'
by Andrew Evans, Lords Staff, PA News Press Association Newsfile - January 25, 2001
Posted: Monday, January 29, 2001 01:39 am CST

This Saturday's Holocaust Memorial Day should not neglect the massacre of Armenians by the Turks in 1915-16, senior Tory peers urged today.

Baroness Cox, president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: "Without in any way detracting from the commemoration of the Jewish holocaust, to deny recognition to other comparable crimes against humanity actually diminishes its significance.

"One of the most important aspects of that commemoration is to discourage further genocide. Any genocide forgotten or denied may well encourage other genocides."

And she recalled Hitler's "infamous" statement: "Who today speaks of the Armenians?".

Tory ex-minister Lord Elton, an Anglican lay minister, said Winston Churchill had in 1929 characterised the Armenian Massacre as "whole districts blotted out in one destructive holocaust". Lord Elton added: "Surely they should be recognised in this process."

Junior Home Office minister Lord Bassam of Brighton replied that the focus of Saturday's events would be on the Jewish holocaust and other more recent atrocities.

But this "should not be seen as failing to acknowledge, sympathise with, and respect" the deep concerns about earlier events, such as the Armenian Massacre.

Lady Cox welcomed this "partially encouraging" reply.

Liberal Democrat peers' deputy leader Baroness Williams of Crosby drew a distinction in that "nobody is still alive who remembers the Armenian Massacre, awful though it no doubt was".

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