Non-recognition of Armenian Genocide led to Holocaust – statement

Rimma Varzhapetyan-Feller, President of the Jewish Community of Armenia, Gershon Meir Burstein, Chief Rabbi in Armenia, Willy Weiner, President of Jewish Cultural Center ‘Menora’ issues the following statement:

“Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities, will forever be a warning to all peoples of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice,” a UN GA resolution reads.

We witnessed the rebirth of Nazism, anti-Semitism, rampage of terrorism and violence over the last years.

The deplorable example of non-condemnation and non-recognition of the fact of Armenian Genocide by some states led to the Holocaust, and new acts of genocide.

The Scripture of Prophet Joel (1, 2-3) reads,

“Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation”.  

We are responsible for the future of our children and are obliged to spare no effort to rear the youth in a spirit of tolerance, inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.                                        

Conceiving the sad historic heritage of two peoples, very much like each other in fortune, we should make efforts so that those appalling facts of history never recurred. The unacceptable silence and indifference of international community to a committed crime against humanity and civilization, on the whole, non-recognition and purposeful denial of the fact of any act of genocide in the world will always pave a way to the resurfacing of new acts of violence on ethnic and religious grounds.

Independent of geopolitical or other interests, the international community should stand together in the recognition, condemnation and punishment of all genocides. Today we keep witnessing new waves of violence and expressions of almost all the forms of intolerance and xenophobia in many corners of the world, which is a result of the policy of double standards and absence of solidarity on this issue.

The barbarism of terrorists in Europe and inhuman actions by HAMAS in Israel are horrifying.

Genocide prevention is a component of complex mechanism of protection of human rights, the right to live.

Being a part of the Jewish people, we appeal to all those, who mourn with us, shares our Pain and Protest - The remembrance days of any crime against humanity – the Shoah (Holocaust), the Armenian Genocide (Mets Yeghern), remembrance days in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and remembrance days of victims of violence and terror should be days of mourning not only for the descendents of victims, but for the descendents of the perpetrators.