Opinion | Remember the Armenian genocide

 Gracie Fleischman, Opinions Editor

Tuesday, April 24 was the 103rd anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide. Thousands rallied all over the world in marches and peaceful protests to honor their ancestors, who perished at the hands of the Turkish government many decades ago.

Meanwhile, at Chapman, there was zero recognition of the lives that were lost. It’s not known how many students at our university are Armenian, and the number of Armenians in the U.S. is also unknown, although it’s estimated to be anywhere between 500,000 to 2 million. But the genocide is important no matter the number, and we need to stay educated on horrific past events, because, although cliche, we could be doomed to repeat them.

Why did the administration fail to put together events to commemorate the genocide when there are countless held every year for the Holocaust?

I’m of Jewish descent, and I’ve grown up learning about the atrocities that Nazi Germany inflicted upon the Jews, people of color, disabled people, the LGBTQIA+ community and the European Roma people, also known as Gypsies.

But, I never learned about the Armenian genocide, which is shameful. At least 664,000 people, and possibly as many as 1.2 million, died during the genocide.

Armenians were ripped from their homes and forcibly marched through the desert by the Ottoman Empire’s military, leaving behind destroyed towns and cities.

Many young children, women and elderly people were abducted and raped, while “fighting-age” men were sent to work camps. Before they could reach the holding camps, many Armenians were killed or died of starvation and dehydration. Many committed suicide.

Recognition of the genocide has been an issue for decades. Even the U.S. under the Obama administration failed, mostly because Turkish leaders have warned that, if the U.S. officially recognizes the genocide, it would lead to poor relations between the two countries. They even threatened to cut off U.S. access to a military base in Turkey. Samantha Power, Obama’s ambassador to the U.N., said, “I’m sorry we disappointed so many Armenian Americans.”

Although it can be difficult to bring up issues of the past, it’s important to remember events like the Armenian genocide and talk about them, so they never happen again. Preventing further unnecessary lost lives due to differences of race, ethnicity, religion or sexuality is crucial.