Boston to host events commemorating Armenian Genocide

Boston to host events commemorating Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - The centennial of the Armenian Genocide will be commemorated during two days of public events in Boston on April 23-24. With these events, Armenians honor the memory of the one and a half million who were killed, and the legacy of those who survived, the Armenian Weekly reports.

All events are free and open to the public. The Boston Centennial commemorations are being coordinated by the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of America–Eastern Region.

On April 23, a Memorial Prayer Service will be held at Trinity Church, in Copley Square, presented by the Massachusetts Council of Churches in cooperation with the Armenian Clergy of Massachusetts. The service will feature a musical performance by Victoria Avanesyan, as well as a Requiem for lost souls.

Speakers will include Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, Archdiocese of Boston; Metropolitan Methodios, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston; the Rev. Laura Everett, executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches; Rabbi Ronne Friedman, Temple Israel of Boston; and Bishop Gayle Harris, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

On April 24, a brief musical and speaking program will take place at the State House, Ashburton Park, Bowdoin Street. Remarks will be offered by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian, and State Rep. Jonathan Hecht of Watertown.

A procession from the State House to the Armenian Heritage Park, located on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, will follow.

A brief program will follow at the Armenian Heritage Park, on Rose Kennedy Greenway. The program includes remarks by former Governor Deval Patrick, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. The Sayat Nova and Erebouni Armenian dance ensembles and the Zankagnar Children’s Choir will perform.

A vigil will be held at the Armenian Heritage Park. This youth-led component of the Centennial commemorative suite will weave together live speakers, musical performances, and video content to honor history, celebrate survival, and illuminate the bright future of the Armenian nation and its people.

Photo: Asbarez
The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.

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