Canada PM Trudeau reiterates Armenian Genocide recognition

April 23, 2016 - 11:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - In his inaugural year in office, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement commemorating the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In a statement dated April 24, 2016 which he shared with the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC), Prime Minister Trudeau recalls resolutions of both the Senate and the House of Commons recognizing the Armenian Genocide and states that “[Canadians] preserve the memory of those who lost their lives, and those who suffered, during this genocide and pay our deepest respects to their descendants, including those who now call Canada home.”

“We are encouraged to see that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding true to Canada’s commitment to condemn acts of genocide, including the Armenian Genocide,” stated ANCC President Dr. Girair Basmadjian. “While the Prime Minister’s message reaffirms the Canadian government’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the need to prevent future genocides, it fails to condemn successive Turkish governments that perpetrated the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923, nor does it condemn the ongoing denial campaign by the Republic of Turkey,” concluded Basmadjian.

On the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Canadian Parliament designated April as Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month and April 24 as Armenian Genocide Memorial Day. On the 101st anniversary, the Prime Minister’s statement is an important part of the Canadian government’s commitment to remember and condemn past genocides and work to prevent future genocides.

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.