System of a Down Kicks off concert to raise Armenian Genocide Awareness

System of a Down have kicked off their first show in a series of worldwide concerts to raise Armenian Genocide Awareness. The band will have a eight shows total. The first show was in Los Angeles last night and would be their only US show. The rest of the shows will be in Europe ending with a free show in Armenia on April 23rd.  However, the band will resume touring again in June worldwide, include more shows in the US.

The show in Armenia will be held at the Yerevan’s Republic Square one day before April 24th, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Last night’s show at the forum, included a series of 3 mini cartoons about the Armenian Genocide, featuring the voice of Tom Morello (of Rage Against The Machine) as the narrator, who was also in the audience.  The cartoons were created to bring awareness to the Armenian Genocide and other similar genocides in general.

“We don’t have the lobbying power that the Turkish government has. We only have the stories of our surviving family members,” drummer John Dolmayan said. “That is why after 100 years – or 150, or 200 years – the truth is going to come out.”

The show including a whopping 33 songs and took 2.5 hours. Serj Tankian stated that this was the longest show they have ever done!

“I hope you like System of a Down,” the band’s guitarist and vocalist Daron Malakian teased Monday night’s crowd at the L.A. Forum, during a break about a third of the way into a massive set. “Because we’ve got a lot of it for you tonight!”

The band played a flawless set. As an attendee myself and a huge fan of System of Down, I enjoyed it a lot. Although, I wished the vocals would have been a little louder than the music. Thy played all their hits and some of their better album tracks.

For more info on the Armenian Genocide visit 24April1915.com.

 

 

Armin T. Wegner Armenian Genocide Photos

Armin T. Wegner (1886 – 1978) was a lawyer, expressionist lyricist and first aid sergeant during the First World War. He witnessed the Armenian Genocide during the years of 1915 to 1917 and took many important pictures that compromise the core of witness images of the Armenian Genocide. His photos were published in a book entitled “The Armenian Genocide – Armin T. Wegner`s eye witness report.” It is available from the publisher Wallstein Verlag on this page. Many of these Armenian Genocide photos have also been published by permission on our website. As a first-aid attendant in the First World War, Armin T. Wegner witnessed the stream of Armenian refugees driven into the Syrian Desert by the Turks. Wegner was part of a German detachment under von der Goltz stationed near the Baghdad Railway in Mesopotamia. He took hundreds of photographs and documented what he saw, even tough he had orders not to do so.

The Armenian Genocide – Armin T. Wegner`s eye witness report

As a first-aid attendant in the First World War, Armin T. Wegner witnessed the stream of Armenian refugees driven into the Syrian Desert by the Turks. Wegner was part of a German detachment under von der Goltz stationed near the Baghdad Railway in Mesopotamia. He took hundreds of photographs and documented what he saw, even tough he had orders not to do so.

At the Ottoman Command’s request, Wegner was arrested by the Germans and recalled to Germany. While some of his photographs were confiscated and destroyed, he nonetheless succeeded in smuggling out many images of the Armenian persecution by hiding the negatives in his belt.

In an open letter to the American president Wilson, Wegner protested against the outrageous injustice done by the Turks.

Immediately after the war ended, Wegner recapitulated his experiences as an eye witness in a presentation, which he held several times from October 1919 onwards. Here he showed 100 slides he had made in spite of the Turkish ban and – as he said in his lecture.

Although many of these photographs have greatly influenced the iconography of the genocide, only recently were Wegner`s eye witness reports published.

France makes it illegal to deny Armenian Genocide

The French Senate today has passed a bill that makes it illegal to deny the Armenian Genocide. The bill passed by 127 votes against 86, despite major Turkish opposition. Due to Turkish opposition the bill was modified not to mention the Armenian genocide, but to outlaw the denial of any genocide. However, this did not stop Turks from backing away with their opposition and they have threatened to cut ties with France and remove their diplomatic presence in Paris.

The bill renders denial punishable with a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,000).

The bill now goes to President Nicolas Sarkozy to be ratified. Turkey says the bill is a bid by Sarkozy to win the votes of 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in the two-round presidential vote on April 22 and May 6.

“This day will be written in gold not only in the history of friendship between the Armenian and French peoples, but also in the annals of the history of the protection of human rights,” said Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edward Nalbandian, reported Reuters.

Back in 2001 France passed a law recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Armenians in Paris waiting for French Senate to pass vote.

Armenian Genocide Facts – April 24, 1915

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The Armenian Genocide of 1915 refers to systematic massacre of around 1.5 million Armenians just after World War I in 1915, which was carried out by Turkish Government (Ottoman Empire).

The conflict between Armenians and Turks goes back years. Armenia became under Ottoman rule during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Armenians being Christians were treated very badly and as second class citizen by the Turks who were Muslims. They were overtaxed, subjected to brigandage, kidnapping and forced to convert to Islam. Christians in Ottoman were not treated as equals to Muslims, this included other ethnicities like Greeks. Christian religious practices could be punished by law.

The genocide was organized by army officers’ movement known as The Young Turks, which was assembled around 1908. Unlike Hitler or Stalin’s ideological reasons for doing so, the Young Turks were different. They had political reasons for their mass murder. Propaganda at that time accused the Armenian people of being saboteurs and a pro-Russian “fifth column” because of they were on Germany’s side and losing in World War I.

Not only were Armenians who were in the Ottoman Army killed and their property confiscated, 300 leading Armenian officials and community leaders were arrested on April 24, 1915 to be executed later. This is why Armenians commemorate this great tragedy on April 24th every year. This day is generally known to be the start of the Armenian Genocide and what followed in the coming months and year was the systematic massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians. The goal of the Ottoman Empire was to eliminate all Armenians.

Initially many Armenian men were requested to join the Army, but the plan was to kill the able men first. Without any regard for gender or age, Armenians were rounded up in the region of Anatolia and deported to the Syrian Desert or neighboring areas, where most of them died of starvation or disease. Similar deportations were done all over. Many Armenian women were rapped by Ottoman soldiers and left for death. Populations of villagers were taken and burned at once. Many women and children were placed on boats and then thrown over board in the Black Sea. Morphine overdoes was used to kill children. Toxic gas was used to kill students in 2 schools. Many were gathered in camps and left for death by starvation and disease.

Much like the Jews, the Armenians will never forget this atrocity committed with malicious intent to systematically destroy every Armenian. While Turkey until this day and age attributes that figure to about 300,000 people, scholars think otherwise. Turkey denies that a genocide ever happened and claims they lost just as many people on their side.There have been numerous attempts to pass a resolution in the US to officially recognize the genocide, however due to the US ties with Turkey, the congress has never approved such a bill. Passing such a bill would mean loosing of a good ally in the region. US has military bases in Turkey.

There are 21 countries that have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, including France, Argentina and Sweden. 43 US states have also recognized the genocide.

Armenian Genocide Main Page | Armenian Genocide Pictures
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