Through the beauty of life's daily experiences, an individual may realize that there are countless moments worth remembering. However, there are other instances that occur throughout history that one is inevitably obligated to bear in mind. Genocide is one of the detrimental crimes that humans commit against one another and action needs to be taken to counteract the after-effects.
On Tuesday at 7 p.m., February 23, 2010, supporters of this belief gathered at Southern Methodist University to stress the importance of the bill: "Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission."
The panelists included Senator Florence Shapiro, Chairman of Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission Peter Berkowitz, Communications Director for the National Math and Science Initiative- Rena Pederson, Associate Professor of Psychology from the University of Dallas- Amy Fisher-Smith, and Museum Director of the Dallas Holocaust Museum- Elliot Dlin.
Even though some acts were portrayed as surreal, the "Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission" bill converted the dreamlike image into a reality when the Senate approved it. The bill was introduced by Senator Rodney Ellis and Senator Florence Shapiro and signed by Gov. Rick Perry. The commission consists primarily of the
• Providing advice and assistance to the public and various public, private primary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education on the implementation of the Holocaust and genocide courses and awareness programs (SB 482).
• Authorization to contact and cooperate with organizations, agencies, museums, as well as survivors and liberators, in order to provide information and experiences regarding the Holocaust or other genocide events, and to coordinate events in the state memorializing the Holocaust and genocide events (SB 482).
The bill took effect on September 1, 2009. From that day forward, survivors of genocide will no longer have to feel neglected, forgotten, or even concerned that their stories will fade as time passes.
Shapiro stated with relief, "the bill's time had to come, and I am very proud that it did."
Whether through indescribable struggles, glorious victories or a brief moment to say grace, time does not cease for anyone or anything. The bill has raised awareness to those who have lost their lives in acts of genocide such as in Rwanda, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Darfur, and Cambodia (Armenian National Institute).
Elliot said, "I think we can now understand that the reasons for having the bill is to ensure that [past experiences and lessons] will be taught. The world is fundamentally different after the Holocaust. The Holocaust was not an accident, and it resulted from the actions of human beings," stressed Elliott. "Hatred remains a dangerous and real phenomenon in society. [The bill] is an attempt of teaching people about power and its abuses, respect, and responsibility."
By no longer being oblivious to harsh treatments and crimes of discrimination that may lead to genocide, it is the role of each individual to remain mindful of his or her role in the future for the betterment of society.
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6) Falcified allegations of speeches attributed to Atatürk: The first claim about Atatürk was that he was one of the witnesses, who supported Armenians in the “Court Martials” in İstanbul. In this claim, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was confused with the Chairman of the “Court Martials”, Mustafa Kemal, whose nickname was Nemrud. During the trials in İstanbul, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was in Ankara as a leader of the national struggle. James H. Tashjian, the Armenian editor of the Armenian periodic ‘The Armenian Review’ stated that Mustafa Kemal, then a Pasha, never appeared before such a tribunal, nor did he render such a statement (The Armenian Weekly Boston, Mass, USA, March 20, 1982 and The Armenian Review Volume thirty five, Autumn 1982); however James H. Tashjian was fired from his work later on.The second claim was about the statement, which attributed to Atatürk, given to Los Angeles Examiner in 1926. However, it was proven that this claim, which was made by Armenians in various platforms, was false. There was no evidence that a Swiss journalist, who was called Emile Hilderband, came to Turkey. Moreover, it was not found a journalist named Hilderband in the documents of Swiss authorities.The third claim about Atatürk was put forward in Yeni Binyıl newspaper on 8 October 2000. According to this claim in his speech in Turkish Grand National Assembly, on 24th of April 1920, Atatürk condemned the leaders of Jön Turks for their genocide policies. After the research of the speech records of Turkish Grand National Assembly in both open and secret sessions, it was proven that Mustafa Kemal did not make such speech.One of the last claims about Atatürk was put forward by European Parliament, Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on Turkey on 22nd of November 2001. In the footnote of this report claimed that Mustafa Kemal gave a speech in Turkish Grand National Assembly on 10th of April 1921, in which he said Jön Turk regime followed genocide policy against Armenians in the First World War. After the research of the speech reports of Turkish Grand National Assembly, it was seen that Mustafa Kemal did not speak in Turkish Grand National Assembly in April 1920. He even did not attend any session of Assembly during April 1920.
2) Aram Andonian’s book (The telegrams which were claimed to have been sent by Talat Pasha to order the massacre of the Armenians which were pressed in the book of Aram Andonian in 1920, in three languages): It was proven by both the Turkish and foreign historians that these telegrams were fake too.After these telegrams were published in Daily Telegraph in England, in 1922, the English Foreign Ministry made a scrutiny and denounced that they were prepared by an Armenian association. 3)Diary of American Ambassador Morgenthau published in 1918. Professor Heath Lowry, an American historian from Princeton University displayed that the events depicted in the book depended on lies or half true events, by comparing the information Ambassador Morgenthau sent to American Foreign Ministry, with those written in the diary, in his book entitled ‘The Story Behind Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story’, in 1990.Moreover, after the Ottoman State was defeated in the 1st World War in 1918, the French and English invaders arrested 144 high level Ottoman veteran or civil officials including the ex-prime ministers, ex-deputies, governors and many newspapermen, and banished them to Malta Island, claiming that they were responsibles for the death of Armenians. The English seized all the Ottoman Archives and also all other archives in other cities, like those in Urfa Governer House. No evidence could be found neither in the Ottoman and English Archives. The Americans, whom the English applied, failed to find any proof in American Archives and reports of American Orthodox church or missioners either. Nor could Damat Ferit Pasha, then the Ottoman Prime Minister who was in absolute collaboration with the English could find any evidence. And, they had to make all these 144 Ottomans free in 1921, since they could not find any proof to be able to verdict them. Can you imagine a genocide on which no kind of proof can be found, even when the members of this criminal government have been taken prisoners and when all her archieves are under control of the invader accusers and given under directory of an Armenian?
Your sensitivity about the news condemning genocides, mass murders is appreciable. But while doing this, are you ready to be unbiased? Will you be able to discard all the prejudices the history has instilled you up till now? Will you be able to prefer scholar research rather than your prejudices? Will you be able to acknowledge the great massacres inflicted on the Turks and Muslims by the Armenians before and after 1915 and condemn the Armenians who slaughtered the Turks and Muslims and buried them into large holes and even threw alive children into these holes in the Eastern Anatolia?(see diary of Russian Lieutenant Colonel Twerdo-Khlebof 'I wittnessed and I Lived Through Erzurum, 1917-1918'; www.tsk.mil.tr/ermeni_sorunu/arsiv_belgeleriyle...). (Ahmet Refik Altınay. İki Komite ve İki Kıtal. İstanbul, 1919;p.71-72; 321-23). Will you be able to condemn the Armenians whose thesis of genocide depends on forgeries, falsified documents and lies. Here are a few of them:1)The number of Armenians who were relocated: The number of the Armenians who were relocated was reported as 600-700 thousand by Bogos Nubar Pasha who attended to the talks of Sevres Treaty as a chief of Armenians; however this number is given as 1.5 million, 2 and even 2.5 million by different by some Armenian sources. However, 1.5 million was the total number of Ottoman Armenians including those who live in the West Anatolia (therefore who were not relocated) according to Encyclopedia Britannica’s 1910 edition which was edited by an English editor. It is another striking point that the total number of Ottoman Armenians was increased to 2.5 million in 1953 edition of the same encyclopedia which was edited by an Armenian editor.
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