Recently in Armenian Genocide Category

What illness has overtaken these people?

"Turkish-Canadian Groups Celebrate Armenian Genocide," from the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada, April 24 (thanks to Garabed):

OTTAWA – The annual Armenian Genocide Memorial Day protest in front of the Turkish embassy was met with 50 Turkish-Canadian counter-protesters denying the well-established actuality of the Armenian Genocide. The group quickly turned to singing and jubilant chanting at the face of the Armenians.

Further to this shameful act, the group was clearly attempting to incite a confrontation with their Armenian counterparts to undermine the annual gathering. Repeated name calling and general insults towards the Armenians could be heard from across the barrier.The Armenian group chose to ignore this immature and reprehensible behavior and kept their focus on the Turkish embassy demanding an end to the Turkish government’s denial campaign around the world and acknowledge the dark chapter from its past.

The Armenian Genocide is the first modern genocide of the 20th century, during which an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire leadership in an attempt to rid it’s Christian minority. Countless international organizations, scholars (such as the International Association of Genocide Scholars) and 22 countries have formally recognized these massacres during World War One as Genocide. The Canadian parliament passed a motion in 2004 acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and condemned these crimes against humanity.

Police officers present were questioned about the Turkish group’s permit to gather and answered that the Turkish group had applied for a barbeque party permit in the park.

Afterwards, the Turkish group was invited into the Turkish embassy by Ambassador Tuncay Babali. In an attempt to undermine Canada’s domestic policies, the ambassador recently held an interview with the Canadian Press indicating that Turkey will limit economic developments with Canada unless the government reverses its position on the Armenian Genocide.

Pamela Geller says it: "Truth is the new hate speech." This is the same thing that happens on a daily basis to counter-jihadists who dare to point out how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence, hatred and supremacism: they are smeared with the charge of promoting "hate," when in fact all they are doing is pointing out hate. Turkey's ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide is consistent with an unbroken Islamic supremacist pattern: never, ever admit wrongdoing; never, ever take responsibility for actions that cause harm; never, ever acknowledge that jihad actions (such as the Armenian Genocide) cause immeasurable suffering to human beings; always, always instead blame the kuffar who have the temerity to point out the wrongdoing.

"Turkey slams France for promoting hate speech with genocide initiative," by Ali Aslan Kilic in Today's Zaman, August 27 (thanks to Lachlan):

The chairman of the Turkish Parliament's powerful education committee has accused the French government of planting the seeds of hate with its move to include the so-called “Armenian genocide” in history and geography books used in French secondary schools.

Nabi Avcı, chairman of the National Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Commission, told Today's Zaman in a phone interview on Monday that “the erosion of French culture and moving to the radical right in French politics that started with [former president Nicolas] Sarkozy continues to have a negative impact on the French education system.”

“I just hope that sensible French intellectuals will raise their voices against this kind of provocative move that will plant seeds of hate into minds of young people in France,” he added.

A Turkish daily reported on Sunday that the French Education Ministry has decided to include chapters about the so-called “Armenian genocide” in history and geography books used in French secondary schools -- a move that could once again upset relations with Turkey, which was hopeful about rebuilding strained ties with Paris following the election of the new president, François Hollande.

French students studying world history since 1910 will also read a chapter called “The Armenian Genocide.” Hollande said last month that he will stand by a campaign pledge to make it illegal to deny that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 was genocide.

Relations between Paris and Ankara had begun to thaw after a decision in February by France's constitutional court to strike down the genocide denial law as contrary to free speech.

Turkey had canceled all economic, political and military meetings with France in December after the French parliament voted in favor of the draft law. At a joint news conference early in July, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the law was unlikely to be resurrected and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu hailed the opening of a warmer phase in relations with France.

Armenia, backed by many historians, says that about 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War I in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government.

Turkey says there was heavy loss of life on both sides during the fighting, in which Armenian partisans supported invading Russian forces. The Ottoman Empire collapsed after the war. Successive Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of genocide is an insult to their nation.

Turkey hoped Hollande's election might mean France is than under his conservative predecessor Sarkozy, but has so far received no public support for its EU bid from Paris.

History-Geography Teachers Council Secretary-General Hubert Tison has said the chapter in the textbooks is devoted to giving detailed information on the so-called “Armenian genocide.”

Tison criticized as “redundant” the inclusion of the chapter, which will explain in detail the genocide, ethnic structure of the Ottoman Empire, rule of Talat Pasha and policies of nationalist Turks and purported exiles. The chapter will also include the numbers of Armenians who were killed, exiled or sent to death.

Turkish Education Ministry officials said they will first need to examine the book and see if it includes phrases that incriminate Turkey and they will respond in line with international law through diplomatic channels. The officials said both countries earlier established commissions composed of experts to remove discriminatory phrases in textbooks and accused the French government of making what they said is a “politically motivated” move. 

This will never happen, but it is good to see someone piercing through the Islamic supremacist fog of denial and evasion of responsibility. "Zagib [sic] Zarakolu: Turkey must accept the historic truth," by Karen Ghazaryan for Public Radio of Armenia, May 29 (thanks to Twostellas):

Turkish writer and publisher Ragib Zarakolu again criticized the Turkish policy of denial, as he received the Armenian Presidential Prize today.

“My generation knew what happened and tried to conceal it. However, the younger generation had to believe this lie under certain conditions, which is even worse. Koran says ‘Give up telling lies first and always speak the truth,’” the Turkish publisher said. According to him, Turkey has gone blind and deaf.

“My country has turned into a cemetery of the dumb,” the Turkish intellectual stated. Zarakolu added that as the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide approaches, Turkey must come to understand that recognizing and apologizing fro it has become a precondition for establishment of democratic society in the country.

“Turkey must accept the historic truth. This is the only way for Turkey to restore the trust in itself. Recognition, apology and reimbursement – these will never bring back what has been lost,” he noted.

Islamic supremacist attempts to whitewash unpleasant elements of Muslim history are relentless and all-pervasive, and the foolish kuffar usually do not recognize them for what they are. But in this case they failed. "U.S. Court of Appeals rules in favor of the University of Minnesota in case involving the Turkish Coalition of America," from the University of Minnesota, May 3 (thanks to Winoceros):

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (05/03/2012) —The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled in favor of the university today in a closely watched case involving First Amendment and academic freedom claims. The plaintiff in the case, Turkish Coalition of America, claimed that statements on a university department website that suggested that the Turkish Coalition’s information about the Armenian genocide was “unreliable” violated its free speech rights and were defamatory. A university student also allegedly feared he would be subjected to academic reprisals if he used information from the organization’s website in his own work.

The federal district court had previously granted the university’s motion to dismiss the claims, based principally upon its finding that the university’s website contained statements of faculty scholarly opinion and critique that were protected by the doctrine of academic freedom.

The Court of Appeals today affirmed the District Court’s dismissal of the plaintiff’s claims. It found the Turkish Coalition free speech claim failed because it could not show it had suffered any restrictions on its speech activities. The Court of Appeals also found that the Turkish Coalition’s defamation claims failed because the university faculty’s statements were either true or were statements of opinion, which cannot support a defamation claim. The Court of Appeals also found the student had no standing to bring any claims because he could not show he suffered any injury.

The case has been watched closely by scholars around the United States and the world because of its implications for principles of academic freedom.

U of M General Counsel Mark Rotenberg stated, “Today’s federal court decision confirms the right of universities and their faculty to offer scholarly criticism and critique on websites without fear of legal exposure. This protection is especially important when the scholarly opinions expressed by the faculty are controversial. We are very pleased to have successfully defended this important academic interest.”

I am not in favor of laws restricting the freedom of speech, but this response from the OIC is consistent with its own attempts to restrict truth-telling about Islam and jihad under the guise of criminalizing "religious hatred." Note also that by labeling the French law an example of "Islamophobia," Ihsanoglu is tacitly admitting that the Armenian genocide was an Islamic jihad action; otherwise, what would Islam have to do with this law at all?

"OIC: Adoption of genocide law sign of Islamophobia in France," by A. Taghiyeva for Trend, January 24:

The adoption of the law criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian Genocide" is a sign of Islamophobia in France, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told Trend on Tuesday.

"This law contradicts three fundamental principles of democracy -- equality, freedom and brotherhood. It is a sign of growing Islamophobia," Ihsanoglu said.

He called the law unacceptable, non-complying with historical facts and demonstrating double standards.

After a nearly eight-hour debate, the French Senate adopted the bill. Some 127 senators voted in favor, while 86 senators voted against on Jan.23.

The lower house of the French parliament adopted a bill criminalising the denial of the so-called "genocide" on Dec.22. Some 45 out of 577 French MPs voted with 38 voting for and seven against the adoption of the bill.

The bill demands a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euro for denying the so-called "genocide." In response to the decision, Turkey announced that it has frozen all diplomatic relations with France.

MPs from the French president's Union for Popular Movement (UMP) party, which has the parliamentary majority, proposed the bill aimed at criminalising the denial of the so-called "genocide" to the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey - Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the "Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries.

Not only are Islamic supremacists absolutely unwilling ever to acknowledge that Muslims have ever done anything wrong; they will also persecute and harass anyone who dares point out that they have.

An update on this story. "Genocide law MP receives death threats," from The Local, December 26 (thanks to Fjordman):

The French parliamentarian who proposed a controversial genocide denial bill has received death threats and had her website attacked.

Valérie Boyer, a member of the governing UMP party, was successful in getting parliamentary approval for a bill that outlawed the denial of a massacre of Armenians by Ottoman troops in 1915.

The bill’s passage unleashed a wave of indignation in Turkey.

Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the vote represented “politics based on racism, discrimination and xenophobia.”

Daily newspaper Le Parisien reported that Boyer’s website was attacked on Sunday.

Visitors were redirected to a site showing the Turkish flag and a message attacking the French government and the Armenian community in France.

“You, the Armenian diaspora, are so cowardly that you don’t have the guts to open up the archives and face the truth,” said the message.

In an attack on French politicians the message said “you, the French, are so pitiful and pathetic that you ignore the truth to get votes.”

On Monday morning, the site, valerie-boyer.fr, was still unavailable with a "site indisponible" message being shown.

Boyer said she has received numerous “insults and threats of murder and rape” over recent days on her Facebook page and her Twitter account.

“That such a level of violence is being expressed shows the necessity to punish genocide denial,” she told the newspaper.

“What I’m experiencing is without doubt nothing compared to the experience of the Armenian community."...

Quite so.

The Armenian genocide was a fact, and the Turkish refusal to admit its existence is of a piece with the consistent Islamic supremacist tendency never, ever to admit wrongdoing, and to project their faults upon others. As a believer in the freedom of speech, I believe that the antidote to lies is truth, not censorship, and so I oppose France's new law, but there is no doubt that its foundation is correct and its intention is good. And Erdogan's reaction is the quintessential Islamic supremacist response to the truth about Islamic jihad: evasion, finger-pointing, projection, and claiming of victim status.

"Turkey Accuses France of Genocide After Armenian Bill," from Reuters, December 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused France of genocide in Algeria in the 1940s and 50s, in his latest response to a French parliament vote to make it a crime to deny that the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey was genocide.

Erdogan also said President Nicolas Sarkozy's father might have direct knowledge about French "massacres" in Algeria.

"In Algeria from 1945, an estimated 15 percent of the population was massacred by the French. This is a genocide," Erdogan said on live television.

15 percent of the population? Ridiculous and unsupportable historically -- unlike the Armenian genocide.

"If the French President Mr Sarkozy doesn't know about this genocide he should go and ask his father, Paul Sarkozy.

"His father served in the French Legion in Algeria in the 1940s. I am sure he would have lots to tell his son about the French massacres in Algeria," the Turkish premier said.

Parliamentarians in France's lower house of parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a draft law outlawing genocide denial Thursday, which the Senate will debate next year.

If passed, the bill would make it illegal to deny the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks amounted to genocide. The issue has caused outrage in Turkey, which argues killings took place on all sides during a fierce partisan conflict.

Erdogan condemned the bill shortly after the vote, recalled Ankara's ambassador to France for consultations and cancelled all joint economic, political and military meetings. Friday, he vowed to take more steps....

"The vote in the French parliament has shown how dangerous racism, discrimination and Islamophobia have become in France and Europe."

Although nearly a century has passed since the killings in the middle of World War One, successive Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of Armenian genocide is an insult to their nation.

"The Assyrian Genocide: a Product of Ottoman Jihad" is a moving and informative lecture by Sabri Atman, the founder and director of the Assyrian Genocide and Research Center, Seyfo Center. From AINA, April 17:

Ladies and Gentlemen

I belong to the Seyfo Center. 95 years after the genocide, Seyfo or Sepa has become a topical issue in the international arena and it is making headlines. It is now becoming a salient point in international political agendas. Until recently only the Armenian aspect of the genocide was known and most people were not aware that the entire Christian population of the then Ottoman Empire was subjected and suffered under the same genocidal policies of the Young Turks. This is a recognisable difference that I am talking about: it is the recognition and inclusion of the Assyrian and Greek genocide as part of the earlier known Armenian genocide. However, this genocide is yet to be called by its proper name, "Seyfo," in which Western Assyrian dialect it means "the sword."

Seyfo was carried out in a true jihadist strategy, ethnically annihilating all the non-Muslim citizens living under the Ottoman occupation, with the objective of homogenizing Turkey with a notion of creating 'one-Nation' and 'one-Religion.' Most of the victims were killed by swords and it is precisely due to this fact that this genocide is known among our people as "Seyfo." This is how it was known by its victims, and this is how they passed it on to us with their eye-witness accounts which have become part and parcel of our collective memory.

I would also like to iterate certain beliefs of mine to avoid any confusion. My knowledge on the subject, which is the Assyrian Genocide, is after all not unlimited, but I was born in Turkey, Turkish language is one of the ten languages I speak, and I know the Turkish policy very well and the reality of the Turkish state. The Assyrian Genocide was organized by the Ottoman Turks, and this is the reason I speak mostly about Assyrians and Turkey. This is not because my people from Urmi, Iraq and the rest of the world are less important to me. This is absolutely not the case. What is happening to our people in today's Iraq is terrible. I am very grateful for the efforts of the Assyrian Aid Society and similar organizations in providing aid to our people in Iraq and making their voices heard in America and the rest of the civilized world.

Dear Friends,

On September 11th 2001, the world witnessed a severe tragedy in their own backyard. In a very short time all our lives where changed when we saw the monumental World Trade Center buildings destroyed. Nearly three thousand people lost their lives. The scenes of September 11th are still vivid in our memory. The engulfing flames were hellish, the clouds of the buildings collapsing were Hiroshima-like. The images of people jumping out of the 33rd floor are forever disturbing. The idea that people who went to work that day on a normal morning were never going to return to their husbands, wives, and children touched all our hearts. This was a severe and a painful tragedy, which should never be forgotten. As life goes on and close to ten years will have passed, the active memory is still going on. However, there is one consolation for those who lost their relatives and loved ones. They have a resting place for those lost loved ones, which now has been transformed to a memorial of flowers, candles, and pictures, never letting the world forget the tragedy that occurred there. Furthermore, some of those who were responsible for the call of jihad (which means the holy war for Islam) have been punished.

That is, unfortunately, not altogether accurate: in reality, the 9/11 family members are now facing the construction of a memorial seven stories underground that will turn the remains of their loved ones into a tourist attraction. But of course this is not his main point.

We Assyrians as a people have been punished more. Our perfect little world has been changed forever. Our children's history books have been rewritten. We are not in them. The world tragedy that took place ninety-five years ago is not in our history books! Across the globe, in another part of the world, this tragedy's painful consequences are still being felt. The word jihad is a familiar word that is not new to Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks. On November 14, 1914 there was a decision to call for jihad, not different from the decision which was called for on the American public and the people of New York. This decision of jihad was preached and read in all of the mosques, while the world stood still watching. As a result, in 1915 the crime of Genocide was committed in Turkey, against the Christians, namely, the Assyrians, the Armenians, and the Greeks. This was the first large genocide of the 20th century, in which not 3 thousand people perished but more than 2 million young-old, men and women, boys and girls were killed. If you divide the number 2 million by 3 thousand, which is the number of those who lost their lives in New York, you will get the number 666. In other words the tragedy that was suffered by our people in 1915 was 666 times bigger numerically than the tragedy that was experienced in New York. No loss of life large or small should be taken for granted, and all losses should always be remembered. Unfortunately, those who watched our people being massacred 95 years ago continue to stand still. Not enough action has been taken, and Turkey, continues to deny that the crime of genocide was ever committed.

The Assyrian Genocide is the unknown genocide of the 20th century. The tragedy of systematic cleansing by the Ottoman Empire of the Christian minorities living under their occupation included the Assyrians, the Armenians, and the Greeks.

Why do I persist in the task of recognition of the Assyrian Genocide? Many non-Assyrians ask me, "Why do you persist on this cause? The past is the past. Let the dead rest." I say to them, "The Assyrians were killed and displaced during the Genocide; I will never rest until they have received their due justice." Assyrians, like me, are forever tied to our bitter past and the genocide committed upon our people by the Young Turks during the First World War. As Assyrians, it is our responsibility that the descendants of the old Ottoman Empire represented today by modern and "secular" Turkey recognize the atrocities of its past, and ensure that such crimes will never happen again.

In addition, my response to them is, that the past shapes our future and to progress you must learn from the past....

There is much, much more. Be sure to read it all.

"[Pelosi's] decision to not move this legislation forward during her four years as Speaker represents a failure of Congressional leadership on human rights and, sadly, a setback to America's standing in the struggle to end the cycle of genocide."

More Islamic supremacist evasion of responsibility. An update on this story. "Blue Dog 'disappointed' controversial genocide resolution didn't come to floor," by Bridget Johnson for The Hill, December 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):

The 111th Congress adjourned Wednesday without bringing up the latest incarnation of legislation that would have recognized the 1915 killings of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

Lobbying groups were on alert over the weekend on reports that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would bring the resolution to the floor in the final days of the lame-duck session.

But lawmakers went home for the holidays without passing Rep. Adam Schiff's (D-Calif.) resolution, angering Armenian groups and leaving Turkish groups breathing a sigh of relief.

"[Pelosi's] decision to not move this legislation forward during her four years as Speaker represents a failure of Congressional leadership on human rights and, sadly, a setback to America's standing in the struggle to end the cycle of genocide," Ken Hachikian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America, said in a statement....

Schiff's resolution, which "calls upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide," passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 4 by a slim margin, 23-22.

A similar resolution was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2007. Just like this time around, the White House came out against the resolution, fearing it would damage relations with Turkey, and Pelosi did not bring the measure to the floor.

Schiff said that he and co-sponsors had launched a "full-press effort" to get the resolution to the floor in the past weeks.

"We believed that Turkey's burgeoning alliance with Iran, its support for Hamas, and its insincere promise to seek reconciliation with modern Armenia would finally serve to offset Turkey's shameful campaign of denial," Schiff said in a statement....

Schiff's resolution would have called upon Obama to "accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide" in his annual message.

"Coming in the wake of President Obama's string of broken promises to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Speaker Pelosi's refusal to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution represents a major breach of trust with Armenian American voters," Hachikian said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent Obama a letter Monday asking him to prevent the vote, warning that it could damage ties between the two countries.

"We cannot allow the resolution to hang over Turkish-U.S. ties like a Sword of Damocles," said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who also urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday to keep the resolution from passing.

Yes. We can't allow the truth to get in the way of our love.

More Islamic supremacist displacement of responsibility. If I ever meet an Islamic spokesmen who will acknowledge that Muslims have ever done anything wrong anywhere at any time or place, I will faint dead away. Once again here, Turkey is trying to make sure that the U.S. doesn't tell the truth about the Armenian genocide, which had numerous features of a classic jihad operation. And Obama, predictably, is carrying water for the Turks.

"Turkey warns US of Armenian resolution vote," from World Bulletin, December 21 (thanks to George):

Turkey's Embassy in Washington, D.C. has intensified lobbying efforts against a possible approval of an Armenian resolution at the U.S. House of Representatives that calls for the recognition of Armenian allegations over the the [sic] incidents of 1915 back in the Ottoman Empire.

Diplomatic sources close to the ongoing efforts said Turkish Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Namik Tan personally telephoned Congress members to win their support against the resolution as the ambassador also called former U.S. secretaries of state and defense as well as national security advisors.

The Turkish Embassy also had contacted officials with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to have them exert pressure on Congress members and warn them over possible damage of the resolution on business relations between Turkey and the United States.

The resolution "H. Res. 252" --labelling the 1915 incidents which took place shortly before the fall of the Ottoman Empire as "genocide" -- was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 23 against 22 last March.

The adoption of the resolution caused wide reaction in Turkey, which recalled its ambassador, who returned to Washington, D.C. a month later.

The resolution may come to the House floor on Tuesday on a call by Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Actually, it didn't yesterday, but it may come to a vote today.

"Obama admin in touch with House"

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. State Department Philip Crowley said Monday that they were in touch with the U.S. House of Representatives regarding the Armenian resolution.

Speaking at a daily press briefing in Washington, D.C., Crowley said that the U.S. State Department had made their opposition to such a resolution clear in the past.

We are in touch with the House on the resolution, Crowley said....

The descendants of genocidal jihadists taunt the descendants of those their ancestors murdered, Washington, April 24, 2010. (Thanks to J.)

You'd think he'd be too ashamed, but apparently he has no shame. "Erdogan Accuses Armenians of 'Exterminating' Turks," from Asbarez, March 22 (thanks to Fjordman):

ANKARA (RFE/RL)-Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday claimed that Armenians in the Ottoman Empire never faced genocide and, on the contrary, themselves plotted to exterminate Turks.

Erdogan was reported to angrily deny the historical record of Genocide as he marked the 95th anniversary of a rare Turkish military victory during World War One.

"In 1915 and before that, it was the Armenian side that pursued a policy aimed at exterminating our people which led to hunger, misery and death," he said in a speech delivered in the city of Canakkale. "Forgetting all that is unfair and heartless. Our warriors always respected ancestral laws and did not kill innocent people even on the battlefield."

"I should underline that this country's soldier is bigger than history and that this country's history is as clean and clear as the sun. No country's parliament can tarnish it," Erdogan said, in a clear reference to U.S. and Swedish lawmakers' latest resolutions recognizing the annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.

"There is no genocide in our civilization. Our civilization is the civilization of love, tolerance and brotherhood," he added, according to "Today's Zaman" daily.

Erdogan followed a similar line of reasoning last November when he stated that the universally condemned massacres of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Darfur, Sudan were not a genocide. "Muslims don't commit genocide," he said.

Yeah, surrrre.

The Turkish premier did use the word "genocide," however, when he condemned the deaths of several dozen Turkic-speaking and Muslim Uighurs during unrest in China's northwestern Xinjiang region last July. "The killings of Uighur Turks by the Chinese police during demonstrations constitute genocide," he said at the time. "I use this term intentionally."

The Turks are irked.
The Turks are irked.
Who would dare to irk the Turks?
One who smirks, "You're genocidal jerks!"

And so now, in a move reminiscent of those who say in effect, "Say that Islam is a religion of peace or we'll kill you," the Turks are saying, "Say we didn't commit genocide against the Armenians or we will start persecuting the Armenians." And remember, the Armenian genocide itself started with mass expulsion orders. Hrayr Karapetyan, an Armenian MP, certainly sees Erdogan's statement as heralding another genocide: "The statement once again proves that there is an Armenian genocide threat in present Turkey."

"Turkey threatens to expel 100,000 Armenians over 'genocide' row," by Damien McElroy for the Telegraph, March 17 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Turkey has threatened to expel 100,000 Armenians from the country in response to the US branding the First World War killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as "genocide". [...]

Tensions with Armenia have recently escalated as a well-organised worldwide campaign has persuaded the American Congress and Swedish parliament to adopt resolutions condemning the incidents as "genocide".

An Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Bill has also been put before the House of Commons and Mr Erdogan has warned Gordon Brown that relations would suffer if parliament passes it.

Turkish law already makes discussion of genocide an offence punishable by imprisonment.

"There are currently 170,000 Armenians living in our country. Only 70,000 of them are Turkish citizens, but we are tolerating the remaining 100,000," said Mr Erdogan.

"If necessary, I may have to tell these 100,000 to go back to their country because they are not my citizens. I don't have to keep them in my country." [...]

Mr Erdogan said its neighbour should distance itself from the overseas community leading the lobbying.

He said: "Armenia has an important decision to make. It should free itself from its attachment to the diaspora. Any country which cares for Armenia, namely the US, France and Russia, should primarily help Armenia to free itself from the influence of the diaspora."

But yesterday there was uproar in Armenai [sic] over the suggestion of deportations. Hrayr Karapetyan, an Armenian MP, condemned Mr Erdogan's remarks as blackmail.

"The statement once again proves that there is an Armenian genocide threat in present Turkey, thus world community should pressurise Ankara to recognise [the] genocide," he said....

But, of course. "Sweden labels mass killing of Armenians genocide," by Karl Ritter for the Associated Press, March 11 (thanks to Rich):

STOCKHOLM - Sweden's parliament narrowly approved a resolution Thursday recognizing the 1915 mass killing of Armenians in Turkey as genocide, prompting the Turkish government to recall its ambassador in protest.

The measure passed with a one-vote margin in a surprise decision that came a week after a U.S. congressional committee approved a similar resolution.

Sweden's governing center-right coalition opposed the measure but it passed in a 131-130 vote because a handful of center-right lawmakers broke party lines. Eighty-eight lawmakers were absent in the 349-seat assembly.

"After 95 years it is time for people who have suffered so long to obtain redress," said Gulan Avci, a Liberal Party lawmaker who broke her party's line and backed the measure, which had been proposed by the left-leaning opposition. Avci is a Kurdish immigrant from Turkey.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

Turkey recalled its ambassador to Sweden immediately after the vote and the Anatolia news agency reported that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled a visit to Sweden on March 17.

"We condemn the decision. Our government, and our people strongly reject the resolution crippled by big mistakes and devoid of basis," the Turkish government said in a statement.

The resolution also labeled as genocide the killings of Assyrians and Pontian Greeks, ethnic groups that also suffered under the Ottoman Turks.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said he regretted the Parliament's decision, saying it "will unfortunately not have a positive effect on the ongoing normalization process between Turkey and Armenia."

The U.S. congressional committee approved a similar measure there in a 23-22 vote that would send it to the full House of Representatives, if the leadership decided to bring it up. Minutes after the vote, Turkey withdrew its ambassador to the U.S.

Turkish Ambassador to Sweden Zergun Koruturk told Anatolia that the Parliament's decision was harmful for relations between the two countries.

"I hope they are aware of the damage done here," she said.

Countries recognizing the genocide include Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Russia, Canada, Lebanon, Belgium, Greece, Italy, the Vatican, France, Switzerland, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania and Cyprus.

Of course. Who else would it be but the ones the Qur'an designates as the worst enemies of the Muslims (Qur'an 5:82)?

More on this story. "'Jewish lobby behind U.S. Armenia genocide vote,'" from Haaretz, March 6 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Jewish lobbyists contrived a U.S. congressional vote that labeled the World War One-era massacre of Armenians by Turkish forces as genocide, a London-based Arabic-language newspaper claimed on Saturday.

Pro-Israel lobbyists had previously backed Turkey on the issue ? [sic] but changed tack in retaliation for Turkish condemnation of Israel's policies in the Gaza Strip, the Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily said in an editorial, according to Israel Radio reports....

In his leading article, Al-Quds Al-Arabi editor Abd al-Bari Atwan curged [sic] Erdogan not to give in to the Jewish lobby's "extortion" tactics.

Erdogan on Thursday recalled Turkey's ambassador to Washington after the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee voted 23-22 to approve the non-binding resolution, clearing it for consideration by the full House.

"The decision of the Foreign Affairs Committee will not hurt Turkey, but it will greatly harm bilateral relations, interests and vision. Turkey will not be the one who loses," said Erdogan, speaking at a summit of Turkish businessmen....

Threat noted.

Turkey regards such accusations as an affront to its national honor.

And that's what it is all about so often.

Why did H.Res. 252 get the works? That's nobody's business but the Turks. Or at least that's how they'd prefer it. An update on this story. "US administration to block vote on Turkey 'genocide'," from BBC News, March 5:

The Obama administration has said it will seek to block a controversial bill describing as genocide the World War I killing of Armenians by Turks.

A congressional panel on Thursday approved the resolution, paving the way for a possible vote by the House.

But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the administration would "work very hard" to prevent this.

Turkey voiced strong protests after the vote and recalled its ambassador from Washington for consultations.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had been accused of a crime it did not commit, adding the resolution would harm Turkish-US relations.

President Abdullah Gul said Turkey - a key Nato ally of the US - would "not be responsible for the negative results that this event may lead to".

Change of position

Mr Clinton - who had urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee not to hold the vote - said on Friday: "We are against this decision. Now we believe that the US Congress will not take any decision on this subject." [...]

During his campaign for the 2008 election, Mr Obama promised to brand the mass killings genocide.

Mrs Clinton has acknowledged his administration's change of opinion on the issue, saying circumstances had "changed in very significant ways".

So now it wasn't a genocide?

In October last year, Turkey and Armenia signed a historic accord normalising relations between them after a century of hostility.

Armenia wants Turkey to recognise the killings as an act of genocide, but successive Turkish governments have refused to do so.

The truth hurts, and provokes fury -- a reaction we have seen from Islamic supremacists many times when their full agenda is exposed here. "President Abdullah Gul has warned that 'Turkey will not be responsible for the negative ramifications' of the vote." Yes, that's a threat.

An update on this story. "Turkey urges US to block 'genocide' bill or risk ties," by Sibel Utku Bila for AFP, March 5 (thanks to Block Ness):

ANKARA (AFP) - A furious Turkey warned of damage to its ties with the US and protesters descended on the American embassy on Friday after a Congressional panel labelled the Ottoman-era massacre of Armenians as genocide.

Having recalled its ambassador immediately after the panel's resolution was adopted, Ankara warned Washington risked a showdown with a key Muslim ally if the motion advanced to a full vote at the House of Representatives.

Turkey is "seriously disturbed" that President Barack Obama's administration "did not put enough weight" behind efforts to prevent the resolution from being passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

"We expect the US administration to make more efficient efforts from now on," he said.

"We hope Turkish-US ties will not be put to a new test ... otherwise, the prospect that we will face will not be a positive one," he added, calling the issue a "matter of national honour".

NATO member Turkey is a prominent Muslim partner in US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and Iraq, and lies on a key route taking oil and natural gas to Western markets....

President Abdullah Gul has warned that "Turkey will not be responsible for the negative ramifications" of the vote.

As Turkish anger swelled, a crowd of around 100 demonstrated outside the US embassy in Ankara, laying a black wreath that read "We did not commit genocide, we defended the motherland."

Protesters chanted anti-US slogans at a similar demonstration in Istanbul....

The non-binding resolution calls on Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the "genocide" and to label the mass killings as such in his annual statement on the issue....

Washington has traditionally condemned the killings, but refrained from calling them a "genocide", anxious not to strain relations with Turkey.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had urged the committee not to hold the vote for fear it might harm Armenia-Turkey reconciliation.

During a visit to Turkey in April, Obama said he retained his view that the killings amounted to genocide but stressed that reconciliation between the two neighbours was more important.

And he's so good at reconciliation.

Obama vs. Obama: "During his election campaign Mr Obama promised to brand the mass killings genocide."

An update on this story. "US Congress panel accuses Turkey of Armenian 'genocide'," from BBC News, March 4:

A US congressional panel has described the killing of Armenians by Turkish forces during World War I as genocide, despite White House objections.

The resolution was narrowly approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Turkey, a key US ally, responded by recalling its ambassador in Washington for consultations. It has fiercely opposed the non-binding resolution.

The White House had warned that the vote would harm reconciliation talks between Turkey and Armenia.

The resolution calls on President Barack Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the "genocide" and to label the World War I killings as such in his annual statement on the issue.

It was approved by 23 votes to 22 by the committee. [...]

In 2007, a similar resolution passed the committee stage, but was shelved before a House vote after pressure from the George W Bush administration.

'Too important'

During his election campaign Mr Obama promised to brand the mass killings genocide.

Before the vote, committee chairman Howard Berman urged fellow members of the committee to endorse the resolution.

"I believe that Turkey values its relationship with the United States at least as much as we value our relations with Turkey," he said....

Lest the truth irk the Turks, Barack Obama rushed to the aid of the Islamic supremacists who deny the Armenian genocide. "Turkey: Armenians; US Gov't Calls For Blocking Resolution," from ANSAmed, March 4 (thanks to Insubria):

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, MARCH 4 - A few minutes from the beginning of the debate at the Foreign Commission of the American Congress, over the resolution regarding the genocide of the Armenians during the Ottoman empire, the U.S. administration advised the Commission to block the discussion, reports CNN Turk. (ANSAmed).

For speaking the truth about the Turkish persecution of Kurds and Armenians. A Let-Them-Into-the-EU alert from zaman.com, with thanks to Sr. Soph:

The investigation about the insulting expressions in the Istanbul City Guide, which was distributed by MasterCard prior to the UEFA Champions League Final Match, was concluded.

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office demanded up to three years of imprisonment for MasterCard Southeastern Europe General Manager Ayse Ozlem Imece for degrading the Turkish identity, Turkish Republic, foundation and the state bodies in the investigation conducted in the last four months. The documents prepared by Public Prosecutor Huseyin Nazmi Okumus were sent to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office due to the lack of jurisdiction. The case will be opened there in the following days.

The investigation was filed when the insults in the 290-page Istanbul City Guide, which belittled the Turkish Identity, Turkish Republic, foundation and the state bodies, reflected in media. The guide reportedly written by the British journalist Virginia Maxwell was published by the "Lonely Planet" publishing house based in Australia....

Some of the expressions in the booklet that was distributed during Milan-Liverpool Match in Istanbul were as follows: "In 1924, [Mustafa Kemal] Ataturk banned any expression of Kurdishness in an attempt at assimilation. Speaking Kurdish was banned. Major battles and atrocities ensued throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and since 1984, nearly 30,000 people have died. The resultant outrage of terrorism (new at the time though all too familiar to us now) set-off a powerful Armenian backslash, resulting in a widespread massacre of innocent Armenians in Istanbul and elsewhere."