LEICESTER, UK – British Christian leaders have called on the British government to officially recognize the deaths of Armenians during World War I as a “genocide.”
Armenia and Turkey remain bitterly divided over the memory of the events between 1915 and 1918, when between 1 million and 1.5 million people died.
In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, church leaders said such official recognition was not merely symbolic, but “a powerful statement against atrocities and an important step to prevent future acts of genocide.” “It's a step forward.”
At the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against Armenians in Uruguay, Cyprus, Russia, Germany, Argentina, France, Italy, and Venezuela. Although the U.S. Congress recognized the genocide, the U.S. president has not formally recognized the Congressional vote.
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On April 24, Armenians around the world will commemorate this genocide. Church leaders say the massacre deeply affected millions and continues to resonate in collective memory.
“Britain has always been at the forefront of defending human rights and justice on the world stage. He speaks openly about the genocides, calling them the “Holocaust of 1915” and the “exclusion of the Armenian people from Asia Minor.” Each,” the letter says.
“These acknowledgments from our predecessors emphasize the importance of what happened and the importance of formally recognizing it. In recent years, the international community has made great strides in recognizing historical injustices. “The Armenian genocide has been officially recognized by key allies, including the United States and several European countries,” church leaders continued.
The document's lead author was Bishop Hovakim Manukyan of Armenia, but it also included several Orthodox and Anglican bishops, as well as a Catholic member of the House of Lords.
The letter referred to the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh.
All-out war between the two countries began in the early 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Armenians won the first part of the conflict, occupying areas inhabited by Armenians but officially controlled by Azerbaijan. However, the massive Second Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out in 2020, leading to significant victories for Azerbaijan and killing more than 7,000 people over the past four years.
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A letter from British church leaders said the conflict was a “repeat” of a century of conflict in the Ottoman Empire.
“After 44 days of devastating war in Artsakh in the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan launched a campaign in September 2023. Rafael Lemkin, who coined the term “genocide,'' described this campaign as “the destruction of humanity.'' defined as a coordinated plan of various actions aimed at It aims to destroy the vital foundations of the life of the national group and to annihilate the national group itself,” church leaders said in a letter to the prime minister.
“The nine-month blockade of Artsakh, known as Nagorno-Karabakh, was the beginning of such a genocidal policy, culminating in military brutality that resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from their ancestral homeland. ” the statement said.
“Mr. Prime Minister, the Armenian diaspora was formed not as a result of natural migration, but because our people were forced to flee their historical homeland. Our people were killed, raped and forced to flee to the deserts of Syria. “The same thing is happening now,” the statement continued.
“Today, the Turkish-backed Azerbaijani government continues to threaten Armenia and pressure it to control more territory within Armenia's sovereign territory,” the leaders told Sunak.
The statement added that as conflicts and challenges to international law and human rights continue, the role of historical truth in promoting peace and justice has never been more important.
“Formal recognition by the United Kingdom of the Armenian Genocide would go beyond political and economic interests and send a strong message to the world about our commitment to historical truth and justice,” church leaders said. say:
“Such recognition would not only honor the memory of those affected and affirm justice, but also reaffirm Britain's commitment to protecting human rights. “Recognizing Armenia would send a clear message to Turkey and Azerbaijan to stop their aggression against Armenia,” the statement continued.
Church leaders also said there was a “high risk” that action in new conflicts could lead to the outbreak of new wars, adding to a world already plagued by global uncertainty and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. It is argued that there is a possibility of adding 3 disputes.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have pledged to work toward a peace treaty over the past few months, but no visible progress has been made and tensions continue to rise amid mutual mistrust.
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