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A CHRISTIAN REFLECTION ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
This weekend, Armenians all over the world will be commemorating the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Badaraks, lectures, walk-a-thons, and rallies will take place, raising our voice for justice: recognition, retribution, and reparation.
Last week I had an interview with a European public TV channel about the Armenian Genocide. I would like to share with you my answer to two questions, hoping that it will interest you too.
The first question was: How can the call for justice and recognition be reconciled with the Christian message of forgiveness?
“I believe that the source of our Christian faith, the Holy Scriptures, provides us with a healthy and consistent solution to this dilemma,” I replied. “In the Gospel of Luke, we read that Zacchaeus, a tax collector who hosted the Lord in his house, said: ‘If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Jesus said to him: ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham’ (Luke 19:8-9).
“Zacchaeus, sincerely regretting his past transgressions, made a sharp U-turn in his life and confessed without hesitation his wrongdoings. Moreover, he declared his readiness to pay retribution. Thus, his sins were expiated, and he started a new life as a son of Abraham.
“It’s very clear that forgiveness and recognition along with reparations do not contradict but rather complement each other. The Armenian nation has been patiently waiting for Turkish authorities to have the courage to acknowledge the sin of their fathers and do justice, and forgiveness will follow. To date, the Turkish state has never expressed remorse or regret for the Genocide. Besides, it has not only denied aggressively any responsibility, but it has constantly and systematically distorted the facts.
The second question was: Looking to the younger generations of Armenians, what lesson should the memory of the genocide convey: identity, resilience, dialogue, or vigilance?
“I am pleased that you have already answered the question by listing the pillars of the valuable lessons to be drawn from the memory of the Genocide,” I told the interviewer. “I would single out dialogue, because I believe that dialogue is the most effective instrument to create a meaningful interaction between individuals, communities, or nations. As a coin has two sides, dialogue means looking at the same issue from a viewpoint that is not one-sided but considers all possibilities. Without blaming and cursing each other, dialogue brings a common ground to share concerns and clear misunderstandings, paving the road toward peace, cooperation, and prosperity.
“It is my wish that one day, after the past has been dealt with fairness and moral clarity, the youth of both nations, whenever and wherever they meet, instead of looking at each other as enemies, may greet each other with mutual understanding.”