By Rachel Melikian
We would like to know what the reason for committing genocide is, whether it’s about the oil or the gold, or it’s about Noah’s Ark that landed on Mount Ararat after the Great Flood in the Armenian Highland, or perhaps it’s about Jesus Christ and the first Christian nation. World, we need your help to uncover hidden truths as History does not give us much of the proper reason for Turkey committing genocide against Armenians. However, local folklore suggests to this day that Turks break rocks in historic Armenia in the belief to find gold in pebbles, and the reason that Armenians are so bright, who could even hide gold in rocks. The Armenian Highland is a naturally rocky country.
Jesus’ two apostles, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, went to Armenia. Armenians are the first to accept the Christian faith, directly descended from Noah’s Ark, and have continuously lived in Artsakh [Nagorno Karabakh] since Noah’s time. Artsakh is famously known for the five princedoms or Melikates of Artsakh, whose well-known prince was David Bek.
It’s challenging to exact the dates and times of the beginning of the recorded history of genocides. When most people hear the term ‘Armenian Genocide,’ they think April 24, 1915, to 1923 is associated with the enormous number of atrocities. Armenia is not the only nation that experienced genocide. Several ancient civilizations were massacred along with the Armenians, erased, and pushed into oblivion.
How many people realize that there was an act of genocide in 1990 committed against Armenians by Azerbaijan known as the Baku massacres? While we know 1915 and 1990 are specific dates, let’s not be naive to think these are the only dates. The origins and exact times of the source of genocide are less clear. Depending on what you read, your belief in your politics, and your background, knowing the origin of genocide will give you the historical context and inform your opinion. If we need to save the heritage of ancient civilizations, we need to end the evil, vicious cycle of the perpetrators to stop human atrocities, genocide, and innocent bloodshed.
Sadly, Armenian history reflects that there have been too many instances of genocide against Armenians that date back many centuries to as early as the 12th century AD. There were many precursors to the genocide even in the 1100s, 1800s, 1904-1906, 1909, 1914, 1918, and 1919; it has been ongoing for centuries. In 1915 alone, 1.5 million Armenian people got massacred, but the total number is believed to be much higher than that, seven million. If you include families affected, the numbers would be even far greater. The surviving orphans lost their entire families, including their extended families.
The 1915-1923 genocide was perpetrated in many stages, initially to eliminate in a random indiscriminate act (the elites, the leaders, the intellectuals) to leave the nation defenseless without a leader. It continued by targeting survivors of families affected in the first wave of atrocities. The 1915 genocide involved the largest number who got massacred; it was preceded by earlier acts perpetrated by the Turks, specifically by Sultan Hamid in 1894-1896. The Young Turks were also the architects of the Armenian Genocide in 1915-1923. The genocide continued in the 1930s and 1950s, for example. We don’t talk later as if it’s been sealed.
Suppose you ask the reason why the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide for their crime against humanity and civilization; you don’t get an answer. The current Convention of the United Nations in Article II says Genocide is a crime committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in whole or in part. It doesn’t answer the why question. However, we know that invading countries try to control water resources in military conflict.
The 44-Day-War in 2020, which lasted from Sept. 27 through Nov. 9, was waged on the Republic of Artsakh of Armenia by Turkey, Azerbaijan, ISIS, terrorist mercenaries, and several other countries, bombing with banned weapons by Geneva Convention and burning Artsakh forests with white phosphorous bombs. All water resources of Karvajar, Artsakh, were given to Azerbaijan without a gunshot due to a tripartite secret agreement of capitulation. The world stayed silent on all forms of genocide, including cultural genocide against Armenians and theft of cultural artifacts from Shushi. In 2022, we commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Baku massacres where oil is. There were 500,000 Armenians in Baku. Ask how many Armenians were left after the Baku massacres in 1990? Practically, they were all massacred, and the remaining few were expelled.
Armenia and Artsakh are currently on the brink of losing their sovereignty for no logical reason. Genocide continues! The world is still blind, deaf, and dumb. But the world is only quick to talk about Iran, China, Russia, and Ukraine. The plan: Airports, railroads, communication roads, and real estate deals have been constructed in the occupied Artsakh.
Be mindful that many of our soldiers were still alive and were hiding after the illegal capitulation of Nov. 9, 2020, in Artsakh forests. Still, no international rescue team efforts or the Red Cross was sent to the occupied Artsakh to rescue our soldiers but left them stranded there for the enemy to massacre them. Now the global world pretends there is no Artsakh and is happy to give Armenia as well to the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide to annihilate an entire nation. On April 9, 2022, the meeting in Brussels put a deadline to form a committee to cut Armenia with scissors (delimitation and demarcation) and gift it to our enemies by the end of April, a week after the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24. They let this crime against humanity and civilization open a “peace era” for bloodthirsty enemies to rule the global world.
Our displaced refugees and our POWs in Baku prisons are waiting to return home, which is currently occupied by the enemy. Since the Russia and Ukraine war, Azerbaijan has been freely walking and occupying more lands conspired by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the 2018 Colored [Velvet] Revolutionary people, of unknown origins.
Are countries and natural resources for global theft? Several trillions of dollars worth of wealth, from Sotk gold, water, mineral resources, wheat fields, etc., have been treacherously given to our mortal enemies when our soldiers courageously fought against deadly drones and bayraktars, winning the war. Still, the capitulation was signed on November 9, 2020, that ordered them to retreat without a gunshot.
Mother Armenia’s voice has been strangled, but the world shouts wolves for the Russia and Ukraine war and keeps its eyes blind to war crimes, genocide, and the total loss of Armenia’s Artsakh sovereign lands and independence. Where should we live? Where do you stand? Raise your voice and do your part to help Mother Armenia, the cradle and savior of civilization, have her voice and sacred land to live and prosper with her children. Stand up for Armenia and Artsakh!
Rachel Melikian is a former GCC Woman of the Year
You might also like: For 2020, a Virtual Vigil for Armenia’s 1.5 million Sanctified Martyrs by Rachel Melikian.
