Tall Armenian Tale

 

The Other Side of the Falsified Genocide

 

  Commentary by Edward Tashji   
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Mahmut Ozan
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It's tragic how many Armenians are so blinded by hatred that they prefer to live in the past, and deny themselves the joys of their roots. Not all Armenians are like that. Some Armenians prefer concentrating on their emotional attachments to the old country. These Armenians know Turkish music, food and language form as much a part of their identities as anything else, and don't appreciate being ostracized by the larger, more hateful Armenian group. They feel they are robbed of their precious past and cherished memories, and resent the domineering attitude of the other group.

I'm a big fan of Edward Tashji, who has the guts and the love to come right out and declare where he stands. In his own words, this "Armenian-American has become 'famous,' (he said with all humility), within the Turkish community, while becoming "infamous", (he said with deep regret), within the Armenian community." Also, in his words... he is : "An American born of an Armenian mother and a Syrian-Orthodox father (.) He is the younger son of parents who had been born in Ottoman Turkey, became eye-witness to the conflagration of the First World War in their beloved homeland, and as a result, their destiny brought them to the land where millions had emigrated."

 

 
A Subject Which Must Not Be Avoided

Some readers of The Turkish Times, after seeing the writer's name, I believe, must ask themselves a question similar to the following: "Doesn't he have anything on his mind other than the Armenians?" To which the writer replies: Of course I do! Through many years I have spoken, written, and labored on behalf of: Azerbaijan, Cyprus, the Turks of Crimea, Germany, and Bulgaria, stereotypical images of Turks found in the United States, anti-Turkish sentiments pertaining to the Kurdish issue, and yes, the Armenian fraud which politicians and the news media have ordained as historical facts. If these topics are not sufficient, permit me to assure the reader that there are many subjects about which Turkish youth should be knowledgeable.

For most of my life I have been exposed to the fundamental traits of the Turkish and Armenian communities in the United States, and as such, I am convinced that the most paramount singular reason for all the anti-Turkish hysteria in our country, is the fact, that for eighty years the American people have observed Turks being described as, "evil."

"backward", "cruel", among countless other epithets; (and these three are by far the "least" offensive). During the many generations of blatant prejudice against people of Turkish background, together with the deliberate falsification of Turkish history, what has been the Turkish response? What steps have Turkish-Americans taken to inform the American people of the true history and culture of the Turkish people? Fully cognizant of the wide-spread and effective efforts of our organizations across our nation, I nevertheless believe we have achieved infinitesmal accomplishments when compared to the success of anti-Turkish groups. This newspaper serves as a beacon of illumination in a maze of distortions and vilification, while furthering understanding and friendship between the American and Turkish peoples. To the present time we have not been able to receive the interest of politicians and media persons to even consider the perspective of loyal Americans of Turkish ancestry! As a result, every April politicians, (bless their hearts), at every level, rush to participate in the annual Armenian "commemoration". While the White House responds to my letter — which requested President Clinton meet with representatives of the Turkish-American community — with polite rhetoric and, "...The President's schedule does not permit a meeting at this time..." Yet, at the same time, his schedule does permit a meeting with twenty representatives of numerous Armenian groups! What would it take to arrange even a few minutes with the President of "all" the people? I will give you one gue$$! No, it's not a misprint; is there anyone out there who doubts my assertion? Even the Lincoln bedroom is for "sale"! Let us return to important matters, now where was I?...

The most damaging manifestation of complacency within the Turkish-American community must be addressed. Turkish students and their families, who in recent years have settled in America and have become citizens, are confounded by the extent of American animosity toward everything Turkish. They are totally unable to comprehend a situation which does not exist in Turkey. If they were not educated in Turkey to the reality of Armenian obsession with hatred, (and you thought I could not "criticize" Turks), then the education must take place here. The subject, indeed, must not be avoided for one minute. Why?! Because there is a SIX YEAR OLD girl in Glendale, California, named, Edna Petrosyan, and upon the insistence of her mother this innocent child of God, recites a "poem" taught by her mother, to a visiting American reporter. Within this legacy of hate the following words are found: "... It's better that I be a dog or a cat, than a Turkish barbarian...". "...When the Armenian wind blows, it will not leave a single Turk standing in Armenian land..." (source: The Los Angeles Times — February 1, 1990) Is there one Turk who will ask, why? Do you feel my outrage at this brutality upon an innocent child? Edna is now a teenager and the cancer of hate must have condemned her to a lifetime of hatred. There are thousands like her who will never truly enjoy the joys of life, nor practice the divine teachings of their God.

At this point the following observation needs to be made: Nowhere in countless writings and the many public statements of this writer, can a denial of my ancestry or the suffering of the Armenian and Syrian Orthodox peoples, be found! In fact, the suffering endured by innocent people in Ottoman Turkey remains an indelible element of my existence! However, in all conscience, I can not adhere to the fallacious accusations made against the nation from which derives my culture and faith. Also, I will not deny the treason and the rebellion by Armenian revolutionaries who had been responsible of slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocent Turkish Muslims at a time when a World War threatened the very existence of the entire country.

For the foreseeable future there can not be even the thought of a rational discourse between the Turkish and Armenian communities in the United States. It might be a pessimistic outlook but reality cannot be denied, and in reality we find the following Armenian demands: Turkish admission of the Armenian "genocide"; Turkish public apology to the Armenians; Turkish reparations to be paid to the Armenians; portions of Turkish lands are to be surrendered to Armenia; among others. These demands are as ludicrous as is the recent attempt to establish the "Republic" of Texas!!

Indeed, to establish that I do have other things on my mind, when next we "meet", I will offer for your pleasure, the joy and beauty of Turkish music, and the contributions of Armenians and other groups, as composers, lyricists, and artists to it. Until then, our work continues.... (But you expected that ending, didn't you).

Edward Tashji

I am Called: "Turk Dostu" — A "Friend of Turks"

The Turkish Times

 

 

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THE PURPOSE OF TALL ARMENIAN TALE (TAT)
...Is to expose the mythological “Armenian genocide,” from the years 1915-16. A wartime tragedy involving the losses of so many has been turned into a politicized story of “exclusive victimhood,” and because of the prevailing prejudice against Turks, along with Turkish indifference, those in the world, particularly in the West, have been quick to accept these terribly defamatory claims involving the worst crime against humanity. Few stop to investigate below the surface that those regarded as the innocent victims, the Armenians, while seeking to establish an independent state, have been the ones to commit systematic ethnic cleansing against those who did not fit into their racial/religious ideal: Muslims, Jews, and even fellow Armenians who had converted to Islam. Criminals as Dro, Antranik, Keri, Armen Garo and Soghoman Tehlirian (the assassin of Talat Pasha, one of the three Young Turk leaders, along with Enver and Jemal) contributed toward the deaths (via massacres, atrocities, and forced deportation) of countless innocents, numbering over half a million. What determines genocide is not the number of casualties or the cruelty of the persecutions, but the intent to destroy a group, the members of which are guilty of nothing beyond being members of that group. The Armenians suffered their fate of resettlement not for their ethnicity, having co-existed and prospered in the Ottoman Empire for centuries, but because they rebelled against their dying Ottoman nation during WWI (World War I); a rebellion that even their leaders of the period, such as Boghos Nubar and Hovhannes Katchaznouni, have admitted. Yet the hypocritical world rarely bothers to look beneath the surface, not only because of anti-Turkish prejudice, but because of Armenian wealth and intimidation tactics. As a result, these libelous lies, sometimes belonging in the category of “genocide studies,” have become part of the school curricula of many regions. Armenian scholars such as Vahakn Dadrian, Peter Balakian, Richard Hovannisian, Dennis Papazian and Levon Marashlian have been known to dishonestly present only one side of their story, as long as their genocide becomes affirmed. They have enlisted the help of "genocide scholars," such as Roger Smith, Robert Melson, Samantha Power, and Israel Charny… and particularly  those of Turkish extraction, such as Taner Akcam and Fatma Muge Gocek, who justify their alliance with those who actively work to harm the interests of their native country, with the claim that such efforts will help make Turkey more" democratic." On the other side of this coin are genuine scholars who consider all the relevant data, as true scholars have a duty to do, such as Justin McCarthy, Bernard Lewis, Heath Lowry, Erich Feigl and Guenter Lewy. The unscrupulous genocide industry, not having the facts on its side, makes a practice of attacking the messenger instead of the message, vilifying these professors as “deniers” and "agents of the Turkish government." The truth means so little to the pro-genocide believers, some even resort to the forgeries of the Naim-Andonian telegrams or sources  based on false evidence, as Franz Werfel’s The Forty Days of Musa Dagh. Naturally, there is no end to the hearsay "evidence" of the prejudiced pro-Christian people from the period, including missionaries and Near East Relief representatives, Arnold Toynbee, Lord Bryce, Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and so many others. When the rare Westerner opted to look at the issues objectively, such as Admirals Mark Bristol and Colby Chester, they were quick to be branded as “Turcophiles” by the propagandists. The sad thing is, even those who don’t consider themselves as bigots are quick to accept the deceptive claims of Armenian propaganda, because deep down people feel the Turks are natural killers and during times when Turks were victims, they do not rate as equal and deserving human beings. This is the main reason why the myth of this genocide has become the common wisdom.