Tell the Truth About the Armenian Genocide

Ambassador Henry Morgenthau

     Robert M. Morgenthau had an Opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal today: Will Trump Tell the Truth About the Armenian Genocide? The gist of the article is that president after president has come into office with a promise to acknowledge that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and to move the US embassy there. These same presidents have also promised to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Both promises were never fulfilled. As President Trump has recently lived up to his promise of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has committed to move the US Embassy there, Mr. Morgenthau suggests that President Trump should recognize the Armenian Genocide as well.
      Mr. Morgenthau, 98, who was was the Manhattan District Attorney from 1975 to 2009 is a valued friend of the Armenians. His grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, was the US Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916. Ambassador Morgenthau was the most prominent American to speak out against the Armenian Genocide at that time and perhaps ever. In Mr. Morgenthau’s words from his article:

For me, this chronicle is not confined to history books. My paternal grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, was President Wilson’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire as the horror began to unfold. He quickly understood that this was slaughter on a scale the modern world had never seen. He protested to Turkish leaders, who replied that the Armenians were not American citizens and thus none of the ambassador’s concern. Besides, they said, Ambassador Morgenthau was Jewish, and the Armenians were Christian. 

The Turks even threatened to pressure Washington to recall him. My grandfather’s reply was eloquent: “I could think of no greater honor than to be recalled because I, a Jew, have done everything in my power to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Christians.”

     In the past two days, I had a chance to make two new friends. One is a talented ceramic artist. He is a Kurd who grew up in Iran. Amongst other things we talked about how Turkey, just this week, bombed US backed Kurdish forces in Syria. We talked about how the Turks had the Kurds do some of the dirty work during the Armenian Genocide. With the Armenian Question then answered, the Turkish Government has been trying to solve the Kurdish Question. It is scary to think what might happen given Erdogan’s rhetoric and action. My other acquaintance is a student in my operations management class.

Robert M. Morgenthau

She is from Rwanda and has lived in exile with her family in South Africa, Botswana, and a few other African countries before her family settled in Chicago last year. We talked about how hard it is for the international community to step in and stop mass killings and genocides. This may be true even when there is economic interests and other national interests at stake.
     Maybe it is finally time for a US President to recognize the Armenian Genocide this year. Turkey is not the ally we once thought they were and President Trump may just express his frustrations with Turkey and Erdogan. As far as I am concerned, he could even do it in a tweet.
     As Armenians, we have hope every year as April 24th approaches. We will speak out, write letters, to the President, Senators, and Representatives encouraging them to do the right thing and acknowledge a historical truth. Every year we are disappointed. We will do the same this year and every year until the US government does the right thing. Again, as

Mr. Morgenthau wrote in the last two paragraphs of his piece:

Every April, the president issues a proclamation recognizing the atrocity that was inflicted on the Armenian people. But bowing to Turkish pressure, that proclamation has never contained the word “genocide.” That must change. 

I do not underestimate the concerns of those who say the wrath of Turkey may work against U.S. interests—as I do not dismiss those who say moving the embassy to Jerusalem may complicate peace negotiations. But a just and lasting world order cannot be built on falsehoods and equivocations. Let President Trump demonstrate that commitment once more by declaring the truth of the Armenian genocide. This would send clear message to the thugs in power around the world: Your criminal acts will not go unnoticed.

     Thank you Mr. Morganthau.