YEREVAN—The secular and religious leaders of Armenia and Artsakh have issued a statement on the occasion of April 24 – the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. The statement reads:
“Dear compatriots,
Tomorrow the entire Armenian nation together with the progressive humanity will commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
April 24 is sacred and universal day for all Armenians, the civilized humanity.
No Armenian can come against another on this day.
For more than 100 years April 24 has been a day of unity, remembrance and mourning, a day of fight against the injustice committed by Turkey and against today’s policy of denial.
Let’s respect the memory of our predecessors and respect the future of our nation with dignity and honor.
Let’s cherish the world’s support and solidarity with us on April 24, when they pay respect to the memory of the victims and remember those who helped the survivors with us.
Today it is the duty of all of us – the heirs of survivors to unite around our national ideals and solve our domestic issues in the spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding, promote the creative forces of the people, create a dynamically developing contemporary Armenia, which Armenians around the world will be proud of and which will be able to defend the rights of the Armenian people.”
The same sentiment was expressed by Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, who during an emergency session of parliament following Serzh Sarkisian’s resignation earlier in the day, said that April 24 must be depoliticized, signaling that the events that have embroiled Armenia in a domestic matter should not be confused with the meaning of April 24.
“We face the task of demonstrating to the world that we are able to unite at critical moments to negotiation and seek logical solutions,” Karapetyan said.
“This should be the most important test to the maturity of our statehood,” he said.
“No Armenian can come against another on this day”…….but apparently it’s okay for the rest of the 364 days….
We should also create another solemn day to commemorate Oligarchy Treason Day. We can wear the tricolor as capes while we protest and plead for help from governments around the world.