ISIS Destroys Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Zor

DER ZOR, Syria (A.W.)—The Islamic State (also known as ISIS) destroyed the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Zor, Syria—considered the Auschwitz of the Armenian Genocide—news agencies in the Middle East reported.

The first photos of Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Zor blown up by ISIS emerged on Sept. 24.
The first photos of Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Zor blown up by ISIS emerged on Sept. 24.
Armenians commemorating the genocide at the Memorial Church on April 24, 2004. (Photo by Studio Ashnag)
Armenians commemorating the genocide at the Memorial Church on April 24, 2004. (Photo by Studio Ashnag)

The reports surfaced as Armenia was celebrating the 23rd anniversary of its independence on Sept. 21.

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian issued a statement condemning the destruction of the church, which housed the remains of victims of the Armenian Genocide, calling it a “horrible barbarity.”

Nalbandian called on the international community to cut the Islamic State’s sources of supply, support, and financing, and eradicate what it referred to as a disease that “threatened civilized mankind.”

The church was built in 1989-90, and consecrated a year later. A genocide memorial and a museum housing remains of the victims of the genocide was also built in the church compound.

Thousands of Armenians from Syria and neighboring countries gathered at the memorial every year on April 24 to commemorate the genocide.

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians perished in Der Zor and the surrounding desert during the genocide. In the summer of 1916 alone, more than 200,000 Armenians, mostly women and children, were brutally massacred by Ottoman Turkish gendarmes and bands from the region.

Commemorating the genocide at the Memorial Church in Der Zor. (Photo by Studio Ashnag)
Commemorating the genocide at the Memorial Church in Der Zor. (Photo by Studio Ashnag)

 

 

 

97 Comments

  1. …When such organizations announce themselves as “religious” and do such inhuman acts against religous concepts, I suppose they are absolutely unaware of least human concepts, even if they supposedly should have been human beings…I suppose!

    • The thing is my friend, that they are religious, and they do what “their religion” commands them to do.

    • Then Fvck their religion!!! I am an American of Armenian decsent, and although I am not a Christian, this act was an act against my people.To the realist, do you agree with this religion??? I used to believe that it was people who wete evil and not the Islamic religion, I don’t believe that any longer. The Koran, Islam and those ISIS people who worship Mohamad. They are evil every stinking one of them

  2. The blood of these monsters shall pour like the river Nile .. Who ever that supports this group shall die like rats in a fish tank full of snake heads.

  3. Absolute monsters and a menace to civilization! Time that the world stops ISIS in their tracks and makes an example of how such uncivilized behavior will not be tolerated.

  4. This church was in an area controlled by IS for a long time so, why did they destroy it now, two days after they released Turkish hostages? Was part of the deal to release the hostages or are they trying to please Turkey?
    This is related to Turkey one way or another. The only Church ISIS destroys is the one with Genocide museum and the one that houses the remains of Genocide victims. The government of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora must raise hell. Everyone is watching if we let this go like all other events it will be an indicator to actors that Armenians will not care about what happens on April 24, 1915

    • Do Armenians care what happened on April 24, 1915? If they(we) would, then they(we) would never forget or forgive acts like
      1) Distructions in Nakhijevan
      2) every soldier and civil death in Armenia and Artsakh
      3) Killings in Kesab
      4) Destruction of Armenian churches and graves in Georgia
      5) Killing of Gurgen Margaryan in Europe
      6) All falsifications of Armenian history and language
      7) etc……………..
      So …

    • Rest-assured the Turkish leadership is behind this attack. Its finger prints are all over it. The Turks are very tricky people, like opportunistic hyenas, and they seem to conduct their criminal activities best in an atmosphere of lawlessness and chaos and under the cover of war so as not to leave any trace of their involvement.

      It is no coincidence that this particular Armenian Church and Genocide Memorial in Der-Zor was targeted. It is a reminder to the Turks of their past criminal activities and genocide, which like the French guillotine is hanging on the back of their necks, and it is geographically closest to the Turkish border. The destruction of this Genocide Memorial Church is the Turkish way of getting rid of evidence so close to home.

      As the criminal and opportunistic Turkish leaders have used our enemy next door, in a conflict (Artsakh) that has nothing to do with them, to score political points through illegal border closings and to punish the Armenians for their pursuit of the worldwide Armenian Genocide recognition, they are now using ISIS (which they funded and armed) to destroy the symbols of the very crime they are accused of and are trying very hard to distance themselves from.

    • Listen, Turkey -shmyrkey, 1989 what happens , any one know.?Why nobody care about a half million Armenians lived in Azergaijan , Baky , Sumgait, Kirovabad,… And more. Why Azerbaijan government do not pay Armenians who lived there a compensation for many lost, pensions for people who lived and work for Azerb. Republic . Why russian , american even armenian politicians and lawers never bring this issues . After ww2 Germans have to pay survivals and those famylis compensation , why nobody admited that Azeris and those supporters have to pay price for shameless barbaric actions in 1989

  5. Well- what would one expect from satanic morons- it is kill or get killed-do we not learn from mistakes and history- they are cowards and the crap of the earth that needs to be squashed-

  6. It remains to be seen whether ISIS is a false flag operation with the cooperation of the US, Turkey and Israel. Nevertheless, the time for prayer is long past us. Miyayn zenkov gah Hayots purgoutiun.

  7. To what extent have US, Turkish, and Israeli policies contributed to the rise of ISIS?

    The invasion of Iraq by the US, and subsequent disorder, are also partly to blame, and we know the people in the US government who brought THAT about.

  8. Unspeakable horror… re-enacting of the horrors. Prayers … and wise and reasoned appropriate action. God help and strengthen us. Let us awaken.

  9. With this Cancerous Idiology They Commited Armenian Genocid.
    And this Cancer will spread and repeat itself every now and then unless they take out the Idiologies of distructio and beheading from their BOOKS and BURN THEM; and stop teaching them in AL-Azhar, Mosques and Madrassas.

  10. Either the Arab states are so weak militarily that they can’t take on a bunch of rag-tag extremists such as ISIS, or something else is going on.
    It makes you wonder.

    • Arab states such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia were financing ISIS. They want no Shia state in Irak and no Alevi state in Syria. Instead,they want Sunni rule in those two countries.

  11. I was talking to a turkish man a few months ago. Who lives in the US. it’s a very sore subject to talk about, But I did. He said that the Turks want to cut off all funding of any Armenian welfare. Which probably this Monument might be one of them? I don’t know.

  12. To all Armenians, stand up and rise for your rights. Send a group of volunteers to destroy the ISIS right away. If we don’t act now it will be too late.

    • {“Send a group of volunteers to destroy the ISIS right away.”}
      As soon as _you_ volunteer, there will be 1000s right behind you.

      {“If we don’t act now it will be too late.”}
      Since you would be part of ‘we’, please act now yourself: others will act as soon as you do.

  13. This outrage MUST be Publicised WIDELY and Aggressively on all Media; social, internet and print.
    This event will throw a spotlight on the Tragic history of Christians in this area and make clear that the conflict in this region and the violence and hatred aimed at Christians, Armenians and Assyrians is but an echo and last stage of that which was perpetrated against NATIVE Christians beginning in 1898-1922.
    This can be used to EDUCATE and MOTIVATE Westerners, their media and public to act RESPONSIBLY and MORALLY this Time and in the future.

    Want to not repeat these tragedies?
    CALL THE EDITORS OF the Media you use and tell them to cover this tragedy and its repercussions.
    DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE.

  14. This is genocide of the Genocide. Those bones, samples of earth and the ringing silence were ‘alive’!
    I was there some years ago. Gathered some bone fragments. Two candles unlit from the church. It was a most moving pilgrimage with no possibility of catharsis….

  15. is it not time to unite as one around the world. not many political parties, but one.
    what are we waiting for. the french president charles de gaulle once said,’l’union fait la force’, roughly translated… ‘unity is power’
    so what are we waiting for. there’s only about 10 million of us left.

    • We can’t even have two Armenians agree on anything, let alone a whole cluster. The truth is that Armenians are inherently selfish. What has become of us is the best proof.

    • Who is this ‘we’ you are referring to Turkoglu ?
      Got tired spreading your Anti-Armenian Turkophile disinformation @Asbarez, so decided to try your luck @AW ?
      Welcome: myself and likeminded posters will debunk your Turkophile propaganda with pleasure.

      Indeed, what has become of us, Armenians, is proof that we agree on and work together to achieve a lot of great things.
      For example, Armenians from all over the world, and primarily Artsakh and RoA, united to crush your invadonomad Turkbaijani kin and their radical Islamist terrorist supporters.
      We, Armenians, now have two little miracle Gampr pups in Caucasus, growing stronger every year.

      That’s what we have become, Turkoglu ‘Hratch’.

  16. NSA documents revealed by Snowden show that America and Israel are behind ISIS’s creation, funding, training, and arming. Wikileaks and other articles reveal that Turkey has been giving them medical care.

    • I’m sorry but you are totally misinformed. Such documents don’t exist and needless to say Snowden did not reveal them therefore… Think logically please.

  17. This was bound to happen when Catholicos Aram I openly announced, during his meeting with Obama last week, that Armenians were part of the coalition against ISIS.

  18. This is undoubtedly act 2 of the invasion of Kessab, compliments of Turkey as a gift for Armenia’s independence day and before the Genocide centennial. The relationship between ISIS and Turkey is very obvious, as there are even many Turks in ISIS, and those so-called 49 “hostages” were all a premeditated plan by the Turkish government itself, even if the “hostages” did not know it. Yet the despicable neocons in the US continue to bark that “Turkey is an ally”.

  19. Enough is enough.
    The Armenian government must ask the U.N.securiry Council to adopt a resolution to;
    1. Condemn the attack.
    2. Ask to rebuild the monument and museum
    3. Put boots on the ground to irradiate ISIS.

    4. Since Turkey is aiding ISIS to do its diety work,Turkey must be held reaponsible.
    Thanks for your attention.

    • Ummm… I think you meant eradicate? Not irradiate? Though both seem like a good idea…

      Amen to doing this through the U.N. It’s darned hard to deal rationally with irrational people. And I see a lot of irrational responses above.

  20. IS destroys everything and anything that does not agree with it’s order.
    ‘Praying’ to bones under the glass is definitely out.
    They don’t allow anything even cemetery stones.

  21. OUR PROBLEM IS WE DONT STICK TOGETHER WE 7 OR 9 MILION &WE HAVE 25 OR MAY BE MORE PARTIES OF POLETICAL AGENCY THE USA IS 350 MILION &THEY HAVE ONLY 3 PARTIES ????? WE HAVE 2500 YEARS OF HISTORY WE GOT NO WHERE I WOUNDER WHY????WE HAVE TO UNIT PERIOD

  22. If the United States gave Armenia 1 nuclear missile for each Armenian that died by Islamic hands, the Islamic world would never threaten Armenians again!

  23. United States won’t ever give up being an ally with turkey because of the strategic placement of some of US nuclear bombs in turkey. they would rather not have turkey acknowledged the genocide so the US has a greater reach with there arsenal

  24. Nobody cares. Armenians don’t care, my friends don’t care , the world doesn’t care. We have become desensitized to violence and now simply ignore it. I certainly care but everyone else does not. I post and repost and hardly ever get responses.

  25. I have absolutely NO doubt that Turkish leadership is behind this attack and here is why I came to this conclusion:

    1. ISIS fighters were funded, armed and given safe passage into Syria through Turkish-Syrian border with full knowledge of the Turkish government.

    2. Several thousand of ISIS members and foot soldiers either volunteered or were recruited from Turkey.

    3. The three captured western hostages, two Americans and one British, were executed (beheaded) and with utmost brutality for the world to see but the so-called 49 Turkish hostages were unharmed.

    4. The Turkish hostages were given access to cell phones which they used to call their loved ones back home. It takes no brain surgeon to know that phone calls can be traced and by granting Turkish hostages access to cell phones, ISIS was compromising its own security.

    5. Turkey refused to cooperate with the United States, France, Britain and others to engage and confront ISIS under false pretenses.

    6. All Turkish hostages were released unharmed and returned to Turkey and displayed and paraded in front of the unsuspecting Turkish public by the Turkish leaders like trophies to claim fame as heroes and their saviors.

    7. Turkey refuses to share the details of the Turkish hostage crisis and the reasons why only Turkish hostages were let go unscathed while all the others were murdered in cold-blood.

    8. The Turkish hostage crisis took place in Mosul in northern Iraq far from Turkey and released uneventfully and the Armenian Church and Genocide memorial destruction in Der-Zor, with farthest proximity to ISIS activities but with closest proximity to Turkey, coincided with the release of the Turkish hostages.

    9. Need I say more?

    Now, you do the math and come to your own conclusions. I did and all the reasons for this sudden, unexpected and seemingly “random” attack point to Turkey. Also, take into account the significance of this particular Church and Genocide Memorial to both Armenians and the Turks, the initial attack by ISIS on mainly Armenian-populated town of Kessab on the Turkish border, the frozen conflict in the region and Turkish covert involvement in it on the side of our enemy and the Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration around the corner.

    I strongly believe the Turkish hostage crisis by ISIS was staged with full knowledge of both sides and Turkey’s hands are bloody as always. The Turkish leaders must not be let go unpunished and must be made to pay a heavy price for their crimes against humanity.

  26. Turkey and ISIS are working hand in hand. No Doubt about it. Turkey may be part of NATO but, it not a true ally. At some point down the road the United States will go out to war with Turkey.

  27. We must see the broader issue.

    If Hitler had trampled an Armenian Church in Austria, or Czechoslovakia, would our focus be just on the Church, or on all mankind he threatened to kill or enslave? If Hitler allowed our hypothetical Church to be left alone, would we turn a blind eye?

    ISIS is today’s episode of a recurring modern nightmare: men with arms eager to kill innocent men, women and children. They must be opposed by an armed and aggressive mankind as ruthless as they are. Unfortunately many regional governments see some advantage in allowing them to kill their opponents in the false belief that ISIS will not eventually kill them too.

    They will join with their friends in Pak. to get nukes. Then we will have a first class crisis making every other one since the Black Death look quaint.

  28. I completely agree that Turkey must be held accountable for aiding ISIS. The U.S. really needs to wake and smell the proverbial coffee when it comes to Turkey. That country is not a friend to the U.S. That country not only aids terrorists, but denies the first genocide of the 20th century.

  29. Buildings could be repaired, considering the damage to the country of Syria at least no be headings to our people we should keep our cool and make our priority to rebuild to what we are known for as builders and not destroyers

  30. the hostage ordeal with the turkish government and isis was,give us back our 45 hostages in return ,we will give you 48 kurdish villages in northern syria plus you have to destroy the armenian church in der el zor

  31. Disgusting and tragic. The Turks are at it again – never mind what group carries them out, the Turks are always behind these monstrous crimes.

  32. I think it is time to conduct a modern version of the post WWI Operation Nemesis and do some major cleanup. The region has a foul Turkish odor in the air once again.

  33. The madness continues for Armenians, world-wide. Destroying yet another Armenian church. Doesn’t the outside world see and care? When does it end? Keeping in mind and prayer all who are suffering, particularly in the Middle East.

  34. One should not blame the rabid dogs who perpetrated this act.The blame should rightfully be ascribed to those who insist on building such edifices in the lands of rabid dogs.What were our pseudo-leaders thinking when they spent precious resources erecting memorials to Genocide victims in the lands of rabid dogs?What audience or constituency were they trying to impress (aside from the rabid dogs inhabiting those areas of course)?Coming on the heels of a Genocide that nearly wiped out our nation and left thousands of churches in ruins,the mad dash to build more such churches in the lands of rabid dogs was either criminally irresponsible or a symptom of mental retardation on the part of our so-called leaders.May God have mercy on our tortured nation and grant us leaders worthy of leadership and blessed with the wisdom to invest where it matters for the long run.

  35. ISIS is killing 100 years ago killed 1.5 million innocent Armenians once again. Is this the Islamic religion.? No way. I use to leave in Egypt and I know them as nice and kind people. Who’s signature is under this barbarian act? This is a big shame to the humanity.

  36. I am a US army veteran who sees no better use for our military right now than the complete destruction of ISIL. We certainly have the might to do what is clearly right. Unfortunately, the cavalier use of our armed forces to invade Iraq caused needless loss of life and created massive debt. Now, when there is a genuine need for US military presence in Iraq/Syria, many Americans have misgivings. My question is if obliterating a group like ISIL is not justifiable, what is?

  37. @Avery: You are so typical. Always suspicious, coming to conclusions, and accusing anyone not following your failed policies as a Turk. I’ll let you know I’m more Armenian than you can ever imagine to be. If you cut me up I’ll bleed Garmir, Gaboud, Narinchakoun!

    The problem with people like you is that you do not accept reality. There is a reason why we have been destroyed and are now reduced to begging others for help. These things just don’t happen overnight. We’ve been on the path of extinction for the last 200 years. So, instead of living in lalaland, I suggest you reexamine your priorities and start doing something constructive with your time. To begin, you can read Garen Yegparian’s article on how things really are in Armenia today.

    http://asbarez.com/127160/re-independence-at-23-a-lamentation/

  38. The Azeris destroyed our cultural traces and history from Nakhichevan, and besides complain, what did we do? Nothing.

    For the past 20 years Artsakh soldiers have been getting murdered by Azeri aggression in a supposed cease-fire, and what did we do to stop it once and for all? Nothing.

    Turkey and Azerbaijan continually steal Armenia’s history and culture and get the backing and recognition from UNESCO and what do we do about it? Nothing.

    Foreign elements imposed the protocols on Armenia to harm Armenian interests and what did we do about it? Nothing.

    Each year the liars in the American government on their promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide fail to recognize it and what do we do? Nothing.

    Israel and its US operatives continually sabotage the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and have no business meddling in the war between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, but next provide weapons to Azerbaijan to bring harm on Artsakh and what do we do about it? Nothing.

    Turkey caused the destruction of Kessab and set back the progress of Armenians there by 50 years and what did we do? Nothing.

    Azeri and Turk terrorist jihadists went to Aleppo, Syria for the specific reason to hunt and harm Armenians, and what did we do? Nothing.

    Now ISIS, under orders from Turkey destroys the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Zor, and what WILL we do about it? NOTHING.

    In the future with more acts of aggression and incidents by our enemies, my prediction is again we will do nothing.

    There must be an Armenian how-to bible out there which we have apparently been following for thousands of years which states that we can only act to defend ourselves when we are attacked. That’s a fairly honorable philosophy, but I suppose that’s also the reason why we have 90% of our lands lost and under occupation, and most of us dispersed around the world.

    • Hagop, you can take up arms against the ISIS in the Kurdish lines. After all armenians are used to fight among Kurds (PKK)

  39. When it was becoming increasingly clear that the US and the west would finally have to do something about IS, I started to wonder as to what Turkey, as a “good & trustworthy” ally of the west would do when it was inevitably asked to help fight these barbaric islamists. How fortunate for Turkey that it’s hands were tied & could do nothing because IS had 49 Turkish hostages; problem solved. Like a lot of your readers,I too am sure that Turkey is aiding & abetting & is playing a major role in this current conflict, and, as a bi product doing whatever it can to hurt & displace Armenians & thwart the Armenian cause in any way possible.

  40. Let us show the world annd the turks that we still exist, let us commemorate the memories of our grandparents by uniting all over the world and declare April 24th a day of feeding or giving to the poor all over the the world, organize a program in each city, town or neighborhood.. When we help the community that we belong, then we can spread tne word the atrocities that was done to our people.

  41. Excellent analysis and conclusions by [Ararat].
    Also agree with [Krikor] and [Hagop D].

    Overwhelming evidence Turks are behind each and every Anti-Armenian act in Syria and elsewhere in Middle East.

    My thinking was that the ‘hostage’ incident was manufactured by Turkish leadership to give them the excuse to invade and grab some oilfields around Mosul in the convenient chaos they helped create (….by massively supporting and nurturing ISIL/ISIS/IS).
    One thing Turks desperately need is hydrocarbon sources under their own control.

    Anyone who thinks Turks would not possibly endanger their own diplomatic personnel to steal more of somebody else’s property, let us recall.
    A while back FM Davutoglu, MIT chief Hakan Fidan, and some other Turkish leaders were secretly* tape recorded discussing manufacturing an attack on their own Turkish soldiers guarding a Turkish tomb inside Syria, to give them the excuse to invade Syria and steal more land.
    It is interesting that afterwards Davutoglu did not deny the criminal act they were planning, but instead they went into a hysterics about being ‘betrayed’.

    Something went wrong with ‘hostages’ project, it got away from the Turks, so they decided to wrap it up: ‘hostages’ heroically ‘rescued’ by the heroic efforts of Turkish intelligence.
    —-
    * an interesting side story is what entity had the ability and the technical means to penetrate and record such a high level meeting of Turk leaders.

    • Avery that’s just how the world works man. A politician who doesn’t do ALL he can to better he’s country is a traitor.

      I’m also sorry for the church. Next time you build something of importance though pick your location more carefully.

    • All these years of attacks on the Armenians and seems they are always caught unarmed and executed Armenians must stay armed in order to protect themselves no matter where they are

    • @Ali, you truly speak like a real Turk. In other words, according to you, Turkish politicians are traitors to their nation if they don’t sabotage all Armenian efforts to honor their murdered kin by building monuments in their memories so close to their Turkish-occupied homeland as reminders to the world of the Turkish genocide of 1,500,000 Armenians and that they are obligated to lie relentlessly and make all attempts to destroy anything Armenian that could incriminate them.

      As for picking a location more carefully to build something important (as you put it), I can only tell you that there will come a day when we will build monuments to your crimes in Ankara while you enjoy your new citizenship in Ulan Bator, the TRUE capital of your ancestral homeland.

    • GB:

      great link. you find good sources that add to my knowledge base.
      that’s why I love visiting AW: one learns lots of new things from fellow posters (….in addition to some great articles).

    • Ali:

      {“I’m also sorry for the church. Next time you build something of importance though pick your location more carefully.”}

      I doubt very much that you are sorry, but let us take you for your word.

      Regarding “….pick your location more carefully.”

      Now you are contradicting yourself.
      In your previous posts you have expressed approval and admiration for your nomadic ancestors in their endeavors of invading and stealing others’ lands and property: Yes ? Yes.
      So there is the problem with your illogical statement: your ancestors, as you agree, hail from Uyguristan.
      Nomads, by definition are people who have no permanent dwelling, and move to wherever they want and can.
      Most nomads are peaceful, so move here and there without causing harm, then move on to new pastures.
      Invadonomads destroy, kill, murder, rape, loot, steal, massacre, …..commit Genocide.

      The ‘problem’ with choosing a location more carefully, is that no place is safe from invadonomads.
      Armenians did not travel to Uyguristan and build something there.
      The reason there is an AG Church in Syria, is _because_ your Turkic ancestors invaded our lands: where do you think we should have chosen to build the church, on the Moon ? Oops, sorry, forgot the Moon also ‘belongs’ to Turks.

      Our ancestors chose our own homeland – Armenian Highlands – very carefully, and lived there for 1000s years not bothering anybody; building, creating, inventing; yet foreign nomadic invaders from 1000s of kilometers away invaded and messed things up in our paradise.

      Question for you, Ali: what should Armenians do in this case and would be justified in doing ?

  42. If we think that the Genocide Monument destruction on The Armenia Independence day by orders from Turkey is just a coincidence, then we are so naïve.

    The message is so clear: It is a clear threat and a warning by Turkey to Armenia and it’s independence, if tarnishing of Turkey’s image internationally continues by the ongoing worldwide activities of Armenians for the Recognition of 1915 Genocide. It is crystal clear, the attack on Kessab and destruction of the Der Zor monument, are proactive counter attacks response by Turkey to the 100th Anniversary Genocide activities .

    Ohan

  43. Ali, your comment insulting to entire Armenian Nation.
    You said:
    “Next time you build something of importance though pick your location more carefully”
    Are you stupid, like most Turkic herds?? or you are part of Turkic denialist circle.

    Mass murders and massacre of Armenian Nation by Jihadist Turk in Dei Zor area, where a Church was built after, for their memorial, was part of Osmani Caliphate. More than half of world Armenian population perished there, just because they were Christians and Armenians!

  44. THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL IN DER ZOR WILL BE REBUILT AND NO ONE IN THEIR EVIL WAY CAN MAKE US AND THE WORLD FORGET OUR INNOCENT MEN,WOMEN AND CHILDREN THAT WERE MURDERED BY TURKEY, WHAT A SICK MESSAGE ON ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY! ARMENIA WILL NEVER AND CAN NOT BE DESTROYED. LONG LIVE ARMENIA AND THE ARMENIAN SPIRIT, TURKEY CAN NOT BE TRUSTED

  45. Such posts must lead others to think, “How selfish and unjust this world is”? Muslims and Christians are both engaged in their war for superiority and domination. Both r fighting to dominate the other. Both are siblings and yet intolerant and aggressive against each. hat a shameful state of affairs?

    • How and where please are Christians murdering, terrorizing, threatening, raping, kidnapping, enslaving, beheading, and stealing from Moslems and desecrating their places of worship? Not siblings. More like Murderers and Victims.

    • @philipine234, I don’t get what you mean. How are we Armenians, as Christians, trying to dominate the genocidal Muslim Turks and their newly-found Islamic fascists by condemning their purposeful demolition of our national symbols?

      What we are doing is we are revealing the racist culprits behind this senseless attack. We are pointing out and emphasizing that our racial Turkish enemies, wolves in sheep’s clothing, have not changed over the centuries and are secretly involved in the destruction of our sacred sites and landmarks that remind them of their cold-blooded mass-extermination and genocide of 1,500,000 defenseless Armenian women and children in Turkish-occupied Western Armenia.

  46. To all who has made or will make in the future comments concerning the politicle and economic situation in the world, try to read ‘nsnbc international’ and global research’ sites, to figure it out where does it fit Armenia in this messy machinations. I hope Armenia will not become once more …..

  47. I can’t speak for Armenian nationals but American-Armenians should cancell all meetings and “events” with any representative of the Turkish Govt. The Turks have been using ISIL/al-nusra to contain the Kurds, attack the Syrian Govt.and continue their ongoing attacks on Armenians in Kassab and other areas of Syria for years. It’s no coincidence that these events (Armenian independence day,return of Turkish hostages, destruction of Genocide Memorial) aren’t related just as it was no coincidence that Mr Dink was killed in a similar manner as the war criminal, Taalat Pasha. To send another “message”.
    As for what can be done, reportedly, these new “young Turk” savages have also confiscated an Armenian Church in Raqqa, Syria as their “Caliphate” headquarters, with the permission of the Catholicas, (and some help from any air force), I would start there.

  48. This deliberate and criminal destruction of the Armenian Church and Genocide Memorial building with full knowledge and covert participation of the Turkish leaders must not go unpunished. We must respond in kind and in multiple folds. The Turks must be given a big dose and a bitter taste of their own medicine.

    I would start by demolishing and leveling to the ground the Turkish memorial in Syria to Suleiman Shah, grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the genocidal Ottoman Empire. We must also make sure to permanently remove and purge all Turkish signs by incinerating any and all skeleton remains buried in this compound.

  49. With all due respect, can someone answer my question? How do you know Turkey did this? Conspiracy theories are not helping my friends. You guys are way too biased to be objective. Peace!

    • With all due respect, I will try to answer your question.

      First of all who here is saying “Turkey did this ?” ?
      We are saying Turkey is _behin_ this: ‘did’ and ‘behind’ are two different things.
      You can have the dirty deed done by the hand of another you control or influence: it’s done all the time.

      {“ Conspiracy theories are not helping my friends”}

      No conspiracy theories: facts.

      Fact: FM Davutoglu, MIT Fidan Hakan and others were secretly recorded _planning_ an attack on a Turkish tomb in Syria, guarded by Turkish troops.
      Fact: before Islamist terrorists launched an attack on Armenian-populated Kessab, eyewitness and video evidence shows Turkish troops guarding the border and the border crossing moving away to allow terrorists free passage.
      Fact: Turkey officially denies the Armenian Genocide.
      Fact: The AG Church in Syria, built by AG descendants is another stark reminder to Turks a short distance away – a stark fact – of what Turks did to Armenians.
      Fact: Erasing and destroying any and all evidence of AG makes it that much easier for Denialist Turkey in their worldwide denialist campaign.
      Fact: Turkey has been supporting, nurturing, arming ISIL/ISIS/IS since the Syrian civil war began.

      With all due respect, can Bugra please answer this question:
      Fact: an Islamist Turkish leadership which calmly discusses (secretly) attacking a Turkish object and killing their own Turkish soldiers to achieve some larger geopolitical objective;
      Therefore: how much easier for the same leadership then to have an Armenian object destroyed to achieve a large geopolitical objective ?
      That objective being denial of AG and forcing Syrian-Armenians to leave Syria permanently.

      We guys are actually very objective: we add 2 and 2, and we get 4.
      What do you get ?

      Peace my friend.

  50. Avery still living in the year 1000 AD. Look at the world map. Where is Armenia where is Syria, the church?
    With your logic Turks should build mosques in some shithole old Turkic lands.

    What is with Armenians and the refusal to form a formidable military, arm themselves? Azeris buy weapons and build pipeline you guys build more churches.
    I’m waiting to see what happens when Georgia joins NATO.

    You got to get over this first christian nation thing and look at the future.
    It’s borderline criminal to dwell on the past and past alone and to spend all money on religious and genocidal issues. How much money have you spent on the AG issue? 1 trillion?
    Others here agree with me before you go off at me again read above replies.
    All the best.

    • On the contrary you Turks are living in 1000 AD because you people are so delusional you think you will revive the “Turkish empire”. Armenians are builders, not destroyers, unlike the Turkish illegal alien settlers in the Armenian Highlands.

      And Georgia will join NATO when donkeys grow wings. Same for Ukraine and Azerbaijan. In fact when these countries initiate those plans, it would be a dream come true for us… we can finally get a border with Russia, like we are meant to do, and it will happen eventually, despite your attempted “Ottoman revival”. And you Turks will one day learn that genocide does not pay off, and neither does your little puppet Azerbaijan’s day and night barking to “destroy Armenia”.

    • No, we are still living in 2014.
      Armenian Genocide was less than 100 years ago, not 1000AD.
      The church was built by the descendant of AG survivors, Syrian-Armenians, to remember –forever – what your genocidal invadonomad ancestors did: they didn’t teach you that in the Turkish MisEducation system you attended in your youth ?

      {“ What is with Armenians and the refusal to form a formidable military, arm themselves?”}
      Do you know anything about anything, or just writing disjointed sentences to fill up space ?
      RoA and NKR militaries are regarded by neutral observers as the most combat ready and powerful of the 3 Caucasus republics.
      Azerbaijan spends $ billions on useless toys: most of it is graft – Aliyev Crime Syndicate makes a ton of money from those purchases.
      Expensive hardware good for nothing: he spends $4 million on a T-90 tank that is useless in mountainous terrain, and which can be destroyed by a $100,000 anti-tank (…a couple of guys hiding behind a rock).
      Aliyev is a draft-dodger: he was partying and ‘playboying’ during the NKR war.
      He knows nothing about military doctrine.
      Both RoA and NKR civilian and military leaders are war veterans.
      They spend the available funds judiciously, building deep defenses, and training the men and women in uniform for combat.
      Proof is in the pudding: during Jul 28-Aug 4 incursions by Turkish-trained Azerbaijani special forces teams, our side lost 6 KIA.
      5 conscripts, and 1 professional.
      Azerbaijan lost at least 25 KIA, mostly special forces troops.
      With all the massive expenditures ($3.5 billion @ year), Aliyev is too terrified of what RoA and NKR militaries will do in retaliation if he were to start a major war.

      {“ How much money have you spent on the AG issue? 1 trillion?”}
      Do you know anything about anything, or just spewing disjointed sentences to fill up space ?
      Do you even know how much money $1 Trillion is ?

      {“ It’s borderline criminal to dwell on the past and past alone…”}
      It is absolutely criminal to deny the Armenian Genocide.

      {“ and to spend all money on religious and genocidal issues”}
      Again: do you have any idea what you are talking about when it comes to Armenians, Armenia, Artsakh, Armenian Diaspora ?

      {“ Others here agree with me before you go off at me again read above replies.”}

      Who ?
      List the posters’ names.
      Then we’ll discuss.

      All the best.

  51. Bugra: “With all due respect, can someone answer my question? How do you know Turkey did this?”

    A better question is, why shouldn’t we think Turkey did it? You think we are so naive that we can’t see the obvious? And are you so clueless that you think Turkey “never knew Al Qaeda would invade Kessab”? Sure, thousands of terrorists massed on the border and for several months preparing the invasion, and the Turkish government “never had a clue” right? Wow that is a miracle, maybe we can just walk in and retake our Armenian lands back, since the Turkish government is in absentia and has no clue that tens of thousands of terrorists have been training in Turkey and still are as we speak.

    Now for those that actually are on planet earth and accept the principles of simple common sense. What gain does ISIS have in destroying this Armenian center and church? The answer is that it has zero gain for ISIS, and 100% gain for Turkey since it is in an area where many Armenians perished in the Genocide perpetrated by Turkey and its existence is a pin prick for the Turkish genocidal state.

    There is an Armenian church in “ISIS city”, Raqqa, and it has been taken over by ISIS and is actually now their “office”. So if ISIS was after Armenians specifically, why didn’t they destroy that church too? Does it make sense that you would destroy a nice building instead of taking it, using it, converting it, selling it, demanding ransom for it, etc? From the destruction of a Genocide museum and church where Turkey committed that Genocide, Turkey has every interest in getting it destroyed, and no one else would get a “benefit”. It was all a plan and a deal struck between Turkey and ISIS. Except, in this case, the cowards of Turkey can officially hide behind a terrorists organization, which of course they helped create.

    Incidentally, Kessab was not “liberated”. I believe all this nonsense about Al Qaeda, Al Nusra, ISIS, ISIL, etc is all phoney baloney, they are all the same thing. In Kessab they called the Turkey trained and hosted terrorists “Al Nusra”. In Iraq they are calling them “ISIS”. The truth is, the jihadists withdrew from Kessab when the call came to go to Iraq and help create the so-called “caliphate” so they needed them there, and here, Turkey once again gave them safe passage from between the Syria-Turkey border to get to Iraq and start their mayhem there.

    Was the world’s number one superpower unaware of this? BS, they knew everything that was transpiring from day one. Who is keeping this “ISIS” afloat financially? Turkey, because their stolen oil is going to Turkey and being sold at 50% discount or more. You see, “ISIS” translates into profit for Turkey, in more ways than one. And what is the neocon-led USA doing about Turkey dealing with ISIS? NOTHING, except they are now spending millions in a bombing campaign which again translates to profits for the military industrial complex of the USA. All the Arab gulf puppets joined in to show the world that “the USA is not alone in fighting Islamic Terrorists”. Yes we live in that kind of wicked world.

    • I already explained that to you above in my first post. It was because of the bones. You can’t be praying, weeping to human skeletons in IS ideology. There is no other church in the area with displays of human remains if there is I garantee that would also have been taken out.
      This has nothing to do with the Turks.

      Also the oil gets smuggled in at $25 a barrel usually it’s $90 something.
      Revenues around $1 million from what I have read from various sources.
      Of course there are shifties going on. Cash is king.
      Turkey has bigger problems like the Kurds incoming to worry about cheap oil gains…

    • {“ It was because of the bones.”}

      Stop blaming others, Ali.
      Destruction, desecration, defiling of anything related to Armenians is SOP for your denialist, barbarian, savage, invadonomad Turkic kin*.

      [Skulls and Bones Exposed in Mass Grave Near Van]
      http://armenianweekly.com/2013/10/04/skulls-and-bones-exposed-in-mass-grave-near-van/

      { VAN, Turkey (A.W.)—Skulls and bones, possibly from the Armenian Genocide, have been found protruding from the soil near a school in the district of Westan (current name, Gevaş) in Van, according to a newspaper report. The pro-Kurdish Ozgur Gundem reported that in the village of Ili (current name, Dağyöre) in the district of Westan, a mass grave was unearthed last year during the construction of the Dağyöre Elementary School. The bones remain there, protruding from the soil, to this day. Villagers say the mass grave is likely that of the Armenians who lived in the village a century ago.
      The village of Ili is southwest of Gevaş (Armenian name Vosdan), and had 21 Armenian households prior to the Armenian Genocide.}

      and

      [Armenian cemetery in Turkey is destroyed] (25.07.2012 News.am)
      {Another vandalism occurred against the Armenian graves in Turkey.
      An Armenian cemetery was destroyed to build a new road in the Eruh region of the country’s Siirt (Sghert) Province, the Turkish Aykiridogrular website informs.
      Until now, however, an Armenian church—which is located within the borders of the Kurdish Khert village—was already ruined, and its continuation was that, instead of restoring the church, the authorities began destroying the Armenian cemetery situated in the vicinity of the church.
      And even though the human skeletons are scattered all over the area, the persons in charge continue to build roads on the bones of Armenians.
      To note, there are numerous cases in Turkey when Armenian cemeteries have been destroyed, and schools, kindergartens, hospitals, stadiums and highways have been built there.}

      You suppose ISIS/ISIL/IS travelled back in time and destroyed those Armenian sites because {“ It was because of the bones.”} ?

      —-
      * In 2005 Turkbaijani barbarian invadonomad askers completed the destruction of the last of the 1000s Armenian Christian cross-stones, Khachkars, in occupied Armenian Nakhichevan.

  52. Where is the social media outrage on the Turkish guided, American armed ISIS destruction of the Deir Zor museum!!! If this had happened to a Jewish Holocaust museum the whole world would have been shooken up by it! Can we stop living in the past and stop upholding traditions that are paralyzing us in their attempt to prevent us from supposed assimilation and react to the now and come up with leadership meant to protect us now in the 21st Century? The least we can do is wreak havoc in global social media about this. We are preparing programs for the centennial where at the same time Turkey using Isis is destroying Kessab Deir Zor and all the remaining remnants of our Genocide. Where is our leadership?

  53. Armenians love to waive flags in April, and they say “Never Again” but when it becomes time to act, they do nothing.
    If they believed in “Never Again” they would arrive in Syria in droves to fight and defend themselves. Instead they prefer to post on Facebook while driving around Glendale in BMW’s.

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