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Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts

Monday, 21 October 2013

Text-book hypocrisy: Armenia hosts Council of Europe conference on combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance in Europe

UPDATE on Unzipped: Gay ArmeniaP.S. The action. Photo, video, media reports: Armenia human rights activists protest and enter CoE conference in Yerevan exposing ruling regime’s hypocrisy
***
On Monday Armenia hosts Council of Europe conference on "Combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance in Europe".

Just to remind that racism and ‘blood purity‘ are part of the ideology of ruling Republican party.

Earlier foreign minister Nalbandyan “told the Assembly that the Armenian Chairmanship is supporting the No Hate speech Movement” (source). What? Supporting "no hate speech movement"?! Needless to say that Armenia has no hate speech or hate crime legislation. It's all words. One face for the outside world, the very different one - for internal consumption.

In reality, high level Armenian officials condone anti-gay attacks, stir-up nationalism, intolerance, hate speech, xenophobia and racism.

This legal vacuum was clearly illustrated in May 2012 with the attack on gay-friendly bar DIY. This fuelled a rise in violence against the LGBT community, including by high profile politicians from the ruling Republican party, as well as church representatives and local media, which frequently relay messages of homophobic impunity (Yes to domestic violence and Yes to attacking gays).

The notion of diversity was once again attacked few days later, when neo-nazi elements attacked Diversity march to mark United Nation’s World Day of Cultural Diversity. They were encouraged by endorsement of homophobic hysteria and anti-gay violence on a very high state level that followed firebombing of DIY bar.

Other examples? Repeated attempts to hold Azeri film festival in Armenia sparked hatred and xenophobia, with direct physical attacks and abundance of hate speech.

More examples? More recent ones? In abundance.

Here is perhaps the most outrageously bizarre one. Deputy sports/youth minister of Armenia, neo-nazi Asryan claimed that opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjian should be burnt alive (!) for her CoE question. And... nothing. Still holds his position. No criminal proceeding. No challenge from the human rights ombudsman. No nothing. You would think that MPs from ruling party of the Council of Europe chairmanship country would retract the insults, reprimand their colleague at the very least? Nope. Pro-Government MPs Stand By Insults with more racist and xenophobic comments.

Of course, there was no challenge from the ombudsman because he himself was busy flirting with neo-nazi. Armenia human rights ombudsman targets trans sex workers and cites neo-nazi website as a basis for his statement.

More? There have been direct threats on Armenian Facebook to attack women rights and activists as part of 'gender equality' law hysteria. And the very latest demonstration of hatred by groups linked to certain elements within the ruling regime and Russia. A demonstration headed by high level priests against the law on gender equality and against human rights of LGBT people. This instantly reminded of ‘taburetka syndrom’ observed in Tbilisi earlier this year.

*picture - as shared on FB

The above are only few examples. This list can go on and on.

Before hosting such forums, first and foremost Armenia authorities must ensure in-house their determination and actions - not words or signatures, but real life actions - to combat intolerance, hate speech, xenophobia and racism. Right now, Armenia is not necessarily an oasis of tolerance in the region. It could have been. But it's not.

What we are witnessing with hosting such conference is a text-book example of hypocrisy.

So when you read headlines about this conference hosted by Armenia authorities, repeat after me: hypocrisy.

***
Group of human rights activists intend to hold a protest action in front of the conference venue on Monday, exposing hypocrisy of the ruling regime in Armenia.

FB event (AM): Հոկտեմբերի 21-22ը Երևանի Մարիոթ Արմենիա հյուրանոցում տեղի կունենա "Պայքար Եվրոպայում խտրականության, այլատյացության և անհանդուրժողականության դեմ" միջազգային խորհրդաժողով: Նույն օրը առավոտյան 10:15-ին Մարիոթ Արմենիա հյուրանոցի դիմաց վերոնշյալ խնդրով մտահոգ Հայաստանի ակտիվ քաղաքացինները իրենց բողոքի ձայնը կբարձրացնեն Հայաստնում իշխանությունների կողմից իրականացվող խտրականության, այլատյացության և անհանդուրժողականության դեմ:

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Exposed: racism and 'blood purity' part of ideology of Armenia ruling Republican party?

Thanks to a Facebook friend of mine, I did something I have never done before (or never had any desire whatsoever to do). I looked at the library of ideological publications produced by Armenia's ruling Republican party. In particular, one ‘fundamental’ and pretty 'mind-blowing’ publication. Trust me, that was more than enough for me. What I read there is disgusting, and believe you me, "disgusting" is an understatement.

It's a publication about ‘foundations’ of Armenian family and gender roles (published by Republican party in 2002 and available under the “library” section of their official website).


It uses N-word to refer to black people and 'justifies' the notion of 'purity of blood' calling for no mixed marriages in order to preserve... yes, that very same 'purity of blood' + more racist rant. I am not even going further into their 'defining' of gender roles etc. If this is not a Nazi and racist ideology, then what is it?

For a country with European inclination, or in fact for any country, this is an appalling display of what should have no place in modern world, let alone as part of the ideology of ruling party.  I wonder if Armenia president and PM, as party leaders, are aware of these ideological 'pearls' and whether they share what is supposedly part of their own party ideology? Either they should immediately ditch them from their 'library' and distance themselves from what was expressed in this and similar party publications or people associated with the Republican party risk putting shame on themselves and on Armenia's reputation.

Just to illustrate the point, below are only few extracts from the “Armenian Family” (“ՀԱՅ ԸՆՏԱՆԻՔ” - AM) publication (Republican Party of Armenia, Yerevan 2002):

Երբ մի քանի տարի առաջ ժառանգաբան Նվարդ Քոչարին հարցրեցինք, թե արդյոք ինքը համաձայն կլիներ, որ հայը, օրինակ, նեգրի հետ ամուսնանար, նա պատասխանեց.

- Եթե ընտրեց, ամուսնացավ, այո, համաձայն եմ: Կարեւորը որ նա հայկական միջավայրում ապրի եւ հայանա: Ինչ վատ կլինի, եթե նեգրի երաժշտականությունը, ռիթմի զգացողությունը ներմուծվի:

Թե ինչպես պիտի նեգրը հայանա, նույնիսկ երեւակայությունը թույլ չի տալիս պատկերացնել: Իսկ որ հայերս երաժշտականության բնածին պակաս ունենք եւ ստիպված պիտի ուրիշից ներմուծենք, շատ անլուրջ է:

Ներկայումս խառնազգի ամուսնությունները մեզանում (լինի Հայրենիքում, թե Սփյուռքում) առավելապես կատարվում են հաշվենկատորեն, երբ, բարեկեցիկ կյանքի ակնկալիքով, շատ հայեր “ամուսնանում” են եվրոպացիների, ամերիկացիների, արդեն` նաեւ պարսիկների, արաբների հետ:


Արյունախառնության կողմնակիցները գտնում են, որ իբր խաչասերումից առաջացած սերունդն ավելի ոժեղ և խելոք է լինում: Դժվար թե: [...] օրինակ, մուլատների մոտ ակնհայտ են մտավոր պակասությունները:

Tuesday, 26 October 2010

Nationalists gone hysterical in Armenian sector of Facebook over Azeri Film Festival in Yerevan


It’s funny how Armenian nationalists, self-proclaimed propagandists or ‘defendants’ of Armenian interests (whether in Armenia or Diaspora) are all up in arms to express their “outrage” when Armenian writers, artists, or anything Armenia related get threatened, abused and discriminated against in Turkey or Azerbaijan. They are all up in arms to “protest” and “expose” discrimination and abuse directed at few brave Turkish or Azeri voices who express different to the ‘accepted’ views in relation to Armenia, Karabakh or the Armenian Genocide.

But look at the nationalist hysteria that was generated and going on after the event’s page was set up for the Azeri Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia (see poster above and FB page). Many of the most vocal and repetitive haters are those born in/around early 90s, a so called ‘lost generation’, who probably saw this as a chance for self-affirmation or whatever.

I am not going to repeat totally sh*tty language they use to show off how ‘patriotic’ they are and how ‘treacherous’ the organisers or supporters/attendants of the film festival are.

I strongly believe that art, and culture, do not recognise borders. Even if countries are at the state of war. Art, and films, are the best way for ordinary people to get to know each other better, to break the ice, even or especially in case of closed borders. There is also internet, of course, and meetings outside the national borders.

I have no problem if there are people who protest the idea or the fact of the festival. It’s their right. But do it in a (at least remotely) civilised way, without engaging the lowest possible denominator of nationalist/racist crap, personal attacks and threats to individuals. There is a fine line when freedom of speech gets transformed into something that should be considered within the frames of legal/criminal code. Many have already crossed that line.

And they pour tons of hatred, slander, nationalist crap and threats towards (among others) one of the brightest and the bravest souls in contemporary Armenia, writer and activist, and dreamer Lusine Vayachyan, who happened to help the organiser to set up the event’s page in Facebook, and supports the idea of film festival. Vayach, you have my respects. If only we have more dreamers in Armenia...

It’s an unfortunate reality that ‘treacherous’ Armenians become heroes only after their death. R.I.P., Hrant Dink...

*Recommended reading:

Azerbaijan Film Festival in Yerevan Sparks Hatred and Xenophobia

Armenian Writer Threatened for Facebook Page on Azerbaijan Film Screenings in Yerevan

No Enemy Nations, Only Regressive Societies and Governments: Ara Nedolyan

Intolerance Hidden Under Veil of Patriotism is Dangerous: Opinion

Hatred and Xenophobia is Alive and Well

Friday, 27 November 2009

WTF?! - ‘Hayastanci: Anti-Russia’

After reading this IWPR report and glancing at this so called group’s so called website, my only reaction was - WTF?! They look like a group of hackers playing with others’ nerves, hoping for publicity and having fun. Mentally disturbed people with sick agenda.
A burst of anti-Russian [Unzipped: not only anti-Russian] emails and text messages, supposedly sent from an Armenian activist group [Unzipped: I do not think it’s an ‘Armenian activist group’], has left Armenians baffled as to who’s behind it and what their motives are.

The emails and text messages originate from an organisation calling itself Hayastanci: Anti-Russia, and thousands of Armenians have received them. More...

Saturday, 11 April 2009

Zhirinovsky at “Tashir” Armenian Music Awards – OMG!

The 4th Armenian music awards ceremony “Tashir 2009” was held on 4 April at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. It’s one of the headlining dates in Armenian pop music calendar.

I am not going to discuss the show itself, except for in P.S. below. You may find many video clips on a YouTube channel. What I am disturbed with was the ‘performance’ of Zhirinovsky there.

Why on earth such an odious Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky (Wikipedia ) was invited and had a speech devoted to the Armenian cause there? Was this a music show or what? Can’t we just have a nice Armenian music entertainment show, celebrating in this case a pop music, without involving politics, especially coming from Russian nationalists? Did the organisers actually think that just because Zhirinovsky delivered a ‘devoted’ to the “Armenian Question” speech full of hate to other nations and chauvinism would do any good to publicising our issues? He sounded more nationalistic but extremely fake (!) than those coming from some Armenian circles. I felt nauseous after watching his speech (video). Can’t some people understand that Zhirinovsky & co do not give a shit about Armenian problems, instead promoting their very own specific agenda. The PR-ed affiliation of such people with the Armenian issues could do only harm to their international perception.

P.S. Inga and Anush Arshakyan presented their Eurovision entry Jan Jan (Nor Par) at Tashir ceremony too. That was one hell of a messy choreography (video). Urgent attention needed.

Sunday, 8 February 2009

The rise of Russia's neo-nazi

Luke Harding of San Francisco Sentinel details the rise of Russia's neo-nazi movement, providing (among others) a chilling account of the murder of ethnic Armenian by one of those groups in Moscow.


By LUKE HARDING

San Francisco Sentinel

It was 9.10pm and Karen Abramian was returning home to his flat in southwest Moscow. Abramian had been visiting his parents in a nearby tower block. His journey back took five minutes - past a series of grey high-rise buildings soaring into Moscow’s packed skyline and a children’s playground, and up a modest flight of steps. As he punched in the entrance code, two young men, one wearing a baseball cap and one a bandana, approached him from behind. And then they stabbed him. They stabbed him again - methodically slashing his head, neck, back and stomach. Abramian pleaded with his attackers. “Don’t do this. Please take my money,” he begged them. His assailants - two slight, boyish, almost nerdish figures - ignored him, stabbing him 56 times. At this moment, Abramian’s wife Marta peered out of their ninth-floor apartment window and spotted two boys beating a dark shape lying on the ground. The couple’s 14-year-old son Georgy, who had been playing nearby, found his father in the entrance, bleeding profusely. Georgy took off his T-shirt (it was April, still winter in Russia, and bitterly cold), wrapped it around his father and ran upstairs. Abramian was conscious when Georgy came back with a blanket and pillow. Georgy wrapped his father in it and they waited in the gloom for an ambulance. Abramian told his son simply: “They were skinheads.” Four hours later, in the early hours of 17 April 2007, Abramian was dead. Doctors had been unable to stem the colossal loss of blood.

The names of Abramian’s killers are Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, both 17. Their motive for murdering Abramian, the 46-year-old boss of a Moscow insurance company, was ideological. As they saw it, Abramian’s violent death was part of a national liberation movement - an ambitious, quasi-mystical struggle to get rid of Russia’s foreigners, in which they played the role of hero-warriors. The boys had picked Abramian because he was an ethnic Armenian. But his murder was an act of random racist violence: Ryno and Skachevsky spotted him on the street and decided impulsively to kill him. They were apprehended by a neighbour who witnessed the attack and ran after them. They insouciantly escaped on the number 26 tram, but the neighbour, a former investigator, flagged down a passing police Lada and gave chase. Police officers halted the tram and arrested both boys. Ryno and Skachevsky had turned their blood-soaked overcoats inside out; their victim, however, had managed to grab one of them by the arm, leaving behind a bloody print. They made no attempt to disguise their crime; on the contrary, they were proud of it. In their rucksack, detectives discovered 10in knives. In custody, investigators asked Ryno and Skachevsky whether they had committed other murders. To their surprise, the teenagers said they had. In a period of nine months, from August 2006 to April 2007, when they stabbed Abramian, they had killed 20 people and attacked at least 12 others, who had survived. Initially, the police were highly sceptical, assuming that the boys were delusional. Gradually, however, investigators began to confirm Ryno and Skachevsky’s fantastic claims. Prosecutors established that the diminutive pair had indeed killed 20 people.

Ryno and Skachevsky are among the worst mass murderers in Russia’s modern history. Three hours before Abramian’s murder the pair stabbed to death Kyril Sadikov, a Tajik. They ate some food, then set off in search of their next victim. The 45-page court indictment against them shows a disturbing pattern, with the skinheads lying in wait next to different suburban metro stations and stabbing their victims 15 to 60 times. The victims had one thing in common: they weren’t Slavs. Most were guest workers toiling in Moscow’s building industry or as cleaners in the capital’s communal courtyards and urban parks. Nobody knows how many low-wage gastarbeiter are currently resident in Moscow, a teeming metropolis of 12 million people - estimates range from 200,000 to 2 million. Typically, Ryno and Skachevsky’s targets had fled poverty and the impoverished former Soviet republics of Central Asia - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Others were from China. A few were “of Caucasian appearance”, as the charge sheet puts it, from Russia’s troubled southern provinces of Chechnya or Dagestan.

Like all warriors involved in a holy war, as they perceived it, the boys sometimes made mistakes: several of their dark-skinned victims were actually ethnic Russians. […]

I later discover that most Russian skinheads revere the Führer, believing that his only mistake was to attack Russia. The average age here is about 15 or 16; the style is baseball caps, Burberry scarves and Lonsdale - the uniform of the British far-right. One skinhead even has a Union Flag jacket. There are several girls. The skinheads adhere to two ultra-nationalist groups - the Movement Against Illegal Immigration and the Slavic Union. […]

In December 2008, Ryno and Skachevsky were sentenced to 10 years in jail, the maximum sentence for a juvenile. Five other members of their gang were jailed for between six and 20 years. […] Ryno made a final speech to the jury. In a rambling address, he explained that he committed the murders for the “tsar, country, and monarchy”. Later he revealed that after prison he intends to embark on a new career. He wants to be a politician.

Marta Abramian shows off a photo of her husband, taken a month before his murder. As well as their son Georgy, the couple have two strikingly pretty dark-haired daughters, Meline and Karine, now 20 and 21. The photos show Karen dancing with his girls at a party; other snaps show the family relaxing on holiday in Egypt, next to a camel; there are black and white photos of Karen’s happy boyhood in Baku, Azerbaijan. The couple met and courted in Baku, but in the late 80s they moved to Moscow when war erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Karen studied at Moscow University and then joined an insurance firm, rising to become its general director. He wrote poems and composed songs. “He was a wonderful father, a wonderful son and wonderful husband,” Marta says. “I never thought this could happen to my husband. We considered ourselves real citizens of Russia. We work here. We pay taxes. This is our country.”

We meet in the apartment of Karen’s parents, Asya, 75, and Georgy, 76. They sit together on the sofa holding their son’s framed photo; his murder outrages them still. After an hour punctuated by phone calls from the court - the skinheads’ trial is just ending - Marta takes us to the spot where Karen was murdered. Next to the entrance, she has planted a small fir tree; she and the kids still live upstairs on the ninth floor. “It’s so we can remember Daddy,” she says. “It’s very difficult without him. There is just an empty shape. Nothing can fill the emptiness.”

*photo - via San Francisco Sentinel

Saturday, 7 February 2009

Armenian bachelors among the most desired in Moscow

For the third year in a row, the highest number of marriages with foreign citizens in Moscow in 2008 were with citizens of Turkey, reports Interfax (via Tert.am). This followed by Germany, US, Israel and the UK.

Among the CIS countries (ex-Soviet states), the ‘most desired’ are citizens of Ukraine followed by Armenia, Moldova, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan (all sharing the second place).

On one hand, this may sound like an encouraging statistics having the background of recent surge in racist, neo-nazi attacks on foreigners in Moscow, especially from the Caucasus and Asia. However, this perhaps a reflection of numbers of ethnic Armenians etc. who are Moscow residents and tend to marry their compatriots too.

Friday, 23 January 2009

Armenian neo-nazi get united and organised. Does anyone care?

In December 2008, just before New Year holidays, the Association of Armenian Nationalists was established in Armenia by notorious ultra-nationalist groups and individuals. Among them – Armenian Aryan Order, ultra-nationalist group known for its anti-semitism and homophobia. The declared aim of this newly established union is “bringing together similarly-minded people in Diaspora and Armenia, and the creation of a strong Armenian nationalist organisation”.

They made number of political statements in past, related to current issues; number of hateful speeches to put themselves into headlines. They did even small protest action against Israel over Gaza. Do not get fooled. The rights of the Palestine people are the least they care about. They have different agenda.

True, these groups’ influence seems insignificant for now, and the situation in Armenia is not as dramatic as in Russia where numerous ethnic Armenians, along with other foreigners or non-Russian locals were murdered by neo-nazi. However, prevention is the best way to deal with the problem. Surrounded by significant internal and external problems, more nationalism and intolerance is the least which Armenia needs now. The key to solving many existing problems in our society, as well as those facing internationally is more tolerance and less nationalism.

Any exhibition of hate by these groups or this newly established union should face the strongest opposition of mainstream political forces, civil society and law-enforcement agencies. This is, of course, more like a wishful thinking. Sadly, the reality is different, and at times it’s very difficult to discern voices of our mainstream political parties or civil society representatives from those of neo-nazi. In past, not a single politician, civil society representative or media outlet (one or two exceptions) condemned hateful statements by Avetisyan, head of Aryans.

Interestingly, as head of Aryans mentioned during a press conference yesterday, they will aim to collaborate with similar organisations in neighbouring countries, as well as Europe and... Russia. I wonder what the ‘outcome’ of their meeting with the Russian ‘colleagues’ would be. So far we are aware of only one type of ‘outcome’ after such ‘meetings’.

We do not want instances of hate graffiti and hate speech to evolve into something uglier, do we?


*source of photos: Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007

Sunday, 18 January 2009

"We Are All Hrant Dink" - the Hepimiz movement in Turkey

*Today's Zaman

The ridiculous headline "Hepimiz Keviniz" (We are all Kevin), broadcast by Star news on the announcement and arrival of Kevin Costner as the figurehead of Turkish Airlines' (THY) new first-class service, has been viewed as a gross and thoughtless misappropriation of a serious slogan chosen by Turks to express their sympathy for persecuted people both nationally and internationally.

The phrase "Hepimiz" (All of us) was made popular after the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink in January 2007. Dink was a talented writer, and as an Armenian with great faith in the Turkish people, he spent his life working to create an environment of tolerance and love that would accept him and others like him who did not fit into the state's narrow definition of "Turkishness." When his murderer, Ogün Samast, a 16-year-old, ran from the scene shouting "I have killed the gavur [foreigner or non-Muslim]," the nation responded with an outburst of shame. The streets were flooded with people and signs all defiantly proclaiming the same message, "Hepimiz Hrant'ız, hepimiz Ermeniyiz" (We are all Hrant, we are all Armenian).

Since then, the slogan has become a byword for grassroots movements defending human rights, free speech, equality, feminism and anti-racism. In 2008 when Italian peace activist Pippa Bacca was murdered while hitchhiking across Turkey in a symbolic bridal gown, her death was commemorated by those who mourned the abuse of her innocence and hope and by women's groups protesting her rape and murder with the words "Hepimiz Pippa'yız." The slogan made its first appearance of 2009 at the opening night party of the film "The Queen at the Factory." Hande Yener, the oft-touted Madonna of Turkish pop, stars in the film, which revolves around a brother's inability to accept his sister's homosexuality; she started the party by announcing "Hepimiz Gay'iz." The most recent example of the use of this phrase was in response to the savage attacks on Gaza, which have prompted marches in Turkey under the banner "Hepimiz Filistinliyiz" (We are all Palestinians). [...]

The Hepimiz movement is a small but encouraging sign in a country that has no specialized national body to combat racism and few NGOs to fill that gap. [...]

Sunday, 26 October 2008

Post deleted: (re alleged stabbing incident with Indian students in Yerevan)

Many thanks to all readers of my blog who made comments (Anonymous, Onnik Krikorian, Souren); also to all readers of my blog and my friends who were helping me to establish whether the incident happened and its circumstances.

However, as it was not possible to get confirmation of this story from other sources and taking into account the sensitivity of the subject matter, I decided to delete this post.

Thanks for your understanding!

Monday, 28 January 2008

Armenian Genocide Monument desecrated on Holocaust Memorial Day

Turkish protesters disrupt Holocaust and Hrant Dink Commemorations

Only few days ago, organisers warned of possible Turkish attempts to disrupt the Holocaust and Hrant Dink Commemoration event planned to be held in Cardiff (Wales, UK) at recently erected Armenian Genocide Memorial. Particularly, their press release indicated that "Hal Savas and his "Committee for the Protection of Turkish Rights" has told the South Wales police that they intend to protest nearby." However, the reality they encountered was uglier than it was thought would be.


*source of photo: BBC

Below is the press release received from the Wales-Armenia Solidarity (with the support of Nor Serount Cultural Association).

27 January 2008

The tiny Welsh Armenian community were targeted with a despicable racist attack on Holocaust Memorial Day. The new Armenian Genocide Monument (which was erected by the community under the leadership of John Torosyan in November) was desecrated in the early hours of the morning before important ceremonies were held today to Commemorate the Holocaust, and to remember Hrant Dink. The ornate Armenian Cross on the monument was smashed to bits by persons unknown using a hammer, which was left at the scene of the crime.

One of the Welsh Armenians said:"This is our holiest shrine. Our grandparents who perished in the Genocide do not have marked graves. This is where we remember them"

Eilian Williams of Wales Armenia Solidarity said that he blamed the so-called "Committee for the Protection of Turkish Rights" britishcptr@aol.com under the leadership of Hal Savas (mobile number 07770302822) for the crime. The police took the hammer for fingerprints.

He continued:"I call on Armenians and other sympathisers throughout the world to send messages of support to Wales Armenia Solidarity (eilian@nant.wanadoo.co.uk ) which we can send to the Prime Minister of the National Assembly of Wales. We shall repair the cross again and again no matter how often it is desecrated. We also challenge the UK government and the Turkish Embassy to condemn this racist attack.

The Holocaust commemoration was a gesture of friendship by Welsh Armenians towards the Jewish and Roma communities .

Eminent Welshman Robin Gwyndaf prayed in Welsh and English. The Assembly Member Jenny Randerson called on the UK government to recognise the Armenian Genocide .

During the Prayers for the Holocaust victims, the said Turkish Committee used a loud-speaker to disrupt proceedings.

Finally, Martin Shipton, chief reporter for the "Western Mail" the national newspaper of Wales gave his tribute to Hrant Dink (also representing the National Union of Journalists). The Turkish protesters also disrupted his speech.
***

I am re-posting 2 photos from my previous post of Armenian Genocide memorial which was unveiled in Cardiff on 3 November 2007. Racists will not succeed in their attempts!



*source of photos: www.accc.org.uk