KILL BILL
By Khatchig Mouradian

After killing Hrant Dink, the Turkish state is now trying to capitalize on
his funeral to kill the Genocide bill in the U.S. Congress.

***

The Turkish state killed Dink.

Dink's murder is the culmination of nine decades of denying of the Armenian
Genocide; of suppressing and silencing minorities; of brainwashing Turkish
youth by propagating Genocide denial in Turkish textbooks; of labeling
people who dare speak even a portion of the truth as "enemies of the state,"
"backstabbers" and "traitors," and persecuting them under Article 301 for
"insulting Turkishness."

And then faking surprise and mourning when someone puts bullets in the head
of one of those "backstabbers."

***

"Where were all these people when Hrant Dink was alive?" asked one woman on
Turkish TV as tens of thousands marched in Dink's funeral holding signs that
read, "We are all Armenians, we are all Hrant."

Suddenly, everybody loves Hrant.

But Hrant was alone on that pavement when he took his last breath.

He was alone before that, too.

Many of the people who have suddenly become Hrant were not even half as
courageous as him. And when Hrant properly called the annihilation of the
Armenians in 1915 "genocide," many of his friends criticized him or, at
best, continued to remain silent, speaking instead of "reconciling Turks and
Armenians" and finding a "common historical ground."

Let's harbor no illusions. The grave of Hrant Dink will not become a "common
ground."

Dink walked along the same road that Krikor Zohrab, Daniel Varoujan,
Siamanto, Komitas and hundreds of other Armenian intellectuals walked on
April 24, 1915.

A million and a half Armenians were killed in 1915, and 92 years later,
their ashes-graveless and scattered in deserts-haven't been a cause for
"common ground" for Turkey.

A single grave will hardly change anything.

***

Now the Turkish state is trying to abuse the fact that tens of thousands
attended Dink's funeral in Istanbul, saying, "Look, Hrant Dink's death is
bringing Turks and Armenians together. A new phenomenon of reconciliation
has started: we are inviting Armenians from the Diaspora and we are talking
to the Armenians. So, Western countries, don't disturb this dialogue with
your genocide resolutions."

We are already reading articles reflecting this mode of thought in the
Turkish as well Western media.

The West must realize that only by facing the past can Turks and Armenians
come together.

I have nothing to say to the killers of Dink, who are now attempting to
murder the bill in the U.S. Congress.

Here's my suggestion, however, to those among the tens of thousands at
Dink's funeral who have no desire to be a tool in the state's hand, who
genuinely feel that they are Hrant Dink and that they are Armenian:

This year, on April 24-the day of the commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide, the day Armenian intellectuals were rounded up in 1915 and taken
to their death-organize a march on the same route that you marched during
Hrant's funeral, carrying signs that say:

"We are all Krikor Zohrab."
"We are all Daniel Varoujan."
"We are all Siamanto."
"We are all Komitas."
"We are All Armenians."

That is the best way to honor Hrant.


The Armenian Weekly
Jan. 27, 2007