Friday, April 24, 2015

Armenian Genocide Centennial is Observed in Fresno

Armenians around the world today are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the genocide in Turkey that killed 1.5 million people and dispersed another half-million Armenians into the diaspora. President Obama earlier this week refused to use the term “genocide” as he and past Presidents have. In 2008 Obama made a campaign promise to recognize the genocide for what it was, but said he deplored the mass murders that took place between 1915 and 1923. Twenty nations have already done so. Recently Pope Francis, the nation of Germany and the European Parliament all officially acknowledged the genocide and urged Turkey to come to come to terms with it. In Fresno and other cities with large Armenian-American populations, many activities have been taking place to commemorate the centennial. Pacifica’s Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.