Armenian memorial set for noon today

By Mitchell Peters

In memorial of the Armenian Genocide, members of the Armenian Students Organization and community members will gather in the Free Speech area at noon to present poems and remember those lost in the Genocide of 1915.

The Armenian Genocide was carried out between 1915 and 1916 by the government of the Ottoman Empire. About 1.5 million out of 2.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were killed. The Turkish government to this day officially denies such an event occurred.

“ I think Armenians are affirming that the truth is always stronger than the denial,” Fresno State Armenian Studies professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian said. “Knowing that you are right and historical evidence overwhelmingly supports that gives people strength.”

The event will feature State Senator Chuck Poochigian. Two films discussing issues of the genocide, “Armenia: The Betrayal,” and “The Hidden Holocaust,” will be screened at 7 p.m. in McLane Hall, Room 121. A short candlelight vigil and moment of silence in the Free Speech area for those who suffered during the genocide will follow.

“ It’s an event that we should never forget because it’s a crime against humanity,” said Zhanna Bagdasarov, secretary of the ASO who lost two great grandparents in the Armenian Genocide.