BY ARMEN ISRAYELYAN
TEHRAN (panorama.am)—Iranian-Armenian students have appealed to Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani with an open letter urging his government to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
The authors of the letter have drawn Iran’s President’s attention to the unconstructive policy of Turkey in the region, noting that today Turkey does not only deny the Genocide committed against around 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, but also sponsors the terrorist groups in the region which slaughter numerous innocent civilians in Syria and Iraq.
Highlighting the peaceful coexistence of various ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, the Iranian-Armenian students are calling on Rouhani to recognize the Armenian Genocide, in a step to help prevent such atrocities in the future.
Despite their serious disagreements concerning regional issues, Iran and Turkey maintain economic relations.
As a Muslim country, Iran has been conducting a moderate and cautious policy regarding the Armenian Genocide over the last years. Remarkably, however, the members of parliament of the 6th Majlis of Iran condemned the Armenian Genocide. Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, then President of Iran, visited Tsitsernakaberd during his official visit to Yerevan on September 9, 2004. Vice president of Iran, Hamid Baghaei, used the word “genocide” during a conference in August 2010. “The government of Ottoman Turkey committed genocide in 1915,” he said. However, the statement was refuted to prevent aggravating relations with Turkey.
The former Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, avoided going to Tsitsernakaberd during his official visit to Armenia in 2007.
The recent years have seen some changes in the position of official Tehran regarding the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian community of Iran has recently been allowed to hold a number of events without facing substantial obstacles, including protests in front of the Turkish Embassy in Iran in the past two years.
However, both the political and religious elite of Iran, as well as ordinary citizens, admit the fact of the Armenian Genocide, as, according to Iranian sources, the Ottoman Turks also slaughtered many Armenians in Iran’s Urmia region in 1918.
It’s such a charade. You mean to tell us that the Great Islamic Republic of Iran has failed to recognize the Armenian Genocide within the past 36 years? We can understand about the Pahlavi dynasty’s alliances and allegiances, but what is the excuse of the Islamic republic? The same republic who rants and complains ad nauseam about the Great Satan and its protégés in the region, but never itself found the time or had the decency to recognize the injustice done to its smaller Christian neighbor to the north. The fact is that everyone of these so-called republics are wolves in sheep clothing. Their actions are louder than their worthless empty rhetoric. They probably don’t even totally object to the stories of how the Ottoman’s Islamized Armenian women and orphans.
Iran should show leadership in the Islamic world that they stand for humanity !
Armenia and Persians have thousands of years living together don’t forget.
Iran as the friend of Armenia should recognize the Genocide
Armenia has but one friend and that’s the Russian Bear.
Hello guys.well Iran is not in a position to recognize the genocide right now especially when its neighbors wanna destroy it and its in a war with Saudi Arabia in the region.just look at our neighbors Turkey+Azerbaijan+Arab states+Pakistan+Afghanistan+Israel hates us and especially we are under heavy sanction and we need our relationship with turkey.our diplomacy right now prevented 2 Sunni powers Turkey and Pakistan not to join the Saudi coalition and we have to do all we can to not let the Sunnis team up against us cause they consider us as infidel specially Sunni Arabs.10 years ago it was possible for us to recognize it as our president and parliament did it but the opportunity suddenly gone with the new president and the wests hostile towards us.we know that many especially Turks commited crimes against you and us but imagine Irans situation today.I want you to think about it.