French-Armenians of Valence recall Genocide on 102nd anniversary

April 24, 2017 - 13:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian community of the French city of Valence has commemorated the 102nd anniversary of the Genocide, Nouvelle d’Arménie reports.

The Armenian youth performed national songs and dances, while the event concluded with a prayer at the local Armenian church.

Representatives from Maison de la Culture Arménienne de Valence, the Armenian National Committee of France, FRA Nor Seround Valence, and a number of other Armenian organizations attended the service.

France is among the around three dozen states to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.