96th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide to Be Held in Times Square, Sunday, May 1, 2-4 PM

New Theme: "Turkey Is Guilty of Genocide: Denying the Undeniable Is a Crime"; Armenian Genocide Experts and Survivors Available for Interviews

NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the 26th year, thousands of Armenian Americans and their supporters will gather in Times Square (43rd St. & Broadway) to commemorate the first genocide of the 20th Century: the Armenian Genocide. To be held on Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 2-4 PM, this historic event will pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who were annihilated by the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire. The Commemoration will also celebrate the survival and spirit of the Armenian people, their rich heritage and global contributions.

Presenters will include civic, religious, humanitarian, educational, cultural leaders and performing artists. This event is free and open to the public.

Armenian Genocide experts Dennis R. Papazian, PhD, National Grand Commander of Knights of Vartan; Dr. Arthur Kubikian, former Chairman of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Times Square (1999 and 2006); and Dr. Raffi A. Hovanessian, active in Armenian affairs and Vice Chair of the Diocesan Council in N.Y., are available for media interviews via phone and in-person. Armenian Genocide survivors are also available (with translators) to discuss their eyewitness accounts as refugees from the Armenian Genocide. Their painful accounts of the horrendous horrors and mass destruction they witnessed and lived through are critical contributions to world history.

Dr. Papazian comments, "There is no question that when genocide goes unpunished, it makes other perpetrators discount the possibility of being punished for their transgressions. The Turkish government to this day continues to deny the reality of the first genocide of the 20th Century, the Armenian Genocide, which opened the door to all the genocides of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. In fact, when Hitler sent his Death Heads troops into Poland at the beginning of World War II, he said, 'Go. Kill without mercy. Who today remembers the extermination of the Armenians?'"

ISSUES TO EXPLORE WITH EXPERTS:

• Why do the Armenians and supporters commemorate the Armenian Genocide?
• What is the historical evidence to support the Armenian Genocide?
• Why is the Turkish government denying the Armenian Genocide and what would be the outcomes if the Turkish government acknowledged the Genocide?
• What major world historical events have taken place in the 20th and 21st Centuries because of the denial of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish Ottoman Empire and other nations?
• What are the consequences of countries recognizing the Armenian Genocide?

The Experts:

Dennis R. Papazian, PhD, is the National Grand Commander of Knights of Vartan and founding Director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where from 1971-2006, he held the position of Professor of History. He also served four years as Executive Director of the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington, D.C. In addition, Dr. Papazian was on the Board of Trustees of the American Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern), Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the St. Nersess Armenian Theological Seminary, President of the Society for Armenian Studies and Editor of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies. He is listed in Who's Who in America and resides in N.J. with his wife, Mary, who is Senior Vice President of Lehman College, CUNY.

Arthur H. Kubikian, DDS, is the former Chairman of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Times Square (1999 and 2006) and is an active member of the Knights of Vartan. He resides in Long Island, N.Y.

Raffi A. Hovanessian, MD, has been active in Armenian affairs throughout his life and is presently Vice Chair of the Diocesan Council in N.Y. He has served on the boards of the Armenian Assembly, AGBU, St. Nersess Seminary and the American University of Armenia and is an active member of the Knights of Vartan. He resides in N.J.

The 96th Commemoration is organized by the Mid-Atlantic chapters of Knights & Daughters of Vartan - http://www.knightsofvartan.org, http://www.knightsofvartan.ca, a U.S. fraternal organization of Armenian Americans, and co-sponsored by Armenian General Benevolent Union - http://www.agbu.org, Armenian Assembly of America - http://www.aaainc.org, Armenian National Committee of America - http://www.anca.org, Armenian Council of America and ADL-Ramgavars.

Participating Organizations: Diocese of the Armenian Church, Prelacy of the Armenian Church, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Catholic Eparchy for US and Canada, Mid-Atlantic ACYOA, AYF, Armenian Youth Organizations, Armenian University and College Clubs.

For more information, please visit http://april24timessquare.com, http://www.knightsofvartan.org, click April 24, http://www.april24nyc.com, http://www.armenianradionj.com, http://www.theforgotten.org, http://www.armenian-genocide.org, http://www.twentyvoices.com

Logos:

http://www.ereleases.com/pic/Knights-of-Vartan.tif

http://www.ereleases.com/pic/Daughters-of-Vartan.tif

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Knights & Daughters of Vartan