Jump to content

The Origin of the Word 'Genocide'


Eric
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Administrators

The 104th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide is coming up Weds, April 24th. As many as 1,500,000 ethnic Armenians were murdered by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey).

Armenia is a predominantly Christian nation, whose roots in Christianity stretch back to the 1st century AD. They became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, in 301 AD. The subjugation and persecution of the Armenian people by the Islamic states of Persia (Iran) and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) began centuries ago. Even before the efforts to exterminate the Armenians in what became known as the Armenian Genocide began in 1915, there were many, many other massacres carried out by the Turks.

Interesting enough, the term 'Genocide' was coined in 1943, by Raphael Lemkin, who coined the phrase and defined it specifically because of what happened to the Armenian people. To this day, Turkey disputes the number of people killed and refuses to acknowledge the attempted extermination of the Armenian people, at the hands of the Turks, was a genocide.

I looked up information on this tragedy because of an Anthony Bourdain episode I recently watched, where he visited Armenia. His host there was Serj Tankian, the lead singer of the band System of a Down, who is an Armenian and resides there. I'm a fan of the band and enjoyed the episode.

Anyway, this is an episode in history that few people in the US are aware of, so I thought I'd post this. I find it really ironic that the term genocide was coined because of atrocities carried out by members of the religion of peace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an aside, I've noticed that the last name of virtually all Armenians ends in -ian.  And as I recall, Sen Robert Dole was a staunch advocate for Armenians, and was often shouted down by our Turkish allies whenever the subject arose.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
1 minute ago, theglock said:

As an aside, I've noticed that the last name of virtually all Armenians ends in -ian.  And as I recall, Sen Robert Dole was a staunch advocate for Armenians, and was often shouted down by our Turkish allies whenever the subject arose.

Yeah. I don't know if Turkey's feelings about  Armenians is based on guilt or a continued hatred of them, but they still seem to see themselves as the ones wearing the white hats. I don't get it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

It should also be mentioned that at the same time the Turks were exterminating ethnic Armenians, they also carried out a similar genocide against ethnic Assyrian Christians and ethnic Greek Christians within their borders. As many as 300,000 Assyrians were killed and as many as 750,000 Greeks as well.

  • Like 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, theglock said:

Same for the Kurds.

Yes, and the Kurds got the one finger salute from the United States as well.  As one pundit put it several months ago, "We can't be held responsible for he promises some Generals made to the Kurds."  That was a really, really stupid thing for the Administration mouth piece to come out with.  Kurds don't have any tolerance for nonsense, nor being betrayed.  They are very fierce fighters and have a long memory about slights.  They may have just created Taliban Part II, with a genuine axe to grind.

  • Like 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Eric said:

It should also be mentioned that at the same time the Turks were exterminating ethnic Armenians, they also carried out a similar genocide against ethnic Assyrian Christians and ethnic Greek Christians within their borders. As many as 300,000 Assyrians were killed and as many as 750,000 Greeks as well.

It is interesting to note, that groups by-in-large that decided to behave this way collapsed on themselves.  The Ottoman Empire is dead and gone, and so is Hitler's Reich.  There is only so much that the Universe can tolerate so much of that before obliterating the groups that cause that kind of inhumanity.  Then, I am confident sheol is waiting for those who did.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
2 hours ago, Moshe said:

It is interesting to note, that groups by-in-large that decided to behave this way collapsed on themselves.  The Ottoman Empire is dead and gone, and so is Hitler's Reich.  There is only so much that the Universe can tolerate so much of that before obliterating the groups that cause that kind of inhumanity.  Then, I am confident sheol is waiting for those who did.

The Ottoman Empire was also known as The Turkish Empire, or simply as Turkey. Modern day Turkey is what is left of the Ottoman Empire, after it was partitioned and suffered the loss of its Middle Eastern territories, in the aftermath of WWI.

The Armenian Genocide, as well as the genocides against ethnic Assyrians and Christian Greeks continued for several years after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, by what was becoming and later was the Republic of Turkey. The society and culture that committed these atrocities still exists and are still actively denying that the extermination attempts were genocides.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only one I am familiar with, first hand, is the Cypress war.  I remember that being a big deal even when I was a tyke.  The Greek girl I used to sneak off to play with next door was suddenly gone.  It wasn't soon after that my father was PCS'ed to Hawaii, and I went to Kindergarden.  I met another girl my age named Mary.  Mary had a an issue with ticking off other boys and having them chase her to beat her up.  She would run by yelling for help, and I would clock the guy chasing her.  That is how I met Mary.  I often what happened to my pig tailed girl friend whom I jumped out of the highest spot on the swings to impress.  But, I soon forgot her, and discovered older women had interesting figures.  We had a 20 something reading teacher who only wore a white T-shirt and no bra.  But, I guess that was the thing to do in the 70's.

I am no fan of genocide, no matter who is on the receiving end. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Today is the 104th anniversary of Red Sunday; The day the Turks began rounding up educated Armenians in Constantinople, kicking off the genocide that lasted more than eight years and killed as many as 1.5 million Armenian Christians. Historians believe that the 'deportation' of the Armenian intellectuals, as they were called, was a decapitation strike, to help prevent an organized resistance to the slaughter that ensued. 

And today in history, politicians and newsies refer to Christians as 'Easter Worshipers' in the press, after yet another massacre at the hands of Muslims has occurred. This is ******* pathetic.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Eric said:

Today is the 104th anniversary of Red Sunday; The day the Turks began rounding up educated Armenians in Constantinople, kicking off the genocide that lasted more than eight years and killed as many as 1.5 million Armenian Christians. Historians believe that the 'deportation' of the Armenian intellectuals, as they were called, was a decapitation strike, to help prevent an organized resistance to the slaughter that ensued. 

And today in history, politicians and newsies refer to Christians as 'Easter Worshipers' in the press, after yet another massacre at the hands of Muslims has occurred. This is ******* pathetic.

The choice of phrasing by politicians is done with great care and specificity.  It reveals where their allegiance lies, yet half the population are too ignorant or unwilling to listen carefully to their words.  It appears that there are people who want to be led, to minimize their need to make the commitment for critical choices in their lives.  These are the people who back tyrants by doing nothing and eventually are led to the wall.  Capitulation is easy, until they come for you.

If you don't manage your own destiny, someone else will.  Why is this so hard to understand?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Eric said:

Today is the 104th anniversary of Red Sunday; The day the Turks began rounding up educated Armenians in Constantinople, kicking off the genocide that lasted more than eight years and killed as many as 1.5 million Armenian Christians. Historians believe that the 'deportation' of the Armenian intellectuals, as they were called, was a decapitation strike, to help prevent an organized resistance to the slaughter that ensued. 

And today in history, politicians and newsies refer to Christians as 'Easter Worshipers' in the press, after yet another massacre at the hands of Muslims has occurred. This is ****ing pathetic.

Considering the word Easter is derived from the word Ishtar for the Mesopotamian goddess that fell to earth as an egg, I see your point.  That would imply that they worship Ishtar.  That may be the pagan origin, but in the mind of most of Christianity they do not feel they are worshiping 'Easter' or 'Ishtar.' But, frankly, a lot of traditional holidays in most religions are not fully examined.  For instance, how did Purim, become a pseudo-Halloween, rather than the celebration of evading becoming the victims of Haman's plot of genocide?  Raggedy Anne and Andy, for instance didn't exist then.  There have been some of us who have been pushing for a Purim Part II, to celebrate the death of Hitler and the Reich.  Moving on from there, not many people understand the origin of the Yule log.  There are a lot of traditions that come from a different place.  The rabbit was a Roman Fertility symbol. 

Christmas corresponds with Saturnalia.  So, I vehemently disagree with the Muslims slaughtering Christians, or anyone slaughtering anyone over their religious conscience, I suspect it might be poor journalism to indicate that they were having Easter Services.  It is a bit like a decade ago, the news outlets used to say someone pled guilty.  Now, they constantly say pleaded guilty, which sounds unwieldly and incorrect.  He pled guilty, sounds better than he pleaded guilty.  Journalism used to have content and clarity.  This does not appear to be the case anymore.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
34 minutes ago, Moshe said:

Considering the word Easter is derived from the word Ishtar for the Mesopotamian goddess that fell to earth as an egg, I see your point.  That would imply that they worship Ishtar.  That may be the pagan origin, but in the mind of most of Christianity they do not feel they are worshiping 'Easter' or 'Ishtar.' But, frankly, a lot of traditional holidays in most religions are not fully examined.  For instance, how did Purim, become a pseudo-Halloween, rather than the celebration of evading becoming the victims of Haman's plot of genocide?  Raggedy Anne and Andy, for instance didn't exist then.  There have been some of us who have been pushing for a Purim Part II, to celebrate the death of Hitler and the Reich.  Moving on from there, not many people understand the origin of the Yule log.  There are a lot of traditions that come from a different place.  The rabbit was a Roman Fertility symbol. 

Christmas corresponds with Saturnalia.  So, I vehemently disagree with the Muslims slaughtering Christians, or anyone slaughtering anyone over their religious conscience, I suspect it might be poor journalism to indicate that they were having Easter Services.  It is a bit like a decade ago, the news outlets used to say someone pled guilty.  Now, they constantly say pleaded guilty, which sounds unwieldly and incorrect.  He pled guilty, sounds better than he pleaded guilty.  Journalism used to have content and clarity.  This does not appear to be the case anymore.

My point was that they rush to play the Muslim card loudly when Muslims are targeted, but are deliberately avoiding tying the Easter attacks to Christians by name, as if not naming the religion under attack absolves the attackers of their obvious intent.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Eric said:

My point was that they rush to play the Muslim card loudly when Muslims are targeted, but are deliberately avoiding tying the Easter attacks to Christians by name, as if not naming the religion under attack absolves the attackers of their obvious intent.

Sorry, I thought we were discussing semantics again.  But, yes, that is a solid point.  Like the former Obama DHS Director who called Islamic Terrorism man-made events.  That term was ridiculous as well.  A man-made event could also be described as a company that fabricates socks.  But, yes, we seem to live in a topsy turvy world where evil is heralded as good, and good as evil. 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Please Donate To TBS

    Please donate to TBS.
    Your support is needed and it is greatly appreciated.
×
×
  • Create New...