A committee measure passed the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday that would recognize the 1915 killings of Armenians in the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The uproar that has risen from the executive branch, State Department and members of Congress is surprising considering the human rights atrocities that were committed at the end of the Ottoman Empire. This article shows how a moral and political fork in the road can make politicans hesitate on certain human rights issues. The United States would like to morally recognize this genocide in the past, however, current relations with Turkey are too important to do that. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States needs to hold onto ever avaliable ally in the Middle East. The declaration of genocide could also hurt Turkish relations with Armenia, however cold they might be. In the end, the real question is: Do you think the United States, as one of the most powerful and christian nations in the world, should take a moral stand and recognize the genocide?
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/06/us.turkey.genocide.debate/index.htmleref=edition&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Saturday, March 6, 2010
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An interesting question about recognizing genocide. Two questions to consider, for anyone reading this: first, does it matter that the word "genocide" hadn't been created at the time that all of this took place? And second, where does "Christian" fit in here? You mention it at the end of your post, but I don't see the necessary connection between Christianity and recognition of genocide (leaving aside the question of whether or not the U.S. is, in fact, a Christian nation)...
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