Genocide Aftermath

[Փոքրիկ Իշխան]

An Armenian friend of mine was telling me about her grandfather's experience after he and his family were exiled to Syria. He was only three or four years old and was taken by an Arab man. The Arab would constantly tell him "You are my son" and would speak to him only in Arabic. Thus, the child only spoke Arabic. Once in a while, Armenian search parties would come around and ask the man if he had seen any Armenian children in the area. I believe the Arab kept the child in a bunker of some sort and would tell them that he had not. Luckily, one day, an Armenian from that party passed by the area and saw the Arab with the child and immediately told the others. They managed to "help" the child escape and take him to the orphanage where his aunt was able to identify him. He grew up in Aleppo and later moved to Beirut, Lebanon.

Anyway, the story really gave me goosebumps because I began to think about all of the Armenian children who were not lucky enough to be found.

[Joseph]

An Armenian friend of mine was telling me about her grandfather's experience after he and his family were exiled to Syria. He was only three or four years old and was taken by an Arab man. The Arab would constantly tell him "You are my son" and would speak to him only in Arabic. Thus, the child only spoke Arabic. Once in a while, Armenian search parties would come around and ask the man if he had seen any Armenian children in the area. I believe the Arab kept the child in a bunker of some sort and would tell them that he had not. Luckily, one day, an Armenian from that party passed by the area and saw the Arab with the child and immediately told the others. They managed to "help" the child escape and take him to the orphanage where his aunt was able to identify him. He grew up in Aleppo and later moved to Beirut, Lebanon.

Anyway, the story really gave me goosebumps because I began to think about all of the Armenian children who were not lucky enough to be found.

My own grandfather went through a similar experience. After being seperated from my great-grandmother in Aleppo (my great grandfather was already in the United States, having left in 1910 and was working in a factory to raise money to bring over the rest of the family), he stayed for two years with an Arab family. Thanks to Near East Relief, who were able to track down Armenian children, he was re-united with my greatgrandmother and they made their way to the U.S. and started over. All his other siblings (2 sisters and 2 brothers died in 1915)

[phantom]

My own grandfather went through a similar experience. After being seperated from my great-grandmother in Aleppo (my great grandfather was already in the United States, having left in 1910 and was working in a factory to raise money to bring over the rest of the family), he stayed for two years with an Arab family. Thanks to Near East Relief, who were able to track down Armenian children, he was re-united with my greatgrandmother and they made their way to the U.S. and started over. All his other siblings (2 sisters and 2 brothers died in 1915)

Wow, only 1 of 5 from your grandfather's family of siblings lived. Imagine how big your family would have been if the other's had lived too. One small branch out of 5 survives the fire, and here you are today. THAT gives me goosebumps.

[1.5 million]

Wow, only 1 of 5 from your grandfather's family of siblings lived. Imagine how big your family would have been if the other's had lived too. One small branch out of 5 survives the fire, and here you are today. THAT gives me goosebumps.

Our experience on my Grandfather's side is the same - he (12 years old at the time) was the only survivor. He lost 2 older sisters and both his parents. They were from a village near the town of Divrik - in the Sivas region - an area - like many others - that experienced tremendous devestation and deprivation at the hand of the Turks. And don't anyone have the nerve to suggest to me not to tell these deniers to f off. On the other hand I have made friends with a Turkish family here in the states who came from a neighboring village! (of all things) and we have discussed going back there together...I have no animosity whatsoever towards them.

[Hovik]

Wow, only 1 of 5 from your grandfather's family of siblings lived. Imagine how big your family would have been if the other's had lived too. One small branch out of 5 survives the fire, and here you are today. THAT gives me goosebumps.

Thats just it. These idiots argue about the number 1,500,000. Think of the REAL number of lost lives! It's tens upon tens upon tens of millions who are missing from our nation today.

Turks talk about what a small and insignificant country/nation/population we are. Had they not committed the worlds ugliest most cowardly and pathetic crime, we would've equaled if not outnumbered them and had an equally large territory of land.

They took far more than 4 of your family Joe...

[phantom]

Thats just it. These idiots argue about the number 1,500,000. Think of the REAL number of lost lives! It's tens upon tens upon tens of millions who are missing from our nation today.

Turks talk about what a small and insignificant country/nation/population we are. Had they not committed the worlds ugliest most cowardly and pathetic crime, we would've equaled if not outnumbered them and had an equally large territory of land.

They took far more than 4 of your family Joe...

I wouldn't go so far to say we would have outnumbered them since we aren't the greatest breeders. But I get your point. On the other hand, had the Ottoman authorities not tried to exterminate us but treat us faily instead, we would probably be living with the Turks today in a shared, heterogeneous homeland along with Kurds, Greeks, and Assyrians in a country called Turkey.

[Hovik]

I wouldn't go so far to say we would have outnumbered them since we aren't the greatest breeders. But I get your point. On the other hand, had the Ottoman authorities not tried to exterminate us but treat us faily instead, we would probably be living with the Turks today in a shared, heterogeneous homeland along with Kurds, Greeks, and Assyrians in a country called Turkey.

Great points and very true...

[Joseph]

Wow, only 1 of 5 from your grandfather's family of siblings lived. Imagine how big your family would have been if the other's had lived too. One small branch out of 5 survives the fire, and here you are today. THAT gives me goosebumps.

On the positive side, after they re-settled in Boston and my great-uncle and aunt were conceived and born and so my grandfather re-gained two siblings. And though my great-grandfather may have only been a factory worker his kids definitely made it. I'm blessed enough to have numerous aunts in uncles and cousins by the dozens all in the New England area. We have two familly get togethers twice per year (summer and thanksgiving) and we are very tight. My wife and I will be adding the pack in a couple of weeks as we are expecting a baby boy.

Back in Marash, my extended familly was huge. We were money-lenders and merchants. Many saw the writing on the wall after the Hamidian massacres and began leaving others did make it and some even went back to Marash during the French mandate in the 1920's and we murdered. Like other Armenians, I have relatives in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janiero, Canada, Austrailia and Lebanon.

[Joseph]

Our experience on my Grandfather's side is the same - he (12 years old at the time) was the only survivor. He lost 2 older sisters and both his parents. They were from a village near the town of Divrik - in the Sivas region - an area - like many others - that experienced tremendous devestation and deprivation at the hand of the Turks. And don't anyone have the nerve to suggest to me not to tell these deniers to f off. On the other hand I have made friends with a Turkish family here in the states who came from a neighboring village! (of all things) and we have discussed going back there together...I have no animosity whatsoever towards them.

Not having animosity is tough and it will continually get the better of us at times. How could it not?

When you think about who our ancestors were: merchants, farmers, bankers, tailors, cobblers, inn-keepers, priests, teachers, musicians, lawyers, doctors, jewellers...these people were not soldiers. They did not ride around the country and rob people like the Kurds. They did not live in barracks.

They were simple people who just wanted to be able to live their lives. They did not derserve what happened to them.

[Joseph]

Thats just it. These idiots argue about the number 1,500,000. Think of the REAL number of lost lives! It's tens upon tens upon tens of millions who are missing from our nation today.

Turks talk about what a small and insignificant country/nation/population we are. Had they not committed the worlds ugliest most cowardly and pathetic crime, we would've equaled if not outnumbered them and had an equally large territory of land.

They took far more than 4 of your family Joe...

True. Can you imagine how much different the region would be if the Genocide never happened? Even if we remained inside a Turkish state, the regions that are now the poorest would today be vibrant.

But I think the biggest travesty, more so than the people who were butchered, or the homes and villages erased, is the fact that the place where our people were born, developed a language and culture, became Christian, a place we had lived for 3,000 years is now gone to us.