I am researching the Kooshian family and a horrific story is unfolding. This is a story that I never learned in school. Youtube has many videos on the subject of Armenian Genocide produced by the BBC network. Here is part one of a five part video. I warn you now this video is very graphic.
In the video we hear the current Turkish people denying that there was ever a Genocide. There are always two sides to history. Unfortunately, history has generally been written by the victor. As a result, only one viewpoint is told and exaggerations are made, but occasionally the other angle gets out there. It is then up to the reader to determine what is authentic and what is mere fabrication.
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| Mehmed Talaat Pasha (1874-1921) Pasha was the key architect of the Armenian genocide, one of the largest genocides in modern history. Over 1 million people were massacred in the span of 2 years. A member of the Young Turks, Talaat rose up and became one of the three Pashas who ruled the Ottoman government in 1913 until the end of the disastrous First World War. Many Muslim Turks came to see the rise in nationalism of the Christian Armenians as a threat to the existence of the Ottoman state. Programs had already been installed against Armenians in previous years with possibly hundreds of thousands dying. 30,000 died in the Adana massacre of 1909. Once entering World War One, the Ottoman’s endeavor ended in total failure. Russian and Armenian forces set up an Armenian mini-state in 1915 and thus Talaat Pasha sought to punish them. Security forces rounded up 250 Armenian intellectuals and leaders in Istanbul in 1915, and eventually executed them. After passing a Deportation Law, Pasha ordered deportations and executions to be carried out against the whole Armenian population. During the deportations, conditions were deplorable and men were routinely separated from the rest and executed. Many prisoners were tortured and were victims of gruesome medical experiments. More died of hunger and thirst. In some instances victims would be crucified in imitation of Jesus as the perpetrators would say: “Now let your Christ come help you!” Others would have red-hot irons and pincers applied to their flesh. Out of a population of 2.5 million Armenians, between 1 and 1.5 million perished in this period. After the Ottoman collapse, Talaat Pasha fled to Berlin and was subsequently murdered there in 1921. His assassin was an Armenian genocide survivor. |
Why do I post the above story? Well, my cousin Rev. Kooshian is an American with Armenian ancestors. His parents were part of the deportation of Armenians, however his grand parents and grand aunts and uncles were not able to flee their homeland. As the woman in the first video explains, they fled to the church where all the men, women and children were burned alive in the Adana massacre of 1909.
In the very near future genealogy will be based more on the genetic code of DNA. Currently many in my family can trace their roots to the United Kingdom, however there are the Nalick, Lecka and Gejekooshian families whose genetic roots are deep in the Ottoman Empire, and their stories and histories have been lost to wars.
The last video I would like you to watch is the other side of the story. How Muslims, Christians and Jewish people once lived together. I wonder if history just might repeat itself as Nationalism and it's ideals become stronger in the United States.
Rev. Kooshian's great grandfather was from Tarsus. Tarsus can be found mentioned in the Bible as the birth place of Paul and was the Roman Capital city of Cilicia from 72 A.D.
For more reference on Armenian's besides Youtube check out the Armeniapedia.org.