It appears that the developed world has lately been fascinated with championing for human rights- for serving as the voice of justice in an unjust world. Young people everywhere are sporting t-shirts that read “Save Darfur”, internationally known celebrities are adopting from third world nations on a regular basis, and well to do businesspeople are opening charities for impoverished children. These efforts are commendable, but indirectly raise the question of what it takes for individual (or any given entity) to create a sustainable message for human rights. Crimes against humanity have been an issue constantly presented to politicians and governmental authority of modernity. And yet the primary combatants of human rights abuses are often non government forces relentlessly striving to speak out for justice. Creating a message with a global appeal and the ability to catalyze political change against inhumanity, however, is no easy task.
Knowing the obstacles that would inevitably hinder his efforts, a German filmmaker by the name of Eric Friedler took on such a task. Equipped with the funding of German Public Television (NDR) and an ensemble of 23 notable German actors bringing historical texts to life, Friedler created a documentary to depict the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.[1] Many historians believe that the Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century, during which approximately 1.5 million Armenians perished as a result of death marches, deportation to nowhere, and starvation.[2] Yet, this interpretation of the Genocide is not globally accepted. Firstly, the Turkish government exercises an uncompromising policy of Genocide Denial and the U.S. government does not officially recognize these atrocities of WWI as genocide. Not to mention that ninety-five years after the fact, the story of the Armenian Genocide faces easily slipping away into forgotten antiquity. The factors contributing to Friedler’s opposition in this case are easy to understand.
Turkey’s role in the Western world makes international recognition of the Armenian Genocide a nearly taboo topic of discussion. A secular democracy in the Muslim world, Turkey serves as a desirable ally to many Western nations, including the United States and Germany. Many U.S. officials look to Turkey as a model for the Middle East- as an example for its neighbors to follow. The question of the Genocide and recognition can be answered simply. Turkey’s message to its allies is clear: recognition of the Genocide yields consequences. As mentioned earlier, the current Turkish government dictates policy that does not hold the Ottoman Empire, its predecessor, guilty of Genocide. In fact, Section 301 of the Turkish penal code makes it a federally punishable crime to “insult Turkishness”[3], which includes mention of the Armenian Genocide. In effect, any government or individual that finds otherwise ultimately undermines Turkish policy.
Regardless of the obvious difficulty ahead of him, Eric Friedler went forth with his film, which was first screened in Berlin on April 8th, 2010. Friedler’s documentary is a unique effort at presenting history that many legislators and governments have been aware of for years. From its conception in Germany, “Aghet” has made its way to the United States, and into the heartland of American politics on Capitol Hill. The documentary, which is heavy, heart wrenching, yet beautifully executed, displays the Armenian Genocide through a new light. It is important to note that the point of the movie is not to appeal to any one group- Friedler himself claims that he had “no target audience” in mind when making the film. He is not playing to the emotional capacities of the Armenians, nor is he seeking to speak out Turks. He is merely attempting to portray, through raw and invigorating footage, history he believes to be “a fact that has already been proven”. In this way, the film’s appeal is universal. The viewer does not have to be associated with the history to be moved by Friedler’s message.
Perhaps because of this, “Aghet” is drawing both admiration and controversy. During the Capitol Hill Screening on July 23, 2010, host Representative Adam Schiff of California commented on the opposition from the Turkish side when he said, “Today I received a copy of a letter from the Turkish ambassador, decrying the fact that this film is being screened here the in Congress and claiming that Aghet attempts to simplify and worse to falsify the nature and force of this sad chapter in history.”[4] Ultimately, when it comes to foreign affairs, the Armenian Genocide remains a constant tug of war. With neither side willing to yield, reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey is unlikely to come in the near future. Today, the Turkey-Armenia border remains indefinitely closed, eliminating trade between the two nations. Not to mention that in 2007, Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who wrote about the Armenian Genocide, was gunned down outside his office in Istanbul, causing a worldwide reaction from the Armenian Diaspora.[5]
The House Foreign Affairs committee passed House Resolution 252 (aka The Armenian Genocide Resolution) in March of this year- recognizing the massacres of WW1 as genocide. House Resolution 252 calls for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide- there is no mention of action on behalf of the Turkish government.[6] The resolution has yet to be voted upon by the full House of Representatives. At the July screening, Eric Friedler noted "I do not know if my film ‘Aghet’ will have any impact on the way the American Congress will deal with the issue of Armenian Genocide in future. It is more than amazing and absolutely unusual that a German documentary might be considered to have any meaning to a political decision-making process. I feel very honored to be invited to Washington and that ‘Aghet’ is seen by members of the Congress.”[7] It is yet too early to understand how what the political impact of Mr. Friedler’s film will be.
Nearly a century after the Genocide occurred, some beg the question as to why vehicles of information like “Aghet” as well as recognition are so important to Armenians, the Armenian Diaspora, and those who actively partake in their cause. Others fear the political repercussions of such a move and allude to the fragile U.S. alliance with Turkey. After all, no material benefit will come to a government for officially recognizing the massacres as genocide. If the issue were looked at in black and white terms in the United States, recognition may even be arbitrary to Washington. For those connected to the issue, however, the Armenian Genocide is not only a question of policy. It is a question of symbolism, closure, and progress. It is a matter of illustrating to the world that the modern concept of human rights can be a powerful contender in a ruthlessly politically constructed global community. After all, gestures of symbolic recognition- such as Germany banning of the word “Nazi” from the country’s vocabulary and the Japanese Prime Minister’s recent apology to Korea for colonial rule and mistreatment -ultimately hold weight when it comes to reconciliation.
Although the world’s outlook on the Armenian Genocide issue has yet to reach a uniform conclusion, Eric Friedler’s “Aghet” ultimately shines light on an aging issue begging a modern question. With genocide continuing to plague the world, education and recognition bring out remote hope that the new perpetrators of genocide will rethink their course.
[1] Spiegel Online: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,687449,00.html
[2]Taner Akçam A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility
[3] Today’s Zaman Online: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=131118
[4] ANCA press release: http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1912
[5] New York Times Online: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CEEDA1539F931A35753C1A9619C8B63&ref=hrant_dink
[6] Open Congress: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-hr252/show#
[7] ANCA press release: http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1912
