Letter to the Most Revd and Rt Hon Archbishops of Canterbury and York and Bishops of the Church of England

Armenian Genocide Trust of Great Britain
London WC1N 3XX

Armenian Genocide Trust's letter to the Most Reverend and the Right Honourable Lords Archbishops of Canterbury and York and Bishops of the Church of England on the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The history of Christian faith includes many martyrs who have suffered in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord, but few nations have to carry the Cross like we, the Armenians. Ever since the times of St Gregory the Illuminator we were tested in our Faith by unending waves of wars and conquerors bent on destroying our kingdoms, cities and churches or forcefully converting us from our Faith. Having largely succeeded in destruction of our temporal possessions, they have miserably failed in destruction of our Faith and our ancient nation. After every war, after every conquest, we rebuilt our churches, our cities, and put our trust in God. However, there was one Great Calamity which would almost annihilate our nation and cut the Armenian history in two - before and after the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Ninety-two years later absolute majority of historians and others who took the trouble of researching the overwhelming evidence of this horrible crime committed by the Ottoman government agree that it completely and fully deserves to be described as genocide. However, there are still falsehearted people, including in this country, who prefer to close their eyes not to see this crime nor hear the cries of over one million Armenian children, men and women, murdered, hanged, raped, drowned and starved to death in the deserts of the former Ottoman empire. It is excruciating to describe the overwhelming sadness of having to live in a world where not only this crime against humanity was not stopped, but is still not universally and unreservedly recognised.

We pray to the Almighty to give us strength to carry our Cross and to forgive our murderers and their accomplices past and present. Every year on this day, the 24th of April, please remember with us our brothers and sisters in Christ who were slaughtered like lambs, and pray with us for their Eternal Peace and recognition of their suffering.

For and on behalf of the Armenian Genocide Trust