Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   26 April 2024

Serj Tankian and Greek composer devote a song to genocides of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians

Serj Tankian and Greek composer devote a song to genocides of Armenians, Greeks and 
Assyrians

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: The American Armenian rock musician, composer and the soloist of the band System of a Down, Serj Tankian, composed a new music in the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Armenpress reports that the rock musician informed about it in his Twitter blog. “Here's a video for "100 Years" I co-composed with John Psathas to honor the victims of the 1st genocide of the 20th century”, - wrote Serj Tankian, reminding along the Armenians’ genocide, the genocides of the Greeks and Assyrians as well.  

The video is devoted to all those, who fight for the truth, recognition and justice of the first genocide of the 20th century and the ones, which followed it.  
John Psathas called the cooperation with Serj Tankian emotive and stated that the music is a tribute to the 100thanniversary of the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians.  
John Psathas is a New Zealand freelance composer and teacher who, at a relatively early stage in his career, has established an international profile and receives regular commissions from organizations both in New Zealand and overseas. His works are championed around the world by a growing number of leading international artists, one of the most consistent of whom has been the Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Initially making a name for himself as a composer of high-energy percussion music, more recently the composer has concentrated on a series of larger-scale concertante works. A major career highlight to date has been the commission to compose the ceremonial music for the opening and closing of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In 2005 John Psathas was created an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to music.  
Earlier it was reported that the System of a Down will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with their Wake Up The Souls Tour, commencing on April 10th and concluding with their first-ever performance in Armenia with a free show in Yerevan's Republic Square. Armenpress reports, citing the official website of the band that in the video, published in the website, the musicians say: “Join us to reach justice in this issue”.  
The dates of the concerts have been as follows: April 10 – Wembley Arena, London, UK, April 13 – Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany, April 14 – La Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France, April 16 – Forest National, Brussels, Belgium, April 17 – Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 20 – Olympisky, Moscow, Russia and April 23 – Republic Square, Yerevan, Armenia. 
Statement from SYSTEM OF A DOWN regarding commemoration of 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
The first genocide of the 20th century was perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks against the empire's Armenian, Greek and Assyrian populations. The failure to prevent the atrocities or punish the perpetrators led to the modern cycle of genocide.
In the aftermath of this WWI Era mass murder, there were no Nuremberg-type trials, no international courts to exact justice from the perpetrators or to offer reparations or rights of return to its victims. In the place of justice, Turkey bartered its oil rights and leveraged its geopolitical capital to block Woodrow Wilson's planned territorial restoration and reparations for Armenia.

The Turkish state, having escaped responsibility for its attempted annihilation of an entire nation, continues to harvest the rich fruits of its crime. Its leaders today, emboldened by the world's inaction, try to enforce a gag-rule prohibiting the U.S. and other governments from speaking honestly about this atrocity.
Horrific stories of the first modern genocide filled the front pages of the NY Times starting in 1915.  The U.S. humanitarian response to this crime, from the American Red Cross to Near East Relief, marked America's emergence as an international humanitarian power.  Yet, sadly, it was the world's failure to punish the perpetrators of this genocide that set the dangerous precedent of a genocide committed with impunity that has so emboldened tyrants - from Hitler to al-Bashir - to use mass murder as a tool of policy and power. 
The German army, allied with Ottoman Turkey, seeing Turkey evade accountability, drew a terrible lesson from this atrocity about the willingness of the world to turn a blind eye to the planned extermination of a whole race under the guise of war.  One young German soldier named Adolf Hitler of the Great War later remarked "WHO NOW REMEMBERS THE ARMENIANS?" as he orchestrated what is now known as the Holocaust.
Our answer is WE DO!
We will not allow the crime of despots coupled with the greed of world powers and their interests in resource acquisition to pen our history.
Despite the UN Genocide Convention and numerous ad-hoc international bodies, including the U.S. Atrocities Prevention Board, this worst of man-made diseases continues to spread because the world's response to genocide is viewed as a political choice, not a moral necessity.
By demanding a truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide we are saying Never Again to all genocides.  Never again will we stand by while people are murdered for belonging to a select race, ethnic, or religious group as they were in Turkey, Nazi Europe, Cambodia, East Timor, Rwanda, or Darfur.
There are already brave souls within Turkey, who - at risk of prosecution, persecution, and even violence - are openly calling for recognition and reparations for the Armenian Genocide.  Many other Turkish citizens share these humanitarian values, but have not yet spoken out - intimidated by a government that has, for too long, obstructed the peace that only truth and justice can bring. It's time to break this silence.
As we mark this solemn centennial, please join us and the good people of conscience in Turkey to take a stand for truth and justice, and ask their President and Parliament to accept the Republic of Turkey's moral and material responsibility for the Armenian Genocide.
With your help, such a historic step taken by the people of Turkey in the spirit of human solidarity, heartfelt compassion and justice will not only heal the wounds of one genocide, but will more broadly represent a truly transformative step toward a new age - an era without genocide.
Thank you.
System of a Down



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