YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS. Over half a century ago Adolf Hitler gave a rhetoric question “Who remembers the Armenian massacres today?”. World famous Oscar winning actor, film director George Clooney responds him “The entire world”. “Armenpress” reports Clooney spoke about this in Yerevan, at the solemn Aurora Prize Ceremony.

Clooney raises a toast

During the period I spent in Armenia I realized that raisin a toast is one of the most beloved entertainments of Armenians and now I would like to raise a toast myself, though we have no alcohol. I want to drink for Ruben, Vardan and Nubar. What you have done and do is something exclusive and a right thing to do. If we were to give a prize to someone somewhere else, we would probably give it to you.  You make the world better and I am proud of you and for my being here.

What happened with Armenian 101 years ago repeated again and again

When the word “genocide” had not yet been included into our vocabulary, everybody already well realized the characteristics of that word. Cruelty stands behind it, not self-defense, not even war, but a total extermination of an entire nation. It happened with Armenian 101 years ago but we witness its repetition in different parts of the world: Germany, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda. I saw it in Darfur, in the broken bodies of people, broken families, broken hearts. I have seen what a human being is capable of with his worst demonstrations. But I have also seen something different, which is far more powerful than hatred. I have seen courage and kindness, an incredible demonstration of love. Today we glorify the best examples of that love.

The entire world remembers Armenians

Today’s prize honors and heroism and courage that many of us could not do during our whole lives. But on the other hand our finalists did not take a course of that in some schools of heroism; they are usual people who are seen every day, who saw the needs of others and reacted. Today we honor them, moreover, we honor the 1.5 million lives that wre destroyed 101 years ago.

We call that tragedy by its real name, genocide, Armenian Genocide. It is known that once Hitler said “Who remembers the Armenians?” and the answer is the following “The entire world”.