
At the Holy Mass on 12 April 2015 which was led by Pope Francis at the Vatican to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events, the Pope’s description of the 1915 events as “widely considered the first genocide of the twentieth century” caused an international stir. While the Pope’s remarks was welcomed in Armenia and the diaspora, Turkey reacted negatively. Additionally, Pope’s remarks sparked debates in several countries.[1]
On the other hand, an opinion claiming that the 1915 events were not ‘the first genocide of the twentieth century’ was put forward. According to this opinion, the massacres committed by German colonists against the Herero and Nama people in the German colony of South-West Africa (modern-day Namibia) were the first genocide of the twentieth century.
Between 1904 and 1908, these two ethnic groups which rebelled against German colonial rule, were massacred by German colonists and later many people were subjected to severe maltreatment in concentration camps. It is reported that around %80 of the Herero people and %50 of the Nama were exterminated and in total, 75,000 people were killed.
The fact that Pope Francis did not mention the massacres against the Hereo and Name people led to various reactions. In his article published in the Britsh newspaper The Guardian, David Olusoga, a British-Nigerian historian, claimed that the Herero and Nama massacres were the first genocide of the twentieth century.[2] Indicating that an extermination order was issued by the German commander Lothar von Trotha, he emphasized that many people were subjected to torture, experiments and were killed in the process. He pointed out that this was an accepted fact in Africa and even in Germany and he added that the German government apologized in 2004.[3] Olusoga also touched upon the sensitivities of Africans on such matters and criticized the Pope for not mentioning these massacres.
In several German newspapers, while the Pope’s remarks on the ‘Armenian Genocide’ were welcomed, the massacres committed by European colonists were pointed out. It was stated that the Herero and Nama massacres were the first genocide of the twentieth century.[4]
The Pope’s characterization of the 1915 events as genocide despite not being historically and legally proven and the fact that he ignored the Herero and Nama massacres which was one of the most brutal massacres of the twentieth century holds importance as it shows that he is not competent enough to talk about such matters. The Pope should have not ignored the Herero and Nama massacres which is claimed to be the first ‘genocide’ of the twentieth century and he should have shown the necessary awareness to the sufferings of these African people. This is also important as it shows the extent the Pope was influenced by the Armenian discourse.
The fact that the Pope did not mention Herero and Nama massacres and the sufferings of Muslims during and prior to First World War, his reference to the events that took place in Bosnia and Rwanda as ‘mass killings’ despite being recognized as genocides by competent international courts, and his description of the 1915 events as ‘genocide’ reveal many contradictions in the Pope’s statement.
Such statements unfortunately damage the prestige of Vatican, which is supposed to be on the side of justice, common sense and truths in terms of its religious and institutional definition. Pope Francis who holds an important position should have been much more careful on such sensitive issues.
[1] http://www.avim.org.tr/analiz/en/COMMEMORATION-OF-THE-100TH-ANNIVERSARY-OF-THE-1915-EVENTS-AT-ST--PETER%E2%80%99S-BASILICA-/4012 (last access 12.05.2015).
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/18/pope-francis-armenian-genocide-first-20th-century-namibia (last access 12.05.2015).
[3] In 2004, the then-Minister for Economic Development and Cooperation of Germany, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul recognized Herero and Nama massacres as genocide and apologized on behalf of the German government. However, the German government refused to pay reparations. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/aug/16/germany.andrewmeldrum (last acess 12.05.2015).
[4] http://www.dw.de/ilk-soyk%C4%B1r%C4%B1m-ermeni-soyk%C4%B1r%C4%B1m%C4%B1-de%C4%9Fildi/a-18380112 (last access 12.05.2015).
© 2009-2025 Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) All Rights Reserved
No comments yet.
-
THE AFTERMATH OF THE DENIAL OF TERRORIST SASSOUNIAN’S PAROLE
Ali Murat TAŞKENT 16.05.2017 -
A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW: THE CASE OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH
Ali Murat TAŞKENT 31.05.2017 -
UZBEKISTAN SHOWS ITS MATURITY
Ali Murat TAŞKENT 29.09.2016 -
ARMENIA ON IRAN’S PATH TO THE GULF
Ali Murat TAŞKENT 12.06.2017 -
CHINA’S RISING PROFILE IN THE PACIFIC
Ali Murat TAŞKENT 26.01.2017
-
THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION VON DER LEYEN CONFIRMED THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST TÜRKİYE ONCE AGAIN
Hazel ÇAĞAN ELBİR 27.09.2022 -
RECENT CHANGES IN ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT
Aslan Yavuz ŞİR 19.10.2016 -
ARMEN SARKISSIAN’S PRESIDENCY AND THE QUESTIONS ON ETHICS AND POLITICAL CULTURE IN ARMENIA (26.01.2022)
Turgut Kerem TUNCEL 26.01.2022 -
ARMENIA’S ARM SALES TO IRAN
Ömer Engin LÜTEM 08.12.2010 -
COMPETITION FOR INFLUENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA
Şevval Beste GÖKÇELİK 08.02.2022
-
THE ARMENIAN QUESTION - BASIC KNOWLEDGE AND DOCUMENTATION -
THE TRUTH WILL OUT -
RADİKAL ERMENİ UNSURLARCA GERÇEKLEŞTİRİLEN MEZALİMLER VE VANDALİZM -
PATRIOTISM PERVERTED -
MEN ARE LIKE THAT -
BAKÜ-TİFLİS-CEYHAN BORU HATTININ YAŞANAN TARİHİ -
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS ON THE EVENTS OF 1915 -
FAKE PHOTOS AND THE ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA -
ERMENİ PROPAGANDASI VE SAHTE RESİMLER -
A Letter From Japan - Strategically Mum: The Silence of the Armenians -
Japonya'dan Bir Mektup - Stratejik Suskunluk: Ermenilerin Sessizliği -
Anastas Mikoyan: Confessions of an Armenian Bolshevik -
Sovyet Sonrası Ukrayna’da Devlet, Toplum ve Siyaset - Değişen Dinamikler, Dönüşen Kimlikler -
Ermeni Sorunuyla İlgili İngiliz Belgeleri (1912-1923) - British Documents on Armenian Question (1912-1923) -
Turkish-Russian Academics: A Historical Study on the Caucasus -
Gürcistan'daki Müslüman Topluluklar: Azınlık Hakları, Kimlik, Siyaset -
Armenian Diaspora: Diaspora, State and the Imagination of the Republic of Armenia -
ERMENİ SORUNU - TEMEL BİLGİ VE BELGELER (2. BASKI)
-
CONFERENCE TITLED “HUNGARY’S PERSPECTIVES ON THE TURKIC WORLD"