By Harut Sassounian
CFF’s chairman, Gerard Cafesjian, made the right decision when he announced that “the court’s concluding verdict frees us all to build this long-awaited museum and memorial about the fact and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide.”
CFF’s Board member Ross Vartian pledged that CFF would relaunch the museum project “with the participation of ALL interested organizations and individuals.” During a subsequent Voice of America interview, Vartian made it clear that CFF welcomed the participation of the Armenian Assembly in such a community-wide effort.
This is a very sensible approach. As the Bible states, “to everything there is a season. …A time to break down and a time to build up, …a time for war and a time for peace.” In this instance, one could appropriately add: There is a time to sue and a time to settle!
Over a decade ago when the idea of an Armenian Genocide museum was first discussed at an Armenian Assembly board meeting, long before any internal disputes had surfaced, the organizers asked for my view on their initiative. I suggested that they invite major Armenian-American organizations to participate in a community-wide effort to oversee the fundraising and implementation of this pan-Armenian project. Regrettably, back then, my advice was unanimously rejected.
CFF is moving in the right direction by inviting major Armenian-American organizations, including the Armenian Assembly, and prominent Armenian and non-Armenian individuals to come together to realize the laudable, yet long-delayed plan to establish an Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial by April 24, 2015 — the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In order to accomplish such a lofty goal in four years, everyone must put aside all other considerations and concentrate on the monumental task at hand. Internal Armenian squabbles only serve to provide Turks with further ammunition to ridicule Armenians and their sacred cause. Rather than wasting more time and money on further lawsuits and appeals, the funds and energies of the Armenian-American community should be channeled towards establishing this important edifice which is expected to cost well over $100 million.
An Armenian Genocide museum located in the heart of the nation’s capital, just two blocks away from the White House, will be a lasting memorial to the 1.5 million innocent victims and a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the survivors.
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