Dear Mr. Fisk,
Re: You article “the Christian Tragedy in the Middle East did not begin with ISIS”, 05.04.2015
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-christian-tragedy-in-the-middle-east-did-not-begin-with-isis-10157239.html
I have read your article “the Christian Tragedy in the Middle East did not begin with ISIS”. I was rather disappointed by your article as I have read many balanced articles from you over passed years. A long article of hate towards the Muslims and Turks in general, an evil cocktail of lies camouflaged as objective analysis, and based on the so-called; Persecution of Christians, and that great deception, the Armenian “Genocide”. So much rubbish and unprecedented bias that I do not really know where to start answering them all. I guess this was your contribution to Harut Sassounian’s Vendettal against the Turks.
The Turkish side of the story, long dismissed, ignored, or deliberately silenced, will now be heard whether you like it or not!. Armenian agitation, propaganda, deception, terrorism, treason, revolts, territorial demands, and the resulting Muslim, mostly Turkish, losses must be included in the treatment of the Turkish-Armenian conflict. Only then can a more balanced, reasoned, civilized dialogue take place. Turko-phobia and Islamo-phobia should also herewith be checked.
Armenians prospered greatly under the protection of Ottoman Turks. They were dubbed as the “Loyal Tribe” by the Ottoman Sultans. The Jews too, after being saved from the Spanish enjoyed 500 years of peaceful coexistence with the Turks.
Mr. Fisk; allow me to remind you what the Syrian Patriarch Georgios III said in Vienna during the East-West Church Conference last October.
“ The Christians of Syria, just like those of Iraq were living peacefully, until the external interventions (Interventionen von aussen) came”. History also tells us the external attacks by Russia, France, Italy, Greece and the UK have brought calamities on the Christian communities, including the Armenians as the Ottoman empire collapsed.
It is quite acceptable – almost de-Rigueur – to express vehement anti-Turkish
Sentiments in Western media without being accused of racism. Indeed to disagree with these sentiments is to invite suspicion. No wonder the Turks feel misunderstood and unfairly treated.
Mr. Fisk, how come you did not mention more recent Christian achievements such as Srebrenica in July 1995 (8.000 Muslims killed in the presence of Dutch UN soldiers) and Khojaly Massacre in Feb. 1992 (613 civilians, including 106 women and 83 children)? You also, Sir, failed to mention how many Muslims America killed in Iraq and Afghanistan!
Shame that you have such a selective memory Mr. Fisk! Quite apart from anything else, you displayed a poverty of knowledge and Judgement which disqualifies you as an international journalist.
Yours sincerely
Kufi Seydali, M.Sc., DIC.