The khachkar memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide has been vandalized at the Henri Michaux Square in Brussels. In particular, three red crescents have been drawn on the monument, and an obscene English-language expression directed at Garo Paylan, a Turkish parliamentarian of Armenian descent, is also legible, the Armenian Committee of Belgium reports.
The Committee strongly condemns the desecration, which took place the day after the commemoration day of the victims of the 1915 genocide.
“This act can only be interpreted as an expression of hostility and an attempt to intimidate Belgians of Armenian origin, most of whom descend from the few survivors of families that fell victim to the genocide. Obviously, the denial of the Armenian Genocide is the most widespread manifestation of the fiercely anti-Armenian prejudice of the authorities of the Republic of Turkey and its affiliated local and international associations, as well as of state officials of Turkish origin elected to local governing bodies of other countries, both in Belgium and elsewhere,” the statement said.
The Armenian Committee of Belgium calls on public and state figures, governing bodies, and associations to “take note of this arbitrary and directed manifestation of incitement to hatred, namely the denial of the Armenian Genocide and the prejudicial hatred toward Armenians.” “In order to avoid the repetition of this condemnable offense, we specifically call on Turkish community organizations to condemn this act,” the statement noted.
