Charles Aznavour: I wasn’t brought up in hatred

Prominent French-Armenian singer and song-writer Charles Aznavour has shared his comments on the Armenian Genocide issue in an article published in the French Le Parisien ahead of the big tragedy’s centennial.

“I wasn’t brought up in hatred, and I do not hold grudges against the Turkish people; they were brought up in ignorance,” said the musician. “I know they will open their eyes one day and call for a reckoning for the years that saw their lies and ignorance of their own history.”

The musician called on the living generations to respect the dignity of ancestors who he said are no longer protected by virtue of not being alive.

“One hundred years later, the womb which gave birth to the beast is still fecund,” he added.

Noting that the past century has seen lots of changes, Aznavour further addresses his call to the “big superpowers which are used to subordinate morality to their own interests”.

“They face the burden of responsibility for the catastrophes that are repeated over and over again,” he commented.

But singer concluded his article with an optimistic note, saying that about 30% of the Turkish youth positively approaches the Genocide recognition issue.

“That means there is a hope that the region will one day be like Aznavour’s family, which has Christians, Jews and Muslims. And I love each of them similarly,” he wrote.