Wales Genocide Memorial

The Wales Genocide Memorial ( German  genocide memorial Wales ) is a monument in the garden of the Temple of Peace in the Welsh city ​​of Cardiff , which commemorates the victims of the genocide of the Armenians , which took place in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1922 and from the Turkish government to the Armenian Population was wreaked.

Armenian Genocide Memorial in Wales, desecrated January 27, 2008

opening

The memorial was built through an initiative of the Wales-Armenian Society and inaugurated on November 2, 2007. The inauguration of the monument was performed in a service by Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Great Britain . The ceremony was attended by Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas , Presiding Officer of the National Assembly of Wales , David Yeoman , Assistant Bishop of Llandaff , and Dr. Vahe Gabrielyan, the Armenian Ambassador to the United Kingdom .

Over 300 people attended the opening ceremony. Attempts by Turkish demonstrators to disrupt the service were checked by the Welsh police.

desecration

The gavel that was used to desecrate the memorial

In the early hours of January 27, 2008, the richly decorated Armenian Cross was smashed with a hammer, which was found at the crime scene. Eilian Williams of Wales Armenia Solidarity condemned the attack, which happened hours before a memorial service to commemorate the Holocaust , the Armenian genocide and the murder of Hrant Dink by Ogün Samast .

Eilian Williams said:

"We shall repair the cross again and again, no matter how often it is desecrated. We also challenge the UK government and the Turkish Embassy to condemn this racist attack. "

“We have to keep repairing the cross no matter how often it is violated. We also call on the British government and the Turkish embassy to condemn this racist attack. "

Web links

Commons : Armenian Genocide memorial (Cardiff)  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Armenia Wales
• Armenian Congregation and Council of Churches of Great Britain ( January 29, 2010 memento on the Internet Archive )
• Armenian Genocide Monument in Wales Smashed on UK's Holocaust Memorial Day ( Memento from December 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Armenia-Wales.org Genocide memorial: the consecration service ( Memento from December 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ bbc.co.uk Protest as memorial is unveiled
3. ^ Religiousintelligence.co.uk Armenian monument desecrated

Coordinates: 51 ° 29 '13.2 "  N , 3 ° 10' 58.8"  W.