Walk for genocide awareness

The Rev. Fr. Moushegh Tashjian, the pastor at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, has been waiting a long time for the U.S. government to give him what he wants.

Tashjian’s father was orphaned when Tashjian’s grandmother was killed during the Armenian Genocide, which began April 24, 1915. And since he first learned of the tragedy he has wanted justice from the U.S. government — something he thinks is found in the simple acknowledgment of what took place early in the 20th century.

“There are millions of Americans that sympathize with us, but it is the government that stubbornly is standing with the [Turkish government] on this issue,” Tashjian said. “It’s not a hopeless thing we are pursuing.”

Tashjian and many others in the Armenian community took to the streets of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana for an Armenian Genocide awareness walk starting at 1 p.m. Sunday. More than 250 people walked from St. Mary Armenian Church to Forty Martyrs Armenian Church in Santa Ana, an 8-mile walk. Congressman Edward Royce spoke briefly to begin the event while Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez meet the group at Forty Martyrs for the closing ceremonies.

“Our efforts here begin with the children,” Royce said of the large amount of youths who turned out for the walk. “We have to remind them of their heritage.”

Royce has worked on legislation concerning the Armenian Genocide and spoke out against the refusals of both President George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton to acknowledge the atrocities documented since 1915.

Ara Malazian, one of the organizers of the event from the Armenian National Committee of Orange County, reiterated the congressman’s thoughts by describing how vast the genocide has affected the Armenian people.

“Talk to any Armenian here, every one of us has been touched in some way,” said Malazian, whose grandfather escaped the country at 5 years old.

“We are looking at the Armenian Genocide as the first crime against humanity in the 20th century.”

The event was free to anyone who wanted to register and walk, but the Armenian National Committee did ask for donations it would use toward generating educational opportunities, Malazian said.

Those educational benefits would go to educating teachers on how to teach students about the Armenian Genocide in schools and raising awareness in the public, Malazian said.

“[The youth] will be the torch bearers for justice,” Tashjian said. “There is hope.”

This was the second awareness walk the group has put on in Orange County.

Last year’s walk generated $15,000 in donations and the organization was hoping for more of the same this year, Malazian said.

For more information go to www.ancoc.org.

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at daniel.tedford@latimes.com.