Disappointing to see ppl I respect sharing this thread as if it's insightful or sincere. It is neither. It in fact muddies waters & simplifies what Genocide constituted, implies it was moment in history & not an ideology and persistent power structure with *continuing iterations* https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1385258428554227713

The Armenian Genocide was not "1915-1916". Systematic murder began in late 19th century & it was not a singular event as scholar @SophiaArmen reminds us. It is a structure and ideology of racial/ethnic supremacy tied to *state and political power* which *continues* to be enacted

Tom's thread also glossed over the geographical reach of the Armenian presence in the region. As if we're talking about a tiny group killed in some WWI side event. The scale of dispossession, cultural erasure, and murder was staggering and massive

Unsolicited, Tom proposes a moniker to distinguish it from other genocides (like "Holocaust"), and offers us his suggestion "Mets Yeghern", which Armenians hardly use outside of literature. Maybe, you know, talk to us?

Tom also goes through pains to make certain we don't tie Azerbaijan to the Genocide. OK, Azerbaijan as a state didn't exist until 1918. But Aliyev is open about genocidal intent & "one nation two states" ideology. But again, Tom doesn't know what Genocide is or how it operates

But if he's so keen on focusing on Turkey, why not address how the modern Turkish bourgeoisie continues to enrich itself from the theft of Armenian property and land and how Turkish national identity is built on hate of "the other"?

The original NYT piece which apparently inspired Tom so much to write this thread put an undue focus on how Turkey will feel or react. If this issue is so important to Turkey, it's because it threatens the myth of its very foundation

If you talk of past injustice and violence but avoid naming the groups and political ideologies that continue to benefit from it today, it's better to say nothing at all

If you want insights about the Armenian Genocide, ffs Tom ain't it. There are so many wonderful & deeply insightful young scholars breaking ground in how we understand it. @SophiaArmen and @kavakian9 come to mind, but there are more. Look elsewhere, please