Member of Parliament of Lebanon Nebil Nikola has sent an official letter to Prime Minister of Lebanon Tamam Salam with the demand to declare April 24^th as a Day of Mourning, as reported on Aztagarabic website, according to Hayern Aysor.

The letter particularly reads as follows: “History is also repeating itself today as representatives of minorities are being slaughtered in the East and are being exiled from their homes and their homeland. This is being done on the basis of the principle of denial of transfiguration, which was also done 100 years ago when Ottoman intellectuals viewed all their opponents as foes that needed to be annihilated.

On the occasion of the centennial, Armenians, Assyrians, Chalcedonians and the Arames are remember their sufferings in Lebanon. Besides having feelings about their belonging to Lebanon, they also stay true to their origins. One can see the anger against the atrocious Genocide on their faces, and they are more determined to see the recognition of those massacres.

The Lebanese-Armenians live with other minorities in Lebanon. They are Lebanese of Armenian descent. They have played a huge role in the country’s social and economic life and haven’t hurt anyone with their neutrality. For that they have been loved and respected by everyone. The Armenians are known for being rhetorical and sincere. They became famous people in Lebanon such as ministers, Members of Parliament, economists, cultural figures, businesspeople, doctors, architects, artists, musicians and journalists. They have their own Armenian newspapers and radio stations, as well as their own schools and colleges.”

The deputy goes on to say the following: “We demand that the great powers, which are considered the defenders of democracy and human rights, to condemn all the massacres perpetrated against mankind, especially the massacres against the unarmed Armenians. Today, on the occasion of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, we demand that the people of the world with the desire for freedom, pressure Turkey. The more the condemning acts, the more the pressure from European countries will be on the country that contends to join the European Union.”

In his letter, Mr. Nebil also reminds that “in 1997, the Parliament of Lebanon passed a decision condemning the Armenian Genocide, making Lebanon the first Arab country to recognize the Armenian Genocide. With this, the Parliament of Lebanon expressed its support to the demands of Armenian citizens with the belief that international recognition of this issue would prevent and rule out such acts in the future.”

At the end of the letter, the Lebanese Member of Parliament says the following: “Your Highness, we demand that the 24^th of April 2015, the day marking the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, be declared as a Day of Mourning as implementation of the decision taken by the Parliament in 1997 and as tribute to the innocent martyrs.”