NCJ Number
225067
Journal
Forensic Examiner Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: Fall 2007 Pages: 34-41
Date Published
2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the mass homicide of 140 Turkish intellectuals of Armenian heritage in Istanbul in 1915, in order to determine whether their arrest and mass execution was consistent with the selective mass extermination of intelligentsia observed in other genocides in the 20th century.
Abstract
This historical review and analysis of documented genocides in the 20th century concludes that the executions of the Turkish intellectuals of Armenian heritage had similar patterns and motivations. The data show a significant correlation between the selective executions of the 140 men and their religious and ethnic identity. This parallels other selective persecutions and killings of intelligentsia of certain religious and ethnic identity under other regimes of the 20th century. The Turkish-Armenian genocide, as the first genocide of the 20th century, is the pattern for most of the genocides that followed. These included the genocides of Jewish and Serbian citizens in Croatia in 1940, Jewish intellectuals in Nazi Europe, Jewish doctors in the Soviet Union in 1953, the homicides of Nuba in Sudan from 1960-1972, and western-friendly or eyeglass-wearing Cambodians from 1975-1978. This article recommends measures for preventing such genocide in the future. They include the creation of an International Peace Army as recommended by Charny (1999), teaching evidence-based history and promoting accurate dissemination of historical facts of all genocides, and the incorporation of the genocide literature into the standard curriculum for all health-care professionals. The latter recommendation stems from the likelihood that health-care professionals will be targeted as either victims or perpetrators of genocide, because of the valuable knowledge they possess. Given their influence, scientists and all health-care professionals may also have a key role in educating political forces. Health-care professionals can lead educational efforts in influencing legislative initiatives designed to create and defend genocide research and scholars. 4 tables and 13 references