‘We hope this sacrifice will lead today’s Christians to a deeper faith’ – Narek Karapetyan on Armenian Genocide

About one and a half million Armenians perished during the Armenian Genocide simply because they refused to convert to Islam, yet this story, beyond its dark side, also carries a message filled with light, Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the Our Way movement, said in a video message.

“When the war began between the Entente countries and the Ottoman Empire (as well as Germany and Austria-Hungary), the Ottoman army went through all the Armenian villages and towns of the empire and asked the residents two questions.

The first question was: ‘Will you convert to Islam?’ About 98 percent of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire refused, saying ‘no.’

The second question was: ‘If you do not accept Islam, you will be sent to the desert of Deir ez-Zor.’ This was about 600–800 kilometers from the Armenian Highlands. All the men were killed, and the women and children were driven into the desert of Deir ez-Zor.

We lost about 70 percent of our people—around one and a half million—because they refused to change their faith. We want everyone to know this story, and not only its dark side. It also contains a message filled with light—Christians in the 20th century followed the path of Christ and gave their lives. We hope that this entire sacrifice will lead today’s Christians to a deeper faith, to the great and humane religion that we follow and must live by,” Karapetyan concluded.