In these days, when the word “genocide” is being heard even more frequently, while the West prefers stand idle to the deliberate and continuous massacres of the Palestinian people by Israel, the Lemkin Institute, which is a product of the West, displayed a different stance towards the massacre. The Institute in question only condemned the attack in the Armenian neighborhood of East Jerusalem[1]. In fact, it is known that the Institute’s[2] main function is conducting open opposition against Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

The West, especially under the influence of the Armenian diaspora makes a serious claim regarding Rafael Lemkin. They allege that Lemkin was particularly influenced by the 1915 Events while thinking contemplating the term “Genocide”. Although some videos continue to be posted, it is possible to find a clear, concrete and scientific answer to this from the very article written by Rafael Lemkin himself.

In Rafael Lemkin’s[3] 1946 article in the American Scholar, he explains the thoughts that led him to coin the term “genocide”. The relevant part of the article is as follows:

“[...] Thus, the terms “Germanization,” “Italianization,” “Magyarization” are used often to connote the imposition by a stronger nation (Germany, Italy, Hungary) of its national pattern upon a group controlled by it. These terms are inadequate since they do not convey biological destruction, and they cannot be used as a generic term. In the case of Germany, it would be ridiculous to speak about the Germanization of the Jews or Poles in western Poland, since the Germans wanted these groups eradicated entirely.”

Hitler stated many times that Germanization [p. 228] could only be carried out through soil, never by men. These considerations led the author to coin a new term for this particular concept: genocide. This word was created from the ancient Greek word genos (race, clan) and the Latin suffix cide (killing). Thus, in its formation, genocide would correspond to such words as tyrannicide, homicide, patricide[4].

Throughout the article, events in human history are also presented with examples, but these are not directly explained by the term “genocide”. The accusation of “genocide”, which should be applied legally today, requires evidence and an in-depth, impartial research study. While one-sided, allegation-based, unprovable situations are being called “genocide”, the Palestinian massacre, which has been occurring clearly and systematically for months, is being disregarded.

An “Institute” that has a website which does not even include one of Rafael Lemkin’s articles on the subject, not only evaluated the events of 1915, in which the United Kingdom withdrew its accusation due to lack of evidence in the Malta trials, as “genocide”, but also displayed that it has nothing to do with science by calling Azerbaijan’s regaining of its lands as the “Second Armenian Genocide”[5]. If an institute is responsible for evaluating and analyzing the situations that it carries in its name as part of its field of interest, it should also carry out studies on the events in Khojaly. However, it is clear that the Institute in question would never even think of such a thing.

It is understood that the word “genocide” used by an organization that defines itself as an “institute” is one-sided, biased and disregards the work of the scientist whose name it bears. Thus, the use of the word by such an institution should be viewed with even more suspicion.

*Photograph: https://www.lemkininstitute.com/about-us