The Rise of Discrimination

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Discriminating is one of the most gruesome acts one can perform. Elie Wiesel agrees with this as he once said “Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil” (Brainy Quotes). Wiesel being a survivor of arguably the worst genocide in history, knows first hand what its like to be discriminated against, and so do the victims of the Armenian genocide. The Armenian genocide brought pain and suffering to a group of people for the same reason it did to Elie Wiesel and the Jews; Discrimination. The Armenians are a group of people that originated from tribes in the Armenian highlands around 10,00 B.C (1). In the 4th century they developed into a separate culture related to their religion which was christianity (1). Later on he Armenian civilization was controlled by the Ottoman Empire (1). The Empire consisted of many cultures and ethnic groups, but the Armenians were somewhat at the bottom of the social class. Because of the social minority, they were assigned to millets, or small communities based on religion and political views. (2) Within these millets, there were sets of rules and regulations that normally did not interfere with the big picture (1). Other ethnic groups in the Empire shared the same religion (Muslim) as the leaders of the Empire, who were Turkish. This promoted their social rank or status with the leaders. The Armenians had it differently. They were treated with less respect, and this started problems within the Empire. The problems first started for the Armenians around 1908, in Armenia. Most of the genocide took place in Armenia, and some parts of Asia (6). Armenia was around where present day Russia, Iraq and parts of Iran. The location had relation to why the Turks wanted to get rid of them. Because of the diffe... ... middle of paper ... ...-93. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. 3. "Frequently Asked Questions about the Armenian Genocide." Frequently Asked Questions about the Armenian Genocide. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. 4. “Genocide 1915.” © 2010-2013 Armenica.org Web. 30 March 2014. 5. "Genocide Museum | The Armenian Genocide Museum-institute." Genocide Museum | The Armenian Genocide Museum-institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. 6. Gunter, Michael M. "What Is Genocide? The Armenian Case." Middle East Quarterly. Winter 2013: SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. 7. Kifner, John. “Armenian Genocide of 1915: An Overview.” New York Times. The New York Times Company. 2007. Web 24 March 2014. 8. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. 9. "United to End Genocide." United to End Genocide. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.

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