What do you notice about this rug?Why do you think it has to do with

genocide?

This rug was made in the 1920s and given to the American president Calvin Collidge

in 1925. What has it got to do with genocide?

Here is President Coolidge stood on the rug

This rug was made by Armenian orphans in the 1920s

Any ideas about it’s connection to genocide yet?

Armenia is in modern day

Turkey

The Armenian Genocide, 1915In 1915, between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed or starved as part of a policy by the Ottoman government to remove minority Armenian subjects.The Ottoman government and its successor, the Turkish government refuse to call the event a genocide.Many children who were made orphans moved to the USA. To say thank you some children produced this rug.

This isn’t where the story ends though!From 1925 the rug has been kept in storage. In 2012

the Smithsonian Institute (a large museum) wanted to put the rug on show. The White House refused.

Can you suggest why?

The White House issued a statement saying “The Ghazir Rug is a reminder of the close relationship between the peoples of Armenia and the United States. We regret that it is not possible to loan it out at this time.”

Many people think they have done this so as to not offend Turkey, a very powerful nation near the Middle East.

Do you think this was the right decision?

What does the Ghazir rug show us about genocide?

You are now going to answer the question above. You need to refer to the two bits of the story:

1. Why was it made?

2. Why you think the US government won’t show it and what this tells us about the nature of genocide, even 100 years later!