Peter Balakian Reflects on Der Zor

In the reflection [1]"Bones" [1] [1], [1] Peter Balakian recounts a trip to Der Zor in Syria, which was the final resting place of hundreds of thousands of Armenian women, children, and men, who died during the Armenian Genocide.  Balakian visits a memorial church that displays jars filled with dirt and bones then goes to the historical site of the massacre at Der Zor.  At the site, every handful contains bits of bone from the thousands of Armenians who were massacred there by the Ottoman Turkish government.  He takes handfuls of the dirt and bone and carries them with him back to the United States, reflecting on their meaning. 

Other Resources:

Armenian Genocide [2] New York Times

State of the Denial [3] Southern Poverty Law Center