Hrant Dink, another Mandela, King, or maybe Gandhi? Special

Melbourne - Not jailed as Nelson Mandela was, or assassinated like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, Hrant Dink espoused beliefs in the fundamental goodness of humans. His silenced voice, his vision, his dream too, are given voice this week in Australia.

Hrant Dink, repeated, in a positive voice, in writing, talks, and film, time and time again: those divided by race, ethnic origin, or religion, or by what they personally or commonly experienced, will one day to come together to live with tolerance in peace. Carrying on his legacy, Hrant Dink's daughter, Delal, and his son-in-law, Rober Koptas are in Australia for 10-days of talks, interviews and media appearances.

Armenian News

Delal Dink (center) with Rober while still in Turkey

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Given the tragic Turkish-Armenian history leading to Dink's death, after meeting with them, I felt astonished at their composed-fervor. Australian-Armenian, Jackie Mansourian, also at the meeting in Melbourne, in an email, said, “I was totally moved and inspired by these two young committed, intelligent, gentle and dynamic young people.” Delal's father, founder and editor-in-chief, of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper, Agos, had received death threats (same as Mandela, King, and Gandhi) from ultra-nationalists. At fifty-three years of age, as he approached his offices in January 2007, Dink was assassinated by a seventeen year-old gunman who may have been hired. The conspiracy case is presently in Istanbul's legal system. Daughter, Delal Dink, reminds me of women who, with quiet calm, speak eloquently, about democracy and human rights in difficult political setting, women such as Suu Kyi, in Burma. And also younger women – like Delal herself – such as Pulitzer Prize author, currently President Obama's adviser on human affairs, Samantha Power, and documentary film-maker, Carla Garapedian. The latter's films about genocides worldwide, since at least the era of European explorers, are – as Phillip Roth might say – evidence of a human stain. When asked what might be done today to heal wounds, Delal answered, I thought, touchingly, “Speak my father's words.” Together, Delal and Rober, who is now editor-in-chief of Agos, convey a painful history with tenderness and warmth making their quest a testament to human compassion, forbearance, and resilience. Toward the end of our brief time together, hearing Hrant Dink, Rober said, “Our only power is in the truth.”