"NO PLACE FOR DENIAL" STATEMENT AND DEMANDS

No Place for Hate programs across the country must immediately sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League because the ADL has failed to:

• Acknowledge unambiguously the Armenian Genocide
• Support U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide

For many years, the ADL, working on behalf of the Turkish government, has refused to acknowledge that the massacres of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 constituted genocide. Worse, they have lobbied for Turkey to prevent passage of a resolution by the United States Congress affirming this genocide.

On August 21, 2007, under pressure from the New England Armenian and Jewish communities, the ADL issued a highly ambiguous statement that some claimed was an acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. It stated that the “consequences” of events in Turkey were “tantamount to genocide.” This duplicitous statement sidestepped the legal definition of genocide by avoiding any language that would imply intent, a critical part of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention.

In that same statement, and on numerous occasions since, the ADL has reiterated its opposition to formal U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, calling a proposed Congressional resolution “a counterproductive diversion.” This position is inconsistent with the ADL’s mission statement “to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike.” A human rights organization should not be working against recognition of any genocide. Human rights are universal and cannot be defended for some but not others.

The ADL soon afterward apologized to the Prime Minister of Turkey for having put his government “in a difficult position,” expressing its “sorrow over what we have caused for the leadership and people of Turkey.” No apology has been offered to date to Armenian Genocide survivors and their heirs.

In an August 23, 2007, press release, and on numerous occasions since, Mr. Foxman asked Armenians to “respond favorably to the several recent overtures of Turkey to convene a joint commission . . . to investigate what happened in the past.” The International Association of Genocide Scholars has labeled such proposals as propaganda, not scholarship.

By the ADL’s own standards, casting doubt on the historical truth of genocide constitutes genocide denial. And asking Armenians to sit down with state-appointed denialist historians on the payroll of the Turkish government is exceptionally offensive. Considering the ADL’s unceasing – and just – efforts to combat Holocaust denial, their actions are remarkably hypocritical.

Finally, on November 2, 2007, the ADL held its national commissioners’ meeting during which time the ADL was expected to evaluate formally its policy on the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian, Jewish and human rights communities expected the ADL national meeting to take a clear and principled stand on the Armenian Genocide and to distance themselves from the denialist policies pursued by their national director. However, in a one-sentence press statement dated November 2, the ADL announced that it had voted “to take no further action” on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. By this defining vote, the entire organization - not just its national leadership - became complicit in Turkey’s genocide denial campaign.

By choosing political expediency over a clear moral imperative - that of condemning and combating genocide and Holocaust denial in all its forms - the ADL has disqualified itself as a defender of human rights for all. For according to genocide scholars, not only is genocide denial the highest form of hate speech, it is the final stage of genocide. Nobel Laureate Elie Weisel calls it a “double killing.” Historian Israel Charny describes denial as “first the physical deed, followed by the destruction of remembrance of the deed.”

With its egregious decision on this critical human rights matter, it is clear that the ADL does not have the moral authority to sponsor any kind of anti-bias and diversity program. Their actions are an affront to all people of good conscience who are committed to the cause of human rights, tolerance, and genocide prevention - and with the very ideals that the No Place for Hate program aims to foster in our communities.

There is no question that the dedicated volunteers and human rights activists on No Place for Hate committees across the country have done extremely valuable work. Yet this crucial work is compromised by its association with the ADL. The Belmont, Massachusetts Human Rights Commission said it best:

“ADL and the No Place for Hate program emphasize that the “tip of the pyramid of hatred” is genocide. How can we, in good faith, ask our community to work at the base of this same pyramid while the No Place for Hate sponsor is actively working against congressional, international recognition of the Armenian genocide?”

Our communities abound with committed, civically engaged citizens. There is no reason we cannot independently continue human rights work without the baggage that comes with ADL sponsorship.

No Place for Hate municipalities across the country must do the right thing and join their colleagues in Watertown, Belmont, Newton, Northampton, Arlington, Lexington, Westwood, Medford, Bedford, Newburyport, Needham and Peabody as well as the Massachusetts Municipal Association by immediately ending their relationships with the ADL, an organization which has sadly disqualified itself as an effective advocate for tolerance education through its longstanding position on the Armenian Genocide.

Ultimately, this is not just an issue for or about Armenians. It is a moral issue for all people. Denying any genocide, anywhere, sets the stage for future genocides.

On the eve of the Final Solution, and one week prior to the invasion of Poland, Adolph Hitler lectured his commanders as follows:

“Our strength consists in our speed and in our brutality. Genghis Khan led millions of women and children to slaughter -- with premeditation and a happy heart. History sees in him solely the founder of a state. It’s a matter of indifference to me what a weak western European civilisation will say about me. I have issued the command -- and I’ll have anybody who utters but one word of criticism executed by a firing squad -- that our war aim does not consist in reaching certain lines, but in the physical destruction of the enemy. Accordingly, I have placed my death-head formation in readiness -- for the present only in the East -- with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Polish derivation and language. Only thus shall we gain the living space which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians.”

Adolph Hitler, August 22, 1939

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IN THE NEWS: Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) Ends Sponsorship of "No Place for Hate"

Cites ADL’s Ongoing Denial of the Armenian Genocide

Boston, MA -- The Massachusetts Municipal Association voted unanimously on April 8, 2008 to end its sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program due to the Anti Defamation League’s (ADL) continued mischaracterization of the Armenian Genocide and its active opposition to its recognition.

The action by the nonprofit, nonpartisan association of Massachusetts cities and towns, comes after at least 12 Massachusetts communities have already withdrawn from the NPFH program concluding that their constituents' human rights needs are best served by dissociating themselves from the ADL.

In a statement released on April 8 the MMA affirmed that, "the inconsistency between the National ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide and the human rights principles underlying NPFH is a matter of great concern to MMA Board members and the municipalities they represent. The MMA feels strongly that it is imperative to speak with absolute clarity on genocide and that, due to the NPFH program’s association with the National ADL, the Association will no longer be a sponsor of the program.”

Read the full MMA statement, the ANC Press Release, the Boston Globe article, the Watertown Tab Article and the February 26 Open Letter from the Armenian Community to the MMA.

Read about the Michigan Armenian community's protest of Abraham Foxman's appearance at Birmingham Community House. Read about the Los Angeles area protest against the ADL national director and the Glendale, California school boycott of ADL program. Watch video of rally in front of ADL national headquarters in New York City.

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UPDATES

Saturday 05/02
=In an article entitled No more 'No place for hate', the Somerville News reports on Somerville's withdrawal from the ADL program. “We want to send a clear message that bigotry, whether its on a local level or a genocide level, is not appropriate,” city spokeswoman Lesley Delaney Hawkins is quoted as saying. The article explains that "[Somerville] Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, a member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) who is also president of the Massachusetts Mayors' Association, received an “immense” amount of correspondence from individuals, of both Armenian and non-Armenian descent, expressing their concern over the controversial position of the ADL."

Wednesday 04/30
=In a public letter thanking Mayor Curtatone of Somerville, Massachusetts State Reps Rachel Kaprielian and Peter J. Koutoujian write: "Your support for the Armenian community was sincerely felt when the MMA took a stand against the denial of the Armenian Genocide and severed its ties with the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate program. We are also pleased to learn that the city of Somerville has taken steps to sever ties with the No Place for Hate program. Furthermore, your steadfast leadership on this issue proves your commitment to honoring human rights in the past, present and future. "

Sunday 04/27
=ANNOUNCEMENT: On Friday night, May 2 at 8pm, at Temple Isaiah, 55 Lincoln Street, Lexington Massachusetts, Dr. Richard Hovannisian of UCLA, will be speaking on the nexus of the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust as part of Temple Isaiah's commemoration of Yom Hashoah Holocaust Memorial Day. No RSVP is necessary. Please be advised that the worship service will last for about 45 minutes prior to Dr. Hovannisian's talk, followed by approximately 15 minutes of closing worship after the presentation.
=In his invitation to the Hovannisian lecture, Rabbi Howard L. Jaffe of Temple Isaiah writes: "Temple Isaiah wishes to especially reach out to the Armenian community in an open invitation to join us for worship that evening, and to be present for Dr. Hovannisian's talk. We have asked him to come all the way from Los Angeles specifically for this event, so that we might strongly exhibit our commitment to working together on recognition of the Armenian genocide, and on building ever stronger relations between our two communities. "
=Read the op-ed that Rabbi Howard Jaffe has co-authored with Lexington activist Laura Boghosian in the Lexington Minuteman and the Jewish Advocate.

Saturday 04/26
=A letter to the editor in the Cambridge Chronicle by Berge Jololian calls on Blue Cross Blue Shield to drop its sponsorship of the ADL program. "It’s wrong to fund or sponsor an alleged human rights program such as NPFH, which was created and is sponsored by an organization like ADL that denies a genocide," writes Jololian. "It’s a misuse of the health-care dollars of Blue Cross subscribers," continues the letter and urges Cambridge’s state legislators to press "Beacon Hill’s Joint Public Health Committee to conduct hearings into Blue Cross’ spending habits."

Friday 04/25
=The Somerville Journal reports that: "Following a number of cities in the area disgusted the ADL won’t honor the Armenian Genocide, Somerville has shed its moniker of 'No Place for Hate.'" The Journal adds that the Mayor's announcement severing ties with the ADL "was timed...to coincide with the day the genocide is commemorated." Somerville is now part of the Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities, reports the Journal.
=The Boston Globe reports that the city of Somerville "has joined a growing number of communities ending their relationship with an Anti-Defamation League program, No Place for Hate, over the organization's failure to "unequivocally recognize" the Armenian genocide."

Thursday 04/24
=BREAKING NEWS: The mayor of Somerville has just announced that the city of Somerville will officially rescind their endorsement of ADL's No Place for Hate. In an email to the No Place for Denial Team, Mayor Joe Curtatone wrote: "As Mayor of Somerville, as a parent and as a person, I believe that ensuring the basic human rights of all people is essential. We must promote tolerance and understanding in our communities every day. That is why today, when we commemorate the Armenian Genocide, I am announcing that the City of Somerville is taking the steps to officially rescind our support of the No Place for Hate program." Details to follow.
=ANNOUNCEMENT: Boston Area Commemoration of the 93rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide: Remembrance and Commemoration through Prayer, Culture and Music. Requiem Service at 6:30 pm in the St. James Armenian Church Sanctuary, Watertown. Program at 7:30 pm in St. James, Keljik Hall, 465 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown. Featured speakers: Steve Kurkjian, Dr. Dikran Kaligian. Musical performance by cellist Ani Kalayjian, Solo dance performance by Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston. Organized by the Greater Boston Committee to Commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

Tuesday 04/22
=ANNOUNCEMENT: The Watertown Town Council plans to issue a proclamation Tonight, Tuesday, April 22 at 7:15 PM recognizing David Boyajian's contributions to the ADL/NPFH campaign. Location: Richard E. Mastrangelo Chamber, Watertown Town Hall, 149 Main Street, Watertown, MA.

Monday 04/21
=In an article on the MMA's decision to end its sponsorship of the ADL's No Place for Hate program, the Needham Times quotes Charles Sahagian, who joined fellow Armenian Americans in the town in asking the town to severe ties with No Place for Hate as saying: “I’m happy and sad at the same time...The MMA decision was favorable but that notwithstanding, the ADL is still recalcitrant, it still denies the genocide. That’s the problem." On behalf of the town’s Armenian-American community, Sahagian has thanked Needham’s representatives on the MMA board, Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick and Selectman Jerry Wasserman, for their position on the issue. “It is absolutely essential to acknowledge the horrible genocide suffered by the Armenian people,” Wasserman is quoted as saying.

Tuesday 04/15
=The San Francisco-Bay Area ANC reports that on April 7, at the conclusion of a speech in which he repeatedly condemned and called for an end to the use of anti-Jewish euphemisms, Abraham Foxman was asked why he has chosen to use euphemisms in regard to the Armenian Genocide. Foxman responded that “...No one can dictate to you to use the word that you want us to use. We will use the words that we feel comfortable with” and that the issue should be resolved between Turks and Armenians. Read the report and full transcript of Foxman's response here.
=In a Jerusalem Post April 13 column on the planned construction of the Armenian Genocide Museum of America, Marilyn Henry touches on the continuing denial of the Armenian genocide. The article quotes Michael Berenbaum, who was the project director for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's permanent exhibition, as saying: "Jews should have a couple of eerie feelings as they enter an Armenian museum...The first is: What would have happened to the remembrance of the Holocaust if Germany had denied the crime?" The column concludes saying: "The Armenians and the Jews have much in common: atrocities, expulsion...But we Jews have been spared one grievous harm: as Berenbaum has noted, the fact that Germany acknowledged the Holocaust enabled the Jews to commemorate it appropriately - not to argue about whether it happened."

Saturday 04/12
=On Sunday, April 13 @ 2pm, the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) will host “Genocide Committed, Genocide Denied, Genocide Repeated: A Public Forum in Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, the Jewish Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide.” Event co-sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of America, the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, Facing History and Ourselves (Brookline), The Armenian Assembly of America, The Strassler Family Center for Genocide and Holocaust Studies at Clark University, Orphans of Rwanda and the Survivors Fund.
The event aims to raise awareness about past genocides and the necessity to prevent such future atrocities. The forum will begin at 2 p.m. in ALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery with WBZ talk radio host Jordan Rich serving as the moderator.
Speakers include Professors Roger Smith (Zoryan Institute) and Henry Theriault (WSC). Survivors of the Armenian Genocide, the Jewish Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide will be on hand to convey their personal experiences, as will photojournalist and author Lane Montgomery. The event is free and open to the public. It will include Rwandan, Jewish and Armenian musical interludes. A light reception will follow.

Friday 04/11
=The Jewish Advocate has reprinted an abridged version of the op-ed by Rabbi Jaffe and Laura Boghosian first published in the Lexington Minuteman on March 31, 2008. "The ADL’s position is simply not justifiable," state the authors. "Recently, three prominent Israeli genocide scholars condemned an Israeli ambassador’s comments supporting Turkish genocide denial by writing that Israel’s relationship with Turkey “does not require public displays of obsequiousness and participation in genocide denial.” The op-ed concludes: "Even if Turkey’s threats are not mere saber rattling, as many believe, the consequences to Israel are not great enough to legitimize the ADL’s actions. By engaging in such realpolitik, the ADL forfeits its moral authority to speak on matters of conscience."

Thursday 04/10
=The Jewish Advocate reports that Facing History and Ourselves (FHO), has hired Andrew H. Tarsy as its chief institutional advancement officer. The article notes that "the former ADL director found himself at the center of a media conflagration...because of the ADL National Director Abraham Foxman’s stance regarding the Amenian genocide. Foxman released a statement claiming the massacre was “tantamount to genocide,” but did not fully acknowledge the mass killing of some 1.5 million Armenians by the Turkish government in the early 1900s." The Advocate notes that FHO has published a book on the Armenian genocide entitled Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians. The Advocate quotes Nancy K. Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, as saying: “I think this is a wonderful opportunity for him. I think he will be able to speak freely about the issues he is most passionate about including speaking out against genocide, whether that is the Armenian or Jewish genocide.”

Wednesday 04/09
=The Boston Globe reports on the MMA's decision to end its sponsorship No Place for Hate: "In a unanimous vote, the board of directors at the MMA, a nonprofit advocacy group for Massachusetts cities and towns, expressed 'strong disapproval' in the ADL for failing to unequivocally acknowledge the Armenian genocide at a national meeting last November, according to a statement released yesterday. 'We think this is an issue on which there can be no equivocation,' said Jonathan Hecht, a Watertown town councilor and member of the MMA's board of directors. 'My personal view,' he said, 'is that No Place For Hate is not credible as long as the ADL is unable to unequivocally recognize the genocide.'...The MMA's decision to do so yesterday will send a 'clear message' to communities that still welcome the program, said Sharistan Melkonian, chairwoman of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts."
=The Watertown Tab reports: "The co-sponsor of 'No Place for Hate' cut ties to the anti-bias program, delivering a stunning rebuke to the Anti-Defamation League over its position on the Armenian Genocide...Association board member Jonathan Hecht, a Watertown Town Councilor and key drafter of the statement withdrawing from 'No Place for Hate,' said the association did the right thing.'Despite the many good people at the ADL, what is more important is to be unambiguous about genocide, ' Hecht said. 'Unfortunately, the ADL is not unambiguous and that’s not acceptable.' "

Tuesday 04/08
=BREAKING NEWS: The Massachusetts Municipal Association today voted to end its sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program. In a statement released today the nonprofit, nonpartisan association of Massachusetts cities and towns wrote: "The MMA feels strongly that it is imperative to speak with absolute clarity on genocide and that, due to the NPFH program’s association with the National ADL, the Association will no longer be a sponsor of the program.” Read the full MMA statement. Read the ANC Press Release.
=Asbarez reports that in an open letter to the Israeli Knesset, the Jewish community of Armenia has urged Israel's legislative body to to adopt the Resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Hasan Murad Mercan, chairman of the Turkish parliamentary committee of foreign affairs has said: "All Israeli officials, with whom we met, including the president Shimon Peres, have assured us that the initiative to discuss the Armenian Genocide at the Knesset will yield no results."
=Read Apigian's column in the Armenian Weekly, where she reports on the Michigan Armenian community's March 26 demonstration protesting the appearance of Abraham Foxman at the Birmingham Community House. She writes: "Foxman’s words (“tanamount to genocide”) were insufficient and burned a hole in the Armenian psyche all over the diaspora, including in Detroit... Every one of us bears the scars of 1915. Every one of us carries the genes and blood of that exiled generation. Every one of us demonstrated as victors not victims. Every one of us respects the victims of the Holocaust and everyone of us will not let the genocide issue be trampled upon."

Monday 04/07
=ACTION ALERT: The entire Board of the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) will be meeting this Tuesday, April 8, to reevaluate its relationship with the ADL. The MMA needs to hear from a sizeable number of MA residents in the next 24 hours! Please take a moment to respond to this Action Alert. If you've already sent a web-fax to the MMA, please consider emailing the sample letter to the other members of the MMA Board listed here. Calling up one or two MMA Board members close to your district would also be very helpful.

Friday 04/04
=ANNOUNCEMENT: A panel discussion "Understanding the Armenian Genocide and its Impact in 2008" will be held on Monday, April 7 at 7:30 pm at the Needham High School Media Center (609 Webster Street, Needham, MA). It is organized by The Needham Human Rights Committee and members of the Needham Armenian community and will feature: Sharistan Melkonian, George Aghjayan, Henry Theriault and Ruth Thomasian.

Thursday 04/03
=A letter written by Waltham resident Peter Sahagian has appeared in the Daily News Tribune asking public officials, and in "those who sit on the Massachusetts Municipal Association board, to do what is principled and to insure genocide denial, from whatever source, has no place in our communities." Mr. Sahagian writes: "Executive Director Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League... although admitting genocide denial to be the ultimate form of hate speech, has escaped long overdue and deserved condemnation for his perverse disavowal of the Armenian Genocide."

Wednesday 04/02
=On Wednesday, March 26, the Michigan Armenian community came together to protest the appearance of Abraham Foxman, National Director of the ADL, at the Birmingham Community House, reports the Armenian National Committee of Michigan (ANC of MI). "For two hours, activists held signs and distributed information about the ADL to those attending the event. It was later discovered that Mr. Foxman had unexpectedly canceled his appearance at the event," reports the ANC of MI. Prior to the demonstration, on Sunday, March 23, the organizers took out a full page advertisement in the Observer & Eccentric newspaper. The article entitled “Shame on You Abraham H. Foxman” informed readers about the ADL’s continuing complicity in genocide denial.

Tuesday 04/01
=ANNOUNCEMENT: The Arlington Human Rights Commission will present a public dialogue titled "Perspectives on the Armenian Genocide" on Thursday, April 3. The guest speaker will be Dikran M. Kaligian, the Kaloosdian/Mugar Visiting Professor of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University. The dialogue will be held in the Robbins Library Community Room (700 Mass Ave, Arlington). Doors open at 7 p.m. for refreshments and socializing. The speaking program is to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Monday 03/31
=In a powerful op-ed just published in the Lexington Minuteman, co-authors Rabbi Howard Jaffe and Laura Boghossian state: "We write this piece, a Jew... and an Armenian, to express our mutual disappointment in the failure of the Jewish community to take a more active, principled stand on recognition of the Armenian Genocide." They go on to write: "What is especially troubling is that...the one organization whose mission statement includes the words “to secure justice and fair treatment to all” — the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) — has steadfastly refused to issue a strong, unambiguous acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide...More disturbing, the ADL has joined others in lobbying against official U.S. affirmation." The authors conclude: "the ADL must choose: it is impossible to function simultaneously as a human rights organization and as an advocate for any sovereign nation."
=The article concludes with the following announcement:
As part of the Friday, May 2 Sabbath service of Temple Isaiah at which the congregation will commemorate Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, one of the country’s foremost scholars of the Armenian Genocide will speak to the interrelationship between these two experiences. Temple Isaiah warmly invites its friends in the community to attend this 8 p.m. service and address by Dr. Richard Hovannisian of UCLA.

Sunday 03/30
=The Peabody Weekly News reports that Peabody has become the latest city to break from the ADL by suspending its affiliation with the ADL sponsored No Place for Hate program. Martha Holden, a member of the former No Place for Hate committee, has said that "the city would restore its affiliation with the ADL if the group adopts sharper language and backs a Congressional resolution acknowledging the genocide." She is quoted as saying: "We are looking for an unequivocal statement...a word like tantamount leaves it ambiguous."
Referring to the ADL's ambiguous stance on the Armenian genocide, Apo Torosyan, an Armenian from Turkey who has lived in Peabody since the 1960s, says: “I personally believe it’s a great way to protest this discrimination. This organization has been playing politics; there’s no politics in humanity.”
= The Boston Globe reports that Andrew Tarsy, former director of the New England ADL, will begin his position as chief institutional advancement officer at Facing History and Ourselves in April. The Brookline, Massachusetts based nonprofit offers resources to educators on genocide, with the goal of fostering tolerance among students. As part of its educational program, Facing History has published a book on the Armenian Genocide, "Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians."

Saturday 03/29
=BREAKING NEWS: Peabody suspends its affiliation with the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) No Place for Hate program, becoming the 12th Massachussetts community to do so in response to ADL's position on the Armenian Genocide. Read the Peabody Weekly News story.

Friday 03/28
=The Armenian Weekly reports that on March 19, Andrew Tarsy, former director of the New England ADL, in his lecture entitled "The Power of Words: Why the Term Genocide Matters so Much 60 Years After it Became a Crime under International Law", has discussed how and under what circumstances jurist Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide, saying: “The creation of the term genocide is inextricably linked to the deliberate annihilation of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turks in the early part of the 20th century and to the Holocaust itself.” Tarsy has also presented an overview of the Armenian genocide, and explained that the word genocide matters so much today for four reasons: validation, justice, reconciliation and prevention. He has said: "Many of those who avoid using the word genocide in the Armenian case are simply caught in a political no-win situation and are choosing politics over truth", and has expressed hope that the next president of the United States would acknowledge the Armenian genocide. He has concluded his speech saying: "When the term genocide applies, as it does for example in the case of the Armenians, it is imperative that we be unhesitating and unambiguous in applying it, regardless of the political consequences. Anything less facilitates the obfuscation of truth. Anything less dishonors the memory of the dead. And anything less ultimately imperils the safety of the living. This is why words matter, and this is why the term genocide means so much 60 years after it became an internationally recognized crime."
=The Lawyers Weekly reports that Andrew Tarsy will join the leadership team of Facing History and Ourselves.
=Haaretz reports that The Knesset has decided that a parliamentary committee will hold an unprecedented hearing on whether to recognize the World War I-era mass murder of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. The decision to hold a hearing was proposed by Meretz Chairman Haim Oron, who raises the proposal every year ahead of April 24. YNet News reports that Oron has said: "It is only proper that the Knesset, which officially represents the Jewish people, recognize the Armenian genocide...It is especially important at present, as we are dealing with so many cases of Holocaust denial. There are certain ethical dilemmas that cannot be avoided. I am aware of Turkey's objection to the matter, but I believe this is a subject that the Knesset must discuss." Knesset Member Zeev Elkin (Kadima) has said, "I am proud of our efforts, which have brought on this historical achievement, and which other parliaments in the world have succeeded in doing a while ago. Israel should have been among the first countries in the world to recognize this genocide."

Monday 03/24
=ANNOUNCEMENT: Detroit area Armenian community to protest ADL National Director Abraham Foxman's appearance on Wednesday March 26th at the Birmingham Community House (380 S. Bates St., Birmingham, Michigan) at 7 pm. A peaceful demonstration, organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Armenian Democratic League, will be held in front of the Community House starting at 5:30 pm that evening. All concerned citizens are urged to attend.

Thursday 03/20
= In a column published by the Watertown Tab, David Boyajian writes about Blue Cross Blue Shield's "unhealthful relationship with No Place for Hate". Boyajian states that Peter Meade, the recently retired Blue Cross Blue Shield vice president, also on the board of the New England ADL, and opposed to the Rose Kennedy Greenway’s proposed Armenian Heritage Park, “was instrumental in mobilizing Blue Cross” to become the state’s first official NPFH corporation. Boyajian concludes as follows: "Turkish doctors experimented on Armenians during the genocide just as German doctors did on Jews during the Holocaust, according to a study published in “Holocaust and Genocide Studies.” Would any network of doctors tolerate a health-care corporation affiliated with an organization that denied or diminished the Holocaust? Of course not. Blue Cross Blue Shield network doctors, therefore, should insist that Blue Cross Blue Shield cease participation in all ADL programs. Blue Cross Blue Shield needs to drop its official NPFH designation, stop misusing its members’ precious health-care dollars on NPFH and sever ties with the ADL."

Monday 03/10
=In his report on the March 6 UCLA panel discussion "Facing Denial, the Last Stage of Genocide", Joey Kurtzman of Jewcy defines the main criterion by which he would judge the success of the event as follows: "did it do anything at all that will make genocide denial a less acceptable political manuever to leaders of Jewish-American orgs such as the AJC (David Harris) and the ADL (Abraham Foxman). Will it cause anything to happen that in turn causes people lower down in these organizations to say to these men, 'I understand how simple-minded and Polyanna-ish this sounds, but I really think we need to consider the idea that supporting a genocide denial campaign is really just deeply problematic, political considerations aside.' "

Friday 03/07
=The Daily Bruin reports on the panel discussion entitled "Facing Denial, the Last Stage of Genocide" held on March 6 at UCLA.
Drawing parallels between the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust, Richard Hovannisian, chair of modern Armenian history at UCLA, has pointed out that both were based on wartime propaganda and the victims of it were portrayed as threatening to the country, both governments said they were simply relocating the victims and justified their actions by claiming their own people were killed as well. As for the differences between the two, David Myers, director of the Center for Jewish Studies, has pointed out that the Holocaust was recognized afterward and reparations were made to the Jews, whereas the Armenian genocide was not acknowledged.
Joey Kurtzman, executive editor of Jewcy, has said that, as a Jew, he is especially concerned that some Jewish leaders are denying the Armenian genocide for political reasons. "This is especially disconcerting for those in the Jewish community. What we claim to learn from our history is being desecrated in a pretty mortifying manner."

Sunday 03/02
=ANNOUNCEMENT: A panel discussion entitled "Facing Denial, the Last Stage of Genocide" will be held in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 6, 6:00pm-8:00pm at UCLA's Moore Hall, Room 100. The panel will feature Dr. Richard Hovannisian, AEF Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA, Dr. David Meyers, Director of Jewish Studies at UCLA, Joey Kurtzman, Executive Editor of Jewcy media and Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America. The panel discussion is hosted by the Shant Student Association (SSA) and co-sponsored by the Armenian Graduate Student Association (AGSA) at UCLA. Facebook event page.
Dr. David Meyers is a longtime critic of the ADL's efforts to diminish and deny the Armenian Genocide. His recent writings include:
1) LA Times Op-Ed 'Never again' for Armenians too (May 1, 2007),
2) Jewish Journal Op-Ed ADL's decision doesn't go far enough (August 31, 2007),
3) Comments in ANC-WR Press Release (September 12, 2007).
Joey Kurtzman has spearheaded the effort by young Jewish activists and bloggers to expose ADL's and AJC's Armenian Genocide denial. The following are some of his most influential articles:
1) Fire Foxman (July 8, 2007),
2) Did Abraham Foxman Acknowledge the Armenian Genocide? (August 22, 2007),
3) A Plea to the ADL: Please Stop Talking About Israel (October 12, 2007),
4) Why are American Jews Appeasing Turkish Antisemites? (November 16, 2007),
5) American Jewish Committee: First Half of 20th Century Was So Long Ago, Who Knows Whether Genocides Took Place? (February 22, 2008).

Saturday 03/01
=The Cape Cod Times has published a letter expressing disappointment that the MMA "has been dragging its feet fulfilling a pledge made five months ago" to sever its ties with the ADL. Edward H. Sahagian writes: "To discover that the association [MMA], supported by our public funds, has not fulfilled its pledge is most disappointing to many of us living on the Cape. We ask our town officials, especially those who serve on the association's board, to look into this matter.
The ADL, a private organization purporting to be a champion of human rights, is entitled to do what it wishes. However, our public officials should do what is principled."

Thursday 02/28
=The Jewish Daily Forward has published an interview with French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy in which he discusses the question of Jews and the recognition of the Armenian genocide. The interview contains frequent references to Abe Foxman and the ADL.
Levy says: "I was shocked by the withdrawal of the [Armenian genocide] resolution and was shocked that some Jews, because of fears connected to the wellbeing of the State of Israel, were unwilling to endorse it. This unwillingness on a matter where we Jews should be on the front lines is for me a real heartbreaker. In my upcoming lecture, I will speak about the meaning of the message of Judaism, which implies that we are not only open to, but forced to be helpful to those like the children of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide...The Jewish code taught me that you have to take care of both the living and the dead. And when it comes to the dead without graves, the demands are even greater. We — not us Jews, but we human beings — are the protectors of the graveless, and the Armenians are such dead." He goes on to point out that not standing firm on the issue of genocide recognition will weaken the fight against Holocaust denial.
=Bernard-Henri Levy will cover this topic in his upcoming Francine and Abdallah Simon State of World Jewry Lecture at New York’s 92nd Street Y on March 5 at 8 p.m.
=Watch a recent speech by Levy delivered in France on denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Tuesday 02/26
=Over thirty Armenian American organizations from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have called on the MMA in an open letter to 'rescind its endorsement of the No Place for Hate (NPFH) program due to the ADL’s refusal to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and its continued active opposition to US recognition of the Genocide.' "
Last September the MMA passed a resolution calling on the ADL to “support the Congressional [Armenian Genocide] Resolution.” In a letter to local No Place for Hate communities the MMA stated that it had “issued a strong and unequivocal statement on the importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide and supporting passage of the Congressional Resolution.” The letter also affirmed that the MMA “called on the national ADL organization to do the same” and concluded by stating that it would “review and monitor this matter, recognizing that while progress has been made,” the MMA would “re-evaluate our official sponsorship of NPFH after the national ADL determines whether to adopt this position.”

Friday 02/22
=Jewcy's Joey Kurtzman has posted an exchange between Barry Jacobs of the American Jewish Committee and Aram Hamparian of the Armenian National Committee of America. The post has already garnered over 125 comments by Jewish and Armenian readers.
Hamparian tells Jacobs: "Your efforts to score points in Ankara at the expense of the Armenian Genocide issue is a transparent transaction that, I think, squanders the moral capital of the Jewish community, undermines our collective efforts to fight Holocaust denial, and, if the ADL [Anti-Defamation League] experience of the last few months is any indication, is very far outside of the mainstream of your own community" .
Kurtzman writes: "Jacobs responds by suggesting that the AJC can't hope to say whether the genocide took place, because, jeez, World War I was so long ago! Then he swiftly non sequiturs to the very different argument that it's bad to acknowledge past genocides unless it makes good geopolitical sense. And then he adds that that's not just the position of the AJC, but also the position of "the Jewish community.""
Kurtzman concludes his commentary by pointing out that "whoever Barry Jacobs is talking about when he refers to 'the Jewish community,' their positions are morally bankrupt and a public disgrace to American Jews."

Monday 02/11
=Khatchig Mouradian has posted an article on Jewcy condemning "The Stubborn Myth of Jewish Involvement in the Armenian Genocide," the anti-Semitic conspiracy theory popular in some Armenian circles. "It is a shame when ordinary Armenians, Jews and Turks—out of ignorance, convenience or gain—buy into the lies of the Turkish state or anti-Semitic conspirators," writes Mouradian.

Friday 02/08
=The Santa Barbara Independent (California) has published another letter that asks the city to "follow the lead of the Human Rights Committees and the cities of Massachusetts by urging our organizations to cut their ties with NPFH until the ADL follows its own mission statements by recognizing the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide and supporting its recognition in the United States Congress. If we want to live in a world without genocide, we cannot leave any room for denial." Readers are urged to participate in the online discussion following the letter. Several genocide deniers have already made their voices heard in support of the ADL's position.

Thursday 02/07
= The Newburyport Current reports that the city has now officially withdrawn from “No Place for Hate” certification by the Anti-Defamation League. In a letter addressed to Meg Rose of the ADL, Mayor John Moak wrote: "In the wake of last fall’s national spotlight on the ADL and its failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923 as anything other than ‘tantamount to genocide,’ and in support of the approximate 5,000 Armenian residents in Merrimack Valley, the prudent course of action is to withdraw our membership.”

Tuesday 02/05
=ACTION ALERT: Call on the MMA to end its sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program! At its National Meeting on November 2, 2007, the Anti Defamation League (ADL) failed to live up to the conditions set by the MMA by refusing to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and to end its active opposition to legislation affirming the Armenian Genocide. Send an email to MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith today by clicking here. Read the complete text of the Action Alert here.

Monday 02/04
=Several letters expressing disapointment in the MMA's inaction on the ADL front have appeared in the Watertown Tab:
=Levon Karageuzian writes: "I do not understand why the Massachusetts Municipal Association board of directors has yet to cease its sponsorship of the Anti-Defamation League “No Place for Hate” program throughout the state, as many local governments have already done (beginning with Watertown in August 2007)....I am disappointed with the MMA and with those Watertown officials who have done nothing to hold the MMA accountable for its lack of follow through."
=Lily Ordoubeigian writes: "I was pleased that on Dec. 11 the Town Council asked the Massachusetts Municipal Association to fulfill its pledge of last September to sever ties with the ADL’s No Place for Hate program....The town of Watertown and Councilor Hecht should both withdraw from the MMA unless it follows through on its pledge to sever ties with ADL."

Sunday 02/03
=The ANCEM press release issued yesterday has details on the fight against the ADL’s genocide denial in Western Massachusetts. It reports that in late September and early October, "the Human Rights Commission of the City of Northampton followed by Northampton’s City Council ended their city’s relationship with No Place for Hate. " The report quotes from a September 28 letter addressed to the ADL’s Abe Foxman, in which Northampton’s Human Rights Commission states that: "we cannot in conscience continue a relationship with an organization that claims to stand for full accountability for genocide, yet stops short of endorsing a Congressional resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide. We cannot endorse selective recognition of hate by an organization that claims leadership in creating a world where there is no place for hate.”
=Read the full text of the October 4, 2007 Northampton City Council Resolution withdrawing from the ADL's No Place for Hate program. Here's a passage:
WHEREAS, the Northampton Human Rights Commission has investigated the situation whereby the Anti Defamation League® continues to deny the facts of the horrific Armenian Genocide. From 1915 to 1923 the premeditated, systematic and deliberate murders of more that one and one half million Armenians occurred; and
WHEREAS, the Armenian people continue to be deprived of the right to their history through the denial that this genocide ever took place; and
WHEREAS, The City of Northampton must not continue its affiliation with such an organization as ADL that promotes such a grievous denial.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
That the City of Northampton hereby rescinds its partnership in the "No Place for Hate" Campaign co-sponsored by the Anti Defamation League®.

Saturday 02/02
="Newburyport has become Massachusetts’ 11th municipality to end relations with the No Place for Hate program," reports the Armenian National Committee (ANC). Pearl Teague, the chairperson of the ANC of Merrimack Valley, has said: “we are pleased that the north shore has joined so many other cities and towns in Massachusetts in standing firmly opposed to genocide denial in any of its form.” The report quotes from a February 1 letter to the New England ADL, in which Newburyport mayor John Moak writes that “in the wake of … the [ADL’s] failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923 as anything other than “tantamount to genocide,” … the Commission has decided to end its relationship with the No Place for Hate program.

Friday 02/01
=BREAKING NEWS: NEWBURYPORT SEVERS TIES WITH ADL. The Mayor of Newburyport, John F. Moak, announced his decision today to formally withdraw from the ADL's No Place for Hate program. In a February 1 letter addressed to the ADL, mayor Moak writes that he is acting on the recommendation of the Newburyport Commission for Diversity and Tolerance which voted on November 9, 2007 to end its ties with the ADL and cites "[the ADL's] failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923 as anything other than “tantamount to genocide.” Read the ANCEM press release for details. Read the Newburyport CDT's August 31 letter to Abe Foxman.

Thursday 01/31
=A letter to the editor in the Santa Barbara Independent (CA) calls on "Santa Barbara [to] follow suit in a proactive declaration for peace, justice, and truth by following the lead of the Human Rights Committees and the cities of Massachusetts by urging our local organizations to cut ties with the NPFH until the Anti Defamation League follows its own mission statements." Arby Eivazian asks: "how can an organization claim to secure justice and fair treatment to all when it is itself, by denying the Armenian Genocide, involved in a manner of hate speech? Furthermore, what surprised me even further is that there are about 60 organizations in Santa Barbara alone affiliated with the NPFH program. These organizations include many of our high schools, colleges, and our so called peace organizations."

Tuesday 01/29
=In a letter to the editor of the Newton Tab, David Boyajian calls on the City of Newton to "cut ties to the MMA unless the latter acts quickly to cut ties to No Place For Hate and ADL." "The Massachusetts Municipal Association... has been dragging its feet on fulfilling a solemn pledge it made on Sept. 11 of last year," writes Boyajian. At that time "the MMA promised to “re-evaluate” its umbrella sponsorship of the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate chapters if the ADL didn’t reverse its position on the Armenian genocide at its national meeting in November....Well, the ADL scandalously clung to its unethical stance at that meeting," continues Boyajian. He concludes: "Had it been sponsoring a group created by a Holocaust-denying organization, the MMA would have severed ties long ago. The MMA apparently deems certain genocides to be less important than others."

Wednesday 01/16
=ANNOUNCEMENT: The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) will host a Joint Holocaust - Armenian Genocide Exhibit this Sunday, January 20, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. The event will feature Armenian Genocide survivor Kevork Norian and Holocaust survivor Meyer Hack as well as ethnic music by Armenian and Jewish performers. The event Press Release and a recent Boston Globe article have more information. ALMA is located in the heart of Watertown Square (65 Main Street, Watertown, MA).

Monday 01/14
Several news outlets have reported on the recent meeting between Abraham Foxman and Abdullah Gul:
=The Istanbul based Marmara reports that "during a meeting with ADL national chairman Abraham Foxman, Gul was assured of the organization’s opposition to the Genocide Resolution, adding that the matter was no longer a relevant concern for Jewish organizations, which will continue to oppose the measure."
=The Turkish Daily News has Foxman speaking on behalf of all American Jews: "He [Foxman] said the Jewish community continues to oppose the U.S. bill labeling the killings of Armenians as ''genocide'' and its representatives will soon pay a visit to Turkey."
=Newstime reports that: "Foxman noted that their stance towards the bill has not changed and will not change, and they are against discussion of this issue in political terms," and that: "Foxman said Gul and he agreed that Armenian allegations should be investigated by a joint committee of historians."


CLICK HERE FOR OLDER UPDATES
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VIDEO UPDATES: Rally in Front of ADL National Headquarters in NYC

Armenian/Jewish solidarity rally held on November 2 in front of ADL national headquarters in NYC. Followed by highlights from the following public meetings on ADL/NPFH: Newton #2, Arlington, Needham, Newton #1, Belmont, Watertown. Related links: 1)Read Arthur Nersesian's speech, "Auschwitz & Righteous Gentiles" delivered at the Rally. 2)Read about the LA protest against Foxman and the Glendale school boycott of ADL program. 3)Read the "No Place For Denial" Statement. 4)Read the Letter presented to ADL by Armenian community of Massachusetts. 5)Watch video of Genocide survivor speaking at Arlington, Mass meeting.

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ADL - "NO PLACE FOR HATE" MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights from public meetings held to discuss the future of the ADL sponsored No Place For Hate program in various Massachusetts towns and cities. This sequence of YouTube clips includes: Watertown Town Council, Newton HRC #1, Belmont HRC, Newton HRC #2, Needham HRC, Arlington Selectmen... Related links: 1)Watch in YouTube window. 2)Read the No Place for Denial Statement & Demands. 3)Watch video of Lexington Selectmen meeting. 4)Watch video of Genocide survivor speaking at Arlington meeting.

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Armenian Reporter: Needham, Mass., a battleground in the ADL-“No Place for Hate” controversy, receives a lesson on understanding the Genocide

April 26, 2008

By Ara Nazarian

Needham, Mass. -- A panel discussion titled “Understanding the Armenian Genocide and its Impact in 2008” took place on the evening of April 7 at Needham High School’s Media Center. More than 60 people came out to the event organized by the Needham Human Rights Committee (HRC) in conjunction with local Armenians, to provide the community-at-large with a better understanding of the events surrounding and following the Armenian Genocide. Needham is one of the Massachusetts towns that severed its ties with the “No Place for Hate” program on the basis of its affiliation with Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the latter’s refusal to unequivocally acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and cease its behind-the-scenes lobbying against the recognition of the Genocide on behalf of the Turkish government.

The Needham HRC convened three times over the subject, and was host to some of the more spirited debates on the issue of severing relationships with the “No Place for Hate” program. The April 7 panel discussion was moderated by Ruth Thomasian, director of the Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives. The evening started with a screening of the documentary “The Road to Redemption: Memories of the 1915 Armenian Genocide,” produced by the Genocide Archive Project, which presented the audience with an overview of the Armenian Genocide and featured interviews with a number of Genocide survivors who had settled in Massachusetts. (This documentary was produced as part of the 90th anniversary commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in the Greater Boston area.)

Henry Theriault, associate professor of Philosophy at Worcester State College, spoke of his research focusing on genocide and human rights. He specifically addressed the history of genocide through the ages and leading to today, and touched on common themes in all cases. Following Dr. Theriault, Sharistan Melkonian and George Aghjayan of the Armenian National Committee (chairs of the Eastern and Central Massachusetts chapters, respectively) spoke on the need to continue the struggle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and updated the audience on the current status of the House/Senate Resolutions 106.
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Armenian Reporter: Peabody observance honors memories of Torigian and Baronian

Apr 26, 2008

By Tom Vartabedian

Peabody, Mass.—When it came to refuting Turkish pressure and staging a Genocide observance on the steps of a government building, Peter Torigian stood up for his principals. And for the principals of his Armenian heritage. The 23-year mayor each April 24th would gather his Armenian constituents on the steps of City Hall and condemn the Turks for their wholesale slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915. What would follow was a public outcry by Turkish residents in the city, with articles refuting Torigian’s actions in the press. But the late mayor always managed to get the final word with a rebuttal of his own.

His memory was recalled by successor Michael J. Bonfanti, who took office shortly after Torigian’s death earlier this decade. “I’m proud of my city’s reputation as a place of religious, ethnic, and cultural tolerance and respect for all people,” he told a gathering of 100 guests on April 17. “I am pleased that the North Shore Holocaust Center is located at our main office library.” Bonfanti denounced the Anti-Defamation League’s failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide with the news that his city had disbanded its “No Place for Hate Committee.” “I have been horrified and repulsed by what I have read and watched,” he said. “I cannot comprehend the inhumanity of one human being to another. In a broader sense, we must remember and honor all those who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and human rights.”

Also participating in the ceremony were Torigian’s two daughters, Jeanie Burbridge and Nancy Buczko, along with his sister, Mary Foley, who served as mistress of ceremonies. The memory of Tufts University benefactor and humanitarian John Baronian was also recalled on April 17, for his distinguished service to the Armenian community. Mr. Baronian seldom missed a Genocide commemoration anywhere in the state and served as a philanthropist of the highest order. Lone survivor Carl Mootafian paid little heed to his age (almost 99) by presiding over a flag-raising ceremony and leading the crowd with the singing of both national anthems. (A profile of Mr. Mootafian appeared in the Jan. 5 Reporter.)

This reporter served as main speaker, discussing efforts to introduce a Genocide curriculum to high schools along Massachusetts’ North Shore. A number of programs have already been given to students and faculty with positive impact. Peabody filmmaker Apo Torosyan showed one of his six works titled “Witnesses” which documents the lives of two remaining survivors. His latest—a documentary on Henry Morganthau—was completed this week on the anniversary of his father’s death and will be showcased in the coming months. Newly-ordained Fr. Stephan Baljian conducted a requiem service, assisted by Dn. Avedis Garavanian.

Mary Ishkanian gave the reading of a popular Saroyan work.

Patrice Tierney, wife of U.S. Congressman John Tierney, brought greetings from Washington and boasted of her own proud Armenian ancestry. “My husband is a proud member of the Armenian caucus and is working hard to get a Genocide bill passed in the legislature,” she brought out.
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Watertown Town Council Proclamation Honoring David Boyajian

Town Council
Town of Watertown

Administrative Building * Watertown, MA 02472-4410
(617) 972-6470 * Fax (617) 972-6485


PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS: Watertown believes that all persons, regardless of their ancestry or creed, should be treated with equal consideration and respect; and,

WHEREAS: Watertown felt that the nationwide No Place for Hate (NPFH) program, which was created and sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), could provide a framework for residents to practice mutual respect and to stand up against bias and prejudice. Watertown had, since July, 2005 actively participated in NPFH; and,

WHEREAS: A significant portion of Watertown’s citizens are of Armenian ancestry and have, though personal experience, family loss, and the historical record, known the horrors of the planned extermination by Turkey of indigenous Armenians, recognized as the Armenian Genocide of 1915 – 23, However, the national ADL has long refused to unequivocally acknowledge he Armenian Genocide, and has also opposed affirmation of that Genocide by the United States; and,

WHEREAS: The national ADL’s statement of August 21, 2007 on the Armenian Genocide contravened the definition of genocide as defined by the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Watertown believes that NPFH’s human rights mission is incompatible with the biased actions of the ADL regarding the Armenian Genocide; and,

WHEREAS: Said actions of the national ADL are incompatible with its own stated human rights aims. According to Dr. Gregory Stanton, president of Genocide Watch, “Denial is the 8th stage that always follows a genocide. It is among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres.” Watertown believes that the denial of any genocide demeans the memory of the victims and their suffering, affronts universal human rights, and encourages the commission of future genocides; and,

WHEREAS: the Watertown Town Council has, as a consequence of the foregoing, disassociated Watertown from NPFH, and,

WHEREAS: David Boyajian is a journalist, a resident of the neighboring City of Newton, and a descendant of Armenian exiles denied equal justice and self-determination on their ancestral lands. His letter of July 6, 2007 in the Watertown Tab and Press and his ensuing activism initiated the drive to tell Watertown and the world about the ADL’s unprincipled actions regarding the Armenian Genocide. David’s strong, articulate voice inspired other human rights advocates and citizens alike, and subsequent investigative writings further explicated the ADL’s role in genocide denial,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Watertown Town Council expresses its sincere thanks to David Boyajian, and will continue to stand up for human rights, protect its citizens against defamation, and honor its long-standing tradition of respect for all people.


I HEREUNTO SET MY HAND
And cause the Great Seal of the
Town of Watertown to be affixed
On this 22nd day of April, 2008.

(signature)
Clyde L. Younger, Council President
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ADL’s Abe Foxman Disputes Criticism on Armenian Genocide Position

PRESS RELEASE

Armenian National Committee
San Francisco - Bay Area
51 Commonwealth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
Tel: (415) 387-3433
Fax: (415) 751-0617
www.ancsf.org
mail@ancsf.org


ADL’s Abe Foxman Disputes Criticism on Armenian Genocide Position

Monday April 7, 2008 - Responding to a question about the Anti-Defamation League’s reluctance to unequivocally recognize the Armenian Genocide, Abe Foxman, National Director of the ADL said, “...No one can dictate to you to use the word that you want us to use. We will use the words that we feel comfortable with.”

Foxman’s statement was part of a somewhat rambling answer to a question posed at the conclusion of a speech in San Francisco related to his book, “Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control.” The speech took place at the Jewish Community Center. Foxman spoke about international anti-Semitism directed towards Jews and Israel. He repeatedly condemned and called for an end to the use of racist, anti-Jewish euphemisms.

The first question posed to Foxman asked why he has chosen to use euphemisms in regard to the Armenian Genocide. Foxman prefaced his response by informing the audience that some people are not happy with the Anti-Defamation League’s position on the issue of the Armenian Genocide, and he went on to state that the issue should be resolved between Turks and Armenians. (Full text below.)

After years of lobbying against Armenian Genocide recognition in Congress and refusing to unequivocally acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, Foxman’s position was publicized last year in the New England media, prompting a public outcry which included conflict among ADL officials. As a result, on August 21, the ADL published an ad in several Boston-area community newspapers, stating in part, “In light of the heated controversy that has surrounded the Turkish-Armenian issue in recent weeks, and because of our concern for the unity of the Jewish community at a time of increased threats against the Jewish people, ADL has decided to revisit the tragedy that befell the Armenians. We have never negated but have always described the painful events of 1915-1918 perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians as massacres and atrocities. On reflection, we have come to share the view of Henry Morgenthau Sr. that the consequences of those actions were indeed tantamount to genocide. If the word genocide had existed then, they would have called it genocide.”

Although some applauded the ADL’s new position, it also prompted criticism for its use of the qualifier “tantamount,” and the term ‘consequences of those actions” suggesting the Armenian Genocide was not carried out with the intent to destroy a people, as defined by the U.N. and the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The ADL has also recently reiterated its opposition to U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as its support for Turkey’s call for an “impartial study” of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has repeatedly called for a “historical commission,” despite its prime minister’s statements that Turks could never have committed a genocide, and its continued criminal prosecutions of citizens who discuss the Armenian Genocide.

Turkish press has reported that the ADL wrote to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, expressing its sorrow for the discomfort the acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide caused Turkey’s leadership and people. Erdogan announced, ‘The wrong step that has been taken is corrected ... They said they shared our sensitivity and expressed the mistake they made [and] will continue to give us all the support they have given so far.’

The national ADL’s position on the Armenian Genoicde runs counter to the position of a wide range of Jewish organizations in the Bay Area. In November, 2007, the San Francisco Bay Area’s Jewish Community Relations Council re-iterated its support for official recognition of the Armenian Genocide. As the Jewish community’s public affairs arm, the JCRC represents more than 80 Jewish organizations across the Bay Area. The organization, which includes the membership of the San Francisco chapter of the ADL, overwhelmingly approved a policy statement re-issuing a 1989 letter to Armenian community leader Bishop Aris Shirvanian, expressing support for the Armenian Genocide resolution pending in the U.S. Senate at that time. Senate Joint Resolution 212 sought to designate April 24th as a national day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

Foxman’s full answer to the question about his position on the Armenian Genocide was:

“The question is, this is a public issue, a public debate. There are people out there who are not happy with the Anti-Defamation League’s position on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. To reply to your question, the Anti-Defamation League, has for as many year as I know, and I’ve been involved for 43 years in the league and its director for 21 years, has always described, the events of 1915-1918, between Turkey and/in the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian people as a massacre, as a terrible tragedy, and an issue, that, it should be resolved between the Turkish people and the Armenian people.

We never denied it... We never challenged or questioned... We didn’t use the words that you use... And it’s not a moral question of, to use your words. We could use your words. Usually a certain word becomes a political issue. And it would be as if we, the Jewish people, would say to you or everybody else, ‘Unless you use the word [Shoah] and Holocaust to describe the events of 1933-1945, unless you use our words, you are a Holocaust denier.’ That’s nonsense. We have used the word. We have used it in the context of what we believe in applying it. But we have never, never, in terms of an organization, and a people, denied the tragedy, of the massacre. But we haven’t used the word that you want to use. And you use this, and this is for all you here now, not only to accuse us, but to point to the Anti-Defamation league, to prevent us from teaching diversity, I think that’s wrong. But we’ve all, you know, wanted to share the pain. But no one can dictate to you to use the word that you want us to use. We will use the words that we feel comfortable with. And we’ve used the word genocide... And so now it’s, “Not only do you have to use the word, but you have to support legislation in Congress,’ which we don’t, and we don’t, we’re “immoral,” etc. And we have articulated our position. I’ve used the word genocide... Some people don’t like exactly how we’ve formulated it, but that’s what makes this country a democracy. And we have never denied it, we don’t deny it, but again you don’t have a right to dictate to us how the word should be formed, in what manner, and what shape...”

Flyers detailing the ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide, which were being distributed on the sidewalk in front of the Jewish Community Center, were destroyed by security guards.
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Massachusetts Municipal Association Ends Sponsorship of No Place for Hate

Armenian National Committee
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown MA 02472
ancem@Hotmail.com

Press Release
April 8, 2008
(Revised and expanded on April 11, 2008 )

Contact: Sharistan Melkonian, 617-347-2833

Massachusetts Municipal Association Ends Sponsorship of No Place for Hate
Cites ADL’s Ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide

Watertown, MA – The Massachusetts Municipal Association voted unanimously this week to end its sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program due to the Anti Defamation League’s (ADL) continued ambiguity about the Armenian Genocide and its active opposition to its recognition, reported the Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts.

The action by the nonprofit, nonpartisan association of Massachusetts cities and towns, comes after at least 12 Massachusetts communities, including just recently the city of Peabody, have already withdrawn from the NPFH program, concluding that their constituents' human rights needs are best served by dissociating themselves from the ADL. As of Wednesday evening all references to the No Place for Hate program had been removed from the MMA’s official website.

In a statement released on Tuesday, April 8, the MMA affirmed that, “the inconsistency between the National ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide and the human rights principles underlying NPFH is a matter of great concern to MMA Board members and the municipalities they represent. The MMA feels strongly that it is imperative to speak with absolute clarity on genocide and that, due to the NPFH program’s association with the National ADL, the Association will no longer be a sponsor of the program.”

“The MMA made the right decision today, sending a clear signal that the ADL simply cannot be entrusted with the task of promoting tolerance and diversity in communities while it engages in the ultimate form of hate speech: genocide denial,” stated Sharistan Melkonian of the Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts.

“We appreciate the leadership of the MMA board and in particular Watertown town councilor and MMA board member Jonathan Hecht, who clearly understands the importance of speaking with absolute moral clarity about genocide and its denial,” added Melkonian, whose remarks were cited in Boston Globe coverage of the issue

When asked about the MMA’s decision, Hecht said "the MMA did the right thing in deciding to end its sponsorship of the ADL’s No Place for Hate program. Its decision expresses justice and respect for the victims of the Armenian Genocide as well as understanding of the importance of accountability in preventing human rights violations large and small."

Earlier this week a joint letter signed by Sharistan Melkonian of the Armenian National Committee and Herman Purutyan of the Armenian Assembly was sent to every MMA board member calling on the MMA to ends its sponsorship of the NPFH program.

“While some may attempt to portray this inappropriately as a complex issue, our position is simple – any professed human rights organization, regardless of any other worthy activities, should neither deny a known genocide nor lobby against its recognition,” the letter read.

“Although ADL’s motives for denying the Armenian Genocide may be based in geopolitical considerations, its discriminatory policies are entirely a local issue,” continued the letter. ”The ADL has for years violated the civil rights and dignity of many local citizens because it continues to engage in a form of holocaust denial. The ADL simply cannot be entrusted with the very task of protecting and upholding those rights. Some local citizens do not feel safe approaching their local NPFH committee for help on diversity and hate issues, as long as it is associated with the ADL, an organization that continues to practice the ultimate hate speech: genocide denial.”

And, in mid February over thirty Massachusetts churches and organizations signed a letter calling on the MMA to respectfully rescind its “endorsement of the No Place for Hate program due to the ADL’s refusal to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and continued active opposition to US recognition of the Genocide.”

The open letter continued. “While the achievements of the NPFH program and the hard work of its members should be applauded, their work has been compromised by the policies of the ADL which has failed to live up to the standards not only of its own mission to “secure justice and fair treatment for all citizens alike” but also of a human rights organization by its position on the Armenian Genocide.”

For the last several weeks, the ANCs of Central Massachusetts, Eastern Massachusetts, and the Merrimack Valley in collaboration with the ANC-led “No Place for Denial” team of activists, organized a massive Action Alert campaign to reach out to the MMA. Starting in late January, just after the MMA elected its new board, this campaign generated hundreds of emails, phone calls, and letters to the MMA. The ANCA web site and the No Place for Denial website were used to drive this campaign.

In addition, residents of MMA board member towns and cities were urged, through person to person contact, to reach out and educate their individual MMA representative.

“This direct contact made perhaps the greatest impact as board members heard directly from residents in their own communities,” stated George Aghjayan of the ANC of Central Massachusetts.

Pearl Teague of the ANC of Merrimack Valley agreed. “It is a tribute to the amazing commitment of residents of our great state that so many MMA board members heard first hand about the impact of a program tainted by genocide denial.”

Also this week, the No Place for Denial team, sent a letter to every member of the MMA board urging them to “follow through with your promise to sever ties with NPFH due to the Anti Defamation League's (ADL) continued mischaracterization of the Armenian Genocide and its active opposition to its recognition.”

The letter focused on the local impact of the ADL’s denial by stating that “it directly affects the very ability of anti-bias groups [associated with it, such as NPFH] to function with credibility.” It cited the Northampton, Massachusetts Human Rights Commission’s September 28 letter to ADL national director Abe Foxman which stated: “We cannot endorse selective recognition of hate by an organization that claims leadership in creating a world where there is no place for hate. This is an issue of direct relevance to citizens of our city and region who include survivors of the genocide as well as descendents of Armenian victims. Acknowledging the truth about the Armenian genocide not only has an impact on survivors and their families, it also has an impact on our ability to address other acts of hate.”

Attached to the letter was a six page document comprised of statements made by Massachusetts human rights advocates and elected officials criticizing ADL's position on the Armenian Genocide. These were compiled from video footage of town hall meetings, letters sent to the ADL by town Human Rights Committees, statements made to the press and resolutions passed by town councils and selectmen’s boards from August through December of 2007. The document is posted on the noplacefordenial.com site: http://npfdinfo.blogspot.com/2007/10/statements-by-human-rights-advocates.html

“This collection of statements condemning the ADL’s unacceptable position on the Armenian Genocide, provided the MMA with some of the most compelling arguments about why the ADL had ceased to be a viable human rights organization,” stated Sevag Arzoumanian of the No Place for Denial Team. “The fact that these testimonials came from the very people that the ADL had partnered with to build its NPFH program, made it all the more potent.”

The effort to urge the MMA to rescind its endorsement of the NPFH program began last year.

In December, the Watertown, Massachusetts, town council passed a resolution introduced by Councilor Mark Sideris urging the MMA to “immediately withdraw its sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program.” Last summer, Watertown was the first town to end ties with the NPFH program with a proclamation introduced by town councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney who pledged to push the MMA to rescind its sponsorship of the program.

Background

The MMA originally endorsed the NPFH program providing the impetus for many communities to adopt the program. Last September, however, the MMA acknowledged the ADL’s inability to adhere to the simple yet necessary standards required of a human rights organization and called on the ADL to unambiguously recognize the Armenian Genocide and support congressional affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

The ADL has for many years refused to acknowledge that the systematic massacre of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 was genocide. To make matters worse, the ADL has actively engaged in efforts to oppose Congressional affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

Only after intense pressure which started in Watertown, Massachusetts earlier this summer did the national ADL issue a “Statement on the Armenian Genocide” on August 21, 2007.

Referring to the events of 1915-1918, the statement declared, “The consequences of those actions were indeed tantamount to genocide.” Aside from the fact that the Armenian Genocide began in 1915 and continued through 1923, the statement was not a full, unequivocal acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide.

Not only was the qualifier “tantamount” inappropriate, but the use of the word “consequences” was a clear attempt to circumvent the international legal definition of genocide by avoiding any language that would imply intent, a crucial aspect of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention definition.

The ADL remains on the record opposing Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106) pending in Congress, arguing that short term geopolitical considerations related to Turkey-Israel-US relations should take precedence over the moral imperative of condemning genocide whenever and wherever it occurs.

The ADL convened its national meeting in New York City in early November at which time the issue of the Armenian Genocide was discussed.

Upon conclusion, a one sentence press statement was issued that “The National Commission of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today, at its annual meeting, decided to take no further action on the issue of the Armenian genocide.”

The controversy first came to light on July 6 when the Watertown Tab published a letter by Armenian American activist David Boyajian that spotlighted ADL national director Abe Foxman's statements opposing Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation. The letter asked the local "No Place For Hate" chapter to disassociate itself from the ADL.

The situation intensified in an explosive August 1 front page Boston Globe article in which the ANC’s Melkonian condemned Foxman's genocide denial and stated that the ANC would "call for the Watertown 'No Place for Hate' program to sever its ties with the ADL unless it denounces Foxman's position and acknowledges the genocide."

Later an ANC-sponsored community petition called on the Watertown No Place for Hate committee "in keeping with its principles" to urge the ADL to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and support Congressional affirmation.

Watertown then became the first town to end its relationship with the No Place for Hate Program by a unanimous vote of the Town Council.

At what is now considered a historic meeting, ANC spokesperson Grace Kehetian Kulegian addressed the Watertown Town Council on August 14 stating that, “On behalf of Watertown's Armenian community - and our century-long history of service and sacrifice for our town - we call upon the Town Council to dissociate itself from the ADL until such time that: The Anti-Defamation League, through its National Director, Mr. Foxman, openly and unequivocally acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and supports congressional affirmation of this crime against humanity.” This meeting set the stage for numerous other public meetings in communities throughout Massachusetts, where the ANC and local activists brought this issue to the attention of human rights commissions and town and city councils.

Watertown was followed by eleven other Massachusetts municipalities including Belmont, Newton, Arlington, Northampton, Bedford, Lexington, Westwood, Medford, Needham, Newburyport, and Peabody.

For complete information about the ADL controversy surrounding the Armenian Genocide visit http://www.noplacefordenial.com/

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Statement by the Massachusetts Municipal Association
April 8, 2008

MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION

The Massachusetts Municipal Association firmly believes that in order to build and sustain strong and vibrant communities throughout the Commonwealth, it is essential to promote and protect basic human rights, mutual understanding, and reconciliation.

In a resolution adopted on September 11, 2007, the MMA Board of Directors stated that the terrible crimes committed against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 must be recognized as genocide. In its resolution, the MMA applauded the New England Regional Director and New England Regional Executive Committee of the ADL for unequivocally recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The MMA further called on the National ADL to adopt the position of the New England Region at the ADL’s National Commission meeting in November and to support the Congressional Resolution on the Armenian Genocide.

The MMA Board of Directors expresses its strong disapproval that the National ADL did not use the opportunity of its November meeting to clarify and strengthen its earlier statements concerning recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The Board believes that unequivocal recognition of the Armenian Genocide is both a matter of basic justice to its victims as well as essential to efforts to prevent future genocides.

Since 1999, the MMA has been an official sponsor of the No Place for Hate (NPFH) program offered by the New England Region of the ADL. The NPFH program is intended to assist municipalities in Massachusetts to combat bias and promote tolerance. By helping to reduce acts of violence and discrimination, NPFH has brought important tangible benefits to the cities and towns which have chosen to participate in the program. It stands as a worthy monument to the good works of the man who inspired its creation, the late Leonard Zakim.

The inconsistency between the National ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide and the human rights principles underlying NPFH is a matter of great concern to MMA Board members and the municipalities they represent. The MMA feels strongly that it is imperative to speak with absolute clarity on genocide and that, due to the NPFH program’s association with the National ADL, the Association will no longer be a sponsor of the program.

While these issues will continue to be discussed by municipalities and concerned individuals, the NPFH program has changed. The New England Region of the ADL recently announced that the NPFH program is moving to a community-based model. The program will be available as a resource to community and civic groups but will no longer seek local government sponsorship or certify cities and towns as NPFH communities.

For Massachusetts municipalities that seek a program specifically designed for local governments to promote tolerance, combat racism and discrimination, and facilitate community building, the MMA commends the National League of Cities Inclusive Communities program, which can be accessed via the NLC’s website (www.nlc.org). The NLC’s program includes 190 cities and towns in 40 states and provides an ever-expanding toolbox for municipal officials.
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Statement by the Massachusetts Municipal Association Ending Sponsorship of No Place for Hate Program

April 8, 2008

BOSTON - Massachusetts Municipal Association

The Massachusetts Municipal Association firmly believes that in order to build and sustain strong and vibrant communities throughout the Commonwealth, it is essential to promote and protect basic human rights, mutual understanding, and reconciliation.

In a resolution adopted on September 11, 2007, the MMA Board of Directors stated that the terrible crimes committed against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 must be recognized as genocide. In its resolution, the MMA applauded the New England Regional Director and New England Regional Executive Committee of the ADL for unequivocally recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The MMA further called on the National ADL to adopt the position of the New England Region at the ADL’s National Commission meeting in November and to support the Congressional Resolution on the Armenian Genocide.

The MMA Board of Directors expresses its strong disapproval that the National ADL did not use the opportunity of its November meeting to clarify and strengthen its earlier statements concerning recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The Board believes that unequivocal recognition of the Armenian Genocide is both a matter of basic justice to its victims as well as essential to efforts to prevent future genocides.

Since 1999, the MMA has been an official sponsor of the No Place for Hate (NPFH) program off