October 8, 2007
Dear Lexington No Place for Hate Steering Committee Members:
When we first approached you with our request that you disassociate Lexington’s anti-bias program from the Anti-Defamation League, we thought we would gain your immediate and unconditional support. After all, what anti-hate committee would choose knowingly to partner with genocide deniers?
We understood that it would take time and much discussion to consider what model might best replace the ADL’s NPFH structure, but we never imagined that any serious consideration would be given to remaining as part of the Anti-Defamation League.
Rather than engaging in “mutual understanding” based on “civil dialogue” that we are told comprises the NPFH program, we have been asked to leave a closed-door meeting, attacked in the press by Andrew Tarsy as “activists” who are spreading “misinformation,” and accused in last week’s Minuteman of “unfairly” misrepresenting NPFH by a member of your committee.
Further, another of your members, despite saying that your group stands for “civil discourse and tolerance,” writes on the Minuteman web page that we are “working overtime to diminish the good work the Steering Committee does and to question its objectives, motivations, or behavior” with “slick PR products and spin doctors” and “loud, vituperative and accusatory carping.”
We are truly saddened that we seem to be perceived as your adversaries rather than as members of your community seeking justice.
Moreover, we find it difficult to comprehend how such an erroneous perception has come about. In every single article or letter to the editor that we have written, in every statement made in public forums, and in our discussion with you, we have made it absolutely clear that we honor and support the work that you do. It is because we value your work that we have asked that you disassociate from the ADL, but remain intact as a Lexington committee working for the residents of our community.
If there is anger in the Armenian community, it is not – and has never been – aimed at our local No Place for Hate programs. Rather, the outrage is directed at the ADL, an organization that lobbies for Turkey, a country with an appalling human rights record that includes genocide and genocide denial. The ADL has directly participated in this genocide denial. How can our local anti-hate programs be sponsored by such an organization?
We are at a loss to understand how it is unfairly misrepresenting your committee by pointing out the fact that you are sponsored and certified by the ADL. Is it possible there are members on your committee who were unaware of this reality?
In Jill Smilow’s letter of October 1, 2007, she thanked us for “understanding” why we were prevented from attending your meeting with Mr. Tarsy. We did not then, nor do we now, understand. We left the meeting under protest.
When we met with you, it was in a publicized, open meeting where all views, including those advocating that NPFH remain part of the ADL, were aired. Those of us who requested the meeting had to share the limited time available with a room full of people, many of whom we did not know, and some who spoke in opposition to us. But such is the nature of democracy.
Yet when you met with Mr. Tarsy and Ms. Smith of the ADL, you made it an unpublicized, closed-door session where they were able to speak unhindered with no one from the outside present to challenge any assertions or possible misinformation.
Further, to leave us in an empty meeting room for forty minutes while you intercepted members and caucused outside was disgraceful. Surely this episode was at odds with your mission of dialogue, inclusion, and mutual understanding.
With this inequitable opportunity to share perspectives, the process was biased and unfair, and did not serve the best interests of Lexington; nor does it reflect well on our community. As news has spread about events in Lexington, we have received offers of support and encouragement from officials and human rights commissioners from neighboring cities and towns.
Since we met with you, the ADL has continued to lobby for the Turkish government and actively engage in genocide denial, as we demonstrated in our letter of October 1 to the Board of Selectmen, copied to you. These actions clearly show that the ADL is not fit to teach tolerance in our communities, a position endorsed by more towns and organizations every day.
In Jill’s letter, she encourages us to share our ideas on ways to educate the larger Lexington community about the Armenian Genocide. We will be very happy to work with the committee on this project at a later date, for it is a worthy suggestion. It is not, however, what we are seeking now. The immediate issue is to take a stand against genocide denial. It would be ludicrous to engage in education on the Armenian Genocide in partnership with an organization (the ADL) that is working with its perpetrator to deny it.
We understand that the mission of the No Place for Hate committee is to promote dialogue and find common ground. In this particular case, however, there is no common ground. How does one find common ground with the ADL when it is engaged in genocide denial? Would the NPFH committee seek common ground with the American Nazi party if it came to town denying the Holocaust? Did you advocate accommodation with the Westboro Baptist Church? Would we promote dialogue with the KKK?
There are times when dialogue and accommodation are desirable, even necessary. But there are times when it is mandatory to take a clear, strong, and principled stand against hate. This is one of those times.
For ninety-two years, Armenians have internalized the pain of the genocide and then genocide denial. Every day that you fail to sever ties with the ADL causes additional pain to the Armenian residents of Lexington. We are completely united on this issue and committed to pursuing a just resolution.
We have always supported your work and honor your commitment to diversity and tolerance. Thus, we ask, once again, that you do the right thing and vote to disassociate with the Anti-Defamation League.
Sincerely,
Laura Boghosian, Michael Kouchakdjian, Alan Seferian, and Nora Aroyan
cc: Board of Selectmen
October 8 Letter to Lexington No Place for Hate
