Town Refuses to be ‘In the Same Boat’ with ADL
By Khatchig Mouradian
The Armenian Weekly
September 12, 2007
NEWTON, Mass. (A.W.)—Generations of Americans converged at Newton City Hall on Sept. 11 to make their voices heard to the local Human Rights Commission (NHRC) meeting, which, after deliberations, unanimously voted to cut their ties with the ADL’s No Place for Hate (NPFH) program until the former unequivocally recognizes the Armenian genocide and supports H.R.106 in Congress, thereby affirming the historical record.
Commissioners and Advisory Council Members
In a letter dated Aug. 24, the NHRC had asked the ADL to recognize the Armenian genocide, actively support H.R.106 and rehire the ADL’s New England regional director Andrew Tarsy. During the Sept. 11 meeting, commissioner Marianne Ferguson noted that although Tarsy has since been rehired, unequivocal recognition and support for the Genocide Resolution had not been achieved.
Advisory Council member Dianne Chilingerian expressed concern about the ADL’s position on the Genocide Resolution, which she considered inconsistent with its mission. She said that she is bothered by the ADL’s position as a human rights activist, and that this is not just an Armenian issue. Student Advisory council member David Fisher asked how we expect to end genocide campaigns today “when we still can’t recognize what happened 92 years ago.”
ADL Regional Board Members
Emphasizing that he was not speaking on behalf of the ADL, the organization’s NE Regional Board member Gerry Tishler said, “I have studied, thought and written about the Armenian genocide and it wasn’t ‘tantamount to genocide’ it was genocide. … I am also in favor of the U.S. government acknowledging and commemorating the Armenian genocide.” He noted that the meeting of the ADL’s national commissioners will discuss the issue in November, though said that continuing with the NPFH should not be based on that outcome. “If you make it conditional, you are making a bad mistake,” he said, noting how much the ADL has added to the town’s programs. 
NE Regional Board member Beth Tishler also argued the importance of not dissociating from the NPFH, adding, “We have stood up and gone against our national leadership. We have heard you. The National ADL has heard you.”
ADL National commissioner David Apel said that ADL national director Abe Foxman “is not empowered” to support the Genocide Resolution, and that “your message will be brought forth to the national commissioners in November.” In response, members of the audience pointed out that while Foxman seems to be able to change his position daily on the Armenian issue, he needs the green light from the commissioners to properly acknowledge the truth about 1915.
“I reject the notion that we are misguided citizens,” continued Apel. He said the last few months had been a learning experience for him and many others, and that everyone in the room was in the same boat. “Give us time till November,” he added.
Members of the Audience
Newton residents, university professors, human rights activists, students, descendents of Armenian genocide and Holocaust survivors, spoke about the need to send the right message by severing ties with the ADL.
Newton resident David Boyajian, whose letter to the Watertown Tab sparked the ADL controversy, said that the “ADL’s [genocide] acknowledgement was thinly disguised denial,” and that its “verbal gymnastics show bad faith.” He stressed that the ADL will not change its position without pressure from the towns, and asked that Newton sever its ties immediately.
Newton resident Sonya Merian, whose mother was on one of the earliest Newton Human Rights commissions, read a letter by the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts addressed to the NHRC members and Newton mayor David Cohen. “Foxman apologized to the Prime Minister of Turkey for having put his government ‘in a difficult position,’ expressing his ‘sorrow over what we have caused for the leadership and people of Turkey.’ No apology to the heirs of Armenian Genocide survivors has been issued to date,” she said.
Prof. Jack Nusan Porter, treasurer of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), stressed the importance of severing ties with the ADL until Foxman resigns or changes course. “Turkey cannot harm a single hair of a single Jew,” he said, referring to Foxman’s stated concern that supporting the Genocide Resolution would harm the Turkish-Jewish community. “Is Israel, with its army, afraid of Turkey?” he asked.
Newton resident Nancy Aykanian said she was startled that the NPFH has an annual re-
certification process for all participating towns, and said the ADL was hardly in a position to grade anyone on their human rights performance.
“The ADL lacks the moral leadership and courage and any program sponsored by the ADL cannot be accepted,” said Newton resident Michael Mensoyan.
Newton resident and Armenian Youth federation (AYF) member Nora Kaleshian said, “My family and I are deeply hurt [by ADL’s practices],” expressing hope that it promotes the Human Rights of all people.
Prominent human rights activist and author of Our Bodies, Ourselves, Judy Norsigian, also from Newton, noted that “the time is ripe to make this a national issue.” She underlined the position and authority of Newton to send a strong message to the ADL by severing ties.
Newton resident Bethel Charkoudian introduced her father, a genocide survivor and thanked the NHRC for their stance. “My father survived the genocide and came here because he knew people understood his suffering,” she said.
Associate professor of philosophy at Worcester State College Henry Theriault said that while people were used to the denial of the Armenian genocide by Turkey, it was shocking to see a human rights organization engaging in the denial, adopting similar hate speech and lobbying against genocide recognition.
“There is no such thing as ‘degree of genocide,’” said Newton resident Salpi Sarafian. “The ADL has spoken in absolute clarity against Sudan, Bosnia and Afghanistan. They need to do the same regarding the Armenian genocide.”
In a poignant speech, activist Berge Jololian underscored the importance of realizing that recognizing the Armenian genocide is a moral issue and not a political one. “ADL was established in 1913, the Armenian genocide occured in 1915. ADL had 92 years to acknowledge this crime,” he said.
Activist Narini Badalian recounted her experience at a recent lecture by Foxman in New York. Badalian had confronted Foxman to say whether ADL’s position is consistent with that of a Human Rights organization. Foxman had responded, “It is up to you to decide.” Badalian urged, “It is time for us to decide.”
Activist Luder Sahagian made strong points about the failure of the ADL to “rigorously uphold settled history.” He said, “The ADL has yet to subscribe to the wisdom of the esteemed Rabbi Hillel, who many, many years ago advised, ‘What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor…That is the entire law. All the rest is commentary.’”
Visiting professor of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University Dikran Kaligian said, “The ADL has made itself complicit in [Turkey’s] multi-million dollar denial campaign.” When the ADL controversy first broke, he explained, the ADL’s first reaction was not to approach the Armenian community but to hire a leading PR company. “Foxman does not see this as a moral issue, but a PR problem,” Kaligian said, adding, “We need to take the necessary steps for them to get the message.”
In an emotional speech, activist Alik Arzoumanian responded to the numerous calls on the NHRC and on Armenians to wait until the November meeting before deciding to sever ties. “We have been waiting all our lives,” she said, and explained how offended she was by Foxman’s claim that a Genocide Resolution was “counter-productive.” Foxman considers “our struggle to recover our dignity” to be counterproductive, she added. “I don’t want to give National ADL one more day.”
Mayor Cohen 
Newton mayor David Cohen spoke next, and said that “there is a tremendous amount of common ground here.” He called the ADL National’s failure to “make a forthright statement” recognizing the genocide and supporting the resolution as “an ongoing injustice.”
“The resolution that we have in the U.S. Congress is one of the best pieces of legislation that deserves passage,” he said, referring to H.R.106. “It is incumbent on the ADL” to support it, he added.
In the same boat?
ADL Regional Board members emphasized several times during the meeting that everyone in the room was “on the same boat,” though they went on to say that suspending ties with the NPFH and ADL was not the answer. Asked to comment near the end of the meeting, however, Student Advisory Council member Fisher said, “Hearing the voices of the Armenian community and my own Jewish conscience, I cannot be in the same boat with you.”
The NHRC voted unanimously to cease participation in the NPFH, pending the ADL’s unambiguous recognition of the Armenian genocide and support of HR106.
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Newton Human Rights Commission Ceases Participation in NPFH
NEWTON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION VOTES TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE PARTICIPATION IN "NO PLACE FOR HATE"
Cites ADL Opposition to Armenian Genocide Legislation
ANCEM Press Release
September 12, 2007
Newton, MA - The Newton Human Rights Commission, last night, unanimously voted to "immediately cease participation in the ADL's NPFH [No Place for Hate] program, until the national ADL fully and unequivocally recognizes the Armenian Genocide and actively supports Congressional resolution HR106," reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts (ANC-EM). The recommendation will be presented to Newton Mayor David Cohen, who, according to the Boston Globe, has stated that he will make a final decision in the next few days.
"We commend the Newton Human Rights Commission for their principled position in opposing any connection with the ADL until they forthrightly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and support Armenian Genocide legislation," stated ANC EM representative Sonya Merian. "We must send a clear message to the national ADL that half- measures are not acceptable when discussing the Armenian Genocide."
Over 100 community members and activists from diverse backgrounds voiced strident concern about any association with the ADL, given their opposition to Armenian Genocide legislation. New England ADL representatives urged the Commission to continue with the project, noting that the national ADL will review Congressional Resolution support in November. In addressing the Commission, Mayor Cohen referred to the national ADL's position "an ongoing injustice" and went on to state that "The resolution that we have in the U.S. Congress is one of the best pieces of legislation that deserves passage . . . it is incumbent on the ADL to support it."
Two weeks prior to this meeting, on August 21st, the Newton Human Rights Commission held a special meeting to discuss the ADL controversy. The Commission sent a letter to the New England ADL Board stipulating that program participation would require the national ADL to "fully and unequivocally recognize the Armenian Genocide" and "actively support Congressional resolution HR106."
Towns throughout Massachusetts are reconsidering their affiliation with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and its "No Place for Hate" programs, citing concerns about the ADL's opposition to Armenian Genocide recognition.
A listing of towns and actions taken to date is provided below.
For complete coverage surrounding this ongoing controversy visit: www.noplacefordenial.com
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Bedford: On Tuesday, September 4th, the Bedford ViolencePrevention Coalition voted to call on the national ADL to provide clarification on their position on the Armenian Genocide and ongoing opposition to Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106). The committee agreed that it would then proceed accordingly, yet maintained that severing its ties with the ADL was still very much on the table.
Arlington: On Monday, August 20th, during an emergency meeting of the Arlington "No Place for Hate" Commission, Chairwoman Cindy Friedman and the 12 member Executive Board members voted to suspend the ongoing ADL NPFH certification process, citing the ADL's Armenian Genocide denial. In a written statement issued following the meeting, the commission noted that "while we agree with the program's goals, we feel that recent statements and actions of the national leadership have undermined its integrity and ability to be effective."
Belmont: On Thursday, September 6th, the Belmont Human Rights Commission unanimously voted to urge the local Board of Selectmen to sever ties with the ADL, citing their ongoing opposition to Armenian Genocide recognition. The Board of Selectmen is set to discuss the issue at their meeting on Monday, September 17th at 7:00pm.
Needham: On Wednesday, September 5th, the Needham Human Rights Committee voted to recommend ending the town's association with the ADL if the national organization does not directly recognize the Armenian Genocide and change its stance on Congressional legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106). The Committee has sent a letter to the national ADL asking for clarification of their position.
Newburyport: On Tuesday, August 28th, the Newburyport Commission for Diversity and Tolerance voted to send a letter to the national ADL stating that it is "seriously considering" withdrawing from the ADL-sponsored No Place For Hate program unless the league unambiguously acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and lobbies in support of Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106). The Commission is set to revisit the issue on Tuesday, September 11th at 3:00pm at the Newburyport Police Station.
Watertown: On Tuesday, August 14th, the Watertown Town Council unanimously voted to rescind its affiliation with the "No Place for Hate" anti-racism and tolerance promotion program, citing statements denying the Armenian Genocide by Abraham Foxman, National Director of the program's sponsor, the Anti-Defamation League. Watertown Town Council Member Marilyn Petitto-Devaney has been speaking at local town meetings throughout Massachusetts urging them to sever ties with the ADL as well.
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Needham HRC Letter to ADL
To the New England regional and national boards of the ADL:
We are the Human Rights Committee of Needham, Massachusetts, appointed by the Board of Selectmen. For many years we have worked closely with the ADL in Boston and that office has provided us with expert advice, powerful educational programming and has stood with us as allies in the face of oppression and hate. When our community was repeatedly leafleted by hate organizations, the ADL stood with us, helping our committee and our town strategize on how best to respond to these hateful incidents. When we looked for an educational program to bring into our high school to help our students face their own prejudices and biases, we chose the "World of Difference." We have since expanded the program to our middle school, and we have the only middle school in Massachusetts in which the program is provided as part of the curriculum. Those programs have been transformational for our students.
When we implemented activities to educate ourselves and our residents about cultures and experiences that are different from ours, our town was certified by the ADL as being "No Place for Hate." That is a distinction of which we are very proud. Our "No Place for Hate" program has expanded to our high school, where last March our students created and produced thematic programming throughout the entire month. Andy Tarsy, Regional Director of the New England ADL, was the kickoff speaker.
We now find ourselves in a difficult position because we also believe that the massacre of Armenians in 1915 was a genocide and we support the resolution before Congress that would officially recognize the Armenian genocide as such. We, like you in your mission statement, believe it is our responsibility "to secure justice and fair treatment for all." We are surprised and disappointed therefore that the national board of the ADL has not stood with the Armenians as they seek justice and fair treatment.
In the past few weeks, the ADL has asked us to detach the "No Place for Hate" program from the controversy surrounding its positions regarding the Armenian genocide. We are unable to do so. We cannot proudly cite our town as "No Place for Hate" when the sponsoring organization is not doing all in its power to work against hate and oppression. The national board's unwillingness to fully support recognition of the Armenian genocide is in our view undermining the excellent work of our regional ADL board and our community efforts to be "No Place for Hate."
We strongly support the positions of the New England regional ADL board and therefore call on the national board of the ADL to:
•acknowledge the Armenian genocide as a genocide, not 'tantamount to
genocide';
•support the resolution before Congress which officially recognizes
the Armenian genocide;
•make these policy changes promptly.
In our opinion, the longer the national board waits, the more credibility the organization loses, and the more difficult it is for us as a committee for human rights to carry on our work in partnership with the ADL. We would greatly appreciate your timely and thoughtful attention to this matter as we determine what recommendation we will make to the Needham Board of Selectmen regarding our continuation with the "No Place for Hate" program. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
The Needham Human Rights Committee
September 12, 2007
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AFFIRM SUPPORT FOR CONGRESSIONAL ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTIONS
Urge ADL to End Opposition to Human Rights Legislation
ANC-WR Press Release
September 12, 2007
Los Angeles, CA - A broad spectrum of Los Angeles area community groups have joined with national organizations in speaking out in support of Congressional legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide and in voicing their disappointment over the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) ongoing opposition to this human rights legislation, reported the Armenian National Committee – Western Region (ANC-WR).
The comments come in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding ADL National Director Abraham Foxman’s recent statements regarding the Armenian Genocide in which he publicly opposed House and Senate Armenian Genocide resolutions (H.Res.106 /S.Res.106). H.Res.106 enjoys the broad bipartisan support of over 225 cosponsors in the House, a clear majority of its membership, while S. Res. 106 currently has 31 cosponsors.
UCLA History Professor David Myers argued that, “Foxman should follow the logic of his own statement and take the essential next step of supporting HR 106". The well-respected scholar went on to urge the Southern California ADL Board to “either announce its support for H. Res. 106 - if not here in the heart of the Armenian Diaspora, then where? Or else renounce the organization’s declared mission ‘to secure justice and fair treatment for all.’”
Jewish World Watch Founding President and Executive Director Janice Kamenir-Reznik and Tzivia Schwartz-Getzug concurred, stating that “as a community with first-hand knowledge and experience of the ravages of genocide, we have a particular moral obligation to stand up and ask our government to recognize what we know as true: that 1.5 million Armenians were systematically slaughtered in a government-sponsored campaign of genocide against them. The Anti-Defamation League’s announcement that it would finally recognize the Armenian Genocide as genocide is clearly a step in the right direction. However, we believe that the ADL, the premiere Jewish anti-discrimination agency in this country, must go a step further and join in asking our government to do the same.” Similarly, Progressive Jewish Alliance Executive Director Daniel Sokatch noted. “‘Never Again’ applies to all people everywhere.”
These Southern California Jewish American leaders and organizations added their voice to a broad range of organizations which have called for passage of Armenian Genocide legislation, including the American Federation of Jews from Central Europe (New York, NY), the American Jewish World Service (New York, NY), Americans for Peace Now (Washington,D.C.), the Center for Russian Jewry with Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (New York, NY), the Jewish Social Policy Action Network (Philadelphia, PA), Jewish War Veterans of the USA (Washington, D.C.), Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote, PA), the Union for Reform of Judaism (Washington, D.C.), Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring (New York, NY) and the Zionist Organization of America (New York, NY)
Earlier this week, the Jewish community of Armenia joined the global call for ADL to support the Congressional Armenian Genocide Resolutions. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), the Chairwoman of the Armenia ’s Jewish Community, Rimma Varzhapetian-Feller stated that the failure to recognize the Armenian Genocide paved the way for the Holocaust and stressed that a Congressional resolution could help prevent future genocides.
Leaders in California ’s prominent Greek American community also voiced serious concern over the ADL’s morally unjustified position. "Abraham Foxman's refusal to support passage of H. Res. 106 properly acknowledging the facts of the Armenian Genocide betrays the years of service that the ADL has devoted to educating the world about the facts of the Jewish Holocaust. Being selective when it comes to proper genocide acknowledgement is simply absurd. Hundreds of thousands of Greeks living in the Ottoman Empire were massacred alongside the Armenians. We urge the ADL to take the moral high ground and support this critical piece of legislation in respect for all victims of genocide," remarked Aris Anagnos, Vice President of the American Hellenic Council of California.
Local leaders in the Armenian community also expressed strong disappointment over the ADL’s lack of support for Armenian Genocide recognition legislation. “The ADL's position is extremely unfortunate – opposing the resolution is completely illogical and unacceptable," remarked Glendale ANC Executive Director Elen Asatryan. We applaud Rep. Schiff for his efforts to bring the ADL National leadership to the right side on this core human rights issue, we can only hope that Mr. Foxman will take Congressman Schiff's advice to heart by supporting Armenian Genocide recognition and returning to his organization's true mission of fighting racism and bigotry."
" Watertown has set a strong example of standing up for the truth – and standing up against both individuals and groups that, sadly, preach tolerance while practicing division and denial," remarked La Crescenta ANC Chairman Arick Gevorkian. "The resolution is a critical component of the process of acknowledging and recognizing truth that deserves the support of all groups who are working to end genocide,” he added.
Darfur activists also spoke out urging the ADL to support the resolutions. “To recognize the Genocide and to stop short of supporting the Resolution turns a noble quest for justice into a game of politics. The Armenian Genocide is not up for debate, and therefore, the Resolution must be passed in order for justice to be served for all victims of genocide and mass-atrocities,” stated Pastor Vazken Movsesian, Priest at Saint Peter Armenian Church and Youth Ministry Center in Glendale , California . Movsesian is also the Director of In His Shoes Ministries, a mission and movement which rallies support for the suffering in the world, and has traveled to Africa to help end the cycle of genocide.
Sarah Czuleger, member of the University of California , Santa Barbara Chapter of STAND, an anti-genocide student coalition, stated that, "as an organization committed to ending the cycle of genocide, we call upon the ADL and all community and civic organizations to support the Armenian Genocide resolutions in Congress."
“The Darfur Action Committee of UC-Irvine strongly supports the passage of H. Res. 106. In solidarity with worldwide Save Darfur Coalitions, the Darfur Action Committee understands the moral and humane importance of recognizing the first genocide of the 20th century. In order to take action and provide aid for the people of Darfur , the international community must first heal the past. Our hearts and efforts stand with the Armenian community in this incredibly imperative issue,” stated Anita Issagholyan, co-chairwoman of the Darfur Action Committee at the University of California , Irvine . We urge ADL to join us in solidarity of human rights, genocide recognition and justice for all mankind by supporting the Armenian Genocide resolution,” she added.
The ADL controversy was sparked by Foxman’s April statements in the Los Angeles Times denying the Armenian Genocide and opposing Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation. These statements precipitated a groundswell of civic activism in Watertown , Massachusetts , leading to the unanimous August 14th Town Council decision to disassociate from the ADL's "No Place for Hate" tolerance program. Within 48 hours, the New England Regional ADL called on the national leadership to speak truthfully and honestly about the Armenian Genocide and support Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation. Foxman, who had claimed ignorance of the facts of the Armenian Genocide and opposed its Congressional reaffirmation in subsequent interviews with the Boston Globe and a number of Jewish American publications, fired Tarsy, precipitating the resignation of several ADL New England Regional Board Members. Following widespread outrage by the New England area civil rights activists, Foxman issued a “Statement on the Armenian Genocide” where he concluded that the crimes perpetrated against the Armenian people in 1915 were “tantamount to genocide” but said that the ADL remained opposed to Armenian Genocide legislation. Soon thereafter, he rehired Tarsy and pledged that the ADL would review its position on the legislation during a November national meeting.
New England “No Place for Hate” communities, unsatisfied with both Foxman’s statements and his continued opposition to the Armenian Genocide Resolution, continue to call for ADL support for this legislation and to urge towns to suspend or sever their ties with NPFH until the ADL revises it position.
For complete coverage of this controversy, visit: http://www.noplacefordenial.com/
The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots public affairs organization in the Western United States . Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR promotes awareness of issues of concern to the Armenian American community.
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MMA Letter and Statement on ADL and the Armenian Genocide
The following letter was sent to Massachusetts Town Officials by the MMA
September 12, 2007
Dear Local Official,
Your community has been one of about 60 cities and towns across the state to participate in the successful No Place For Hate program, engaging in important initiatives to fight hatred, racism, ethnic and religious discrimination, and promote tolerance, understanding and reconciliation. Your commitment to this important community-building work has made a difference at home, and throughout the state.
Over the past several weeks a very visible controversy involving the National Office of the Anti-Defamation League and many in the Armenian Community has arisen over the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide initiated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and support for a related Resolution proposed before the U.S. House and Senate. This matter has affected the perception of the NPFH program because the ADL is the operating and sustaining partner for the program. Certainly, it is our hope that this matter will be resolved in a way that will bring all parties together, and enable NPFH to continue and flourish, from today into the future.
The MMA has issued a strong and unequivocal statement on the importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide and supporting passage of the Congressional Resolution. We applaud the Executive Committee of the New England Region of the ADL for taking this position, and the MMA has called on the national ADL organization to do the same. We will continue to review and monitor this matter, recognizing that while progress has been made, we will subsequently re¬evaluate our official sponsorship of NPFH after the national ADL determines whether to adopt this position.
A copy of the MMA’s complete statement is enclosed, and we hope you find this information helpful.
Again, thank you very much for your strong record of community-building.
Sincerely,
Geoff Beckwith Executive Director
Whereas the Massachusetts Municipal Association believes deeply that in order to build and nurture strong and vibrant communities throughout the Commonwealth and our nation, it is essential that all people strive to promote and protect basic human rights, understanding and reconciliation; and
Whereas this applies to both historical and present day events, as each affects and guides the future;
Therefore the Massachusetts Municipal Association hereby resolves the following:
• The tragic events and horrible crimes against humanity initiated against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 must be recognized by all as a genocide;
• The MMA applauds and supports the position of the New England Regional Director and New England Regional Executive Committee of the ADL for their leadership in calling for the unequivocal recognition of the Armenian Genocide and support for the Congressional Resolution before the U.S. House and Senate;
• The MMA partnered with the New England Region of the ADL as a founding sponsor of the NPFH Program because of the region’s demonstrated expertise and commitment as a human rights organization that provides high-quality community-based programs that unite people;
• The MMA applauds the success of the No Place For Hate (NPFH) Program in 60 communities in Massachusetts, and expresses its desire that the program and its good work promoting tolerance, understanding and reconciliation, fighting hatred, racism, ethnic and religious discrimination, and engaging in both community-building and pro-active efforts to protect all members of the community, will be able to continue and flourish;
• The MMA recognizes and appreciates the national ADL’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the reinstatement of the New England Regional Director, a respected, dedicated, compassionate and skilled leader and partner in community-based work, yet sees these as steps in addressing the issues that have been raised during the past month, not final actions;
• The MMA respectfully calls on the national ADL to support the Congressional Resolution as an essential act to heal and bring all parties together; and
• The MMA will continue to review and monitor this matter, guided by the wishes and policies of our members and the participating communities, recognizing that while progress has been made, the MMA will subsequently re-evaluate its official sponsorship of the No Place For Hate program after the national ADL determines whether to adopt the position taken by the Executive Committee of the New England Region.
MMA Board of Directors on Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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VIDEO OF BELMONT HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING: RECORDED ON THURSDAY, SEP 06, 2007
| On Thursday Sept 06, the Belmont Human Rights Commission voted unanimously to sever ties with the ADL's No Place For Hate program until the organization unambiguously recognizes the Armenian Genocide and supports congressional legislation recognizing the Genocide. Read their letter to the ADL here. This 30 minute video is based on a single angle camera. You can also watch it in a YouTube window. A two angle camera version was released on Tuesday Sept 11 by the BMC. A 65 minute version is also available for viewing. |
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BELMONT HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY VOTES TO SEVER TIES WITH THE ADL
Attendees Cite ADL’s Opposition to Armenian Genocide Recognition
ANCEM PRESS RELEASE
BELMONT, MA – Over 100 residents applauded the Belmont, MA Human Rights Commission September 6th decision to unanimously call on the local Board of Selectmen to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), citing their ongoing opposition to Armenian Genocide recognition, reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts (ANC-EM).
Belmont Human Rights Commission (BHRC) Chairwoman Laurie Graham presided over the town hall meeting which featured a groundswell of poignant statements by residents of Armenian, Jewish and diverse backgrounds citing that opposition to Armenian Genocide recognition is offensive to local citizenry and runs counter to the most basic principles of a local program promoting tolerance and human rights.
“We applaud the Belmont Human Rights Commission for standing up for truth and human dignity by rejecting ties with the ADL - an organization against Armenian Genocide recognition,” stated Aram Kaligian of the ANC-EM. “In Belmont and cities across Massachusetts, we are seeing democracy in action – our diverse communities speaking out, collectively, to support U.S. 
reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide, in our ongoing struggle to stamp out genocide around the world.”
Belmont Armenian American community activist Lenna Garibian, a grand daughter of genocide survivors, stated that the question at hand was not about the reality of the Armenian Genocide but about the moral imperative to speak openly and honestly about this crime against humanity. “No Armenian should sit with a revisionist Turkish historian… to discuss whether the genocide happened or not. The world knows. Turkey knows. [ADL director] Abe Foxman knows. This was a genocide," explained Garibian who went on to note that HRC decision “sets a good tone moving forward, that Belmont will not tolerate an equivocation of the truth, of justice."
That sentiment was echoed throughout speeches given during the evening, with emphasis on ending Genocide and Holocaust denial in all forms. Massachusetts State Assemblywoman Rachel Kaprielian cited the resurging trend of Holocaust denial worldwide as survivors pass away and a political gap between the younger and older generations widens. “The survivors see what is coming down the road, just as their parents saw it,” explained Kaprielian. “You have so much power and ability to say to our government, ‘This is fact’, while there are still survivors alive,” continued Kaprielian.
Speakers also focused on U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, and overall commitment to ending this crime against humanity. Belmont resident Joyce Barsam quoted author Samantha Powers from her Pulitzer Prize winning book A Problem From Hell,stating “If only America had been made of more upstanders, instead of bystanders- America would be in a very different position today.” Barsam continued, stating “I am asking this committee to be upstanders instead of bystanders of the Armenian Genocide. We hope you stand up for the truth and the human rights that you are commissioned to support.”
Expressing concern about the ADL’s opposition to Armenian Genocide legislation citing the safety of Jews in Turkey, Belmont resident Lisa Sedrakian argued that “if Jews are affected in Turkey, it will be the Turks to blame, not the Armenian-American community.”
Watertown Town Council Member and sponsor of the resolution severing her town’s ties with the ADL Marilyn Petitto Devaney was forceful in her demands that the National ADL end its campaign against the Armenian Genocide Resolution. “I want the 
National ADL to stop lobbying to kill the Genocide Resolution [in Congress and the House], as they have done for years. This could be the year we prevail.”
Dr. Jack Nusan Porter, former Rabbi, Director of the Spencer Institute and a treasurer of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, who has been an outspoken opponent to the ADL's opposition to Armenian Genocide recognition, stated `I fear for the future of the ADL. I think this could tear it apart. You must send a powerful message to sever ties with the ADL now.'
ANC Eastern Massachusetts Representative Aram Kaligian was clear in the Armenian American community’s request of the BHRC members. “We urge you to stand with the Armenian American and Jewish American communities in helping the ADL national leadership come to the right side on this issue,” explained Kaligian, calling for unambiguous affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and support for Armenian Genocide legislation. Kaligian went on to urge attendees to “get the phone numbers of the Town Selectmen here, and call them and let them know how you feel about the ADL’s attempts to cast doubt on the tragic events of 1915. . . And if you think that you might feel a little uncomfortable calling up a stranger and telling him how you feel about the denial of the Armenian Genocide, I want you to remember the stories your grandparents told you about how they walked through the desert. . . They had the courage to live through these atrocities, the least we can do is have the courage to pick up the phone and call our Town Selectmen and demand that they not tarnish the memory of our grandparents.”
The BHRC voted overwhelmingly to sever ties with the ADL – a decision considered seriously by two Belmont Selectmen present at the proceedings. According to the Belmont Citizen Herald, Selectman Paul Solomon said “he was in total support of the HRC's position. ‘This is in advance of the [selectmen's discussion], but I will support their stand.’” Selectman Dan Leclerc stated he was “in the process of processing [the decision.]”
The BHRC vote to sever ties comes as cities affiliated with the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” tolerance program throughout Massachusetts reconsider their ties to an organization with a history of Armenian Genocide denial and which continues to oppose Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 /S.Res.106). Watertown was the first to disaffiliate with the tainted NPFH program, followed by a suspension of ties by Arlington, and decisions by the towns of Newton, Needham, Newburyport, Bedford to cut ties if the ADL does not alter its policies on the Armenian Genocide.
For complete information about the Abe Foxman / ADL controversy surrounding the Armenian Genocide visit http://www.noplacefordenial.com/
Memorable Remarks from the Belmont Human Rights Commission Hearing on Severing Ties with the ADL Due to its Opposition to Armenian Genocide Recognition
Commissioner Conny Williams (Belmont)
Belmont Human Rights Commission
“I am suggesting that we sever our ties because we think the ADL is inconsistent in its proclamation of being against human rights violations and of fostering No Place for Hate. I would not want to express this with any reluctance….The pain that I feel is that an organization that is sponsoring this program [NPFH] could take this stance that it has taken.”
Rachel Kaprielian (Watertown)
Massachusetts State House Delegate
“In communities like Belmont, like the other communities that have NPFH, it isn’t just about acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, it’s acknowledging all genocides. Here, now, in the future. This is an important moment in time. It would be such an incredible experience to see a resolution passed when there are still survivors left on Earth.”
Marilyn Petitto Devaney (Watertown)
Member of the Watertown Town Council
“I was asked by the Local NPFH committee in Watertown to give them 90 days. The Armenian community has been waiting for over 90 years and they [ADL] have deprived the Armenian people from the right to their history. Years ago there was a resolution in Congress to recognize the Holocaust. Who would be against that, who would deprive them from having that resolution, but the ADL has. They said [the ADL] that to have a resolution in Congress would be counterproductive. That resolution for the Holocaust wasn’t counterproductive and this isn’t.”
Michael Collins (Belmont) 
Belmont Against Racism Board Member
“We are very pained by this because on one hand we have been people who have supported the goals of the NPFH campaign, but having listened to everyone here tonight we are going back to our board and recommend that we would be supportive of the Town severing its relationship with the ADL, as much as we really want the work to continue.”
Dr. Jack Nusan Porter (Newton)
Director of the Spencer Institute and a Treasurer of the International Association of Genocide Scholars
“People ask me ‘why would Abe Foxman want to do this?’. I can tell you why. Abe Foxman sees everything through the prism of Israel. The Turkish government has played a kind of a political blackmail and has influenced him [Foxman] by saying that Israel will be harmed. The Turkish Jewish community will be harmed. This is blackmail, this is utter nonsense. The state of Turkey could never enter the EU if it harmed the head of a single Jew in Turkey and if it hurt Israel. But it still uses these tactics and these arguments and they work! My view is that you have to send a powerful message now before the November meetings in which you state categorically that you want to sever ties with the ADL at this moment. It’s not a question that you are against No Place for Hate. We all are in favor of this wonderful program, but you only want to sever the ADL’s connection to it. If the ADL changes its position you can always go back to the ADL connection.”
Aram Kaligian (Belmont)
ANC Eastern Massachusetts Representative
“We urge you to stand with the Armenian American and Jewish American communities in helping the ADL national leadership come to the right side on this issue. We urge the Belmont No Place for Hate committee to sever its ties with the Anti-Defamation League until such time that the organization properly and unambiguously acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and supports congressional affirmation of this crime against humanity. Anything less would jeopardize efforts to protect and uphold the civil rights and dignity of the Belmont’s Armenian-American citizenry.”
Lenna Garibian (Belmont)
“I have two daughters at home, one is 7 the other is 5. The thought of them – the image of them wandering the desert together alone, without me or my husband to protect them, terrifies me. The thought of the two them holding on each other’s hands, not knowing what to do, hungry, weak, and scared---until one of them lets go of the other, chills me. And the thought of one of them having to live with that guilt for the rest of her life, like my grandmother did, so enrages me.”
“For these reasons, it is impossible to accept anything less than unequivocal genocide acknowledgment and support from the ADL and NPFH. However commendable some of its programs are, the NPFH program has no business in this town while the ADL holds to its position. And finally, no, I cannot offer patience, to this process, so that Mr. Foxman can return 
in November with the right spin on the Armenian Genocide.”
David Boyajian (Newton)
“The question may appear to evolve around the Armenian Genocide but it does not. It could be about any genocide. It could be about any issue of human rights that your sponsor distorted for its own political purposes. The issue is simple: if you, as a human rights commission are as serious about human rights as your mission statements say you are, you will sever ties with the ADL without delay.”
Luder Sahakian (Needham)
As the premiere human rights defender in the US, the world community would have expected the ADL to rigorously uphold 
settled history. Instead, the ADL has for over 15 years consciously placed politics over principle, it has parroted Turkish policy, been complicit in genocide denial and continues to oppose congressional resolutions affirming the reality of the Armenian genocide. . . The ADL has depleted its moral authority and legitimacy and cannot be expected to credibly sponsor and manage any anti-hate program so long that it exercises a form of hate itself.”
Rev. Harutunian (Belmont)
“When the Armenians came to this country they found a land of opportunity, particularly here in Massachusetts. This country has offered us so much, but one thing that the United States till now has not offered has been that this would be a land of healing for the Armenian people. Because when you’re victim of a violent crime whether it’s an individual, subgroup or a nation, until the story is validated, accepted, affirmed, and responded to with appropriate outrage, he 
crime continues to scar [them] and that’s truly the story of the Armenians. I can’t imagine a community like this […] wanting to be associated with an organization that is actively hurting our own people in this community. I strongly ask you to reconsider the association that we have with them.”
Lisa Sedrakian (Belmont)
“There can be no reconciliation between Turks and Armenians without Turkey’s recognition of the genocide and its acceptance of the Ottoman government’s role in perpetrating that genocide. There can be no reconciliation without truth. I cannot stand by when the US its 
relationship with Turkey based on ignoring the truth about the Armenian genocide. We should have the ADL’s true commitment and conviction behind their position on the Armenian Genocide before we, the town of Belmont, have a relationship with them.”
Joyce Barsam (Belmont)
“Every person in this room has a story, an odyssey of how we happen to be here instead of living in Turkey. I want to bring to the committee’s attention a very important distinction that Samantha Powers made in her book ‘A Problem From Hell’. ‘If America had been made up of more upstanders instead of bystanders, we would be in a very different position today’. I am asking this committee to be upstanders instead of bystanders of the Armenian Genocide. We hope you stand up for the truth and the human rights that you are commissioned to support.”
Jirair Hovsepian (Belmont) 
“The ADL has been operating in a selective manner by which to defend human rights. It would pick and choose which human rights issue to defend and which to ignore, or even sidestep or diminish some issues of human rights violations of the magnitude of the Holocaust such as the Armenian genocide. It would politicize a human rights issue, while its ‘ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike’(quoting from the ADL 1913 charter). The ADL has lost the moral ground and cannot be trusted to guide and protect the human rights values of all our fellow citizens in Belmont.”
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Lenna Garibian's Statement to the Belmont Human Rights Commission
September 08, 2007
Over the past few months, as this No Place for Hate issue has gone on, Armenians have become more and more frustrated and angered by the insensitivity of the Anti Defamation League --- and also with the individual towns and politicians that host No Place for Hate programs.
A number of suggestions have been made to Armenians:
It has been suggested that Armenians sit down with Turkish historians---to “uncover the truth” about the events of 1915.
It has been suggested that Armenians withdraw the congressional resolution, already supported by a majority of US congressmen that calls for the US congress to set aside April 24 as a day to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
It has been suggested that Armenians reconcile with Turkey, and put away the bad feelings of almost 100 years ago.
And finally, it’s been suggested that Armenians give Mr. Foxman and the ADL more time, perhaps until November, to decide on what the ADL’s policy regarding the Armenian Genocide should be.
I am here to tell you that we Armenians are fed up with the callous and insensitive suggestions that have been proposed to us. We are the sons and daughters of a generation who were driven from their lands, raped, tortured, and slaughtered in the deserts of Turkey.
A generation who saw their parents butchered before their eyes.
A generation who watched their mothers and sisters raped
A generation who saw their fathers beheaded or shot
A generation who saw their brothers and sisters slowly starve to death as they were marched through the barren countryside
This is a generation that witnessed some of the most cruel tortures and brutal killings imaginable.
My grandmother was 5 years old when she was taken from her home and told to start walking. Her father had been taken by the Turkish police weeks before. When the same police returned, they told her family that their village was no longer safe, and that they would be escorted to safety.
She left with her mother and 3 year old brother, Edward. In time, her mother weakened and died before her eyes. My grandmother vividly remembered watching her mother’s body buried in the Syrian Desert. But what she remembered most was being told by her mother before she died to take care of her three-year old brother. The two of them continued alone, and she held her brothers hand---- walking through the desert for weeks, until one day she found that she had lost him . Somewhere along the way, she became too weak or too tired or too delirious to keep hold of a 3 year old boy’s hand, and he was lost forever.
Lost forever, except in my grandmother’s mind. Because for the rest of her life, this 5 year old girl lived with the guilt of letting her little brother die alone in the desert. Until the last weeks of her life --- when she was most confused--- she was tearing around the nursing home still trying to find Edward. She could never forget the horror of letting him wander alone in the desert, presumably to die, and she never forgave herself for that.
When I think of my grandmother’s guilt, and her pain, and I think of these suggestions that have been made to Armenians, I am outraged. And when I read of the statements between Mr. Foxman and Turkish officials - referring to this crisis as an uncomfortable episode that Turks must endure, I am incensed. Having grown up with countless stories like the ones you have heard this evening, I have lost the ability to be patient--- with the politicians and people who want me to wait a bit while they think things over.
Tonight, I Say… No Armenian should sit with a revisionist Turkish historian, on the payroll of the Turkish government, to discuss whether the Genocide happened or not. THE WORLD KNOWS. TURKEY KNOWS. Abe Foxman knows. This was a genocide. The deliberate, systematic slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians
And if Turkey was not in the Middle East, if it hadn’t been on the border of the USSR during the Cold War, and if it weren’t an ally to Israel today, there would be no one listening to Turkey’s absurd claims to take a second look at history.
I say ….: Armenians Americans will never withdraw the genocide resolution from congress until the U.S. Government openly recognizes, once and for all, that 1.5 million Armenians were brutally slaughtered.
I say… : Armenians will never be able to reconcile with Turkey over the events of 1915 until the Turkish government recognizes their history, and the atrocities committed.
I have two daughters at home, one is 7 the other is 5. The thought of them – the image of them wandering the desert together alone, without me or my husband to protect them, terrifies me. The thought of the two them holding on each other’s hands, not knowing what to do, hungry, weak, and scared---until one of them lets go of the other, chills me. And the thought of one of them having to live with that guilt for the rest of her life, like my grandmother did, so enrages me.
For these reasons, it is impossible to accept anything less than unequivocal genocide acknowledgment and support from the ADL and NPFH. However commendable some of its programs are, the NPFH program has no business in this town while the ADL holds to its position. And finally, no, I cannot offer patience, to this process, so that Mr. Foxman can return in November with the right spin on the Armenian Genocide.
The opportunity is at hand – for the HRC and the Board of Selectmen to do the right thing.
Thank you.
Lenna Garibian
Pine St.
Belmont, MA
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ARMENIANS, JEWS PROTEST ABE FOXMAN’S APPEARANCE IN NEW YORK
Activists join for rally in front of 92nd Street Y, call for unequivocal ADL stance on Armenian Genocide
ANC-NY PRESS RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY—On Thursday, September 7, 2007, nearly 70 protesters gathered in front of the 92nd Street Y here to protest the appearance of Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League. Organized by the new Jewish youth publication Jewcy.com, the rally also included dozens of Armenian activists who joined in pointing out the ADL’s hypocrisy in its approach to the Armenian Genocide.
For more than one hour, protesters waved placards such as “No Place for Denial” along with 
cartoons of Foxman saying “It’s Not Genocide Until I Say It Is.” During this time, protesters loudly denounced Foxman and called upon the ADL to reverse its position against H.R. 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, which is now before Congress. The rally took place directly across the street from the 92nd Street Y, where Foxman and former US Presidential Advisor Stuart Eizenstat were appearing on a panel addressing “Modern Anti-Semitism.” Attendees entering the hall seemed often surprised at the gathering, which vociferously denounced the ADL for its equivocation on an issue it should be championing.
Following the rally, Jewcy.com Associate Editor Michael Weiss addressed the crowd stating: “An organization founded to combat bigotry and racism now denies one of the first genocides of the 20th century is beneath contempt.” Weiss was joined by Doug Geogerian, Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of New York, who thanked JEWCY, the Jewish and Armenian communities for their support on this important issue. Protesters also distributed hundreds of flyers to attendees as they left the 92nd Street Y following Foxman’s appearance.
In recent weeks, the ADL has been under pressure from a series 
of grass-roots protests, led by the Armenian National Committee along with progressive Jewish figures. As a result, last month it backed away from its longstanding policy of complicity in Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide. Armenian and some Jewish leaders remain concerned; however, as the ADL continues to use equivocal, euphemistic phrasing, and has continued to openly oppose the Armenian Genocide Resolution--H.R. 106--now under consideration by the US Congress. At the same time, Mr. Foxman, has added to the controversy by apologizing to the Turkish government for any difficulty this turnaround has created for the Turkish government, while failing to offer even a token expression of regret to Armenians for the ADL's longstanding, public record of genocide denial.
To date, the rally has received coverage from several local and international media outlets. For more information, please check www.Jewcy.com and www.noplacefordenial.com .
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Newburyport Commission for Diversity and Tolerance Letter to Abraham Foxman and the ADL
August 31, 2007
An open Letter to Abraham Foxman and the ADL,
The members of Newburyport’s Commission for Diversity and Tolerance are distraught and dismayed by Mr. Foxman’s and the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) stance on the Armenian Genocide. Not only has the ADL failed to support the Armenian people by advocating for congressional recognition with HS 106, but also, in fact, it has lobbied against the legislation.
The ADL’s charter states in part, “Its ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens.” There is nothing either fair or just in ADL’s failure to recognize the horrific events of 1915 to 1918 and again from 1920 to 1923 as anything but genocide.
We find that the ADL’s logic that led to the statement that “Congressional resolution on such matters is a counterproductive diversion and will not foster reconciliation between Turks and Armenians and may put at risk the Turkish Jewish community and the important multilateral relationship between Turkey, Israel and the United States” fatally flawed, and contrary to the spirit of “Never Again.”
Raphael Lemkin coined the word genocide in 1944. By his definition, it means the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group. Genocide is directed against the national group as an entity, and the actions involved are directed against individuals, not in their individual capacity, but as members of the national group. Mr. Foxman’s recent statement regarding the actions of the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians “the consequences of those actions were indeed tantamount to genocide” is ambiguous and insufficient. Those actions were not tantamount to genocide, they were genocide.
Because of the ADL’s and Mr. Foxman’s actions and failure to act, the Newburyport Commission for Diversity and Tolerance is currently discussing an end to our participation as a No Place for Hate community.
The following actions on the part of the ADL will greatly influence our decision:
• Complete support for HS 106 Resolution acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
• Public acknowledgement in unambiguous terms that events of 1915-1918 and 1920-1923 perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people were genocide.
In “Never Again” Mr. Foxman is described as a person who “fights against the menace of intolerance every day.” The question is will he fight today?
About the Commission for Diversity and Tolerance
The Commission for Diversity and Tolerance supports community based efforts to promote peace, diversity and tolerance. The commission was established by Newburyport City ordinance in September, 2006. The nine member commission is charged with fulfilling its mission of “promoting a sense of welcome, inclusion and worth for all and to eliminate prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, and acts of hate in our community,” by developing events and recognition of individuals and organizations in the community supporting these ideals. The Commission subsumed the former Partnership for Peace which began the Peace prize and Mini-grants more than 10 years ago. It also replaced the No Place for Hate Committee efforts which began in 2000, when Newburyport was qualified by the Anti-defamation League (ADL) as a “No Place for Hate” Community.
Sincerely,
Rev. Beth Horne
Lt. Rick Siemasko
Jan DeSantis
Sam Szabo
Kathleen Shaw
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Henry Theriault’s Letter to the Newton Leadership
The following letter was sent to the mayor of Newton and the members of the Newton Human Rights Commission (HRC) on Sept. 10.
Dear Mayor Cohen and Human Rights Commission Members,
I write in regard to your upcoming discussion about Newton’s relationship with the Anti-Defamation League through its No Place for Hate Program. I am a resident of Brookline, not of Newton, and the decision about Newton’s relationship to the ADL is of course entirely that of the residents of Newton. At the same time, whether you maintain your ties or sever them will make a significant statement and have a genuine impact on the human rights of all Armenians and, indeed, all victims of genocide and other systematic mass violence around the world. Given this, I respectfully ask you to consider the points contained in this letter.
To begin, please allow me to introduce myself. I am associate professor of philosophy at Worcester State College, where from September of 1999 to June of 2007 I coordinated the College’s Center for the Study of Human Rights. I am a member of the Advisory Council of the International Association of Genocide Scholars and a co-editor of Genocide Studies and Prevention, one of the main peer-reviewed academic journals on genocide. My research specialization is comparative genocide study, with a focus on denial and post-genocide justice, and I have published various articles and given many academic and public papers on these issues. I have taught various relevant courses, including ones on Genocide and Human Rights, Mass Violence Against Women, and the Armenian Genocide. I write as a concerned individual and scholar.
For decades, the Anti-Defamation League has been an important force in the struggle against anti-Semitism and other forms of racial, national and religious bigotry. Yet, despite its principled stands against such attitudes and the violence they foster, for a number of years, the Anti-Defamation League’s leadership has also followed an ethically objectionable course of action, in actively denying the Armenian Genocide.
It is important to understand why engaging in genocide denial is so wrong. Genocide denial is not a legitimate dispute about history, but an intentional campaign to falsify the historical record. Its goal is not simply to exonerate the perpetrators of the crime. It is a renewed attack on the victim group. Through it, deniers identify themselves with the perpetrators of the violence to hound survivors and their progeny through time, so that they can never escape the genocide that they survived. As one of the world’s foremost scholars of genocide and denial, Israel Charny of Hebrew University, has put it, genocide denial is a renewed assault on the humanity of the victim group, a celebration of the genocide that mocks the sensibilities of the victims and reasserts the power of the perpetrators over them, including even the history written about them. It conveys the clear message that what happened was justified and demonstrates to victims the impunity of the perpetrators not only to escape responsibility for what they did but, through future agents, to commit genocide again if they so choose. In my own work, I have argued that genocide denial is a form of “hate speech,” which demeans and re-traumatizes the victim group, adding to the horrific effects of the initial genocidal violence. What is more, denial of the Armenian Genocide has clearly encouraged renewed violence against Armenians, as the recent assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul shows. The transgression by Dink that motivated his killer—and the many others who called for and then celebrated his death—was simply that, in Turkey, he spoke the truth about the Armenian Genocide.
In the case of the Armenian Genocide, there have been decades of extensive and careful scholarly research by Armenian, Turkish and other scholars that has established beyond any reasonable doubt that beginning in 1915 the Ottoman Turkish government intentionally exterminated at least 1 million and as many as 1.5 million Armenian subjects. As in other genocides, the sick forms of violence visited upon the victims seem beyond belief. I will spare the details here. In the face of this ample evidence, however, Turkish deniers and their academic and political mercenaries in the United States and elsewhere continue to try to falsify history. Again and again, their negations of truth have been refuted decisively, leaving deniers with nothing more to do than to restate denial arguments that have already been exposed as falsifications in the hope that they will manipulate those unfamiliar with the clear, objective facts.
Shockingly, the leadership of the ADL has forced the organization to remain a committed denier of the Armenian Genocide, not merely through public dissemination of lies, but through the pointed action of lobbying against final official recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. Congress. The motives of the ADL leadership are transparent. By lobbying against recognition, they serve the perceived interests of the Turkish government. In turn, the Turkish government becomes more inclined to maintain good relations with the state of Israel. It is a simple though twisted calculus: the ADL trades Armenian denigration and suffering for a perceived geopolitical benefit for Israel. Even this would be bad enough, but the ADL functions as a crass lobbying machine in this way while hypocritically promoting itself as a principled leader in the struggle for human rights for all human beings.
The ADL leadership’s long-standing denialism has, in recent months, at last come under public scrutiny. Under intense pressure, the ADL has been forced into damage-control mode, in which it has offered a statement that what happened to Armenians was “tantamount to genocide.” Yet, the leadership still cannot come out and unambiguously state that Armenians suffered genocide. What is more significant, the ADL has continued its active participation against U.S. Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide, for instance through its director Abraham Foxman’s insistence that the current U.S. Congressional recognition resolution should not be passed. Foxman has also engaged in the typical denial tactic of calling for more study of the issue, as a way of obscuring the fact that decades of study have already been completed and show that the Armenian Genocide occurred.
Even if the ADL leadership decides to issue an unambiguous affirmation of the truth of the Armenian Genocide, which it is unlikely to do, the fact that it still takes public action to oppose U.S. Congressional recognition is unacceptable. If the ADL had never made denialist statements or intensively lobbied against recognition, that would be one thing, but the ADL has actively harmed Armenians (as well as all other victims of genocide) through its support of denial and role in defeating official recognition of the Armenian Genocide in past Congresses. Through its own actions, it has assumed responsibility for reversing this damage and should come out now in clear support for the Congressional recognition resolution while ceasing its lobbying activities—including behind-the-scenes lobbying—on behalf of the Turkish government.
There is much at stake with the resolution. Last year, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans was actually removed from his position simply because he used the term “Armenian Genocide” rather than denialist terminology. This courageous man refused to participate in the denialism that is the de facto U.S. State Department policy. The Congressional legislation seeks to protect the State Department’s own personnel from such Orwellian restrictions. More than this, the Congressional sponsors of the resolution seek to end the State Department’s own long-term denial of the Armenian Genocide, a source of shame for all decent United States citizens.
There are those, including ADL director Foxman, who say that U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide will be “counter-productive” for “reconciliation” efforts. It is difficult to see how. What is counter-productive is the Turkish government’s continued spewing of denialist hate speech against Armenians. What is counter-productive is the Turkish establishment’s venomous attacks on the growing number of Turkish scholars, literary figures, journalists and regular citizens who publicly call on their country to recognize the genocide. Any support for the truth means support for Turks who stand for the truth, which would seem to be a very productive means of helping Turkish society come to grips with its past in an honest manner. What is more, it is difficult to understand how a “reconciliation” that is based on sidestepping the genocide issue could be meaningful. Do Foxman and others who hold this view believe that reconciliation requires a victim group to acquiesce in a cover-up of what they have suffered?
Unfortunately, the ADL leadership’s refusal to do the right thing even after public exposure and its insistence on trying to finesse the situation through misleading rhetoric of “semi-admission” that is still denialism make it clear that decisive action is needed if the ADL is going to change its position in a substantive manner. I want to stress that in no way do I wish to see the ADL undermined or harmed through this process. It has a crucial role to play against anti-Semitism and other prejudice. On the contrary, I believe that it is up to those of us concerned about these issues to support positive change in the ADL by pushing its leadership back into accord with the principles on which the ADL was founded. If the leadership for years has refused to re-embrace those principles of its own accord, then the towns and cities whose connection to the ADL are a basic foundation of the organization must sever their ties until the ADL does honor those principles.
There are those who would suggest that the ADL should be given more time to engage in “self-examination.” They hope that in November or even later, the ADL will eventually realize that it should correct its position. But the ADL has had years to reflect on its denial of the Armenian Genocide, and absolutely no progress was made until communities started suspending their connections to the No Place for Hate Program. More time will not only add to the suffering of Armenians, but will give the ADL leadership an increasing sense of impunity, that it can continue in its anti-Armenian prejudice without consequences.
There are those who point out that the ADL has done many positive things and ties to it should not be suspended over only one issue like this—this would undermine all the positive things it does. The ADL has done tremendously positive things. But, does this mean that it should get a free pass on a very negative thing it is doing? The Nation of Islam under Farrakhan has undoubtedly had many positive effects for African-Americans, but does that mean we should ignore the anti-Semitism of its leadership? Does the ADL get to act with bigotry against one group simply because it fights on behalf of other groups? Does an organization get to pick and choose which groups should be protected from prejudice, and which should be abandoned to it?
Of course, this assumes that the ADL can continue to be an effective force against any bigotry, even anti-Semitism, after national exposure of its hypocrisy. But by pursuing the corrupt path its leadership has chosen for it, the ADL’s moral credibility is being eroded. Will true future accusations of anti-Semitism be met with skepticism, because the word of ADL leaders can no longer be trusted? Will Jews and other targets of prejudice suffer because of Foxman and other ADL leaders’ short-sighted manipulations?
There are, finally, those who believe that the situation of Israel is so desperate that its very survival depends in part on its tie to Turkey. Setting aside the question of whether the situation is an existential crisis and examination of the genesis of the problem that might offer alternative solutions, one can ask quite simply if the relationship to Turkey that the ADL is willing to trade Armenian suffering for is worth it. What kind of relationship is this? First, how can one trust a relationship that is founded on complicity in the cover-up of genocide or a government that focuses tremendous resources on that cover-up? Shared deception in the service of mass violence is not the basis of a sound international relationship. Indeed, the hollowness of the commitment of Turkey to Israel can be seen readily in the fact that more than once the former has resorted to threats against Jewish lives in Turkey should Israel recognize the Armenian Genocide. For instance, this threat was made to try to force removal of the few papers devoted to the Armenian Genocide in the world’s first comparative genocide studies conference, which was held in Tel Aviv in 1982.
With all of this in mind, I reiterate my strong recommendation that Newton cut its ties to the ADL until the organization takes an official position unequivocally affirming the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide and publicly states its support for the current U.S. Congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
Once more, thank you for considering my letter.
Sincerely,
Henry C. Theriault
Associate Professor of Philosophy, and
Former Director, the Center for the Study of Human Rights at
Worcester State College
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An Open Letter to Abraham H. Foxman, National Director, ADL
The Armenian Weekly
September 8, 2007
The purpose of this letter is to discuss the oft mentioned desire of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to encourage Turkey and Armenia to begin the process of reconciliation by confronting their shared past. I am not sure that the ADL fully understands what prevents this meaningful sharing from taking place.
The Armenian genocide is a historic fact that has been extensively and impartially studied and accepted by eminent international historians and genocide scholars. However, Turkish leaders have chosen to turn a blind eye to this dark and sorry chapter in their modern history. Not only has the Turkish government refused to see what happened, but they have resorted to a continuous and well-financed campaign of denial and historic revisionism to hide their guilt. The ADL cannot be unaware of the litany of lies and deceptive statements that Ankara has authored these many years.
The ADL must have decided that the independent eye-witness accounts of depravity, the photographs depicting the numerous acts of brutality and the pages of official documents that speak to an Armenian genocide were irrelevant when it declared that the genocide only merited its qualified recognition. Then in the same breath, so-to-speak, the ADL hedged its position by saying that it would not support the resolution before the United States Congress to recognize the Armenian genocide. How can the ADL recognize the Armenian genocide—albeit partially—and then simultaneously go on record that it does not want Congress to recognize the Armenian genocide? Isn’t that counterproductive?
The position crafted by the ADL is nothing less than a tacit acceptance of the egregious lies and deceptive statements that serve as the basis for Turkey’s policy of denial and historic revisionism. This position by the ADL only encourages Turkish intransigence. I cannot allow myself to believe that this is the intent or purpose of the ADL.
I have served as co-chair and participant in Holocaust Observances in the City of Newton, Mass., while a commissioner on the Newton Human Rights Commission. I hold dear a letter from Lenny Zakim, then-New England director of the ADL, thanking me for my efforts. His death was a severe loss to the entire community. I mention this because I have always respected the mission of the ADL. Unfortunately, the series of recent episodes by the ADL has been regrettable.
Armenians have never had any fear of confronting their shared past with the Turkish people. On the contrary, it has been the fear of the Turkish government, for obvious reasons, to confront its shared past with the Armenian people that prevents rapprochement. On this most significant of issues—recognition of the Armenian genocide—the ADL has failed. This was the opportunity for the ADL to forcefully and forthrightly speak out against genocide, holocaust and ethnic cleansing as political solutions. Unfortunately, the ADL for whatever reasons preferred not to seize the moment. The vacillation and equivocation amply demonstrated by the current leadership during these past several weeks has not enhanced the credibility of the ADL.
Sincerely,
Michael G. Mensoian
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NEW YORK ACTION ALERT: Jewcy to Protest at Foxman Appearance in Manhattan on September 6
Join Jewcy for a protest at Abraham Foxman's next appearance in Manhattan. "On September 6, when Abraham Foxman shows up at the 92nd street Y in Manhattan to deliver a solemn talk on antisemitism and Holocaust denial, we'll be there to remind Foxman that his struggle against "genocidal hatred" must start in the mirror, and that the Congressional resolutions are his chance to set things right."
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Bedford Violence Prevention Coalition Demands Explanation from ADL
By Khatchig Mouradian
The Armenian Weekly
September 4, 2007
BEDFORD, Mass. (A.W.)—On Sept. 4 at 7:30 a.m., the Bedford Violence Prevention Coalition (VPC) held its monthly meeting at the First Church of Christ Congregational with members of the Bedford Armenian community and activists from neighboring towns. The committee discussed the ADL’s ambiguous position on the Armenian genocide and decided to officially demand an explanation from the ADL. The committee agreed that it would then proceed accordingly, yet maintained that severing its ties with the ADL was still very much on the table.
During the meeting, members of the committee were briefed on the recent developments in the controversy surrounding the ADL. Armenian activists were then given the floor to speak.
Armenian Activists
Bedford resident Stephen Dulgarian spoke about the ADL’s opposition to the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the U.S. Congress and expressed his hope that Bedford would follow in the footsteps of Watertown, Newton and Newburyport by sending a strong message to the ADL. “We ask this committee to send a letter to the ADL demanding the unambiguous recognition for the Armenian genocide and support for the Genocide Resolution,” he said.
“I just lost a great uncle who was a survivor of the Armenian genocide,” said Bedford resident Mike Bahtiarian. He went on to criticize the ADL’s position on the genocide, underlining how its use of expressions like “tantamount to genocide” were deliberately unclear. Not supporting genocide recognition, he said, is “like not recognizing [the Holocaust during] World War II.”
“We would like to see this No Place for Hate committee continue its work independently of the ADL,” said activist Berge Jololian. “The ADL has lost its moral authority to lecture us on human rights. Denying any genocide is an act of hate and this community should have zero tolerance to it.” He noted that statement after statement, the ADL’s “hypocrisy is multiplying.” He rejected the ADL’s talk of a joint Turkish-Armenian commission to look into the history of 1915. “It is like saying that Elie Wiesel and David Irving should sit and discuss the history of the Holocaust. It’s outrageous!” he exclaimed.
Talking about ADL national director Abraham Foxman, Jololian said, “ADL has not apologized to the Armenian community or addressed any Armenian, however, Foxman offered an apology to the Turkish government for ADL’s statement recognizing the Armenian genocide.” Jololian was referring to a letter Foxman sent to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan in which he said, “I feel deeply sorry over discussions that erupted after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) changed its stance on the incidents of 1915.”
Petitto Devaney
Watertown councilor-at-large Marilyn Petitto Devaney spoke about the proclamation she introduced at the Watertown Town Council meeting. “I look at the proclamation as an act of lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness,” she said. Pettito Devaney recounted how the ADL had asked the Watertown Town Council for 90 days before making a decision about severing ties with the No Place for Hate program. “I wouldn’t even give them 90 seconds,” she said. Underlining that the Armenian genocide is not merely an Armenian issue, Petitto Devaney called on Bedford to sever its ties with the NPFH.
Police Chief
Police chief James Hicks said that long before coming to Bedford, he had worked with the ADL on several programs. “This summer has been quite eye-opening,” he said. “I feel embarrassed.”
“If the facts are facts, the ADL should state the facts clearly and back its statement with words and actions,” Hicks noted. “I have some serious reservations with the ADL. They need to explain their position,” he added.
Hicks and other members of the VPC noted that their committee was functioning years before its association with the NPFH and that good work can be done with—and if need be without—that association.
“We have some serious concerns and I would like to have the ADL here before taking action,” Hicks said. “But I have to say,” he added, “the present state of affairs jeopardizes NPFH’s position.”
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VIDEO OF NEWTON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING -- RECORDED ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2007
On Tuesday, Aug. 21, hours after the release of a statement by Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recognizing the Armenian Genocide but opposing the Genocide Resolution pending in Congress, the Newton Human Rights Commission sent a strong message to ADL executive director Abraham Foxman that anything short of the unambiguous recognition of the genocide and full support of the Congressional resolution would result in Newton’s withdrawal from the ADL-sponsored No Place for Hate (NPFH) program. Click here to read full story, and here to watch Mayor Cohen's press conference. (Double click on video to expand, or click HERE to watch in YouTube window).
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