WATERTOWN TOWN COUNCIL CALLS ON BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD TO DISSASSOCIATE WITH CONTROVERSIAL ADL PROGRAM

Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown MA 02472
617-926-1918
ancem@hotmail.com

For Immediate Release
September 24, 2008

Contact: 617-347-2833

WATERTOWN TOWN COUNCIL CALLS ON BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD TO DISSASSOCIATE WITH CONTROVERSIAL ADL PROGRAM

Unanimously votes to call on the National ADL to End its Opposition to Armenian Genocide Reaffirmation

WATERTOWN, MA—The Watertown Town Council unanimously voted last night in support of a resolution calling on Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts to ends its endorsement of the Anti Defamation League's (ADL) controversial No Place for Hate (NPFH) program, citing the ADL's opposition to Armenian Genocide affirmation efforts, reported the Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts (ANCM).The resolution, introduced by Councilors Marilyn Petitto Devaney, Stephen Corbett, and Mark Sideris, was taken up during a regular Town Council session, which was moved in advance to the Watertown Middle School to accommodate the growing interest in this scandal.

The vote on the resolution was prefaced by the reading of a brief statement by Jay Curley, BCBS’s Senior Vice President for Public, Government and Regulatory Affairs, who was present at the Council’s request. Following Mr. Curley’s statement, all nine Town Council members asked detailed questions regarding the BCBS position.

BCBS’s Curley said that Blue Cross “firmly believes there can be no ambiguity about the genocide” and that it should not be hidden under confusing language. Curley, however, announced that BCBS intended to continue its partnership with the ADL “based on assurances” [that the ADL has recognized the Armenian genocide.] He followed that by stating that if BCBS finds out that is not the case, “we will withdraw support."

When asked by Councilor Corbett if this assurance was written or verbal, Curley said that they were verbal, noting that the assurances came from the New England ADL and that they were followed up by a letter from Foxman, which was "perfectly clear and unambiguous to us." Curley noted, however that BCBS was “disappointed” with the tone and tenor of the communication from Foxman.

The communication in question is the August 22, 2008, ADL letter that was buried on its web page and signed solely by its national director, Abraham Foxman, stating, “ADL has never denied the tragic and painful events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians, and we have referred to those massacres and atrocities as genocide.” This letter goes on to falsely accuse those who are working to end genocide denial of “demonizing” opponents of Armenian Genocide reaffirmation.

Councilor Devaney noted that BCBS’s “continued affiliation with ADL means not only complicity in genocide denial but also is clear discrimination.”

In addition, Councilor Vincent Piccirilli told Curley that citizens “of Watertown are somewhat dismayed with the talking around the issue and the failure to come clean.”

When asked by Councilor Sideris if BCBS would help get an unequivocal statement from the ADL on the Armenian Genocide, Curly responded, that getting involved in national politics “is not something we do.”

Councilor Jonathan Hecht answered by stating that by continuing to play these games, BCBS was undermining the effort to prevent future genocides.”

“The Watertown Town Council has taken a principled stand in calling for corporations to adhere to basic human rights principles,” stated ANCM chairperson Sharistan Melkonian. “It is unfortunate that Blue Cross Blue Shield finds the ADL’s disingenuous August 2008 statement as satisfactory when in fact it clearly indicates that the ADL is unwilling to come out with a simple, clear, unambiguous statement acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. We thank the Council and in particular Councilors Corbett, Sideris, and Devaney for their leadership and for sending a strong message to Blue Cross that human rights are absolute.”

Yesterday, twenty-five Armenian organizations and churches sent an open letter to BCBS Chairman Cleve Killingsworth calling on BCBS to end its endorsement of the ADL’s NPFH program.

“The ADL simply cannot portray itself as a universal human rights organization while it engages in genocide denial,” the letter read. “The ADL has an existential contradiction between its two missions as a human rights organization and as an ethnic advocacy group. Whenever these two purposes conflict, the ADL prioritizes its advocacy interests – not human rights. Acknowledging this contradiction, Mr. Foxman admitted, ‘there are two moral issues, but one trumps the other.’”

The Watertown Town Council passed a second resolution last night calling for a representative of the National ADL to appear before the Council at a future date.

Background

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 during the summer of 2007, did the national ADL issue its “Statement on the Armenian Genocide” referred to above. In addition, the ADL remains on the record opposing Armenian Genocide legislation (including the pending H.Res.106 / S.Res.106), 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 2007 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 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. NPFH is a national trademark of the national ADL.

The situation intensified in an explosive August 1 front page Boston Globe article in which the Armenian National Committee 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 a 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, which set the stage for numerous other public meetings in communities throughout Massachusetts, where this issue was brought to the attention of human rights commissions and town and city councils.

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

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

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An open letter from the Armenian American community to Blue Cross Blue Shield

September 23, 2008

Cleve L. Killingsworth, Chairman and Chief Executive
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Landmark Center
401 Park Drive
Boston, MA 02215-3326

Dear Mr. Killingsworth:

We are writing to urge you to end Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’s endorsement of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) No Place for Hate (NPFH) program.

Although the ADL professes to secure the human rights of all people, it continues to deny the Armenian Genocide and actively works against its recognition. These unacceptable activities render the ADL unsuitable as a partner for tolerance education, regardless of other worthy functions it may perform.

On August 22, 2008, the ADL issued a confusing letter buried deeply on its web page and signed solely by its national director, Abraham Foxman, stating, “ADL has never denied the tragic and painful events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians, and we have referred to those massacres and atrocities as genocide.” This letter provocatively accuses those who are working to end genocide genial of “demonization.”

This disingenuous statement apparently refers to the ADL’s now infamous August 21, 2007 release – the ADL’s only other public statement on the Armenian Genocide – that said, “the consequences” of the Turkish massacres and atrocities were “tantamount to genocide.” This statement is not an acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide.

The 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group...” By employing the word “consequences,” the ADL – considered authorities on genocide and genocide denial – is, in fact, endorsing the Turkish claim that Armenians died simply as a consequence of World War I conditions and not as a deliberate, planned program of extermination. Moreover, the ADL does not even recognize the Armenian Genocide as an outright genocide, but simply an event “tantamount to genocide.”

Within days of its August 21, 2007, statement on the Armenian Genocide, the ADL apologized to Turkey in a letter to its government and endorsed Turkey’s call for a joint commission of Turkish and Armenian scholars to examine “the details of those dark and terrible days.”

The ADL’s own web page labels such calls as genocide denial, explaining that deniers “portray themselves as individuals and groups engaged in a legitimate, dispassionate quest for historical knowledge and ‘truth’ [who] seek to plant seeds of questioning and doubt.”

Most significantly, the ADL has for many years actively lobbied on behalf of the Turkish government to deny the Armenian Genocide and prevent passage of a Congressional resolution formally affirming the Armenian Genocide. It continues to publicly and repeatedly voice opposition to such a Congressional resolution. These actions are documented in the attached packet.

The ADL simply cannot portray itself as a universal human rights organization while it engages in genocide denial. The ADL has an existential contradiction between its two missions as a human rights organization and as an ethnic advocacy group. Whenever these two purposes conflict, the ADL prioritizes its advocacy interests – not human rights. Acknowledging this contradiction, Mr. Foxman admitted, “there are two moral issues, but one trumps the other.” Documentation is included in the attached packet.

Genocide is the most serious of hate crimes and genocide denial is the highest form of hate speech and the last stage of genocide. Indeed, the ADL’s web page states, “What is on the surface a denial of the reality of genocide is, at its core, an appeal to genocidal hatred.” Further, in its August 22, 2008 statement, the ADL proclaims, “All ADL’s anti hate programs classify genocide as the ultimate crime against humanity.”

How, then, can an organization engaged in genocide denial be allowed to instruct others on tolerance in community anti-hate programs?

Given the ADL’s failure to adhere to the most basic standards required of a human rights organization, Blue Cross Blue Shield has an obligation both to its subscribers and the larger community to end its endorsement of this national ADL program. Because Blue Cross Blue Shield’s initial endorsement of NPFH provided the momentum for many communities to adopt the program, BCBS has a special responsibility to end its corporate endorsement and financial support of this ADL endeavor.

Blue Cross Blue Shield should not be associated with genocide denial. Thus, we request that you rescind BCBS’s endorsement of the No Place for Hate program due to the ADL’s refusal to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, its engaging in the denialist tactic of proposing further study the Armenian Genocide, and its continued active opposition to United States formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Thank you.

Armenian Assembly of America
Armenian Church of the Holy Translators (Framingham)
Armenian Cultural and Education Center
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party
Armenian General Benevolent Union
Armenian Independent Broadcasting of Boston
Armenian Library and Museum of America
Armenian Memorial Church (Watertown)
The Armenian Mirror Spectator Weekly
Armenian National Committee
Armenian Relief Society
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Weekly
Armenian Youth Federation
First Armenian Church (Belmont)
Hairenik Weekly
Hamazkyin Cultural
Holy Cross Armenian Church (Belmont)
Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church (Worcester)
Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Boston (Cambridge)
Homenetmen General Athletic Union
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
St. James Armenian Apostolic Church (Watertown)
St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church (Watertown)
Tekeyan Cultural Association of USA and Canada
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IN THE NEWS: Southern Poverty Law Center Exposes Turkey's Denialist Network

Intelligence Report Cites Tactics, Names Individuals

Montgomery, AL -- The internationally respected anti-hate organization, Southern Poverty Law Center, has exposed the Turkish government's multi-million dollar campaign of genocide denial in a groundbreaking, just-published intelligence report, "State of Denial." The report describes the "alarming success" of "a network of American scholars, influence peddlers and website operators, financed by the government of Turkey, who promote the denial of the Armenian genocide."

The SPLC reveals that the Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown University, created and funded by the Turkish government, also receives "sizable donations from American defense contractors that sell arms to Turkey, including General Dynamics and Westinghouse." The institute is a major component of the Turkish denialist network.

In an accompanying editorial entitled "Lying About History," the SPLC writes, "The claims of the Turkish government and the scholars who seem bent on supporting it are enough to make one ill." Several other articles and resources are linked to the report. The nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center monitors hate groups, defends civil and human rights, and provides anti-bias training through their educational program "Teaching Tolerance."

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Jewish Advocate: Letter: ADL Has Burned Some Bridges

The Jewish Advocate
August 15, 2008

The Anti-Defamation League is asleep at the wheel on the Zakim Bridge. It has been nearly one year since the devastating collapse of the ADL’s relationship with the Armenian community, and the ultimate demise of its No Place for Hate program.

In that time, ADL has failed to produce any sort of public relations campaign to repair its image, and the mortar of the organization only continues to crumble. The program that once flourished in our communities has been decimated, and the reputation of the organization obliterated.

The ADL continues to betray itself and its mission as it burns bridges with so many of Boston’s countless other ethnic communities. Whether from the Armenians or the Muslims, ADL hides and clings to Abe Foxman, like a child to its mother’s leg.
Throughout this past year, opportunities to make amends with the Armenian community were handed to the organization on a silver platter, yet each time the ADL stood idly by as the entirety of the Jewish community stepped forward to take their brothers’ and sisters’ hands.

As the ADL continually failed to recognize the Armenian genocide as such, they alienated so many of their allies. Elected officials at both local and state levels publicly divorced themselves and their communities from the organization. The effectiveness of their other programs diminished as their authenticity was called into question.

Can the ADL morally continue to preach about eradicating anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial? Can they teach others to break down barriers, while they still build them?
I call upon the leaders of the ADL to practice as they preach; to take action and stand up for what is right. One year later, I urge you to learn from your mistakes.

Julia Ross
Cambridge
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Editorial: Blue Shield Hiding ADL Support

The Armenian Mirror Spectator
Watertown, Massachusetts

June 21, 2008

Editorial

Blue Shield Hiding ADL Support

The fall from grace of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in the eyes of people concerned with justice and recognition of past atrocities, continues.

The ADL, as has been well-documented here in our pages, as well as in many other Armenian publications, has never made a statement fully acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Yes, after being besieged by many segments of the community at large, including Jewish groups, the ADL agreed to release a statement last summer suggesting that what happened to the Armenians was “tantamount to Genocide.”

Close, but no cigar.

Requests for a clear, unmistakable statement from Armenian and Jewish groups were spurned by the ADL.

The ADL, it was brought to light, has through the years actively campaigned against measures in Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Now, the state’s largest provider of insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield, is still sponsoring the No Place for Hate (NPFH) program of the ADL, which was successfully run out of scores of towns, starting with Watertown and continuing across Massachusetts. Among the towns which nixed the program are Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Lexington, Medford, Needham, Newburyport, Newton, Northampton, Watertown, Somerville and Westwood.

In fact, just this past April, the Massachusetts Municipal Association decided to end its sponsorship of NPFH.

Obviously, all the participants and activists involved in this issue understand that the message of NPFH is not a problem; it is the organization that is creating it. No one can be against a message that denies hate, but when the message of tolerance, acknowledgement of past genocides and harmony is being created by an organization that does not act as it preaches, it cheapens the entire message. The ADL can manage to look like a paragon of tolerance, while pursuing a different agenda, catering to the agenda of the government of the Republic of Turkey.

According to information dug up by David Boyajian, a Newton activist who led in bringing to light the inconsistencies of the ADL, several years back, Peter Meade, the recently retired Blue Cross Blue Shield vice president, “was instrumental in mobilizing Blue Cross” to become the state’s first official NPFH corporation. And Meade sits on the board of the New England ADL and received its Chairperson’s Award.

Boyajian noted that Meade also chairs the Greenway Conservancy, which will oversee future upkeep of Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway, where he opposes the Greenway’s proposed Armenian Heritage Park.

Currently, there are still 50 cities and towns in Massachusetts that use NPFH. We, not just as Armenians, but as people with a just cause who will decry hypocrisy and the denial of any genocide, should make sure that those towns are aware of what programs they are sponsoring. They should join the ranks of the bold towns singled out above which realized that this was an issue worth pursing.

We Armenians should also think twice about using Blue Cross when it comes to health coverage. When we pay our fees, we are helping to pay for the organization’ s support of programs such as NPFH. And Armenians and their allies in the State House should make sure that their voices continue to be heard in this matter. Our community has done a wonderful job to date in mobilizing and getting non-Armenians involved with this issue.

In particular, the Jewish community has been outstanding in this state in terms of support for us. After all, the denial of the Genocide is wrong for us on principle, as well as for sheer emotional reasons.

The denial of genocide is the last stage of a genocide. By continuing to support ADL programs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield is helping deniers have the last word.
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ADL MEETS NO PLACE FOR DENIAL DEMANDS

May 13, 2016

After a lengthy, unwavering grassroots campaign, No Place for Denial is pleased to announce that the Anti-Defamation League has at last unequivocally recognized the Armenian Genocide and declared its support for United States affirmation of this crime against humanity.

In a statement posted Friday, May 13, 2016, on the national ADL’s webpage, CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt, wrote, “Too often, the response to genocide has been global silence.  So let me be crystal clear:  the first genocide of the 20th century is no different.  What happened in the Ottoman Empire to the Armenians beginning in 1915 was genocide.  The genocide began with the ruling government arresting and executing several hundred Armenian intellectuals.  After that, Armenian families were removed from their homes and sent on death marches.  The Armenian people were subjected to deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre and starvation.  What happened to the Armenian people was unequivocally genocide.”

Greenblatt, who replaced Abraham Foxman as national director, also stated, “That is why I am speaking out today and why we would support U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide.  Silence is not an option.”

Greenblatt pledged to fight denial by promising, “When individuals or groups deny the Armenian genocide, as recently took place with a billboard in Boston, ADL will speak out and denounce that denial.  In that spirit, I am optimistic about greater cooperation going forward to end all forms of hate and bigotry.”

This is the first time that the national ADL has issued an official, unambiguous written statement acknowledging that the 1915 massacres of Armenians constituted genocide.  It also represents a complete reversal of the organization’s decades-long opposition to United States recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

We hope that the ADL will now play an active role in combating Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and in achieving formal U.S. recognition through a Congressional resolution.

Armenians are grateful for the many allies in the Jewish and human rights communities who steadfastly worked with us over the past nine years to achieve this change in ADL policy.

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Massachusetts Governor’s Council Resolution Honoring David Boyajian

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor’s Council

Official Resolutions

Be it Resolved, that the Governor’s Council
hereby extends its Commendation to:

David Boyajian

In Recognition of:

David’s leadership in Community Service, working tirelessly with successful efforts to have communities sever ties with the ADL’s No Place For Hate program and to end the MMA’s sponsorship.

The Governor’s Council is also proud to join with David against this past discrimination that has defeated a Congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, depriving Armenians of their history for so long.

It is with great honor that the Governor’s Council declares: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 “David Boyajian Day in Massachusetts” and directs all citizens to give due respect and observance on that day.

Be it further Resolved, that the Massachusetts Governor’s Council extends best wishes; that a record of these resolutions be entered into the Journal of the Council.

Executive Council
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
[Signed by Councillors]
Thomas J. Foley
Mary-Ellen Manning
Carole A. Fiola
Kelly A. Timilty
Thomas T. Merrigan
Michael J. Callahan

Offered by: Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney
Governor’s Councillor
Council Chambers
State House, Boston
Date: April 30, 2008
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Acceptance Speech by Dave Boyajian at Governor's Council

Massachusetts State House, Wed., April 30, 2008, Governor’s Council chambers

By David Boyajian

Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Members of the Governor’s Council, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, and friends:

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Governor’s Council, and especially to Councilor Marilyn Devaney, who has long supported efforts to reaffirm the Armenian genocide.

This honor really belongs not to myself but to those hundreds and thousands of persons – and by no means just Armenian Americans - who have worked tirelessly for the unambiguous acknowledgement of all genocides since last summer.

They have educated not just Massachusetts but also the Nation and even the World – these events have been in the int’l press - about the evil of genocides, past and present.

There are many more people and organizations to thank that it would be difficult to mention them all today, but I should briefly mention the following:

1. Human Rights commissioners, elected officials & citizens in 13 Massachusetts towns that have done the right thing by acting against genocide denial

2. The Massachusetts Municipal Association which, by following through against genocide denial, has set a highly principled example for the Commonwealth’s towns to emulate

3. The Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts whose leaders and grassroots supporters have proved indispensable

4. The Watertown Tab, Newton Tab, and those other media that have stayed on top of this story

5. Those Jewish Americans who have stood firmly for principle when they could have remained silent

6. Last - but not least – those persons in the Commonwealth - and even in other countries - of all ethnic, religious, and political backgrounds – without whose support this issue would not achieved what it has.

And I’d like to interject that the campaign continues - many towns still sponsor ADL programs & Blue Cross Blue Shield funds NPFH.

In conclusion, are there lessons we can take away from this issue? I think so.

1. We should strive for consistency, not selectivity, when it comes to recognizing genocide and human rights violations.

2. This country has a wonderful system that allows freedom of speech and freedom of the press. But if we do not vigorously use those freedoms, and if we don’t hold the media’s feet to the fire, those rights go to waste.

3. America’s acknowledging major human rights violation, such as genocide, has never damaged this country’s national interests. On the contrary, aside from perhaps some short-term fallout, our nation’s acknowledging injustice only increases our credibility, prestige, and others’ respect for us.

4. Finally, if you think you see injustice - please - speak up. Individuals and organizations will hear you and – sometimes - one never knows – they will agree with you and take action. And the world may wind up being a better place because of it.

Again, thank you.
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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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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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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/

####

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 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.

Statement Adopted by Vote of the MMA Board of Directors on 04/08/08
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ACTION ALERT: CALL ON THE MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION (MMA) TO END ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE ADL!!

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.

Call on the MMA to end its sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program! Send an email to MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith today by clicking here.

And if you live in Belmont, Chesterfield, Franklin, Gloucester, Leominster, Needham, North Adams, Princeton, Somerville, Sudbury, Swampscott, Watertown, Leominster, Natick, Beverly, Lowell, New Bedford, etc...(see complete list below) reach out to your MMA representative (see contacts below) and urge him/her to do the same.

The Board of Directors of the MMA (see list below) is now considering this issue and members need to hear from residents. Last September the MMA sent a letter to the ADL calling on the ADL to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and to end its active opposition to legislation affirming the Armenian Genocide. The ADL instead opted to “take no further action on the issue of the Armenian Genocide.”

Recently, over 30 MA Armenian organizations sent an open letter to the MMA asking it to end its relationship with the ADL.

Please visit http://www.noplacefordenial.com/ for more information.

The MMA’s sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program was the overwhelming reason why so many Massachusetts towns and cities adopted this program. Now, with the ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide clear, the MMA has no other choice but to rescind its sponsorship of the ADL’s No Place for Hate program.

If you are a resident of one of the towns listed below, we urge you to also contact your Representative on the MMA Board and ask him/her to ensure that the MMA severs its ties to the ADL.

If you are not a resident of one of these towns, contact any member of the MMA Board with the same demands.

Every town and city in Massachusetts is a member of MMA and your voice will be heard.

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SAMPLE LETTER – Please customize this letter using your own words and information about your community to make it more effective

Letters should be sent to:

Geoff Beckwith, Executive Director
Massachusetts Municipal Association
One Winthrop Square
Boston MA 02110
617-426-7272 ext. 101
info@mma.org

Dear Mr. Beckwith,

I am writing in regards to the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s September letter to the Anti Defamation League (ADL) calling on the ADL to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and to end its active opposition to legislation affirming the Armenian Genocide.

In light of the November 2 decision of the ADL to “to take no further action” regarding its policy on the Armenian Genocide, hence failing to meet the MMA’s conditions, I am asking that the MMA now fulfill its pledge and rescind its sponsorship of the No Place for Hate program.

Unfortunately, at its National Commissioners meeting in November, the ADL made clear that it was not in fact the human rights organization that so many of us had hoped, but rather a political advocacy group which should not be allowed to sponsor tolerance education programs in our communities.

The commonwealth of Massachusetts cannot in good conscience continue a relationship with an organization that claims to stand for full accountability for genocide, yet actively lobbies to thwart a Congressional resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide.

While the work of the NPFH program should be applauded, their credibility 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.

I respectfully ask that the MMA sever its ties with the ADL and 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.

Thank you.

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Members of the MMA Board of Directors
(* denotes Executive Committee member)

MMA President
Bruce Tobey*
Councillor, Gloucester
btobey@ci.gloucester.ma.us

MMA Vice President
Jeffrey Nutting*
Town Administrator, Franklin
jnutting@franklin.ma.us
508-520-4949

MMA Executive Director
Geoff Beckwith*
One Winthrop Square
Boston, MA 02110
info@mma.org
617-426-7272 ext. 101

Joseph Curtatone*
Mayor, Somerville
617-625-6600 ext. 2100
mayor@ci.somerville.ma.us

John Barrett III*
Mayor, North Adams
413-662-3000
mayor_barrett@northadams-ma.gov

Claire Freda*
Councillor, Leominster
978-537-0120
cfreda@leominster-ma.gov

Jonathan Hecht*
Councillor, Watertown
159 Russell Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
jhecht@ci.watertown.ma.us
617-924-1490

Maureen Valente*
Town Manager, Sudbury
978-443-8891 ext.385
valentem@town.sudbury.ma.us

Kate Fitzpatrick*
Town Manager, Needham
1471 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA 02492
Phone: (781) 455-7512
kfitzpatrick@town.needham.ma.us

Gerald Wasserman*
Selectman, Needham
1471 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA 02492
781-444-3771

Alan Sentkowski*
Selectman, Princeton
14 Goodnow Road
Princeton, MA 01541
978-464-2100

Cinder McNerney*
Finance Committee, Swampscott
22 Monument Avenue
Swampscott, MA 01907
781-596-8850

Pat Brusch*
Finance Committee, Belmont
455 Concord Ave.,
Belmont, MA 02478
617-993-2600
patbrusch@aol.com

David Kielson*
Select Board, Chesterfield
237 Ireland Street
West Chesterfield, MA 01084
413-296-4327

Wayne Nickel
Councillor, Leominster
182 Fifth Street
Phone: (978) 537-4686
wnickel@leominster-ma.gov

Joshua Ostroff
Selectman, Natick
Town Hall
13 East Central St.
Natick, MA 01760
508 655-8155
joshua@ostroff.net

William Scanlon
Mayor, Beverly
191 Cabot Street
Beverly , MA 01915
978-921-6000 Ext 2333
mayor@beverlyma.gov

Bernard Lynch
City manager, Lowell
(978) 970-4000, phone
(978) 970-4007, fax
citymanager@lowellma.gov

Robin Wilkins
Selectman, Harwich
Town Hall
732 Main Street
Harwich, MA 02645
Phone: (508) 430-7513
Fax: (508) 432-5039

Scott Lang
Mayor, New Bedford
Phone: (508) 979-1410
Fax: (508) 991-6189
Scott.Lang@newbedford-ma.gov

Colleen Corona
Selectman, Easton
Phone: (508) 230-0501
colleencorona@comcast.net

James Malloy
Town Adminitrator, Sturbridge
308 Main Street
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Phone: (508) 347-2500
Fax: (508) 347-5886
jmalloy@town.sturbridge.ma.us

Robert Logan
Councillor, Waltham
109 Taylor Street
Waltham, MA 02453
Phone: 781 893 3572
councilw9@city.waltham.ma.us

Thomas Menino
Mayor, Boston
One City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201
Phone: 617.635.4500
Fax: 617.635.2851
mayor@cityofboston.gov

William Zaskey
Alderman, Chicopee
City Hall
17 Springfield Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
bzaskey@chicopeema.gov

Michael Sullivan
Mayor, Holyoke
City Hall
Holyoke, MA 01040
Phone: 413 322 5510
sullivam@ci.holyoke.ma.us

David Nixon
Town administrator, Hadley
100 Middle Street
Hadley, MA 01035
Phone: (413) 586-0221
Fax: (413) 586-5661
admin@hadleyma.org

David Cohen
Mayor, Newton
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA 02460
Phone: 617 796 1100
dcohen@newtonma.gov

Douglas Gutro
Councillor, Quincy
230 Marlboro Street
Quincy, MA 02170
(617) 376-1355
dgutro@ci.quincy.ma.us

Michael McGlynn
Mayor, Medford
85 George P. Hassett Drive, Room 202
Medford, MA 02155
Phone: (781) 393-2408
Alternate Phone: (781) 393-2409
mayor@medford.org

Thomas Younger
Town administrator, Belmont
Belmont Town Offices
455 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
617-993-2610
tyounger@town.belmont.ma.us

Robert Penta
Councillor, Medford
Zero Summitt Road
Medford, MA 02155
Phone: (781)391-0809
rpenta@hotmail.com

Sheila Vanderhoef
Town administrator, Eastham
2500 State Highway
Eastham, MA 02642-2544
Phone: (508) 240-5900 x207
Fax: (508) 240-1291
svanderhoef@eastham-ma.gov


Source: http://www.mma.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=592&Itemid=238




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Boston Globe: Letter to the Editor Published on April 6, 2008

Anyone who read the Anti Defamation League's statement last August knows that is was certainly not an unambiguous acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide as Janine Parker suggests (“In Darkness, dance groups collaborate to explore them of Armenian Genocide,” Weekend, March 21.) In its statement, the ADL declared that “The consequences of those actions were indeed tantamount to genocide” stopping short of an unequivocal acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian Genocide was not “tantamount” to anything. It was horrific genocide. And by employing the word “consequences,” the ADL evaded the definition of genocide by refusing to acknowledge intent, a central aspect of the definition of genocide.

Sharistan Melkonian
Waltham
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Armenian Reporter: Former ADL regional director Andrew Tarsy tells “Why the Term ‘Genocide’ Matters So Much,” in a lecture at Northeastern University

By Ara Nazarian

The Armenian Reporter
April 5, 2008

Boston -- Andrew Tarsy, the former New England Regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), delivered the 2008 “Robert Solomon Morton Memorial Lecture” at North Eastern University’s Behrakis Hall, on March 19. Tarsy -- who came to prominence last summer by defying the national ADL organization’s dismissive stance on the Armenian Genocide, after which he was fired, re-hired, and (in December) resigned from the organization -- chose as the theme of his talk: “The Power of Words: Why the Term ‘Genocide’ Matters So Much, 60 Years After it Became an Internationally Recognized Crime.” Mr. Tarsy spoke of the personal nature of his recent experiences, and the intense period of learning and reflection that has followed his departure from the ADL. What follows is a summary of his remarks on the occasion. He began by describing the meaning and the roots of the terms “genocide” -- coined by the Polish-born Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin to describe the intentional annihilation of the Armenians by the Ottoman empire early in the 20th century -- a fact most likely unknown to many listeners in the substantial general audience.

The seed of Lemkin’s life’s work

As Tarsy related it, Lemkin had been troubled by the widespread use of violence in the world under the guise of national security and interest. He was especially affected by the assassination by Soghomon Tehlirian of Talaat Pasha, Turkey’s Interior Minister and one of the three leaders of the so-called “Young Turks.” An outraged Lemkin, while a student at Lvov University, asked one of his professors whether Tehlirian had tried to have Talaat arrested and brought to justice, and was apparently told that there were no laws under which Talaat could have been arrested. The experience became the seed of Lemkin’s life’s work to establish a set of laws to deny sovereign nations the ability to subject their citizens to intentional annihilation. Lemkin presented his work at the 1933 League of Nations in Madrid, but to no avail; it was deemed “too political.” By 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, and though Lemkin escaped to the United States, he failed to convince his family to move with him. While in the U.S., he tried in vain to persuade the government to save those targeted by the Nazis, and by 1944 he had published a book that employed the term “genocide” -- meaning the destruction of a nation or ethnic group -- for the first time. Shortly thereafter, the term “genocide” entered into a legal context at the Nuremberg Trials, as one of the charges levied against one of the defendants. In the aftermath of the Nuremberg Trials, Lemkin lobbied the United Nations to designate genocide as an international crime -- and his efforts finally paid off in 1948, when the UN adopted the “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.” Even so, it took another 45 years after the adoption of the convention to convene the first international tribunal to address crimes including genocide -- which took place in the former Yugoslavia in 1991. It was 50 years after the adoption of the convention that the first verdict was issued by the international tribunal: against Jean-Paul Akayesu for his involvement in the Rwandan genocide.Tarsy went on to present a detailed overview of the Armenian Genocide, starting with the Hamidian massacres of the late 19th century, followed by the murder of Armenian political leaders, intellectuals, and priests in the early 20th century, to the execution of men and the rape, torture, and murder of the women and children on the deportation routes in the years following 1915. He referenced the many pleas made by Henry Morgenthau, the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman empire, urging Talaat to refrain from ill treatment of the Armenians. Talaat’s reply to Morgenthau, cited by Tarsy, was: “It is no use for you to argue. We have already disposed of three quarters of the Armenians, there are none at all left in Bitlis, Van, and Erzeroum. The hatred between the Turks and the Armenians is now so intense that we have got to finish with them. If we don’t, they will plan their revenge.” Samantha Power, in her Pulitzer Prize-winning book A Problem from Hell, has written that Talaat “presided over the killing by firing squad, bayoneting, bludgeoning, and starvation of nearly one million Armenians” in 1915. Several eye witness accounts, reports from missionaries, American, German, and other diplomatic sources, and hundreds of newspaper articles (including 145 in the New York Times in 1915 alone), reported on the methodical destruction of the Armenians. Tarsy recounted such hallmarks of the annihilation plan as the passage of laws in the Ottoman senate for the mass deportation of Armenians and the confiscation of their properties; direct orders issued to provincial and local officials to round up the Armenians and execute and/or deport them; and punishments prescribed for any Turks who dared to provide refuge for Armenians.

Validation, Justice, Reconciliation, Prevention

Turning to the title of his lecture “Why the Term ‘Genocide’ Matters So Much” -- Andrew Tarsy presented four reasons for unambiguously employing the term “genocide” to certain crimes against humanity. He called them “Validation, Justice, Reconciliation, and Prevention.” As regards Validation: Tarsy noted that the very fact of designating such a crime as “genocide” assures the victims that the world is aware of their plight. The world was fully aware of the atrocities brought upon the Armenians, he said; unfortunately, the persistent denial efforts of the Turkish government over the years (and the willingness of Turkey’s allies to turn a blind eye) has introduced seeds of doubt after the fact. Nevertheless, he said, much of the world outside Turkey acknowledges the facts of the Armenian Genocide; and those who choose not to are caught in a political no-win situation of “choosing politics over truth.” Some have felt that the validation conferred by the term “genocide” would render all genocides the same. Tarsy cited this criticism, but added that he saw no such evidence of it; and to the contrary he had found the consciousness of have suffered under genocide engendered mutual empathy between communities, such as Armenians and Jews, which was a source of healing. The second rationale for employing the term “genocide” -- Justice -- is important for bringing about a sense of closure for the victims, Tarsy said. Additionally, holding perpetrators accountable for the crimes committed by them is a fundamental aspect of administration of justice. Reconciliation, he said, is a byproduct of candid, honest, and precise discussion between ethnic groups, and is a gateway to moving from tragedy to new possibilities. He quoted Samantha Power as asserting that “Pinpointing individual responsibility” via the designation of the word “genocide” “allow[s] ethnic or religious groups to coexist even after horrific events.” The post-Rwandan genocide approach, for example, has been based on the concept of reconciliation and bringing responsible parties to justice, in order to allow Tutsi survivors to be able to return and live alongside their Hutu neighbors. Mr. Tarsy assessed Prevention is the most important, yet the most elusive, of all the reasons why the word “genocide” matters. The continuing reluctance to use the term to describe recent atrocities stems from a combination of political reasons, including a desire to be accurate, but also to not trigger obligations under the international convention. All of the foregoing reasons have been put forward by the United States and the United Nations to justify their sluggish responses to the genocide in Rwanda. Tragically, while nearly everyone now sees the events in Rwanda as genocide, the acknowledgement came too late: 800,000 people lost their lives in a span of 100 days, Tarsy said, while nations and world bodies debated about the terminology to be used.

Policy enabled by complicity

Mr. Tarsy concluded his remarks by stating that we are all part of the problem when we make excuses for distorting history. And while we must not blame modern-day Turkey for the sins of its forefathers, we have an obligation to reflect candidly on what happened early in 20th century, and to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman empire. Additionally, he said, having permitted genocides to go forward in Cambodia, Rwanda, and other places, we have a greater responsibility to understand these terrible events, and to provide support to the survivors. He left the audience with a final thought that genocide is not simply a government policy. It is a government policy enabled by the complicity of citizens, intellectuals, the clergy and cultural icons -- a lethal combination that produced the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust of the Jews and other victims of Nazism, and the genocides which followed. Andrew Tarsy’s talk was part of a distinguished lecture series sponsored by Northeastern University’s Holocaust Awareness Committee, originally created by Professor William Geisen in honor of his longtime friend Robert Morton Solomon, a German Jew who escaped persecution in the early years of the Nazi regime, and fled to America, where he served for many years as the caretaker of the Hillel Foundation at Harvard University. The Robert Salomon Morton Lecture is sponsored by the Gustel Cormann Memorial Fund at Northeastern University.

* * *
About Andrew Tarsy

Andrew Tarsy worked for the ADL for seven years, beginning in the year 2000, and served as its New England Regional director for two and a half years. Previously, he was a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and a private practice lawyer focusing on civil rights litigation. For his principled stand in support of Armenian Genocide recognition -- a stance that led to his firing from the ADL, and his eventual resignation after having been reinstated -- Tarsy was named to the Jewish Daily Forward’s “Forward 50” list in 2007. He has recently accepted a position with Facing History and Ourselves, a Brookline, Mass.-based group with an international mission of tolerance. He is a graduate of Boston’s Roxbury Latin School, Cornell University, and George Washington University School of Law.
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The Needham Human Rights Committee and members of the Needham Armenian community

Invite you to attend a special event

Understanding the Armenian Genocide and its Impact in 2008

A panel discussion featuring:

Sharistan Melkonian: Legislative Director for YouthBuildUSA and Chairperson of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts.

George Aghjayan: Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and Chairperson of the Armenian National Committee of Central Massachusetts.

Henry Theriault: Associate Professor of Philosophy at Worcester State College whose research focuses on genocide and human rights

Moderator: Ruth Thomasian, Director of Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, Watertown, MA

April 7, 2008

7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Needham High School Media Center
609 Webster Street, Needham, MA

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Armenian Weekly: Tarsy Sets the Record Straight

Calls on U.S. Congress and President Bush to Recognize Armenian Genocide

By Khatchig Mouradian

The Armenian Weekly
March 29, 2008

BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)—On March 19, former New England director of the Anti-Defamation league (ADL) Andrew Tarsy, who resigned last fall during the uproar over his organization’s position on the Armenian genocide, delivered the Robert Salomon Morton Memorial Lecture at Northeastern University in Boston.

Titled “The Power of Words: Why the Term Genocide Matters so Much 60 Years After it Became a Crime under International Law,” the public lecture was Tarsy’s first after his resignation, and was—with its content and message, with the lines and what was implied between the lines—a groundbreaking one. Although he avoided directly criticizing the ADL for its denial of the Armenian genocide and its opposition to congressional resolutions affirming it, Tarsy’s lecture served as a powerful call against political expediency and for the unambiguous recognition of the genocide.

“In the past, the Morton Lecture has brought scholars and authors, war crimes prosecutors, and Holocaust survivors before this academic community from all over the world,” Tarsy said. “I am none of these things. But last year I wound up in the center of a storm over genocide right here in Boston, Massachusetts. You have heard the story by now. And it is not my intention to relive it with you today.” He went on to explain that his lecture is based on personal experience, recent intense learning, and reflection.

Tarsy discussed in detail how and under what circumstances jurist Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide. He said, “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.”

He mentioned the impact Soghomon Tehlirian’s assassination in Berlin of Talaat Pasha, the genocide mastermind, had on Lemkin, who embarked on a lifelong quest to make crimes against ethnic groups punishable by international law.

Tarsy provided an overview of the Armenian genocide. “The first stage was the murder of Armenian political leaders, priests and intellectuals. Then Armenian men were driven out of their communities and either executed or sent to death camps. Next the remaining women and children were taken out of their homes. Many of the women and girls were raped and murdered in scenes that are far more obscene than I could convey,” Tarsy said.

“The rest, hundreds of thousands, were sent on death marches across their country, without significant food, water, clothing or shelter. Special units were organized and given orders by the government to attack the marchers on their way. Most of those who managed somehow to survive the rape and beatings died of starvation and thirst. Many surviving women were forced into the harems of Turkish men and Islamized with their children. Other groups of Armenians were loaded onto boats, taken offshore and thrown into the sea to drown.”

Tarsy concluded his account of the genocide by saying, “In all, well over a million Armenians were murdered and left to starve to death by their own government and by their own countrymen. Hundreds of thousands more were permanently displaced. And their property personal, religious and historical artifacts, along with their homes, churches, schools and businesses were taken, defiled and destroyed.”

Tarsy went on to explain Lemkin’s effort to find a name for the crime of killing an entire group of people, and to lobby to make it an international crime. He explained, “Lemkin failed to win over the delegates at the 1933 League of Nations conference. Too political, some said. These kinds of crimes occur too seldom to legislate, said others. ... Six years later, in 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland. Lemkin escaped but could not convince his family to go with him in spite of the danger. He would not know until after the war, but 49 of his family members, including both of his parents, were killed in the Holocaust. The painful irony is overwhelming.”

Lemkin coined the word genocide in the mid-1940s and his tireless lobbying culminated in the adoption of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948, although it would take decades until mass murderers would be tried for committing genocide.

Why the Word Matters

Tarsy explained that the word genocide matters so much today for four reasons: validation, justice, reconciliation and prevention. “All four contain the ultimate reason for the importance of the term and that is our moral obligation to discern, to the best of our ability, the truth,” he said.

Talking about validation, Tarsy said, “The simple designation of genocide can be a source of meaningful validation for its victim class. ‘At least the world understands what happened to us,’ a survivor might say.”

He added, “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.” He expressed hope that the next president of the United States would acknowledge the Armenian genocide.

Responding to the argument made by some that the validation conferred by using the term genocide gives the impression that all genocides are the same, Tarsy said, “I have seen no evidence of this problem during my immersion in the issue. To the contrary, the common ground Jews and Armenians find as victims of genocide seems to make them even more interested in understanding the particular and unique aspects of each other’s stories. Their mutual empathy can be a source of healing, and their mutual efforts can produce wisdom.”

He added, “Perhaps it can even strengthen our resolve to intervene the next time we see the precursors to genocide.”

Talking about the second component of his argument, namely, justice, Tarsy said that mass murder and genocide are not one and the same. “If we don’t charge people with the crimes they have actually committed, we can never provide a full accounting of the damage done. This has obvious implications for redress including reparations for the victim community. But it is much deeper than reparations. Holding people accountable for precisely the crimes they commit is fundamental to the administration of justice.”

Addressing the issue of reconciliation, Tarsy again underscored the importance of using the term genocide. He said, “Being specific about what happened in these catastrophic instances is also a prerequisite to the possibility of reconciliation and progress. The existence of the term genocide itself has helped diverse people talk about history with candor and precision, and turn terrible tragedies into new possibilities.”

To drive home his argument, he asked, “How can Tutsi survivors in Rwanda be expected to go back and live peacefully with their Hutu neighbors in reconciliation if there is no way to describe the entirety of what was done to them?” He also argued, “The rebirth of a Jewish community in Berlin is another example. I will not oversimplify the matter. But can you imagine this taking place without Germany’s acceptance of what happened in the Holocaust?”

Finally, Tarsy underscored the importance of the term genocide in the context of prevention. He noted that when we see the precursors to genocide, we must effectively petition our leaders to act.

Tarsy called the packed audience, consisting mainly of students, to contribute to the recognition of past genocides, and the prevention of future ones. He concluded the speech poignantly, 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.”

Q&A

During the question and answer session following the lecture, Tarsy was asked what he thought about the congressional resolution on the Armenian genocide. He responded, “Congress should recognize it as a genocide because it was a genocide, and our president should recognize it, and maybe our next president will. The politics are always going to be fierce. We are going to have troops in Iraq. Turkey is a very important ally that should be handled with the most care out of strategic reasons and out of care for the people there, but it was a genocide. So that’s where we’re left.”

Asked about justice for the Armenian genocide 92 years after it happened, when all the perpetrators have long died, almost all the survivors are now gone and the successor government, the Turkish government, still denies it, Tarsy said, “You’ve identified a really big problem. The number one rule in response to it should be, ‘the burden of getting us out of that predicament should not fall on the victims’ because that is where it is stuck at this point. For all the Armenian people living in Boston, in the U.S., in France, or wherever, it’s a really bona fide intellectual dilemma, but somebody took their houses, somebody took their bank accounts, somebody took their family Bible.”
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