Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

You can help bring light to this story and support Boston area Armenians contest ADL's hypocriscy by writing a short letter to

watertown tab [email protected]

Boston Globe [email protected]

[Siamanto]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

Milford Daily News, MA
Daily News Tribune, MA
MetroWest Daily News, MA
Aug 5 2007

Mazzaglia: Rethink the Armenian genocide


By Frank Mazzaglia/Local columnist
GHS
Sun Aug 05, 2007, 12:21 AM EDT


An unlikely squabble broke out last week between Watertown's Armenian
community and the Anti-Defamation League. This is what happened.

Along with scores of other cities and towns, Watertown proclaimed
itself a "No Place for Hate" community back in 2005. The idea, of
course, was to promote public policy against discrimination. Indeed,
Watertown is one of the most densely populated communities in the
Commonwealth. It is also home to the state's largest Armenian
concentration. Closely built houses encourage neighborliness. Still,
there is genuine anger out there.

It turns out that the Anti-Defamation League, which sponsors "No
Place for Hate," refuses to acknowledge a dark period from 1915 to
1923. That's when the Turkish army implemented a policy of ethnic
cleansing and mercilessly murdered an estimated 1.5 million helpless
Armenian civilians. Turkey's subsequent denial of having anything to
do with the Armenian genocide caused Hitler himself to believe he
could get away with the ruthless slaughter of xxxs which we now know
as the Holocaust.

Leaders of Watertown's Armenian community want to maintain the "No
Place for Hate" program but are lobblying to separate its connection
with the ADL.

Mark me down as one who believes that there is real danger in looking
the other way when any nation attempts to cover up shameful episodes
of its past. Japan attempted to do that by changing school textbooks
and omitting its unspeakable attrocities in China and Korea.

Modern China, too, gets more than a bit touchy when the subject of
Tibet comes up.

Turkey's refusal to accept any responsibility for its past history
against the Armenian people, however, gets a bit more problematic
because of its political and strategic importance. Even the United
States drags its feet when it comes to Turkey. It's more in our
interest to be concerned about the present and the future than to
dwell on the past.

Still, there are some of us who get very angry with anyone who denies
the Holocaust. That's why the ADL's position, or rather lack of
position, about the Armenian genocide just doesn't make sense.

Founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, the ADL has taken risky
positions which have done us all proud. The ADL condemned the
senseless killings in Darfur and the genocide in the Balkans. That's
part of the problem. There's nothing 'selective' about genocide. It's
wrong to condemn one genocide and turn a blind eye to another.

Following World War II, a huge wave of anger was directed against
Pope Pius XII for his 'silence' during the Holocaust. Some still seem
to think the Swiss Guard could have been a real match against the SS.
Dan Kurzman's new book "A Special Mission," however, reveals evidence
concerning a secret Nazi plot in which Hitler planned to kidnap and
then kill Pope Pius XII precisely because he was aiding and abetting
xxxs whenever and wherever he could. Notwithstanding Kurzman's
evidence, there has been no apology for the defamation.

The real problem comes right down to money. To acknowledge its past
would mean that Turkey would have to pay compensation to Armenians
who suffered under the genocide in the same way the German government
was required to compensate the victims of its Nazi past.

The sad fact remains that no amount of compensation could ever be
enough for what xxxs and Armenians have suffered at the hands of
morally sick tyrants.

Sadder yet is the growing conflict between two groups that have both
experienced the terrible result of senseless hatred and intolerance.
In the end, the ADL's refusal to support the truth about the Armenian
genocide places a serious dent in its own integrity. That's why it
makes sense for the ADL to re-think its position. It's too important
an organization to risk losing its moral authority.

The faster wise minds come to that conclusion, the better it will be
for us all.

Frank Mazzaglia can be reached at [email protected]

http://www.milforddailynews.com/opinion/x510835716

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

Regional ANCA chapter finally speaks out about ADL hypocrisy in Watertown. But, where is national?? Where is AAA?? Where is Armenpac???

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg198484.html

Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
August 7, 2007
Contact: Sevag Arzoumanian
Tel: 617-233-3174

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL FUELS BOSTON AREA CONCERNS SURROUNDING
LOCAL TOLERANCE PROGRAM

-- Watertown "No Place for Hate" Program Urged to Sever Ties with
ADL, Following Genocide Denial Remarks by National Director Abe
Foxman

WATERTOWN, MA - Boston area civil rights advocates have teamed with
Armenian and xxxish American community activists in expressing
disappointment and outrage at recent statements by Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) National Director Abraham Foxman denying the Armenian
Genocide and opposing Congressional legislation affirming that
crime against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of
Eastern Massachusetts (ANCEM). Foxman's statements have seriously
jeopardized the credibility of the Watertown "No Place For Hate"
(NPFH) anti-racism and tolerance promotion program, with pressure
mounting on its leadership to sever ties with its parent
organization, the ADL.

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

Foxman's statements were from an April 21st Los Angeles Times
article titled "Genocide Resolution Still Far from Certain" in
which Foxman argued that "The Turks and Armenians need to revisit
their past. The xxxish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that
history. And I don't think the U.S. Congress should be the arbiter
either." The July 6th letter spurred a flurry of responses from
Armenian Americans and others that were printed in the Watertown
Tab. One letter, from New England ADL Regional Director Andrew
Tarsy, defended Foxman, but was subsequently countered by a series
of articles by local columnists Frank Mazzaglia, John DiMascio and
community citizens expressing concerns about a loss of credibility
by NPFH if it continued its association with genocide deniers.

In a letter to the Watertown Tab, ANCEM chairperson Sharistan
Melkonian wrote, "Foxman's use of euphemistic language to deny the
Armenian Genocide runs counter to the fundamental tenets of No
Place for Hate... and also runs counter to the ADL's own charter,
which, according to the ADL's Website, states that the ADL's
`ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all
citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair
discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of
citizens.'"

"For the parent organization of No Place of Hate, or rather the
national director of that organization, to deny genocide, goes
against the basic concepts of tolerance and respect for diversity
the organization is working so hard to promote in our communities,"
continued Melkonian.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston Globe Documents Genocide Denial Concerns
-------------------------------------------------------------------

The situation intensified after an August 1st article in the Boston
Globe, titled "Anti-Bias Effort Stirs Anger in Watertown," where
Foxman, again, in reference to Armenian Genocide recognition
efforts, stated "We're not party to this, and I don't understand
why we need to be made party." In response to a direct question by
reporter Keith O'Brien whether "what happened to Armenians under
the Ottoman Empire was genocide, he [Foxman] replied, 'I don't
know.'" He went on to note that "'I'm not going to be the arbiter
of someone else's history,'" . . . adding that he does not believe
that Congress should either."

In her interview with the Globe's O'Brien, Melkonian condemned
Foxman's genocide denial and stated that the ANC EM 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."

Watertown's NPFH Co-Chairman Will Twombly, in response to O'Brien's
inquiries, stated that "Not to condemn the genocide and fully
recognize it for what it was, I personally find inconsistent with
the mission of No Place for Hate." He noted that his group would be
asking "tough questions" of the New England ADL's Tarsy. "At that
point, Twombly said, the committee will decide on the best course
of action, including the option of severing ties with the ADL
altogether, effectively ending the program."

In a subsequent August 3rd editorial, the Boston Globe called on
the ADL to "acknowledge the genocide against the Armenian people
during World War I, and criticize Turkish attempts to repress the
memory of this historical reality." Citing Israel's close ties with
Turkey, the editorial countered that "the ADL is not an arm of
Israel, and whatever it does will not affect Turkish foreign
policy." The editorial concluded, noting "failure to acknowledge
past atrocities will encourage would-be perpetrators to believe
they can get away with them, just as the Ottoman Empire did."

-------------------------------------------------------------------
xxxish American Leaders / Activists Speak Out Against Genocide
Denial
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Amongst key community leaders joining the Armenian American
community in expressing concern about Foxman's genocide denial and
its repercussions on the "No Place for Hate" program are xxxish
American academics and organization leaders. In a letter to the
Boston Globe, xxxish Voice for Peace - Boston Co-Chair Martin
Federman noted that "Abraham Foxman's contention that his Anti-
Defamation League (ADL) should not be the 'arbiter of history' by
acknowledging the historicity of the Armenian Genocide is at best
disingenuous, at worst craven self-interest." Federman argued that
"if anyone were to sidestep the issue of whether the Holocaust
really happened, by refusing to be the 'arbiter of history', Foxman
and the ADL would (appropriately) be apoplectic."

In a press release issued on August 5th, Boston University
Professor Michael Siegel condemned the ADL's genocide denial and
urged Watertown 'No Place for Hate' to "sever its ties with the ADL
unless the organization acknowledges that this genocide occurred."
A public letter from Siegel to New England ADL Regional Director
Andrew Tarsy stated "As a long-time ADL supporter, it is with great
disappointment that I write you today to express my disgust with
your organization's refusal to publicly acknowledge the Armenian
genocide, and in particular, your July 26 response to the recent
controversy in Watertown, in which you refused to acknowledge the
genocide, and instead, stated that the question of whether a
genocide occurred: " was one to be resolved between the two
countries -- Armenia and Turkey."

Similar statements of outrage have been spotlighted on a number of
blogs, including articles by the Huffington Post's Mark Oppenheimer
and xxxcy's Joey Kurtzman. Oppenheimer, in a July 10th post, argued
that "for a non-profit like the ADL, which in fact has done
important work to combat not just anti-Semitism but other forms of
ethnocentrism and racism, to shill for Holocaust-deniers (yes, the
Armenian genocide can fairly be called a Holocaust) is inexcusable.
He should be fired." Kurtzman stated that "It is a scandal of
unprecedented proportion when one of the most prominent figures in
our community, a man who claims to speak on our behalf, publicly
challenges the historicity of another community's genocide.
Foxman's ADL no longer represents the interests of the xxxish
community."

-------------------------------------------------------------------
ANCEM APPEALS TO NPFH
-------------------------------------------------------------------

In an August 3rd letter to No Place for Hate Watertown, the ANCEM
noted that "affiliation or acquiescence with Mr. Foxman's
unconscionable position on the Armenian Genocide seriously
undermines the efforts of the NPFH - a leader in the fight against
bigotry and intolerance in Watertown.' The letter went on to urge
the NPFH to call on Foxman to `publicly and unequivocally renounce
its [ADL's] denialist agenda.'

An ANCEM sponsored community petition called on No Place for Hate
"in keeping with its principles" to " issue a public statement
opposing Turkey's state-sponsored campaign to deny the Armenian
Genocide and call on NPFH sponsor, the Anti-Defamation League
(ADL), through its National Director Abraham Foxman, to openly and
unequivocally acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and support
Congressional affirmation of this crime against humanity."

Within days, the petition gathered over 300 hundred signatures. To
learn more about the Foxman/ADL genocide denial controversy visit:

https://www.noplacefordenial.com

"No Place for Hate" is a community-based campaign established by
the Anti-Defamation League geared to bring awareness to and fights
against anti-Semitism, racism and all other forms of bigotry. Some
50 cities throughout Massachusetts are termed "No Place for Hate"
zones, and participation is growing throughout the United States,
including: Austin, TX; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los
Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; and Santa
Barbara, CA, among other cities.

The Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts is part of
the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots
political organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively
advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad
range of issues.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.noplacefordenial.com

[Siamanto]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

[I thought that this may be of interest. Siamanto]


JOEY KURTZMAN, J.E.WCY - Abdullah Gul needed a favor. It was February 5 of this year, and the Turkish foreign minister was fighting a push in the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize the Turkish murder of one million Armenians during World War I. In past years the House had placated Turkey by dropping similar resolutions. But now, with the American-Turkish alliance weakened by the Iraq war, the resolution had found renewed support. Gul summoned representatives from the Anti-Defamation League and several other J.e.wish-American organizations to his room at the Willard Hotel in Washington. There he asked them, in essence, to perpetuate Turkey's denial of genocide. . .

Foxman's statement is in every way that matters equivalent to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's claim that he takes no position on the historicity of the J.e.wish Holocaust, but only hopes to see the matter resolved by dispassionate study. Throughout the congressional saga surrounding the resolutions, virtually no one other than Turkish lobbyists had explained their opposition by challenging the nearly undisputed consensus among historians that a genocide did indeed take place. . .

Foxman's ADL no longer represents the interests of the J.e.wish community. In fact, it seems the only interests it represents are its own.

What's surprising is how unabashedly forthright Abraham Foxman has become about what motivates him and his institution. In October of 2005, Foxman addressed a classroom of J.e.wish students at New York University. Young heads nodded and brows furrowed as Foxman riled them with his customary rhetoric: Isn't it anti-semitic for pro-Palestinian groups to seek divestment only from Israel, ignoring the far greater crimes of regimes like Sudan or North Korea? How do we describe this sort of selective flagellation of the world's only J.e.wish state, if not as antisemitism?

"What if the campus Free Tibet club campaigned for divestment from China? Would that be anti-Chinese bigotry?" asked Asaf Shtull-Trauring, a 20-year-old student and conscientious objector from the Israeli army.

Of course not, answered Foxman, but it was preposterous to compare the two conflicts, what with the J.e.ws' experience of two millennia of murderous persecution. Shtull-Trauring responded with two questions: Did Foxman mean that selective treatment is okay so long as it's not directed at J.e.ws? And where did the Anti-Defamation League get off telling J.e.wish university students which opinions about Israel were acceptable and which verboten?

The dialogue spiraled into a confrontation. Shtull-Trauring says Foxman, frustrated and under attack, placed his cards on the table, angrily retorting: "I don't represent you nor the J.e.wish community! I represent the donors."

Foxman's outburst was surprising not because of its content, but because of its candor. Foxman needn't bother himself with the trifling concerns of American J.e.ws who happen not to be multimillionaire philanthropists. If he makes the J.e.wish community less appealing to young J.e.ws, if his theatrics turn us off and turn us away, that's all beside the point. Foxman's job is to keep the millionaire benefactors happy: the rest of us can go jump in the Kinneret.

Without a meaningful mission to pursue, the ADL has resorted to scaremongering to fill its coffers and justify its existence. These efforts have grown increasingly bizarre and damaging. For example, the ADL website surveys the vast changes in J.e.wish-American life over the past century and offers the grandiose judgment that they "are due, in large measure, to the efforts of the League and its allies." Yet Foxman also claims that today the J.e.wish people face as great a threat to their safety and security as they did in the 1930s. In other words, the ADL takes credit for the vast improvements in the circumstances of American J.e.wry, and then denies that those changes have taken place. It is still 1939. It will always be 1939. . .

The ADL can libel American Christians in general without fear of legal consequence, but when it goes on to identify specific "anti-semites" it leaves itself more vulnerable. Time after time, Americans who resented being named-and-shamed as anti-semites have sued the ADL for libel. . .

Foxman's ADL justifies its existence by beckoning us backward, encouraging us to hide from the ever-present Cossacks in a psychological shtetl. It's a dark vision that serves the ADL's interests, but not ours. . .

http://prorev.com/2007/08/how-abe-foxman-and-adl-hurts-xxxs.htm

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

Finally, almost a week after xxxish media sources picked up the story, Asbarez - an Armenian paper - runs a story on ADL, No Place for Hate and the stir in Watertown, Mass.

http://www.asbarez.com/

Genocide Denial Fuels Boston Area Concerns Surrounding Local Tolerance Program



WATERTOWN, Mass.--Boston area civil rights advocates have teamed with Armenian and xxxish American community activists in expressing disappointment and outrage at recent statements by Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman denying the Armenian Genocide and opposing Congressional legislation affirming that crime against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts. Foxman's statements have seriously jeopardized the credibility of the Watertown "No Place For Hate" (NPFH) anti-racism and tolerance promotion program, with pressure mounting on its leadership to sever ties with its parent organization, the ADL.
The controversy first came to light on July 6th when the Watertown Tab published a letter by an Armenian American citizen that spotlighted Foxman's recent statements opposing Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation. The letter asked the local "No Place For Hate" chapter to disassociate itself from the ADL.
Foxman's statements were from an April 21st Los Angeles Times article titled "Genocide Resolution Still Far from Certain" in which Foxman argued that "The Turks and Armenians need to revisit their past. The xxxish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that history. And I don't think the U.S. Congress should be the arbiter either." The July 6th letter spurred a flurry of responses from Armenian Americans and others that were printed in the Watertown Tab. One letter, from New England ADL Regional Director Andrew Tarsy, defended Foxman, but was subsequently countered by a series of articles by local columnists Frank Mazzaglia, John DiMascio and community citizens expressing concerns about a loss of credibility by NPFH if it continued its association with genocide deniers.
In a letter to the Watertown Tab, ANCEM chairperson Sharistan Melkonian wrote, "Foxman's use of euphemistic language to deny the Armenian Genocide runs counter to the fundamental tenets of No Place for Hate; and also runs counter to the ADL's own charter, which, according to the ADL's Website, states that the ADL's
`ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens.'"
"For the parent organization of No Place of Hate, or rather the national director of that organization, to deny genocide, goes against the basic concepts of tolerance and respect for diversity the organization is working so hard to promote in our communities," continued Melkonian.

Boston Globe Documents Genocide Denial Concerns
The situation intensified after an August 1st article in the Boston Globe, titled "Anti-Bias Effort Stirs Anger in Watertown," where Foxman, again, in reference to Armenian Genocide recognition efforts, stated "We're not party to this, and I don't understand why we need to be made party." In response to a direct question by reporter Keith O'Brien whether "what happened to Armenians under the Ottoman Empire was genocide, he [Foxman] replied, 'I don't know.'" He went on to note that "'I'm not going to be the arbiter of someone else's history,'" . . . adding that he does not believe that Congress should either."
In her interview with the Globe's O'Brien, Melkonian condemned Foxman's genocide denial and stated that the ANC EM 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."
Watertown's NPFH Co-Chairman Will Twombly, in response to O'Brien's inquiries, stated that "Not to condemn the genocide and fully recognize it for what it was, I personally find inconsistent with the mission of No Place for Hate." He noted that his group would be asking "tough questions" of the New England ADL's Tarsy. "At that point, Twombly said, the committee will decide on the best course of action, including the option of severing ties with the ADL altogether, effectively ending the program."
In a subsequent August 3 editorial, the Boston Globe called on the ADL to "acknowledge the genocide against the Armenian people during World War I, and criticize Turkish attempts to repress the memory of this historical reality." Citing Israel's close ties with Turkey, the editorial countered that "the ADL is not an arm of Israel, and whatever it does will not affect Turkish foreign policy." The editorial concluded, noting "failure to acknowledge past atrocities will encourage would-be perpetrators to believe they can get away with them, just as the Ottoman Empire did."

xxxish American Leaders / Activists Speak Out Against Genocide Denial
Among key community leaders joining the Armenian American community in expressing concern about Foxman's genocide denial and its repercussions on the "No Place for Hate" program are xxxish American academics and organization leaders. In a letter to the Boston Globe, xxxish Voice for Peace 's Boston Co-Chair Martin Federman noted that "Abraham Foxman's contention that his Anti-Defamation League (ADL) should not be the 'arbiter of history' by acknowledging the historicity of the Armenian Genocide is at best disingenuous, at worst craven self-interest." Federman argued that "if anyone were to sidestep the issue of whether the Holocaust really happened, by refusing to be the 'arbiter of history', Foxman and the ADL would (appropriately) be apoplectic."
In a press release issued on August 5th, Boston University Professor Michael Siegel condemned the ADL's genocide denial and urged Watertown 'No Place for Hate' to "sever its ties with the ADL unless the organization acknowledges that this genocide occurred." A public letter from Siegel to New England ADL Regional Director Andrew Tarsy stated "As a long-time ADL supporter, it is with great disappointment that I write you today to express my disgust with your organization's refusal to publicly acknowledge the Armenian genocide, and in particular, your July 26 response to the recent controversy in Watertown, in which you refused to acknowledge the genocide, and instead, stated that the question of whether a genocide occurred: " was one to be resolved between the two countries -- Armenia and Turkey."
Similar statements of outrage have been spotlighted on a number of blogs, including articles by the Huffington Post's Mark Oppenheimer and xxxcy's Joey Kurtzman. Oppenheimer, in a July 10th post, argued that "for a non-profit like the ADL, which in fact has done important work to combat not just anti-Semitism but other forms of ethnocentrism and racism, to shill for Holocaust-deniers (yes, the Armenian genocide can fairly be called a Holocaust) is inexcusable. He should be fired." Kurtzman stated that "It is a scandal of unprecedented proportion when one of the most prominent figures in our community, a man who claims to speak on our behalf, publicly challenges the historicity of another community's genocide. Foxman's ADL no longer represents the interests of the xxxish community."

ANCEM Appeals to NPFH
In an August 3 letter to No Place for Hate Watertown, the ANCEM noted that "affiliation or acquiescence with Mr. Foxman's unconscionable position on the Armenian Genocide seriously undermines the efforts of the NPFHxa leader in the fight against bigotry and intolerance in Watertown.” The letter went on to urge the NPFH to call on Foxman to “publicly and unequivocally renounce its [ADL's] denialist agenda.”
An ANCEM sponsored community petition called on No Place for Hate "in keeping with its principles" to " issue a public statement opposing Turkey's state-sponsored campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide and call on NPFH sponsor, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), through its National Director Abraham Foxman, to openly and unequivocally acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and support Congressional affirmation of this crime against humanity."
Within days, the petition gathered over 300 hundred signatures. To learn more about the Foxman/ADL genocide denial controversy visit: www.noplacefordenial.com
"No Place for Hate" is a community-based campaign established by the Anti-Defamation League geared to bring awareness to and fights against anti-Semitism, racism and all other forms of bigotry. Some 50 cities throughout Massachusetts are termed "No Place for Hate" zones, and participation is growing throughout the United States, including: Austin, TX; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; and Santa Barbara, CA, among other cities.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

ADL hypocisy in Watertown, Mass. story makes it across the pond in Belgium

http://www.eafjd.org/spip.php?breve783&lang=en

USC'S Shoah Foundaton recently teamed with ADL for visual curriculum re: Holocaust at International University for Holocaust Studies.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3425536,00.html

How can a genocide denier teach anyone about the Holocaust?? Why would the Shoah Foundation join with genocide deniers to promote an understanding of Holocaust??

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

ADL can't keep its story straight about Armenian genocide recognition and its words do not match its actions. This advocacy group for anti-semitism, anti-bias, anti-bigotry is a SHAM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO PLACE FOR DENYING GENOCIDE
Ronald A. Goodman

Boston Globe
August 5, 2007

FOR THE LAST several years, I have served as a docent for the xxxish
Community Relations Council at the Holocaust Memorial in Boston, and I
cannot understand how the Anti-Defamation League's national director
can in good conscience state, regarding recognition of the Armenian
genocide, that, "We're not party to this, and I don't understand why
we need to be made party." The purpose of a Holocaust memorial is
not just to remember the xxxs who were slaughtered, but also to make
us all serve as witnesses to all past genocides and to work together
to prevent more genocides. If Watertown is truly to be No Place for
Hate, then perhaps it is time that the ADL take an official position
regarding the 1.5 million Armenians who died.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTROVERSY STIRRED OVER GENOCIDE
Andrew H. Tarsy Regional Director James L. Rudolph Regional Chairman

Boston Globe
August 8, 2007

THE GLOBE is correct that the controversy in Watertown over the
Anti-Defamation League's No Place for Hate program is not of our making
("A genocide not to be denied," Editorial, Aug. 3). This ADL program
helps reduce prejudice and build respect for differences. We hope
Watertown will continue to participate irrespective of other issues.

Breaking News Alerts ADL has never denied what happened at the close
of the First World War. There were massacres of Armenians and great
suffering at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. We believe today's
Turkish government should do more than it has done to come to grips
with the past and reconcile with Armenians. We have said that to
Turkish officials and we have said it publicly. ADL continues to
believe this is the best way to proceed.

Many groups have experienced horrific atrocities. Sharing our
unique histories and building mutual respect is at the core of the
ADL mission.

xxxs, Armenians, and other groups should continue to develop positive
relationships out of a genuine desire to better understand one another
and build a safer world. Attacking the integrity of ADL or No Place
for Hate does not advance these goals and should be soundly rejected.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

More propaganda from a group of GENOCIDE DENIERS. In the political ring, they call Mr. Tarsy's editorial --- SPIN.

No more bending the truth. No more clouding the issues. No more controlling the message.

The ADL cannot deliver the message of Turkish x-x-x-x to U.S. politicians to vote down genocide recognition legislation and, then, immediately state that their position is that they recognize the massacre. Mr. Tarsy is a LIAR. Plain and simple.

http://j-e-wssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2007/07/genocide-denial-by-affluent-donors.html

http://www.natallnews.com/printer.php?id=5588

http://www.j-e-wishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=17582

The ADL already showed the world their true colors. They are YELLOW. They are COWARDS. They are GENOCIDE DENIERS. And, shame on Steven Spielberg, his SHOAH FOUNDATION, and, its directors, for besmirching the work of an Armenian (Steven Zaillian; Schindler's List) in educating the world on the Holocaust and, then, associating his foundation with GENOCIDE DENIERS.

The ADL and the SHOAH FOUNDATION, brothers in GENOCIDE DENIAL!!!

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

Even members of the J-e-wish media, a few American j-e-wish leaders and genocide and holocaust scholars know that certain American j-e-wish advocacy groups - i.e. ADL, AJC, JINSA, B'NAI B'IRTH, have placed themselves in a precarious position by promoting genocide denial.

Certain American j-e-wish Advocacy groups in broadcasting, lobbying the position of Turksh j-e-ws to U.S. politicians have chosen to be on the wrong side of history and align themselves with the intolerant, the biased, the oppressive whom they claim to be either eradicating or educating.

http://www.xxxishreview.org/Archives...007-08-01-3569 (republished article that also appeared in JTA on 8/1/07 re: ADL's genocide denial stance)

http://www.thexxxishadvocate.com/thi...ontent_id=3476 (8/9/07 article - other j-e-wish organizations, etc. are besides themselves re: ADL's genocide denial position)

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Holocaus...83/4939_83.htm (How does the ADL recocile Foxman's position re: Ahmadenijad's Holocaust Conference with his words that amount to genocide denial? - there can be no doubt that the ADL and Foxman are morally conflicted and lack any integrity whatsoever to judge others as to their position on the Holocaust - genocide denial is not an anti-j-e-wish conspiracy - it is a Zionist strategy)

http://www.townonline.com/watertown/homepage/x748941259 (8/9/07 upate from local paper)

Bottom line: if you choose to broadcast another group's postion denying the Armenian GENOCIDE, you are a GENOCIDE DENIER.

You cannot both spead the lies of others about this tragedy and claim that you take no position on the matter or tiptoe around calling the massacre and cleansing of Armenians as GENOCIDE.

The historians have spoken, it was GENOCIDE. Period. Exclamation point.

The j-e-wish media has spoken, it was GENOCIDE. Period. Exclamation point.

Some American j-e-wish leaders have spoken, it was GENOCIDE. Period. Exclamation point.

And, American J-e-wish advocacy groups like the ADL, AJC, B'nai B'irth and JINSA have spoken also. They are GENOCIDE DENIERS.

And, foundations, like the SHOAH FOUNDATION, that claim to be promoting the education of the Holocaust to the public that work in conjunction with these bigoted organizations are nothing more than GENOCIDE DENIERS.

GENOCIDE DENIERS cloaked in self-righteousness.

[Siamanto]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

I think that the Armenian Community should intentionally blow the issue out-of-proportions - in a rational manner and without getting emotional - in an open confrontation with the ADL and decry the latter's hideous, immoral and hypocritical policies until a common understanding - that fits better our interests - is reached.

[Siamanto]

Re: Watertown Armenians in arow over ADL's anti-genocide stance

GENOCIDE STANCE CLOUDS FUTURE OF 'NO PLACE FOR HATE' PROGRAM
By Jillian Fennimore, Staff Writer

GateHouse News Service
Watertown TAB & Press, MA
Aug 9 2007

Town Council may sever or suspend Watertown's ties to the "No Place
for Hate" program amid questions about the stance toward the Armenian
Genocide of the program's co-sponsor, the Anti-Defamation League.

According to Will Twombly, co-chairperson of Watertown's "No Place
for Hate" committee, all options are on the table, including removing
its services from the town altogether.

Twombly said his committee would be meeting with members of the ADL
soon to ask some "very serious questions."

"We are certainly very disturbed with what we perceive to be the
ADL's stance on the [Armenian] genocide," he said. "We do feel the
need to take some decisive action. The question is what."

Controversy began last month when the TAB & Press published a
letter that highlighted statements from ADL's national director,
Abraham Foxman, that Congress should play no role in recognizing the
Armenian Genocide. Some have classified his words as "genocide denial"
regarding what most historians agree was a campaign waged against
ethnic Armenians by the Ottoman government during and after World
War I. As many as 1.5 million Armenians died from 1915 to 1923.

ADL representatives said the group has never denied the Armenian
Genocide.

"ADL has never denied what happened at the close of the First World
War," read a statement from ADL Regional Director Andrew Tarsy and
Regional Board Chairman James Rudolph. "There were massacres of
Armenians and great suffering at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. We
believe today's Turkish government should do more than it has done
to come to grips with the past and reconcile with Armenians. We have
said that to Turkish officials and we have said it publicly. ADL
continues to believe this is the best way to proceed."

But there are many who are taking a stance against the ADL. A Web
site - www.noplacefordenial.com - was created by an ad-hoc group of
"Armenian-American activists" around town. The site has a petition for
both "No Place for Hate" and Foxman to recognize the genocide publicly.

The subject 'strikes the heart of every Armenian' Sharistan
Melkonian, chairperson of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern
Massachusetts, said Foxman's statements on the Armenian Genocide are
"disappointing and unconscionable."

"For the national director of the ADL, an organization with a
94-year history of dedication to eradicating anti-Semitism, bigotry
and extremism, to plead ignorance about the Armenian Genocide is
unfathomable," she wrote in an e-mail. "....if ADL is unwilling to
publicly and unequivocally renounce its agenda, the Watertown Town
Council should insist that NPFH sever its ties with ADL in order that
NPFH continue the good work that is mandated without the unworthy
baggage of Foxman's unfortunate position."

State Rep. Rachel Kaprielian, D-Watertown, said she had a different
opinion on the matter before hearing Foxman's public statements.

"I was deeply disturbed," she said in response to the recent
controversy. "I am now taking a position that we should divorce
ourselves from [ADL]. [The Armenian Genocide] is a major subject that
strikes the heart of every Armenian in the world. It's my lifeline
and my heartstrings. This has affected my family."

A spokesman for the ADL, who did not wish to be named, said it is
"regrettable" that "No Place for Hate" has been caught up in the public
uproar. He said that the ADL has been urging the Turkish government
to do more to address its Ottoman past.

"'No Place for Hate' was a good program a month ago; it's still a
good program today," he said. "That has not changed. People have only
wanted to listen to part of what our position is."

Town Council poised to sever ties to ADL In 1999, the "No Place for
Hate" program was created by the ADL New England Region, in partnership
with the Massachusetts Municipal Association, to "provide communities
with a solid framework for promoting an inclusive environment while
fighting all forms of hate and bigotry," according to its Web site.

The town welcomed the program more than two years ago, and in 2005,
council members unanimously adopted a proclamation supporting the
committee and its programs for "zero tolerance" toward bigotry.

In May, Town Council renewed its vote display a sign marking
recertification as a "No Place for Hate" community. Fifty communities
in Massachusetts participate in the program.

But the ADL controversy has pushed councilors to second-guess their
support.

At-Large Councilor Marilyn Devaney said she is personally affected
by the ADL's position, or lack thereof, on the Armenian Genocide.

"I knew survivors, and it's unbelievable to say that it never
happened," she said. "This is a public embarrassment. I think that
we could adopt 'No Place for Hate' on our own. There's got to be a
better way."

Devaney plans to present a proclamation on Aug. 14 to rescind the
council's vote to support a "No Place for Hate Committee" under the
ADL, but maintain the program's policies in the community.

Fellow At-Large Councilor John Donohue said it would be best to pull
the committee aside for the time being.

"There needs to be a review of No Place for Hate in Watertown,"
he said. "I think we should suspend the recognition of it until it
can be properly defined. The idea [of the committee] makes a lot of
sense. The connections and affiliations don't."

Council President Clyde Younger said he has been "baffled" by the
entire situation.

"We [Town Council] have gone on record as opposing any genocide denial,
and wanting the Turkish government to recognize it," he said.

"We have to just reinforce our previous position on that, as well as
supporting Watertown as being 'No Place for Hate'."

District A Councilor Jonathan Hecht agreed.

"I think we should be very clear and strong in the community about
demanding that the Armenian Genocide should be recognized," he said.

"The inconsistency [with what the No Place for Hate committee is all
about] is so blatant. This is an opportunity for the community and
the committee to look at this more closely."

At-Large Councilor Steve Corbett said he would hate to have to drop
the program.

"It would be an awful shame to have to back out of this," he said.

"Our program has nothing to do with any position [on the Armenian
Genocide]."

As a councilor who represents the East End of town, Angie Kounelis said
a majority of her constituents are of ethnic background, and said the
concept of a "No Place for Hate" committee is "wonderful" for the town.

The controversy has been worrisome, she said.

"I do not have time to get into national organizations and their
behind-the-scenes agendas," she said. "I'd like to see what the
[No Place for Hate] committee is going to do."

Twombly said the committee has one goal in mind.

"We want to be able to return to serving the people of Watertown free
and clear of any negative associations, any positions with Armenian
genocide," he said. "We want to be able to proceed knowing that the
people in Watertown has confidence in what we are doing."

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg198678.html