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

[Siamanto]

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

The Boston Globe Editorial
Globe Editorial

No synonyms for genocide

August 18, 2007

ONE SHOULDN'T play geopolitics with genocide. The executive committee of the
Anti-Defamation League for New England showed sound moral judgment this week
when it acknowledged that, just like the destruction of the xxxs in Europe
and the Tutsis in Rwanda, the slaughter of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
was a horrific crime against humanity.

All three genocides had particular historical characteristics, but they have
universal significance as a recurring evil that needs to be identified
properly so that humankind recognizes its early stages and takes action to
prevent mass slaughter.

But the national ADL apparently thinks that it can pick and choose among
genocides. Yesterday it fired Andrew Tarsy, the regional director, for
urging the national organization to acknowledge the reality of what happened
from 1915 to 1917 in what is now Turkey. The ADL plans to run an
advertisement in the Globe and other newspapers explaining its position.

In a telephone interview yesterday, James Rudolph, the regional ADL
chairman, called Tarsy an extraordinary leader. Indeed, Tarsy was acting in
the best ADL tradition of trying to unite people of different ethnic groups,
in this case xxxs and Armenians, to promote human rights.

The national ADL, in its ad, does condemn the killing of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians but can't quite describe this crime for what it was:
genocide. The ADL says it is worried about the fate of the xxxish community
in Turkey and Turkey's strategic relationships with the United States and
Israel.

But Turkey's treatment of its xxxish minority and its foreign policy
shouldn't depend on a historical lie. If the national ADL doesn't
acknowledge the genocide, it is complicit in a coverup.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg199335.html

[freakyfreaky]

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

This story continues to gain steam...

http://news.bostonherald.com/columni...icleid=1018030 (Columnist flames the ADL for its position with personal accounts of the Armenian genocide to boot..)

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/103708.html

(J-ewish press reports recent mounting pressure as "BREAKING NEWS" with reference to another New England J-ewish organization lauding Andrew Tarsy for standing up against the national ADL and standing with Boston area Armenians who have always stood with the Boston are J-ewish community in recognizing the Holocaust)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/08/19/two_members_of_regional_anti_defamation_league_resign_in_protest/

(AP report of recent resignations of New England ADL board members republished in Boston Globe)

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/103707.html

(J-ewish press reports Foxman's firing of Tarsy as "BREAKING NEWS")

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=119884&bolum=104

(Turkish press reports Tarsy's firing)

http://boards.fool.com/Message.asp?mid=25806112&sort=whole#25807026

(New England ADL's rift with national ADL over Armenian genocide recognition appears on Motley Fool messageboard)

http://www.rabble.ca/babble/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=38&t=000497

(ADL controversy discussed on Canadian messageboard)

http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2007/08/adl-and-the-armenian-genocide-regional-d/

(Self-proclaimed Boston neo-con applauds Tarsy for eventually choosing to be on right side of history)

http://mostlywater.org/fire_foxman_denying_the_armenian_genocide_should_br_last_atrocity_perpetrated_by_adl_chief

(Canadian activist based blog reposts J-ewcy article blasting Foxman)

http://tailrank.com/2445168/ADL-local-leader-fired-on-Armenian-issue

(Internet content sifter tracks ADL genocide denial, flap-up as 'hot' story)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1613087

(Politically charged messageboard goes medieval on Foxman's arse)

ANCA for Eastern Mass. issues press release today re: most recent events that was not posted on national's website. Press release follows below:

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

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 19, 2007
Contact: Sevag Arzoumanian
Tel: 617-233-3174

FOXMAN FORCES SHAKEUP IN NEW ENGLAND ADL

-- ADL National Leader Fires Regional Director Andrew H. Tarsy; Two Regional
Board Members Resign in Protest

-- ANC Calls for ADL National Leadership to End Genocide Denial; Support
Armenian Genocide Legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106)

WATERTOWN, MA - Turmoil in the New England Regional Anti-Defamation League
(ADL) continued this weekend with two Board Members resigning following the
firing of Regional Director Andrew H. Tarsy, for public calls on ADL
National Director Abe Foxman to reverse policy and properly characterize the
Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern
Massachusetts (ANC-EM).

`We are disappointed and outraged to hear that Mr. Tarsy was removed from
his position simply for speaking openly and honestly about the Armenian
Genocide,' stated ANCEM chairperson Sharistan Melkonian. `Mr. Foxman and the
ADL National Leadership are clearly out of step with their own membership,
who have rightly concluded that genocide denial is morally indefensible and
will only serve to diminish the credibility of this once-respected civil
rights organization.'

Reports of Tarsy's firing and the resignations by Stewart L. Cohen and
Boston City Councilman Mike Ross came just days after the New England ADL
Board voted to call on the ADL National leadership to reverse their
position, properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as `genocide,' and
support Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106). According to
an August 17th Boston Globe article, Tarsy told reporter Keith O'Brien, "I
strongly disagree with ADL's national position. It's my strong hope that
we'll be able to move forward in a relationship with the Armenian community
and the community in general." Just 48 hours prior, Tarsy had defended the
ADL National's genocide denial position at the Watertown Town Council.
Tarsy, clearly uncomfortable in his remarks before the capacity crowd at the
Council meeting, was challenged when he evaded the word `genocide' in
describing the murder of over 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman

Turkish government from 1915-1923. A myriad of Watertown residents urged the
Town Council to take action, including ANC-EM spokesperson Grace Kehetian
Kulegian, who stated `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.

The Watertown Town Council voted unanimously that evening to cut ties with
the ADL, by disassociating with their `No Place for Hate' program.

Following the New England ADL's public call for ADL National to reverse
their position, the National ADL posted an `Open Letter to the New England
Community,' refraining from characterizing the events of 1915-1923 as
`genocide.' The letter also claimed that the ADL `takes no position' on
Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106) while stating `We
believe that legislative efforts outside of Turkey are counterproductive to
the goal of having Turkey itself come to grips with its past.'

`Mr. Foxman is sadly reading from a page in the Turkish government's
genocide denial playbook,' stated Melkonian. `Instead of helping Turkey
confront this dark page in human history, the ADL is enabling its continued
genocide denial - a decision which comes at the expense of its own
reputation." The ADL statement comes as additional towns in Massachusetts
prepare to follow Watertown's lead in ending their association with the ADL
and Armenian Genocide denial.

Foxman's claims of neutrality regarding Armenian Genocide legislation
contradict earlier published statements in the Boston Globe and Los Angeles
Times, where Foxman noted `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.' According to
press reports, Foxman joined the American xxxish Committee, B'nai B'rith and
JINSA in forwarding a letter from Turkey's xxxish Community citing concerns
about Armenian Genocide legislation to Members of Congress. According to an
April 27th xxxish Telegraphic Agency article by Ron Kampeas, the ADL and
JINSA `added their own statements opposing the bill.'

The Watertown - ADL controversy erupted in recent weeks, with Boston area
civil rights advocates, and local Armenian and xxxish American community
members expressing disappointment and outrage at recent statements by ADL
National Director Abe Foxman denying the Armenian Genocide. Editorials and
community letters in the local Watertown Tab and Boston Globe cast a shadow
on the credibility of the anti-racism program, `No Place for Hate', due to
its affiliation with the ADL.

Reporter Keith O'Brien first reported Tarsy's firing in a front-page Boston
Globe article on August 18th. The news was accompanied by a strongly worded
Globe editorial, titled `No Synonyms for Genocide,' arguing that the
national ADL should not `pick and choose among genocides,' and stating `if
the national ADL doesn't acknowledge the [Armenian] genocide, it is
complicit in a cover-up.' An op/ed coauthored by Massachusetts State
Representative Rachel Kaprielian and Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz,
published in the Boston Globe on the same day, noted `For any organization
or official to believe that there are differing sides to the Armenian
Genocide is as much an outrage as it would be for Germany to say that the
work of xxxish scholars, witnesses, and victim testimonies represented
merely the "xxxish side" of the Holocaust.' Kaprielian and Dershowitz went
on to praise the New England Regional ADL for taking a principled stand,
noting that the `regional chapter was courageous and correct in its decision
to affirm its position that the [Armenian] genocide was fact.'

For a full listing of the press coverage this issue has received, visit:

https://www.noplacefordenial.com

[freakyfreaky]

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

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1187502412997&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

(Israeli newssource publishes AP report re: National ADL's firing of head of New England ADL)

http://www.imedinews.ge/en/news_read/58796

(Republic of Georgia newssource publishes UPI report re: Foxman's firing of Tarsy)

[freakyfreaky]

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

http://www.ejpress.org/article/19333

(J-ewish newssource in Europe reports on Tarsy's firing by National ADL over stance on genocide recognition)

http://www.eafjd.org/spip.php?breve829&lang=en

(Armenian lobbying organization in Europe reports on Tarsy's firing)

http://www.turks.us/article~story~20070820070559213.htm

(same story reported on by Turkish newssource in U.S.)

Hmm, and still not a peep from national for ANCA, AAA, USAPAC, ARMENPAC.

And, notwithstanding the in-depth coverage of the Boston Globe, it is equally troubling that this story has not even scratched the surface when it comes to coverage by major news outlets.

I don't know about bringing back the Fairness doctrine but apparently bias towards Armenian Americans, and its repercussions, is not as compelling a national news story as bias towards blacks, mexicans, or j-ews or a Holocaust symposium in Tehran, Iran, for that matter.

[freakyfreaky]

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

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/news/article/20070820tarsyadlarmenian.html

(J-ewish newssource reports of in-fighting between Boston area donors and ADL national over firing of regional director Andrew Tarsy)

http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2007/08/20/adl-denies-the-armenian-genocide/

(Right-wing blog identifies ADL as "Holocaust deniers")

http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2007/08/872131D2-E89F-4785-B026-4F86DAE017D2.ASP

(Armenian newsource publishes AP report re: ADL's firing of Andrew Tarsy over his demand that ADL recognize Armenian Genocide)


Armenian newssource citing Azerbaijani press agency, in U.S., reports on Tarsy's firing by Foxman:

A FUNCTIONARY DISMISSED FROM ONE OF THE xxxS ORGANIZATIONS OF THE USA FOR RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

arminfo
2007-08-20 12:46:00

A one of the biggest xxxish organizations of the USA Anti-Defamation
League has dismissed the responsible representative on New England
Andrew Tarsy.

As American office of the Azerbaijani APA news agency reports,
Tarsy's statement on recognition of the 'Armenian genocide' became the
reason of his dismissal. They said in the Anti-Defamation League that
they don't deny the victims of the both sides during the events of
1915. At the same time they said that if US Congress recognizes the
Armenian genocide, this will make difficult historical research in
Turkey. This xxxish organization thinks that taking such a decision
will damage xxxish community of Turkey and will make normalizing of
the relations with Armenia impossible.

[freakyfreaky]

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

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/apologia/vpost?id=2096414&trail=14#14

(ADL's firing of its New England regional director discussed on Catholicism messageboard; much sarcasm towards Foxman's biased position)

http://aramanoogian.blogspot.com/2007/08/adl-local-leader-fired-on-armenian.html

(Armenian blogger re-publishes Boston Globe article re: Tarsy's firing)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20070818-21281200-bc-us-adl.xml

(Same Boston Globe article re-published on Internet Science magazine website)

http://technorati.com/posts/tag/foxman+adl?page=2

(Internet content tracker keeps dibs on Foxman, row in Watertown covered)

http://news.usti.net/home/news/cn/?/living.top/2/wed/cv/Uus-adl.Rgz8_HaI.html

(Internet portal re-publishes UPI report re: Tarsy's filing as news)

http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=1175

(Author posts Boston Globe's article re: Tarsy's filing and refers to ADL metaphorically as KKK; tracking several of the articles related to this matter)

http://hragvartanian.com/2007/08/02/adl-turns-blind-eye-to-armenian-genocide/

(Armenian blogger who was responsible for the "NO PLACE FOR DENIAL" logo; also, way ahead of the Watertown ADL controversy)

http://www.armradio.am/news/?part=http://adl.hayway.org/default_zone/documents/aabramian_on_armenian_quest.pdfpol&id=10404

(Public Radio of Armenian reports on Watertown's severing ties with the ADL)

http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=8261

(Politically charged Massachussetts blog tracks Watertown/ADL controversy)

http://www.muzzlewatch.com/?p=229

(website tracking the stifling of speech re: U.S.-Israeli foreign policy blogs on the possibility that the ADL may self-destruct over Armenian genocide denial)

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/World/20070819/745566.html

(Indian internet portal publishes UPI report re: Tarsy's firing as news)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1882991/posts

(Conservative U.S. website publishes Boston Globe's article re: Tarsy's firing with open discussion re: topic that follows)

http://adl.hayway.org/default_zone/d...nian_quest.pdf (Ara Abrahamayan's essay on "How to Achieve the Decision of the Problem of the Armenian Genocide")

[freakyfreaky]

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

News sources are now reporting that Foxman has recently capitulated and recognizes the massacres of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as "GENOCIDE".

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/895920.html

(Israel)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3440382,00.html

(Israel)

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/08/antidefamation.html

http://bostonist.com/2007/08/21/breaking_adl_no.php (ADL's press release)

http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6961616&nav=F2DO

(Providence TV channel)

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Mise_00/5114_00.htm (ADL press release)

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/103751.html (J-ewish press agency)

http://www.telegram.com/article/20070821/APN/708210729 (Worcester, MA)

[freakyfreaky]

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

Here are the stories and press releases leading up to ADL's capitulation re: acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide...

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_233115734

(Massachussetts residents outside of Watertown including Holocaust and Genocide survivors and their ancestors are outraged at ADL's denial of the Armenian genocide)

http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_233120157

(same story as above)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/08/21/xxxish_groups_pressure_the_adl/

(local J-ewish leaders in Mass. join to support Tarsy and recognition of the Armenian genocide; being J-ewish requires recognizing the genocide of others; Never again means never again; do the right thing)

http://www.eafjd.org/spip.php?breve833&lang=en (European feed publishes statement of Massachussetts J-ewish leader that is discussed in article above)

http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nl/cont...241&ct=4284543 (This press release by AJC is pretty wishy-washy; as should be expected; hey Mr. Harris, rather than debate whether or not the massacres of Armenians was genocide, let us debate if Turkish xxxs were complicit in the Armenian genocide; your organization is already on the record as a Turkish apologist and a GENOCIDE DENIER)

[freakyfreaky]

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

http://www.eafjd.org/spip.php?breve832&lang=en

(European Armenian Federation publishes Harut Sassounian's opinion piece indicating that J-ews, Armenians and others are demanding Abe Foxman's resignation)

http://www.telegram.com/article/20070821/NEWS/708210673/1116

(Mass. Armenians indicate that they are in Andrew Tarsy's corner)

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1018316

(Another major Boston newspaper reports on ADL's reversing course and acknowledging massacre of Armenians by Ottomany Turkey as GENOCIDE)

[freakyfreaky]

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

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/21/america/NA-GEN-US-Genocide-Debate.php

(French newspaper publishes AP report about ADL acknowledging massacres of Armenians by Ottomoan Turks as "GENOCIDE")

http://www.ww4report.com/node/4324

(blogger refers to recent press reports that ADL opines that ADL is still splitting hairs by relying on Elie Wiesel's position that what happened to the Armenians would be considered genocide if the word existed then and although ADL may acknowledge the massacres as genocide if the word existed when the massacres occurred, ADL is still opposed to Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide; as I've said before Elie Wiesel is nothing more than a Turkish apologist and GENCODIE DENIER in the same vein that Shimon Peres is - ADL's recapitulation is nothing more than more spin and distortion; denial of genocide is just another act of genocide and the ADL and Elie Wiesel are in cahoots re: causing Armenians to suffer ongoing genocide related to that heinous acts committed on Armenians by Turks)