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PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of Toronto
45 Hallcrown Place
North York Ontario
Contact: Vahan Ajamian
Tel: 416.491.2900
Fax: 416.491.2211
E-mail: [email protected]
TORONTO, ON ? Approximately 500 people attended the commemoration of the
ninetieth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide which took place at the
Armenian Community Centre on Sunday, April 17, 2005. Also participating in
the commemoration were political dignitaries and community leaders
including:
Jack Layton ? Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada & MP,
Toronto-Danforth
The Hon. Jim Karygiannis ? MP, Scarborough-Agincourt
Yasmin Ratansi ? MP, Don Valley East
Derek Lee ? MP, Scarborough-Rouge River
Susan Kadis ? MP, Thornhill
The Hon. Gerry Phillips ? MPP, Scarborough-Agincourt
The Hon. David Caplan ? MPP, Don Valley East
The Hon. Tony Wong ? MPP, Markham
Brad Duguid ? MPP, Scarborough Centre
Mario Racco ? MPP, Thornhill
Frank Klees ? MPP, Oak Ridges
Michael Prue ? MPP, Beaches-East York
Shelley Carol ? Toronto City Councillor, Ward 33 - Don Valley East
Mike Del Grande ? Toronto City Councillor, Ward 39 - Scarborough-Agincourt
Adam Giambrone ? Toronto City Councillor, Ward 18 - Davenport
The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Gerald Caplan, an author of
several articles and public policy studies, including the 300-page report
?Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide?. Dr. Caplan discussed his experience in
covering the Rwandan Genocide and how it motivated him to continue covering
critical issues in Africa today ? such as the state of Africa?s children
and the AIDS epidemic.
Regarding the Armenian Genocide, Dr. Caplan said he felt outraged that ?the
central message of this anniversary remains the relentless effort to
persuade our own government in Ottawa, the government of the United States
and? the government of Israel to perform a simple act of justice.? He
explained that ?we must continue to insist that they officially recognize
that in 1915 a classic genocide, totally consistent with the definition set
down 35 years later in the United Nations Convention For The Punishment And
Prevention For The Crime of Genocide, was deliberately inflicted upon the
Armenian people living in Turkey by the Turkish government, its army and
its proxies.? Given their similar experiences with genocide, Dr. Caplan
stressed the need for the Armenian, Jewish and Rwandan communities to
create stronger ties and work together in what he termed ?the solidarity of
sorrow and the solidarity of victims.?
In his remarks to the crowd Jack Layton, Leader of the federal NDP,
discussed the work performed by the NDP in securing the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. ?I?m proud that our party was able to support the
motion (M-380) that came before the House last year? We wanted that motion
to pass the House of Commons, and that motion has passed the House of
Commons. And it?s because of the hard work of each and every one of you
here who worked so hard to achieve that very positive result.?
The Honourable Jim Karygiannis, Member of Parliament for
Scarborough-Agincourt deeply touched the crowd when he spoke of how
genocide by the Ottoman Empire had affected him personally and his
experience being born in a refugee camp. ?We talk on a daily basis of what
happened to us. History, ladies and gentlemen, can not be changed. Those
people that want to change it, those people that deny it, they?re stealing
from us? our history? our identity? and our future.? He later stressed his
commitment to continue to support the Armenian cause.
Messages for the events received from politicians who could not be present
were read by representatives from the Armenian National Committee of
Toronto. Messages were received from: His Excellency Ara Babian, Armenia's
Ambassador to Canada; Stockwell Day, Official Opposition Foreign Affairs
Critic; Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario & David Miller - Mayor of
Toronto. But the largest applause came during the reading of the message
from Stephen Harper, Leader of Her Majesty?s Official Opposition & Leader
of the Conservative Party of Canada, when he declared ?On April 24th, we
honour the one and a half million victims of the Armenian Genocide whose
lives were taken from 1915 to 1922.? When it was announced that the Prime
Minister, The Right Honourable Paul Martin, had failed to provide a message
to the community on this occasion, the crowd responded with boos and cries
of ?Shame!?
A further surprise announcement during the commemoration came from Mr.
Frank Klees, Member of Provincial Parliament for Oak Ridges. ?I will, this
week, ask for unanimous consent in the provincial legislature that as a
provincial legislature we pass a resolution calling on the federal
government not only to allow a vote on this, but to ensure that the federal
government take action and recognize the genocide in the way that it is
appropriate to do.? Mr. Klees received a standing ovation from the crowd
for his pledge ? which he followed up the subsequent day at Queen?s Park.
The message from the ARF Youth Organization of Canada?s Toronto ?Simon
Zavarian? chapter was given by executive member Hovig Saraphanian. Mr.
Saraphanian explained that the youth of today, having grown up with
Canadian values of tolerance and compassion, demanded justice for the crime
of the Armenian Genocide. He concluded his speech with the words, ?As
Canadian-Armenians our demands are simple: Justice, recognition and
restitution for the one and a half million martyrs who perished during
World War I and the systematic massacres beforehand all undertaken by the
Ottoman Turks. We reaffirm our pledge that we will not rest until their
memory is rightly honoured by all.?
The Republic of Armenia as well as Armenian communities around the globe
are holding various events marking the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. The official commemoration on April 17, 2005, was only one of
several Toronto events planned for April 2005. For a schedule of other
events contact the Armenian National Committee of Toronto at
[email protected]
-30-
Armenian National Committee of Toronto
45 Hallcrown Place
North York Ontario
Contact: Vahan Ajamian
Tel: 416.491.2900
Fax: 416.491.2211
E-mail: [email protected]
TORONTO, ON ? Approximately 500 people attended the commemoration of the
ninetieth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide which took place at the
Armenian Community Centre on Sunday, April 17, 2005. Also participating in
the commemoration were political dignitaries and community leaders
including:
Jack Layton ? Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada & MP,
Toronto-Danforth
The Hon. Jim Karygiannis ? MP, Scarborough-Agincourt
Yasmin Ratansi ? MP, Don Valley East
Derek Lee ? MP, Scarborough-Rouge River
Susan Kadis ? MP, Thornhill
The Hon. Gerry Phillips ? MPP, Scarborough-Agincourt
The Hon. David Caplan ? MPP, Don Valley East
The Hon. Tony Wong ? MPP, Markham
Brad Duguid ? MPP, Scarborough Centre
Mario Racco ? MPP, Thornhill
Frank Klees ? MPP, Oak Ridges
Michael Prue ? MPP, Beaches-East York
Shelley Carol ? Toronto City Councillor, Ward 33 - Don Valley East
Mike Del Grande ? Toronto City Councillor, Ward 39 - Scarborough-Agincourt
Adam Giambrone ? Toronto City Councillor, Ward 18 - Davenport
The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Gerald Caplan, an author of
several articles and public policy studies, including the 300-page report
?Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide?. Dr. Caplan discussed his experience in
covering the Rwandan Genocide and how it motivated him to continue covering
critical issues in Africa today ? such as the state of Africa?s children
and the AIDS epidemic.
Regarding the Armenian Genocide, Dr. Caplan said he felt outraged that ?the
central message of this anniversary remains the relentless effort to
persuade our own government in Ottawa, the government of the United States
and? the government of Israel to perform a simple act of justice.? He
explained that ?we must continue to insist that they officially recognize
that in 1915 a classic genocide, totally consistent with the definition set
down 35 years later in the United Nations Convention For The Punishment And
Prevention For The Crime of Genocide, was deliberately inflicted upon the
Armenian people living in Turkey by the Turkish government, its army and
its proxies.? Given their similar experiences with genocide, Dr. Caplan
stressed the need for the Armenian, Jewish and Rwandan communities to
create stronger ties and work together in what he termed ?the solidarity of
sorrow and the solidarity of victims.?
In his remarks to the crowd Jack Layton, Leader of the federal NDP,
discussed the work performed by the NDP in securing the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. ?I?m proud that our party was able to support the
motion (M-380) that came before the House last year? We wanted that motion
to pass the House of Commons, and that motion has passed the House of
Commons. And it?s because of the hard work of each and every one of you
here who worked so hard to achieve that very positive result.?
The Honourable Jim Karygiannis, Member of Parliament for
Scarborough-Agincourt deeply touched the crowd when he spoke of how
genocide by the Ottoman Empire had affected him personally and his
experience being born in a refugee camp. ?We talk on a daily basis of what
happened to us. History, ladies and gentlemen, can not be changed. Those
people that want to change it, those people that deny it, they?re stealing
from us? our history? our identity? and our future.? He later stressed his
commitment to continue to support the Armenian cause.
Messages for the events received from politicians who could not be present
were read by representatives from the Armenian National Committee of
Toronto. Messages were received from: His Excellency Ara Babian, Armenia's
Ambassador to Canada; Stockwell Day, Official Opposition Foreign Affairs
Critic; Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario & David Miller - Mayor of
Toronto. But the largest applause came during the reading of the message
from Stephen Harper, Leader of Her Majesty?s Official Opposition & Leader
of the Conservative Party of Canada, when he declared ?On April 24th, we
honour the one and a half million victims of the Armenian Genocide whose
lives were taken from 1915 to 1922.? When it was announced that the Prime
Minister, The Right Honourable Paul Martin, had failed to provide a message
to the community on this occasion, the crowd responded with boos and cries
of ?Shame!?
A further surprise announcement during the commemoration came from Mr.
Frank Klees, Member of Provincial Parliament for Oak Ridges. ?I will, this
week, ask for unanimous consent in the provincial legislature that as a
provincial legislature we pass a resolution calling on the federal
government not only to allow a vote on this, but to ensure that the federal
government take action and recognize the genocide in the way that it is
appropriate to do.? Mr. Klees received a standing ovation from the crowd
for his pledge ? which he followed up the subsequent day at Queen?s Park.
The message from the ARF Youth Organization of Canada?s Toronto ?Simon
Zavarian? chapter was given by executive member Hovig Saraphanian. Mr.
Saraphanian explained that the youth of today, having grown up with
Canadian values of tolerance and compassion, demanded justice for the crime
of the Armenian Genocide. He concluded his speech with the words, ?As
Canadian-Armenians our demands are simple: Justice, recognition and
restitution for the one and a half million martyrs who perished during
World War I and the systematic massacres beforehand all undertaken by the
Ottoman Turks. We reaffirm our pledge that we will not rest until their
memory is rightly honoured by all.?
The Republic of Armenia as well as Armenian communities around the globe
are holding various events marking the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. The official commemoration on April 17, 2005, was only one of
several Toronto events planned for April 2005. For a schedule of other
events contact the Armenian National Committee of Toronto at
[email protected]
-30-