Tweet
Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canad a.com
www.anccanada.org
PRESS RELEASE
January 18, 2008
Contact: Kevork Manguelian
Turkish Ultranationalists Try to Silence Prominent Canadians
Toronto-The Turkish Government's propaganda machine tried to intimidate and
silence many prominent Canadians who had come forth to make deputations
during the monthly meeting of the Toronto District School Board's (TDSB)
program and services committee.
During the Jan. 16 meeting the TDSB committee provided an opportunity to two
Turkish representatives (Ozay Mehmet of the Council of Turkish Canadians,
and Lale Eskicioglu) and four Canadians (Prof. Frank Chalk, director of the
Montréal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies; David Warner,
former Speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly; Leo Adler, prominent
criminal lawyer and human rights advocate; and Hon. Jim Karygiannis, MP) to
present their points of view on the board's Grad 11 'Genocide: Historical
and Contemporary Implications' curriculum.
The Turkish representatives protested the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide
in the curriculum. The prominent Canadians' group praised the TDSB for its
moral fortitude, vision, and commitment to develop such a timely curriculum
and asked for the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in the curriculum.
Mr. Warner read a letter signed by prominent Canadians from all walks of
life, urging the TDSB to "stand firm by its decision and not to be swayed by
politically-motivated pressure groups." Among the signatories were Stephen
Lewis, Gerald Caplan, Jack Layton, Bob Rae, Joy Kogawa, Amir Hassanpour,
Jacques Kornberg.
During the presentations of Chalk, Warner, Adler and Karygiannis,
ultranationalist Turks hackled the speakers and tried to stop them from
speaking. Several times committee chair, trustee Chris Bolton, was forced
to call for order and ask the Turkish representatives not to disrupt the
meeting.
After the meeting, members of the Turkish group approached some of the
pro-Genocide inclusion speakers and taunted them with abuse and profanities.
The scene was reminiscent of the trials of many righteous Turkish
individuals who in recent years have challenged the Turkish Government on
its denial of the Armenian Genocide and have been silenced under Article 301
of the Turkish penal code.
At the meeting, Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National
Committee of Canada, tabled a petition in support of the curriculum. The
petition carried 2,643 signatures. Among the signatories were many teachers
from the TDSB system.
For the past two years the TDSB has been developing 'Genocide: Historical
and Contemporary Implications' curriculum for Grade 11 students. The course
comprises of three genocide case studies: the Armenian Genocide; the
Holocaust; the Rwandan Genocide, in addition to other cases of ethnic
cleansing and crimes against humanity.
The course has been approved by the Ontario Minister of Education. An
overwhelming majority of principals, teachers and program directors have
commended the TDSB for this timely project. They have also indicated that
they are eager to teach the program.
In the last two months the Turkish denial machine has launched a vicious
campaign of falsehood, misrepresentation, unsubstantiated accusations,
innuendo and revisionist historical discourse to persuade the TDSB to remove
the Armenian Genocide from the curriculum.
######
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of
the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
Regional Chapters/Sections régionales
Montréal - Laval - Ottawa - Toronto - Hamilton - Cambridge - St.
Catharines - Windsor - Vancouver
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canad a.com
www.anccanada.org
PRESS RELEASE
January 18, 2008
Contact: Kevork Manguelian
Turkish Ultranationalists Try to Silence Prominent Canadians
Toronto-The Turkish Government's propaganda machine tried to intimidate and
silence many prominent Canadians who had come forth to make deputations
during the monthly meeting of the Toronto District School Board's (TDSB)
program and services committee.
During the Jan. 16 meeting the TDSB committee provided an opportunity to two
Turkish representatives (Ozay Mehmet of the Council of Turkish Canadians,
and Lale Eskicioglu) and four Canadians (Prof. Frank Chalk, director of the
Montréal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies; David Warner,
former Speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly; Leo Adler, prominent
criminal lawyer and human rights advocate; and Hon. Jim Karygiannis, MP) to
present their points of view on the board's Grad 11 'Genocide: Historical
and Contemporary Implications' curriculum.
The Turkish representatives protested the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide
in the curriculum. The prominent Canadians' group praised the TDSB for its
moral fortitude, vision, and commitment to develop such a timely curriculum
and asked for the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in the curriculum.
Mr. Warner read a letter signed by prominent Canadians from all walks of
life, urging the TDSB to "stand firm by its decision and not to be swayed by
politically-motivated pressure groups." Among the signatories were Stephen
Lewis, Gerald Caplan, Jack Layton, Bob Rae, Joy Kogawa, Amir Hassanpour,
Jacques Kornberg.
During the presentations of Chalk, Warner, Adler and Karygiannis,
ultranationalist Turks hackled the speakers and tried to stop them from
speaking. Several times committee chair, trustee Chris Bolton, was forced
to call for order and ask the Turkish representatives not to disrupt the
meeting.
After the meeting, members of the Turkish group approached some of the
pro-Genocide inclusion speakers and taunted them with abuse and profanities.
The scene was reminiscent of the trials of many righteous Turkish
individuals who in recent years have challenged the Turkish Government on
its denial of the Armenian Genocide and have been silenced under Article 301
of the Turkish penal code.
At the meeting, Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National
Committee of Canada, tabled a petition in support of the curriculum. The
petition carried 2,643 signatures. Among the signatories were many teachers
from the TDSB system.
For the past two years the TDSB has been developing 'Genocide: Historical
and Contemporary Implications' curriculum for Grade 11 students. The course
comprises of three genocide case studies: the Armenian Genocide; the
Holocaust; the Rwandan Genocide, in addition to other cases of ethnic
cleansing and crimes against humanity.
The course has been approved by the Ontario Minister of Education. An
overwhelming majority of principals, teachers and program directors have
commended the TDSB for this timely project. They have also indicated that
they are eager to teach the program.
In the last two months the Turkish denial machine has launched a vicious
campaign of falsehood, misrepresentation, unsubstantiated accusations,
innuendo and revisionist historical discourse to persuade the TDSB to remove
the Armenian Genocide from the curriculum.
######
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of
the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
Regional Chapters/Sections régionales
Montréal - Laval - Ottawa - Toronto - Hamilton - Cambridge - St.
Catharines - Windsor - Vancouver