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Newton's David Boyajian Recognized For Role In Countering Genocide D

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  • Newton's David Boyajian Recognized For Role In Countering Genocide D

    NEWTON'S DAVID BOYAJIAN RECOGNIZED FOR ROLE IN COUNTERING GENOCIDE DENIAL

    Watertown TAB & Press
    http://www.wickedlocal.com/watertown/news/x1 867421906/Newton-s-David-Boyajian-recognized-for-r ole-in-countering-genocide-denial
    May 13 2008
    MA

    WATERTOWN - The Governor's Council issued a resolution at the
    Massachusetts State House on April 30 honoring Newton resident David
    Boyajian for his role in the campaign against the Anti-Defamation
    League's denial of the Armenian Genocide and for questioning the
    appropriateness of towns' affiliation with the ADL's No Place for
    Hate anti-bias program.

    The resolution was introduced by Marilyn Petitto Devaney, a Governor's
    Council member and Watertown Town Councilor.

    The resolution cited Boyajian's leadership in "successful efforts to
    have communities sever ties with the ADL's No Place for Hate and to
    end the Massachusetts Municipal Association's sponsorship" of the
    program. The resolution further described the ADL's opposition to
    Congressional affirmation of the Armenian Genocide as "depriving the
    Armenians of their history."

    The ADL has yet to unambiguously acknowledge the genocide and has
    opposed recognition of it by the U.S. Congress.

    Boyajian, Armenian-Americans and human rights advocates have argued
    that No Place for Hate's human rights mission is incompatible with
    the stance of the ADL on the widely recognized genocide committed
    against Armenians by Turkey from 1915 to 1923.

    Boyajian's letter in the Watertown TAB on July 6, 2007, and his
    subsequent activism sparked the issue, which soon became international
    news.

    In acceptance remarks, Boyajian thanked the Armenian National
    Committee of America for its efforts in the campaign and praised
    "the human rights commissioners, elected officials and citizens" in
    the towns that dropped No Place for Hate. Boyajian urged people to
    "strive for consistency, not selectivity, in recognizing genocide
    and human rights violations."

    He also thanked the people "even in other countries, of all ethnic,
    religious and political backgrounds" who supported the campaign to
    censure the ADL.

    Boyajian singled out "Jewish Americans who have stood for principle"
    by criticizing the ADL "when they could have remained silent."

    He concluded by saying, "If you think you see injustice, speak
    up. Individuals and organizations will hear you, and sometimes the
    world may wind up being a better place because of it."

    About 50 people attended the proceedings, many of them
    Armenian-Americans. A group of Wellesley High School political science
    students on a field trip to the State House also attended. Wellesley
    is affiliated with No Place for Hate.

    Watertown decertified its No Place for Hate on Aug. 11, 2007. In the
    months following, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Lexington, Medford,
    Needham, Newburyport, Newton, Northampton, Peabody, Somerville and
    Westwood followed suit.

    The Massachusetts Municipal Association, the umbrella organization for
    the state's cities and towns, voted April 8 to cease its sponsorship
    of all No Place for Hate programs. The program still exists, however,
    in more than 40 Massachusetts municipalities and in several states,
    including California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

    The ADL established No Place for Hate in 1999 in Massachusetts towns
    and owns the federal trademark for the program's name.

    On April 22, the Watertown Town Council issued a proclamation sponsored
    by Council President Clyde Younger also honoring Boyajian for his
    journalism and activism regarding genocide denial.

    In a recent article in TAB newspapers, Boyajian called on Blue Cross
    Blue Shield of Massachusetts to stop funding No Place for Hate and
    to drop its designation as a No Place for Hate company.
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