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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
May 27, 2008
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian
ANCC Commemorates the Pontian and Rwandan Genocides
Ottawa--The Armenian National Committee of Canada recently
participated in two important historic commemorations--for the Pontian
Genocide and the Rwandan Genocide victims.
On May 18, the Brotherhood Pontian of Toronto organized a memorial for
the 353,000 Pontian Greek victims of atrocities perpetrated by the
Turkish government between 1916 to 1923.
Among the 350 people who attended the commemoration were a
high-ranking Greek Cabinet minister, a member of the Greek parliament,
and representatives of the department of foreign affairs of
Greece. The memorial was held at St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church
in Toronto.
The keynote speaker Michael Charalampidis, author, and member of the
executive committee of the International Association for the Rights
and Liberation of Peoples, emphasized the imperative for Pontians
around the world to organize and to become more politically active in
the international recognition of the Pontian Genocide. Furthermore, he
said he appreciated and valued the pioneering work of the Armenian
National Committee and the Armenian people, at large, in their
political activism and in paving the way for the Pontian community to
follow in their footsteps.
Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee
of Canada (ANCC), urged the international community and governments
-not to be selective in their condemnation, as their political and
economic interests dictate, but to bring to justice the Turkish
genocide perpetrators and their accomplices. Today the Turkish
government, encouraged by the international community's silence, is
not only denying the Armenian, Pontian, and Assyrian Genocides and
continuing its illegal occupation of Cyprus, but it has also launched
a genocide against the Kurds.-
Babikian said it's -imperative for us to stand united in solidarity,
to remind the world of the Turkish government's past and present
crimes, and to demand that the international community to stop its
appeasement policies towards a fascist and racist Turkish government
which has the distinction of being the world's worst violator of
crimes against humanity.-
Babikian reminded the gathered that the 'rampant extreme nationalism,
prejudice and xenophobia in contemporary Turkey is an ominous sign and
a reminder of the climate which existed in Turkey in the early 20th
century.- He added that Canada and the international community can
send a clear and unequivocal message to the Turkish government that
the international community will not tolerate such inhuman treatment
of our fellow human beings and will not allow the genocide denial
machine to operate with impunity.
On April 4, the ANCC participated in a press conference at the
Gatineau city hall to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the genocide
of Rwanda's Tutsi minority. The press conference was organized by the
HUMURA Association, with the participation of the Canadian Jewish
Congress, the Association of Darfur, and ANCC.
Genocide denial was the theme of the press conference. At the end of
the conference the participants signed a letter bringing to the
attention of the Right Hon. Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of
Canada, that -genocide deniers hide behind the veil of dubious
scholars of the `truth' who increase the agony of the victims' wounds
that have never healed...While Canada rightly protects fundamental
liberties, including the liberty of expression, we strongly believe
that genocide deniers should never enjoy constitutional guarantees to
propagate heinous and racist speeches targeting specific ethnic groups
in Canada.-
Babikian said that he considered it ANCC's privilege and honour to
participate in the gatherings to 'show our friendship with other
genocide victim nations. We, the survivors of similar heinous crimes,
or the descendents of those who survived, must unite to remind the
international community that such crimes will not be forgotten, denied
or be allowed to be repeated. We owe it to our martyrs who paid the
ultimate price for intolerance, xenophobia and hatred.'
***
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
May 27, 2008
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian
ANCC Commemorates the Pontian and Rwandan Genocides
Ottawa--The Armenian National Committee of Canada recently
participated in two important historic commemorations--for the Pontian
Genocide and the Rwandan Genocide victims.
On May 18, the Brotherhood Pontian of Toronto organized a memorial for
the 353,000 Pontian Greek victims of atrocities perpetrated by the
Turkish government between 1916 to 1923.
Among the 350 people who attended the commemoration were a
high-ranking Greek Cabinet minister, a member of the Greek parliament,
and representatives of the department of foreign affairs of
Greece. The memorial was held at St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church
in Toronto.
The keynote speaker Michael Charalampidis, author, and member of the
executive committee of the International Association for the Rights
and Liberation of Peoples, emphasized the imperative for Pontians
around the world to organize and to become more politically active in
the international recognition of the Pontian Genocide. Furthermore, he
said he appreciated and valued the pioneering work of the Armenian
National Committee and the Armenian people, at large, in their
political activism and in paving the way for the Pontian community to
follow in their footsteps.
Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee
of Canada (ANCC), urged the international community and governments
-not to be selective in their condemnation, as their political and
economic interests dictate, but to bring to justice the Turkish
genocide perpetrators and their accomplices. Today the Turkish
government, encouraged by the international community's silence, is
not only denying the Armenian, Pontian, and Assyrian Genocides and
continuing its illegal occupation of Cyprus, but it has also launched
a genocide against the Kurds.-
Babikian said it's -imperative for us to stand united in solidarity,
to remind the world of the Turkish government's past and present
crimes, and to demand that the international community to stop its
appeasement policies towards a fascist and racist Turkish government
which has the distinction of being the world's worst violator of
crimes against humanity.-
Babikian reminded the gathered that the 'rampant extreme nationalism,
prejudice and xenophobia in contemporary Turkey is an ominous sign and
a reminder of the climate which existed in Turkey in the early 20th
century.- He added that Canada and the international community can
send a clear and unequivocal message to the Turkish government that
the international community will not tolerate such inhuman treatment
of our fellow human beings and will not allow the genocide denial
machine to operate with impunity.
On April 4, the ANCC participated in a press conference at the
Gatineau city hall to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the genocide
of Rwanda's Tutsi minority. The press conference was organized by the
HUMURA Association, with the participation of the Canadian Jewish
Congress, the Association of Darfur, and ANCC.
Genocide denial was the theme of the press conference. At the end of
the conference the participants signed a letter bringing to the
attention of the Right Hon. Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of
Canada, that -genocide deniers hide behind the veil of dubious
scholars of the `truth' who increase the agony of the victims' wounds
that have never healed...While Canada rightly protects fundamental
liberties, including the liberty of expression, we strongly believe
that genocide deniers should never enjoy constitutional guarantees to
propagate heinous and racist speeches targeting specific ethnic groups
in Canada.-
Babikian said that he considered it ANCC's privilege and honour to
participate in the gatherings to 'show our friendship with other
genocide victim nations. We, the survivors of similar heinous crimes,
or the descendents of those who survived, must unite to remind the
international community that such crimes will not be forgotten, denied
or be allowed to be repeated. We owe it to our martyrs who paid the
ultimate price for intolerance, xenophobia and hatred.'
***
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