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USF HOSTS TURKISH SCHOLAR'S LECTURE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 7, 2011 - 14:06 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish scholar Taner Akcam, a Clark University
professor who studies the Armenian Genocide, spoke about Turkish
interpretations of the Genocide at University of South Florida
second annual Armenian Studies symposium, hosted by the USF Library's
Holocaust and Genocide Center, The Oracle reports.
In 2009, Akcam's name was one of five listed in a file that was
confiscated by Turkish police from a Turkish ultra-nationalist
organization, Ergenekon, which is composed mostly of Genocide deniers.
Akcam and the four other men on the list were assassination targets.
Some of the other men on the assassination list are in jail now,
Akcam said. One was assassinated. The police intercepted the list
just in time, he said, before he was killed for his work.
"One can, therefore, draw that conclusion that to be outspoken about
the Armenian Genocide is to be considered a threat by certain groups,"
he said.
Akcam has written 11 books on the genocide and has spoken about it
for about 21 years, making him a prime target by groups who deny the
existence of the Armenian Genocide.
Mark Greenberg, director of the Library's Holocaust and Genocide
center, said he invited Akcam to speak because "the number of Turkish
scholars who speak openly in support of recognizing the Armenian
Genocide is very small."
Akcam said if it were illegal to discuss slavery or the displacement
of Native Americans in the U.S., it would mirror the current situation
in Turkey.
"What we have here in the U.S., we should demand the exact same thing
for Turkey," he said. "Can you imagine that the federal government
websites, where these historic events are uniformly, slavery and
Native American cases were referred to as 'so called' or 'alleged'
and filled with openly racist, hate-filled propaganda, or that forcing
American children and Native American children to watch films denying
that slavery of Africans or subjugation of Native Americans ever took
place would be viewed here in this country as secure?"
Rachel May, director of the USF Institute for the Study of Latin
America and the Caribbean, spoke after Akcam and said a main issue in
today's society is acknowledging genocide when it happens. "The issue
here is calling it 'genocide,'" she said. "The implications are fairly
straightforward: Those who deny it are on the other side of the wall."
Merrell Dickey, the USF Library's director of development, said the
USF Holocaust & Genocide Studies Center, founded in 2008, is working
toward raising grant money to fund future speakers and expand the
Armenian Studies program at USF.
"We want to really bring alive the implications of genocide and the
denial of genocide and holocaust," he said. "(By) understanding today
we do not continue to violate human rights, we heal the past."
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 7, 2011 - 14:06 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish scholar Taner Akcam, a Clark University
professor who studies the Armenian Genocide, spoke about Turkish
interpretations of the Genocide at University of South Florida
second annual Armenian Studies symposium, hosted by the USF Library's
Holocaust and Genocide Center, The Oracle reports.
In 2009, Akcam's name was one of five listed in a file that was
confiscated by Turkish police from a Turkish ultra-nationalist
organization, Ergenekon, which is composed mostly of Genocide deniers.
Akcam and the four other men on the list were assassination targets.
Some of the other men on the assassination list are in jail now,
Akcam said. One was assassinated. The police intercepted the list
just in time, he said, before he was killed for his work.
"One can, therefore, draw that conclusion that to be outspoken about
the Armenian Genocide is to be considered a threat by certain groups,"
he said.
Akcam has written 11 books on the genocide and has spoken about it
for about 21 years, making him a prime target by groups who deny the
existence of the Armenian Genocide.
Mark Greenberg, director of the Library's Holocaust and Genocide
center, said he invited Akcam to speak because "the number of Turkish
scholars who speak openly in support of recognizing the Armenian
Genocide is very small."
Akcam said if it were illegal to discuss slavery or the displacement
of Native Americans in the U.S., it would mirror the current situation
in Turkey.
"What we have here in the U.S., we should demand the exact same thing
for Turkey," he said. "Can you imagine that the federal government
websites, where these historic events are uniformly, slavery and
Native American cases were referred to as 'so called' or 'alleged'
and filled with openly racist, hate-filled propaganda, or that forcing
American children and Native American children to watch films denying
that slavery of Africans or subjugation of Native Americans ever took
place would be viewed here in this country as secure?"
Rachel May, director of the USF Institute for the Study of Latin
America and the Caribbean, spoke after Akcam and said a main issue in
today's society is acknowledging genocide when it happens. "The issue
here is calling it 'genocide,'" she said. "The implications are fairly
straightforward: Those who deny it are on the other side of the wall."
Merrell Dickey, the USF Library's director of development, said the
USF Holocaust & Genocide Studies Center, founded in 2008, is working
toward raising grant money to fund future speakers and expand the
Armenian Studies program at USF.
"We want to really bring alive the implications of genocide and the
denial of genocide and holocaust," he said. "(By) understanding today
we do not continue to violate human rights, we heal the past."