Tweet
AN OPEN LETTER TO 'FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES'
By: David Boyajian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2011/10/25/an-open-letter-to-%E2%80%98facing-history-and-ourselves%E2%80%99/
Tue, Oct 25 2011
To: Executive Director Margot Strom, Associate Executive Director
Martin Sleeper, Board Chairwoman Tracy Palandjian
I am deeply offended and disappointed to learn that one of our nation's
foremost genocide education organizations-Facing History and Ourselves
(FHAO)-has elected to "partner" with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
to sponsor a panel discussion on "The New Anti-Semitism: A Contemporary
Discussion in Historic Faneuil Hall" in Boston on Nov.
7, 2011. Abraham H. Foxman, ADL national director, will be one of
the panelists.
I respectfully urge you to withdraw FHAO from its partnership with
the ADL for this event.
Mr. Foxman and the national ADL have denied the factuality of the
Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 committed by Turkey. And they have used
their considerable influence to actively assist the government of
Turkey to defeat Armenian Genocide resolutions in the U.S. Congress. A
political agreement two decades ago among Turkey, certain
organizations such as the ADL, and Israel brought this about (see
www.noplacefordenial.com/2007/08/press-kit-history-of-lobbying-against.html).
Since the summer of 2007, due specifically to their disapproval of
the ADL's genocide denial and lobbying efforts against the Armenian
American resolution, more than a dozen major Massachusetts cities
and towns have ceased their affiliation (www.noplacefordenial.com)
with the ADL's so-called "No Place for Hate" program.
In April 2008, for precisely the same reasons, the Massachusetts
Municipal Association (MMA), which represents every city and town in
the state, also severed ties with "No Place for Hate."
The national ADL drew widespread condemnation from principled Jews,
human rights advocates, editorialists, and others. These events made
national and international news (see http://npfdnews.blogspot.com).
To deflect growing criticism, on Aug. 21, 2007, Mr. Foxman issued
a statement which masqueraded as an acknowledgment of the Armenian
Genocide. The statement not only used deceptive and dishonest language,
such as "tantamount to genocide," but also implied that the Armenian
killings were not intentional but rather merely the "consequence" of
Turkish "actions." FHAO is aware that Article II of the United Nations
Genocide Convention specifically requires "intent" for killings to
be considered genocide. "Consequences" is, however, the opposite of
"intent."
Cities, towns, and the MMA weren't buying Mr. Foxman's act. They
severed ties with the ADL's "No Place for Hate" even after the ADL
statement.
The ADL has yet to unambiguously recognize the Armenian Genocide. And
Mr. Foxman continues to oppose passage of the Armenian Genocide
resolution, contemptuously calling it a "counterproductive diversion."
Neither Mr. Foxman nor the ADL has ever apologized to the Armenian
people for their actions.
The ADL has stated that any diminishment of the Holocaust is
anti-Semitic and constitutes hate speech. Yet the ADL has diminished
the Armenian Genocide. By its own definition, therefore, the ADL
is guilty of hate speech. Would FHAO partner with an organization
and man that diminished the Holocaust and opposed the many
Congressional resolutions on the Holocaust? Why, then, would you
partner with the ADL? This is incomprehensible, especially as FHAO
has long had an educational program on the Armenian Genocide (see
www.facinghistory.org/resources/collections/armeniangenocide).
We know that the ADL's and similar groups' appeasement of Turkey-for
example, Mr. Foxman presented Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan with a
"Courage to Care Award" a few years ago-has failed dismally on an
international level as well.
I am at a loss to understand why or how your partnership with Mr.
Foxman has come about. One hopes that ADL members among FHAO's donors
and its treasurer, Elizabeth Jick, who is an ADL Executive Committee
member, did not unduly influence your decision.
I respectfully call upon you to withdraw FHAO's partnership with the
ADL in the Nov. 7 event. I hope that when FHAO considers the facts
and the long-term credibility of its programs and dedicated staff,
it will do the right thing.
Sincerely, David Boyajian Belmont, MA
Note: To ask Facing History and Ourselves to not partner
with the ADL on Nov. 7, contact the organization by e-mailing
www.facinghistory.org/contact?openform; calling (617) 232-1595 or
1-800-856-9039 (toll-free); or writing to 16 Hurd Road, Brookline,
MA 02445.
From: Baghdasarian
By: David Boyajian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2011/10/25/an-open-letter-to-%E2%80%98facing-history-and-ourselves%E2%80%99/
Tue, Oct 25 2011
To: Executive Director Margot Strom, Associate Executive Director
Martin Sleeper, Board Chairwoman Tracy Palandjian
I am deeply offended and disappointed to learn that one of our nation's
foremost genocide education organizations-Facing History and Ourselves
(FHAO)-has elected to "partner" with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
to sponsor a panel discussion on "The New Anti-Semitism: A Contemporary
Discussion in Historic Faneuil Hall" in Boston on Nov.
7, 2011. Abraham H. Foxman, ADL national director, will be one of
the panelists.
I respectfully urge you to withdraw FHAO from its partnership with
the ADL for this event.
Mr. Foxman and the national ADL have denied the factuality of the
Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 committed by Turkey. And they have used
their considerable influence to actively assist the government of
Turkey to defeat Armenian Genocide resolutions in the U.S. Congress. A
political agreement two decades ago among Turkey, certain
organizations such as the ADL, and Israel brought this about (see
www.noplacefordenial.com/2007/08/press-kit-history-of-lobbying-against.html).
Since the summer of 2007, due specifically to their disapproval of
the ADL's genocide denial and lobbying efforts against the Armenian
American resolution, more than a dozen major Massachusetts cities
and towns have ceased their affiliation (www.noplacefordenial.com)
with the ADL's so-called "No Place for Hate" program.
In April 2008, for precisely the same reasons, the Massachusetts
Municipal Association (MMA), which represents every city and town in
the state, also severed ties with "No Place for Hate."
The national ADL drew widespread condemnation from principled Jews,
human rights advocates, editorialists, and others. These events made
national and international news (see http://npfdnews.blogspot.com).
To deflect growing criticism, on Aug. 21, 2007, Mr. Foxman issued
a statement which masqueraded as an acknowledgment of the Armenian
Genocide. The statement not only used deceptive and dishonest language,
such as "tantamount to genocide," but also implied that the Armenian
killings were not intentional but rather merely the "consequence" of
Turkish "actions." FHAO is aware that Article II of the United Nations
Genocide Convention specifically requires "intent" for killings to
be considered genocide. "Consequences" is, however, the opposite of
"intent."
Cities, towns, and the MMA weren't buying Mr. Foxman's act. They
severed ties with the ADL's "No Place for Hate" even after the ADL
statement.
The ADL has yet to unambiguously recognize the Armenian Genocide. And
Mr. Foxman continues to oppose passage of the Armenian Genocide
resolution, contemptuously calling it a "counterproductive diversion."
Neither Mr. Foxman nor the ADL has ever apologized to the Armenian
people for their actions.
The ADL has stated that any diminishment of the Holocaust is
anti-Semitic and constitutes hate speech. Yet the ADL has diminished
the Armenian Genocide. By its own definition, therefore, the ADL
is guilty of hate speech. Would FHAO partner with an organization
and man that diminished the Holocaust and opposed the many
Congressional resolutions on the Holocaust? Why, then, would you
partner with the ADL? This is incomprehensible, especially as FHAO
has long had an educational program on the Armenian Genocide (see
www.facinghistory.org/resources/collections/armeniangenocide).
We know that the ADL's and similar groups' appeasement of Turkey-for
example, Mr. Foxman presented Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan with a
"Courage to Care Award" a few years ago-has failed dismally on an
international level as well.
I am at a loss to understand why or how your partnership with Mr.
Foxman has come about. One hopes that ADL members among FHAO's donors
and its treasurer, Elizabeth Jick, who is an ADL Executive Committee
member, did not unduly influence your decision.
I respectfully call upon you to withdraw FHAO's partnership with the
ADL in the Nov. 7 event. I hope that when FHAO considers the facts
and the long-term credibility of its programs and dedicated staff,
it will do the right thing.
Sincerely, David Boyajian Belmont, MA
Note: To ask Facing History and Ourselves to not partner
with the ADL on Nov. 7, contact the organization by e-mailing
www.facinghistory.org/contact?openform; calling (617) 232-1595 or
1-800-856-9039 (toll-free); or writing to 16 Hurd Road, Brookline,
MA 02445.
From: Baghdasarian