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STUDENTS PROTEST TALK BY SPEAKERS WHO DENY ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The Varsity, The University of Toronto's Student Newspaper, Canada
March 9 2015
Silent protest targets talk at Best Institute
By Tamim Mansour
Students from the Armenian Students' Association together with the
Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of Canada and the Armen Karo Student
Association, an organization that promotes Armenian studies in Canadian
universities, protested a panel discussion held by the Federation of
Canadian Turkish Associations on February 27.
Justin A. McCarthy, a professor from the University of Louisville, and
Bruce Fein, a prominent lawyer, were the two speakers invited to the
panel. Both have denied that the 1915 Armenian Genocide was a genocide,
in opposition to the stance taken by international organizations such
as the International Association of Genocide Scholars and Genocide
Watch, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a movement to
prevent and stop genocide.
The Armenian Genocide was conducted by the Ottoman Empire on the
Armenian population that lived in the area presently known as Turkey.
It is estimated that between one million and 1.5 million Armenians
died as a result of the genocide.
Amir Hassanpour, an associate professor in the Department of Near &
Middle Eastern civilizations, identified a clear distinction between
genocide and other forms of killing. "[It] is not based on the
number of killings. It is based on 'the intent' of perpetrators,"
Hassanpour says.
When asked why there are people who continue to deny the Armenian
Genocide, Hassanpour says that it is because of the seriousness of
the crime. "This is a serious international crime, and nationalists
everywhere try to sanitize their history," he says.
He also explains that governments were concerned with the financial
consequences of recognition of genocide in the form of reparations
to victims.
The protestors sat in the audience during the talk. At the first
mention of genocide by Fein, the group stood up and turned their
backs to the speaker in silence. Many of the other audience members
were upset by the protest.
One commented that the protest was "strategically planned to disrupt
this" while another called it "disrespectful".
Organizers discussed with campus police what actions could be taken,
and were told that the silent protest did not prevent the speaker
from carrying on.
Some protestors were asked to move out of the line of sight of other
audience members seated at the back.
After about 10 minutes, Fein resumed his speech.
When it was clear from Fein's talk that he was denying the nature of
the genocide, the protestors walked out from the panel discussion to
cheers and applause from the other audience members.
Rosalie Minassian, a fourth-year political science student and
president of the Scarborough chapter of the Armenian Students'
Association, was one of the leaders of the protest. According to
Minassian, all Armenians at the protest were descendants of genocide
survivors.
"They are using the University of Toronto as a guise to bring
legitimacy to genocide denial," she says.
Minassian also says that this went directly against the Canadian
government's official recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2004.
After the walk-out, the protestors made their way to the Anti-Racism &
Cultural Diversity Office to submit a petition and lodge a complaint
against the event. The petition called for the university to distance
itself from the organizers and speakers of the panel. It was put
online two days before the talk, garnering over 2,000 signatures.
According to Minassian, a letter demanding the cancellation of the
event was also sent to a number of university administrators.
Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, says that
the event was held by an external organization that rented space from
the university.
"Events that such external organizations host are not University
activities; the University does not affirm or condemn any assertions
made at such events," Blackburn-Evans says.
She adds that such events are governed by the university's policies.
"There is a clear statement that all reservations for use of university
space are subject to the university's policy concerning freedom of
speech," she says. "The university upholds the principles of freedom
of speech and of the freedom of individuals and groups from physical
intimidation and harassment."
http://thevarsity.ca/2015/03/09/students-protest-talk-by-speakers-who-deny-armenian-genocide/
The Varsity, The University of Toronto's Student Newspaper, Canada
March 9 2015
Silent protest targets talk at Best Institute
By Tamim Mansour
Students from the Armenian Students' Association together with the
Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of Canada and the Armen Karo Student
Association, an organization that promotes Armenian studies in Canadian
universities, protested a panel discussion held by the Federation of
Canadian Turkish Associations on February 27.
Justin A. McCarthy, a professor from the University of Louisville, and
Bruce Fein, a prominent lawyer, were the two speakers invited to the
panel. Both have denied that the 1915 Armenian Genocide was a genocide,
in opposition to the stance taken by international organizations such
as the International Association of Genocide Scholars and Genocide
Watch, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a movement to
prevent and stop genocide.
The Armenian Genocide was conducted by the Ottoman Empire on the
Armenian population that lived in the area presently known as Turkey.
It is estimated that between one million and 1.5 million Armenians
died as a result of the genocide.
Amir Hassanpour, an associate professor in the Department of Near &
Middle Eastern civilizations, identified a clear distinction between
genocide and other forms of killing. "[It] is not based on the
number of killings. It is based on 'the intent' of perpetrators,"
Hassanpour says.
When asked why there are people who continue to deny the Armenian
Genocide, Hassanpour says that it is because of the seriousness of
the crime. "This is a serious international crime, and nationalists
everywhere try to sanitize their history," he says.
He also explains that governments were concerned with the financial
consequences of recognition of genocide in the form of reparations
to victims.
The protestors sat in the audience during the talk. At the first
mention of genocide by Fein, the group stood up and turned their
backs to the speaker in silence. Many of the other audience members
were upset by the protest.
One commented that the protest was "strategically planned to disrupt
this" while another called it "disrespectful".
Organizers discussed with campus police what actions could be taken,
and were told that the silent protest did not prevent the speaker
from carrying on.
Some protestors were asked to move out of the line of sight of other
audience members seated at the back.
After about 10 minutes, Fein resumed his speech.
When it was clear from Fein's talk that he was denying the nature of
the genocide, the protestors walked out from the panel discussion to
cheers and applause from the other audience members.
Rosalie Minassian, a fourth-year political science student and
president of the Scarborough chapter of the Armenian Students'
Association, was one of the leaders of the protest. According to
Minassian, all Armenians at the protest were descendants of genocide
survivors.
"They are using the University of Toronto as a guise to bring
legitimacy to genocide denial," she says.
Minassian also says that this went directly against the Canadian
government's official recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2004.
After the walk-out, the protestors made their way to the Anti-Racism &
Cultural Diversity Office to submit a petition and lodge a complaint
against the event. The petition called for the university to distance
itself from the organizers and speakers of the panel. It was put
online two days before the talk, garnering over 2,000 signatures.
According to Minassian, a letter demanding the cancellation of the
event was also sent to a number of university administrators.
Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, says that
the event was held by an external organization that rented space from
the university.
"Events that such external organizations host are not University
activities; the University does not affirm or condemn any assertions
made at such events," Blackburn-Evans says.
She adds that such events are governed by the university's policies.
"There is a clear statement that all reservations for use of university
space are subject to the university's policy concerning freedom of
speech," she says. "The university upholds the principles of freedom
of speech and of the freedom of individuals and groups from physical
intimidation and harassment."
http://thevarsity.ca/2015/03/09/students-protest-talk-by-speakers-who-deny-armenian-genocide/