Armenian National Committee
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown MA 02472
ancem@hotmail.com
For Immediate Release
February 2, 2008
Contact: 617-347-2833 or ancem@Hotmail.com
Newburyport Becomes 11th Massachusetts Municipality to End Ties with
the Anti Defamation League’s No Place for Hate Committee
— Joins Towns from Watertown to Northampton in becoming No Place for Denial
Watertown, Massachusetts–The City of Newburyport, Massachusetts last
week formally withdrew from the Anti Defamation League’s (ADL) No
Place for Hate program, reported the Armenian National Committee.
Newburyport has become Massachusetts’ 11th municipality to end
relations with the No Place for Hate program due to the ADL’s failure
to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and its continued
active opposition to legislation affirming the Armenian Genocide.
`We are pleased that the north shore has joined so many other cities
and towns in Massachusetts in standing firmly opposed to genocide
denial in any of its form,’ stated Pearl Teague, chairperson of the
Armenian National Committee of Merrimack Valley. `We are grateful to
the commitment of Lieutenant Richard Siemasko, Esq. and the members of
the Human Rights Commission as well as Mayor Moak who carefully
listened to Rev. Aram Marashlian and Judy Mouradian and other local
residents and recognized the failure of the ADL to not only live up to
its own mission statement but more importantly to live up to the
standards of our community.’
In late August, Newburyport’s Commission on Diversity and Tolerance
had written an open letter to the ADL and ADL national director
Abraham Foxman stating that `The members of Newburyport’s Commission
for Diversity and Tolerance are distraught and dismayed by
Mr. Foxman’s and the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) stance on the
Armenian Genocide. Not only has the ADL failed to support the Armenian
people by advocating for congressional recognition with HR 106, but
also, in fact, it has lobbied against the legislation’
The letter continued to say that the Commission finds `that the ADL’s
logic that led to the statement that a `Congressional resolution on
such matters is a counterproductive diversion =85 and may put at risk
the Turkish Jewish community and the important multilateral
relationship between Turkey, Israel and the United States’ fatally
flawed, and contrary to the spirit of `Never Again.’ `
In a February 1 letter to the New England ADL, Newburyport mayor John
Moak stated that `in wake of =85 the [ADL’s] failure to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923 as anything other than
`tantamount to genocide,’ =85 the Commission has decided to end its
relationship with the No Place for Hate program.
Newburyport joins Watertown, Belmont, Newton, Needham, Arlington,
Medford, Lexington, Bedford, Westwood and Northampton in ending ties
with the ADL’s No Place for Hate program due to the ADL’s failure to
unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and continued active
opposition to Congressional legislation affirming the Armenian
Genocide.
The fight against the ADL’s genocide denial spread to Western
Massachusetts in the fall when the Human Rights Commission of the City
of Northampton followed by Northampton’s City Council ended their
city’s relationship with No Place for Hate.
In a September 28 letter to the ADL’s Foxman, Northhampton’s Human
Rights Commission made it clear that `while we may sympathize with the
complexities of current international relations, we cannot in
conscience continue a relationship with an organization that claims to
stand for full accountability for genocide, yet stops short of
endorsing a Congressional resolution acknowledging the Armenian
genocide. We cannot endorse selective recognition of hate by an
organization that claims leadership in creating a world where there is
no place for hate.’
The HRC further stated that `acknowledging the truth about the
Armenian genocide not only has an impact on survivors and their
families, it also has an impact on our ability to address other acts
of hate.’
Background
The ADL has for many years refused to acknowledge that the systematic
massacre of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 was
genocide. To make matters worse, the ADL has actively engaged in
efforts to oppose Congressional affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
Only after intense pressure which started in Watertown, Massachusetts
earlier this summer did the national ADL issue a `Statement on the
Armenian Genocide’ on August 21, 2007.
Referring to the events of 1915-1918, the statement declared, `The
consequences of those actions were indeed tantamount to genocide.’
Aside from the fact that the Armenian Genocide began in 1915 and
continued through 1923, the statement was not a full, unequivocal
acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide.
Not only was the qualifier `tantamount’ inappropriate, but the use of
the word `consequences’ was seen by many as an attempt to circumvent
the international legal definition of genocide by avoiding any
language that would imply intent, a crucial aspect of the 1948 UN
Genocide Convention definition.
The ADL convened its national meeting in New York City in early
November at which time the issue of the Armenian Genocide was
discussed.
Upon conclusion, a one sentence press statement was issued that `The
National Commission of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today, at its
annual meeting, decided to take no further action on the issue of the
Armenian genocide.’
F or complete information about the ADL controversy surrounding the
Armenian Genocide visit
The Armenian National Committee is the largest and most influential
Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in
coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters
throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the
world, the ANC actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American
community on a broad range of issues