Armenian National Committee of Canada
130 Albert St., Suite 1007
Ottawa, ON KIP 5G4
Tel: 613-235-2622
Fax: 613-238-2622
E-mail: national.office@anc-canada.com

BOB RAE ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Hon. Bob Rae, Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and the
Liberal’s Foreign Affairs critic, gave an interview on the Turkish
television program "Turkuaz" which aired on Channel OMNI-1 March 8,
2008. During this interview, which was on the topic of the Armenian
Genocide, he said that he had read "many" books on the subject, that
only a few hundred thousand Armenians had been killed, and that as far
as he was concerned Armenians should be satisfied with Parliament’s
recognition of the event and that "there was nothing more that they
could demand".

These remarks offended Canadians of Armenian heritage. It ignores the
fact that the crimes perpetrated by the Turks can not be corrected by
their mere recognition by the Canadian Parliament. At the conclusion
of this segment of the television program, the host and another guest
Mr. El-Khalili invited Armenians to dialogue with them on the subject.

Following this disturbing interview, Pierre Akkelian, Vice-Chairman of
the Congress of Canadian Armenians, met with Mr. Rae to seek a
clarification of his views on the Armenian Genocide. Jack Chadirdjian,
a member of the CCA – National Committee, and Senator Raymond Setlakwe
were also present. Following their discussions, Mr. Rae issued a
letter to the Congress of Canadian Armenians, the full text of which
is reproduced below. The Congress of Canadian Armenians is satisfied
with the contents of this letter.

Ottawa, June 5th, 2008

Mr. Taro Alepian
Chairman – Congress of Canadian Armenians
615 Stuart Avenue
Montréal (Québec) H2V 3H2

Dear Mr. Alepian,
I recently met your colleague Mr. Pierre Akkelian, Vice-Chairman of
the Congress of Canadian Armenians. Mr. Akkelian raised concerns with
me regarding my position on the Armenian genocide.
My position is the same as the resolution passed by the House of
Commons on April 21st 2004. My position is also reflective of the
Liberal Party of Canada_s position as well as our leader_s, the
Hon. Stéphane Dion. As such, I recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915
– 1918 and condemn it as a crime against humanity. It is an
undisputable historical fact that some 1.2 million Armenians fell
victim to this reprehensible act.
I also believe that this recognition by the House of Commons must
serve the greater purpose of reconciliation between the Turkish and
Armenian communities. The many years of dispute between these two
communities have created resentment and mistrust. This recognition
must be a strong signal for these two communities to put this dispute
behind them, and look to the future on how to best move forward for
the greater good of humanity.
Sincerely,

Hon. Bob Rae
Member of Parliament _ Toronto Centre

Established in 2004, the Congress of Canadian Armenians is comprised
of many of the large Canadian Armenian organizations. It serves as a
united voice to present Armenian issues to the Canadian public and to
promote Armenian interests.