COALITION OF ARMENIAN, JEWISH COMMUNITY LEADERS LAUNCH GRASSROOTS PETITION FOR U.S. REAFFIRMATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Armradio.am
03.02.2010 11:06
Leaders from Boston’s vibrant Armenian and Jewish communities launched
an online grassroots petition urging all people of conscience to sign
a letter to President Obama and Congress that calls for swift passage
of H. Res. 252, the Armenian Genocide resolution currently pending
in Congress, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
"The Assembly commends the work of this important human rights
coalition and calls on all American citizens to affirm the U.S. record
on the Armenian Genocide by signing the petition to your elected
Representatives," stated Assembly Grassroots Director Taniel
Koushakjian. The Armenian American Action Committee of Massachusetts
(ARAMAC-MA), Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts, the
Massachusetts Jewish community and Assembly anti-genocide coalition
partner Investor’s Against Genocide were instrumental in launching
the petition and resource page.
The Boston based coalition of Armenian and Jewish communities have
been engaged in a robust civil society dialogue, which was the
outcome of a 2007 rift where the local Massachusetts branch of the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) broke with national ADL leader Abraham
Foxman in acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. ADL later altered
their position, and just last month stated, "We continue to believe
that there was a genocide..," yet continue to oppose legislation in
Congress that would affirm the incontestable truth.
Herman Purutyan, ARAMAC-MA State Chair and coalition member stated,
"This is an exciting collaboration of two communities, who have
experienced the ultimate crime against humanity, to stop future
genocides wherever they may occur. As two communities, Jewish and
Armenian, we ask our fellow citizens to let the President and Congress
know that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is critically
important, not only because it is morally the right thing to do,
but also it is necessary to prevent such crimes from happening again."
ARAMAC-MA activists and Boston area Jewish community leaders have been
pressing American Jewish groups, such as the ADL, to cease assisting
the government of Turkey in its denial of the Armenian Genocide. In
a January 10, 2010, letter to the Jewish Times of South Jersey, three
prominent Rabbis from Massachusetts wrote that "precisely because of
our experience, Jews and Jewish groups need to be fighting genocide
denial, not engaging in it as a way of validating the tragedies of
our own history."
Mirrored after H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide resolution which
passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2007, H. Res. 252
boasts 137 cosponsors and is currently pending in the aforementioned
committee. "What the world witnessed at the turn of the 20th century
is being repeated again at the dawn of the 21st century today in
Darfur. By signing the online petition, one can play an important
role in helping to end the vicious cycle of genocide," stated Assembly
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.