NEWBURYPORT BECOMES 11TH MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPALITY TO END TIES WITH NO PLACE FOR HATE COMMITTEE
armradio.am
05.02.2008 10:29
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 … 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 … the [ADL’s] failure to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923 as anything other than
"tantamount to genocide," … 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.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
