PRESS RELEASE
Date: April 1, 2008
Armenian National Committee of Michigan
19310 Ford Rd., Dearborn, MI 48128
Contact: Armen Derderian
Tel: 248-635-7896
ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS PROTEST APPEARANCE OF ABRAHAM FOXMAN IN
BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN
Birmingham, MI- On Wednesday, March 26, 2008, protesters gathered
in front of the Birmingham Community House to protest the
appearance of Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-
Defamation League (ADL), reported the Armenian National Committee
of Michigan (ANC of MI).
The peaceful rally, which drew activists from all over Michigan,
was led by the local chapters of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation and the Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization. For
two hours, activists held signs and distributed information about
the ADL to those attending the event. It was later discovered that
Mr. Foxman had unexpectedly canceled his appearance at the event.
"The Armenian community will not be silenced when it comes to
speaking out on the truth," commented ANC of MI Chairman Armen
Derderian. "We will continue to work here in Michigan and
throughout the nation to expose the Abraham Foxman’s complicity of
denial on this important human rights issue."
Prior to the demonstration, on Sunday, March 23, 2008 the
organizing bodies placed a full-page advertisement in the Observer
& Eccentric newspaper. The article entitled "Shame on You Abraham
H. Foxman" alerted readers to the ongoing controversies of the
ADL’s denial, as well as educated the public about the Armenian
Genocide.
Since August2007, the ADL has been under pressure from a series of
grassroots protests, led by the Armenian National Committee along
with progressive Jewish figures, to change its policy regarding the
Armenian Genocide. Armenian and several Jewish leaders remain
concerned as the ADL continues to use equivocal, euphemistic
phrasing to describe the events of 1915, and openly opposes the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, H. Res. 106, which was passed by the
House Foreign Affairs Committee by a 27 to 21 vote on October 10,
2007.
Recently, former ADL Regional Director for the New England Region,
Andrew H. Tarsy, who was fired for calling upon the ADL National
Director Abe Foxman to reverse the organization’s policy and
properly characterize the Armenian Genocide, has teamed up with
Facing History and Ourselves. This Brookline-based educational
organization focuses on preventing prejudice by teaching about the
Holocaust and other examples of genocide.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) 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 ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.
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Photo Caption#1: Armenian community activists gathered outside the
Birmingham Community House’photo credit Edward L. Mullins
Photo Caption #2: Community activists hold up signs and pass out
flyers to onlookers
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
