Author: Hagop Kamalian

Australia’s peak human rights body has added an avowed holocaust denier to its Racism Stops With Me campaign, writes

Olympic legend Dawn Fraser was intolerant for suggesting that tennis player Nick Kyrgios go back to where his parents came from. Senator Eric Abetz’s referral to US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as a “negro” was harmful.

Covering up the murder of a nation, and branding those pursuing its remembrance as motivated by material gain – that’s no problem.

This is the stance of Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), in embracing the Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance (ATAA) as an official partner in the Racism. It Stops With Me campaign.

The ATAA is an aggressive denier of the Armenian genocide, the Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of its Armenian subjects from 1915 to 1923, a campaign that claimed up to 1.5 million lives and also engulfed that empire’s Assyrian and Greek populations.

The stance of the Australian Human Rights Commission is an embarrassment to a growing number of Turks who acknowledge the Armenian genocide, including Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, co-chairman of the German Greens party Cem Özdemir, the Turkish Human Rights Association and the Peoples’ Democratic Congress of Turkey, whose political wing is the fourth largest party in Turkey’s parliament.

In misrepresenting the Armenian genocide as a ‘debate’ between Armenians and Turks, the ATAA wilfully disregards Raphael Lemkin (the jurist who coined the term ‘genocide’ and spearheaded efforts in outlawing it), the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, the International Association of Genocide Scholars and 29 national parliaments, including that of Turkey’s First World War allies Germany and Austria.

The ATAA has sponsored speaking tours of notorious genocide deniers. It has praised the Talaat Pasha Committee, an organisation named after one of the twentieth century’s worst mass murderers and deemed “xenophobic and racist” by the European Parliament.

It also accuses Armenian-Australians of having unscrupulous motives – by unduly seeking “land and compensation” – in affirming the genocide, even though that calamity ultimately explains how most Armenian-Australians came to be here.

None of this has stopped Tim Soutphommasane from anointing the ATAA as an anti-racism crusader. His endorsement is all the more strange given unequivocal condemnations of the Armenian genocide by past and present leaders of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), including Tim Wilson, Sev Ozdowski, Marcus Einfeld and Brian Burdekin.

The Turkish community is a valued partner in our fight against racism – Australian Muslims are on the receiving end of some of the worst discrimination in our society. But why choose the ATAA for this purpose?

The ATAA’s denial harms members of Australia’s Armenian, Assyrian and Greek communities, many of whom are descendants of genocide victims and survivors. It renders impossible any healing process for them. And it represents what Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel calls a “double killing”, as it strives to destroy the memory of the victims.

Denial also harms the perpetrators and their descendants. To this day, Turkey struggles in its dealings with minority communities – just ask the Kurds.

Democratic norms there are under constant pressure. Dissidents are liable to two years’ imprisonment if they publicly denigrate “the Turkish Nation”, its parliament, judiciary or military or police forces.

National pride continues to be safeguarded by rehabilitating war criminals like Talaat Pasha (he enjoys an official memorial in Istanbul and has streets named after him throughout Turkey) instead of celebrating the true Turkish heroes of that period, the victims’ rescuers.

Denial harms third parties too. In Australia, our Federal Government vacillates between evasion and silence in dealing with the Armenian genocide, in an effort not to offend the Turks.

Exhibits at the Australian War Memorial omit mention of the Armenian genocide, despite its eruption coinciding with the Gallipoli landings, and Anzac prisoners-of-war witnessing some of the misery to which Armenians were subjected.

Australians have been the poorer for not knowing that our typically generous response to overseas disasters has its origins in our relief efforts for Armenian genocide survivors. This incredible humanitarian campaign lasted some 25 years – between 1915 and 1940 – reaching its peak in the mid 1920s. February 3, 1918 was even declared ‘Armenia Sunday’ across the nation, with churches from every denomination engaged in the fundraising.

These and other neglected parts of Australian history are the subject of the upcoming book by Vicken Babkenian and Peter Stanley, Armenia, Australia and the Great War, published by NewSouth Books.

The Racism. It Stops With Me campaign now counts amongst its partners an organisation peddling genocide denial (the ATAA) and another that valiantly fights Holocaust denial (the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission).

At least you can’t say the AHRC isn’t committed to diversity of opinion.

Meher Grigorian is a director of the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

 

 

Reuters – There have been 13 popes named Leo in the history of the Roman Catholic Church but perhaps none of them was as famous as the Leo who entered the Vatican on Thursday – Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio, who is known as Leo, was received by Pope Francis, the Vatican said, without giving details.

But the one-line announcement was enough to send photographers and television crews scrambling to stake out the Vatican’s gates to try to catch him coming out.

Footage issued later from Vatican television showed that the audience was connected to their mutual concern about the environment and climate change.

DiCaprio, speaking Italian, thanked the pope for receiving him and then, switching to English, gave him a book of paintings by 16th century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.

Pointing to one painting, DiCaprio told the pope it had hung over his bed as a boy and said “through my child’s eyes it represented our planet.”

“It represents to me the promise of the future and enlightenment and it is representational of your view here as well,” he said. He later gave the pope a check for an undisclosed sum which appeared to be a donation for papal charities.

Last week, the 41-year-old Oscar nominee was honored at the 22nd Annual Crystal Awards held at the World Economic Forum in Davos for his foundation’s support of conservation and sustainability projects.

The pope wrote a major Catholic Church document known as an encyclical last year in defense of the environment and has often said that time was running out for mankind to save the planet from the potentially devastating effects of global warming.

The pope gave DiCaprio a copy of his encyclical and asked the actor to pray for him.

A historic Armenian church in eastern Turkey may be permitted to celebrate Mass more often, according to Anadolu Agency.

The Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Lake Van’s Akhtamar Island currently must apply for permission to hold religious services.

The Turkish government allowed Mass to be celebrated for the first time in 95 years there in 2010.

According to the reports, the Turkish government plans to increase fundamental rights of ethnic and religious minorities in the country.

Among these proposed measures are the renaming of certain towns and villages to their original names.

Kurdish-language announcements could be introduced on flights to some regions.

Asa Kent Jennings was an American hero who saved 250,000 people during the Armenian Genocide.

Despite his awe-inspiring life-saving deeds, his story has not been properly recognized, not only around the world, but also in the USA and in Armenia.

The Board of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation has resolved to pay tribute to his legacy in a series of activities that will be made public soon.

Jennings was a small-town handicapped Minister originally from upstate New York. At the beginning of the 20th century he worked in the affluent city of Smyrna in Turkey, as a YMCA employee.

In September 1922, the Turkish nationalist army entered the city with the intent of slaughtering all its Christian residents, mostly Armenians and Greek. A huge blaze erupted through the city on September 13, trapping scores of refugees in a narrow strip by the sea. Hundreds of thousands were doome to die on the city s waterfront. Many of them were succumbing to plagues, hunger and thirst, under the Turkish siege.

Aware of their plight, Jennings had set-up a first-aid station for pregnant women in an empty home on the waterfront. He then organized a fleet of ships with the help of the US Navy in an audacious and imaginative rescue plan.

The Jennings evacuation removed 250,000 refugess from Smyrna and relocated them to the Greek Islands and the cities of Thessaloniki and Piraeus.

This blitz operation took only 7 days, to meet a Turkish city amidst threats of deportation. His courage and shrewdness saved the lives of a quarter million innocent human beings from a terrible death.

Asa Kent Jennings is a great American rescuer who went out of his way to save scores of Armenians and Greeks and his legacy needs to be divulged for the world to know that people like him were not indifferent to the plight of other human beings.

His spirit of solidarity should be a beacon of hope and should teach us that one man can make a difference.

The IRWF decision to commemorate the feats of Asa Jennings are in the framework of the NGO s research efforts aimed at discovering the brave women and men who reached-out to the Armenians in their suffering

President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter, embroiled in a string of corruption scandals, should be given the Nobel Peace Prize.

“That is someone who should be given the Nobel Peace Prize,” Putin said of the FIFA boss who is facing corruption allegations over his management of the world footballing body.

“His contribution to the global humanitarian sphere is colossal,” the Russian leader said.

The 22nd Armenian armed forces contingent, assigned to Multinational Battle Group-East’s Southern Command Post, said farewell to their multinational partners and welcomed the 23rd Armenian contingent to Kosovo during a transfer of authority ceremony, Dec. 12 at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, according to .

The 22nd Armenian contingent completed a six-month deployment in support of NATO’s Kosovo Force peace support mission, which maintains a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the citizens of Kosovo.

U.S. Army Maj. Stephan Nowakowski, the executive officer for MNBG-E’S SCP and the Connecticut National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, spoke to the incoming and outgoing contingents during the ceremony.

“Thank you for all the hard work you’ve done on this rotation,” said Nowakowski, in reference to the missions the contingent conducted to support KFOR and Kosovo’s law enforcement institutions. “This contingent has performed exceptionally well during your assignment here, and you have helped strengthen the entire MNBG-E by performing perimeter reaction force missions.”

“The outgoing contingent has been an important part of the SCP team,” Nowakowski said. “For those that have arrived in Kosovo, I welcome you to the KFOR mission and I know you will do extremely well.”

In their final remarks, senior leaders from the 22nd Armenian contingent thanked the MNBG-E command for their support throughout the deployment.

“It was a great experience working with our multinational partners. We learned a lot working with the multinational forces here, and most of all we admire and respect the professionalism presented here,” said. Maj. Karen Davtyan, commander of the outgoing Armenian contingent.

U.S. Army Col. Vernon Simpson, commander of the North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, and MNBG-E, was present at the ceremony, where he praised the outgoing contingent’s hard work and welcomed their replacements to the KFOR mission.

“Today marks the culmination of a very successful deployment for the 22nd Armenian contingent,” Simpson said. “Your presence as the perimeter reaction force at Camp Bondsteel has given me comfort and allowed me to focus in other areas.”

The soldiers in this unit were well-trained, prepared for the mission, and led by top-quality officers and noncommissioned officers, Simpson said.

Simpson welcomed the new contingent to MNBG-E at the close of his remarks by saying they have arrived in Kosovo at a critical point in history, and that he is confident that MNBG-E will continue to carry out its mission successfully with the help of Armenia’s 23rd contingent and all of KFOR’s multinational forces.

A local court in Ankara has fined Armenian-origin columnist Hayko Bağdat 1,160 Turkish Liras for “insulting” Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek via his Twitter account, after Gökçek complained that he had used the words “Armenian” and “disgusting” to describe him, the reports.

In his defense, Bağdat said Gökçek repeatedly asks his critics on social media whether they are “Armenian,” adding that the Ankara mayor is “disgusting” for using the term “Armenian” to describe people he dislikes. He demanded his acquittal and told the court that he did not deliberately intend to “insult” Gökçek.

Ali Deniz Ceylan, Bağdat’s lawyer, also told the court that Gökçek, who is well-known in Turkey as a prolific Twitter user, has tweeted many derogatory statements against which his client has responded.

However, Judge Süleyman Köksaldı sentenced Bağdat to a fine of 1,160 liras, while also delaying a compensation lawsuit opened by Gökçek against Bağdat.

Shortly after the ruling, Bağdat slammed the decision via his Twitter account on Dec. 7.

“My last words on this issue: Gökçek is committing a hate crime by calling anyone he dislikes ‘Armenian.’ This is disgusting behavior. Also, Gökçek himself is an Armenian,” he tweeted.

Back on Sept. 28, Bağdat told reporters that he faced a jail term after calling Gökçek “Armenian.”

“Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek has opened a court case [because] I called him ‘Armenian.’ Let me say why I called him ‘Armenian.’ Whenever he grabs a microphone or takes the keyboard in his hands, he calls his political rivals, the voters of his political rivals … journalists, and anyone he is angry with, ‘Armenian.’ He constantly says they are traitors because they are ‘Armenians’ or they have ‘Armenian’ roots, as if all elements making trouble for this country must somehow have a relationship to ‘Armenianness,’” he said.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Alan Mill, PACE co-rapporteur on Armenia, who has arrived in Armenia to observe the referendum on Constitutional changes.

President Sargsyan said the periodic meetings provide an opportunity to discuss issues related to the comprehensive cooperation between Armenia and the Council of Europe.

Serzh Sargsyan hailed Council of Europe’s support to the reinforcement of democracy, protection of human rights and rule of law in Armenia, underlining that Armenia has been consistently implementing reforms over the past years.

Alan Mill, in turn, praised the preparatory work done before the referendum and hailed the close cooperation with the Venice Commission.

“Please, accept out best wishes for your efforts towards Constitutional amendments,” Alan Mill said.

Photo:  Sputnik/ Dmitry Astakhov

 

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday that Moscow has already taken and will take diplomatic and military measures after the downing of a Russian Su-24 bomber by Turkey, Sputnik News reports.

The Russian prime minister said that the downing of the Russian warplane over Syria was an “act of aggression” committed by Turkey.

“This was certainly an act of aggression against our country by Turkey, our neighbor and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.”

“Military and diplomatic measures with regard to this crime have already been taken and more will be taken,” Medvedev said during a governmental meeting on Thursday.

On Tuesday, a Russian Su-24 jet crashed in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the plane was downed over Syrian territory by an air-to-air missile launched by a Turkish F-16 jet, and fell 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Turkish border. Putin described the Turkish attack as a “stab in the back” carried out by “accomplices of terrorists.”

Dmitry Medvedev has instructed the Russian government on Thursday to work out measures against Turkey after Tuesday’s downing of a Russian military jet.

Moscow may freeze economic cooperation, limit trade spheres as possible measures against Ankara, Medvedev said.

“[The measures include] the suspension of the implementation of programs of economic cooperation, restrictions on financial transactions and on foreign trade transactions, changes in customs duties of import and export, measures in the tourism sector, with regard to transportation, including transit.“

Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow’s response actions would not contradict WTO norms.

According to Medvedev, measures taken by Russia will be temporary and depend on the development of Moscow-Ankara relations and international situation.

The prime minister said that Russian authorities were considering the introduction of bans on Turkish companies’ activities in the country.

The suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, has been identified among Saint Denis raid dead, the Paris prosecutor has said, the BBC reports.

His body was found riddled with bullets and shrapnel in the building in northern Paris on Wednesday.

The Belgian national, 27, was identified from his fingerprints.