Armenian and Jewish Leaders Launch Genocide Recognition Campaign
Last Updated on Monday, 29 November 1999 16:00 Written by HyeSpace Friday, 05 February 2010 12:01
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Armenian and Jewish leaders from the city of Boston 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.
"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.
Source: http://www.armradio.am/news/?part=pol&id=16700