10,000 SIGN ONLINE PETITION URGING U.S. RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Asbarez
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Signatories exemplify widespread support of Armenian Genocide
recognition and genocide prevention advocacy
BOSTON, MA – A petition campaign created by a broad coalition of
Boston-area Jewish and Armenian groups and community members has
surpassed its original goal of 10,000 signatures and continues to gain
support. The online petition hosted by Change.org urges U.S. officials
to stand up to Turkey’s multi-million dollar campaign of genocide
denial, specifically calling on Congress and President Obama to
officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.
While the organizers are based in Boston, the petition has spread
throughout the country reaching every state and hundreds of cities.
"When you look at the diversity of those who signed the petition, it
is clear that there is a strong demand by Americans throughout the
country that the United States recognize the Armenian Genocide. It
demonstrates that this is not simply an Armenian issue, but a powerful
call to align America’s foreign policy with human rights and historical
truth," said ANC member and coalition co-chair Laura Boghosian.
The petition’s letter to members of Congress and President Obama
states, "As we confront the specter of genocide and its denial in the
21st century, our government has a duty to ensure that the lessons of
the past are not forgotten. The time is long overdue for the United
States to stand up to Turkish pressure and join the 43 individual U.S.
states and numerous countries and international bodies that have
affirmed the Armenian Genocide."
The 10,000-signature mark comes just weeks after President Obama
refused to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. "Even though
President Obama failed to honor his pledge this past April 24th, we
will continue to fight for truth and justice. Through generating a
groundswell of public support that we know exists, we will lead our
elected officials to do the right thing and recognize the Armenian
Genocide," said Ara Nazarian, co-chair of the Armenian National
Committee of Massachusetts.
The coalition is an outgrowth of a dialogue between members of the
Boston-area Jewish and Armenian communities that was initiated by
Rabbi Howard L. Jaffe of Temple Isaiah, Lexington, Massachusetts,
in reaction to the Anti-Defamation League’s lobbying for the Turkish
government against affirmation of the Armenian Genocide. Rabbi Jaffe
first advocated recognition of the Armenian Genocide in October 2007,
when he told the New York Times that he must do what is "right and
righteous." In 2008, he co-authored an article with Boghosian that
condemned the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) lobbying and called upon
the Jewish community to join in efforts to recognize the Armenian
Genocide. He also invited the local Armenian community to participate
in a joint Holocaust-Genocide commemoration at the temple, inviting
Dr. Richard Hovannisian to speak on the parallels between the Armenian
Genocide and the Holocaust.
Joining Rabbi Jaffe and Ms. Boghosian on the steering committee
of the dialogue group were Rabbis Ronne Friedman and Elaine Zecher
of Temple Israel in Boston, ANC member Dikran Kaligian, and Temple
Isaiah members Howard Cohen and Alan Millner. Others active in the
work of the coalition are Herman Purutyan of the Armenian Assembly,
women’s health advocate Judy Norsigian, and Eric Cohen, chair of the
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur.
Individuals and activists representing an impressive collection of
Boston-area anti-genocide and community organizations participated
in dialogue meetings over the past year, and groups elsewhere have
endorsed the work of the coalition.
The effort was supported by the Armenian National Committee of
Massachusetts (ANC-MA), the Armenian American Action Committee
of Massachusetts (ARAMAC-MA), and Investors Against Genocide,
a broad-based coalition formed as a result of the grassroots "No
Place for Denial" campaign spotlighting the ADL’s denial of the
Armenian Genocide. Although the ADL has stated that the death of 1.5
million Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government was "tantamount
to genocide," it continues to speak out against U.S. affirmation of
that crime against humanity. Complete details of the campaign can be
viewed at
Click here to sign the petition.
To learn more about the initiative, the complete list
of co-sponsors, and the Armenian Genocide, visit: