CITY OF CARSON UNANIMOUSLY VOTES AGAINST ATATURK MONUMENT
[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]
By MassisPost
Updated: March 5, 2015
Proposed Mustafa Kemal monument in the City of Carson.
CARSON – Voting unanimously, the Carson City Council opposed a
monument on March 4, 2015 commemorating Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the
city’s International Sculpture Garden, which aims to honor world
leaders who have promoted peace during their lifetimes, reported the
Armenian Council of America. (ACA)
“In an unprecedented show of opposition to the proposed
monument, the Armenian American community including the ACA, Armenian
National Committee (ANC) and the Armenian Caucus of the Service
Employees International Union Local 721 (SEIU 721) filled the Council
Chamber to express, in solidarity, their vehement opposition to the
project,†said ACA Chairman Sevak Khatchadorian. “The
proposed monument glorifies Ataturk, a man deemed by historians as
a dictator and promoter of ethnic cleansing of Armenians, Greeks,
Assyrians, and other minorities; a movement that provided the basis
for the persecution of minorities in Turkey.â€
Barry Heads II, representing the office of Assemblymember Mike Gipson,
read a letter written by Assemblymember Gipson and co-authored by
Assemblymembers Atchajian, Gatto, Wilk and Nazarian.
Barry Heads II, representing the office of Assemblymember Mike Gipson,
read a letter written by Assemblymember Gipson and co-authored by
Assemblymembers Atchajian, Gatto, Wilk and Nazarian.
Barry Heads II, representing the office of Assemblymember Mike Gipson,
read a letter written by Assemblymember Gipson and co-authored by
Assemblymembers Atchajian, Gatto, Wilk and Nazarian.
“The proposed moment…. is incredibly insensitive and
insulting to the memories of those who died, and their surviving
families,†the letter read. “To erect a statue of Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk ignores the sensitive political context behind this
controversial individual, and goes against the stance taken by our
representative bodies at the state and federal level. Out of respect
for those who perished and the loved ones they left behind, we voice
our opposition.â€
Speaking on behalf of the Turkish community was Consul Genaral
of Turkey, Raife Gulru Gezer, who listed the names of political
and religious leaders who have praised Ataturk. She continued by
citing names of Armenians who were honored by Ataturk and insisted
that the monument would be commemorating a remarkable leader and
founder of the modern Republic of Turkey. Aris Aganos, founder of
the American Hellenic Council, shared with the Council his memories
of the haunting stories told by family members about the burning of
Smyrna by the Turks.
ACA Chairman Sevak Khatchadorian, along with Armen Sefyan Esq.;
Glendlae City Clerk Ardashes Kasakhian, and Glendale City Mayot
Zareh Sinanian
ACA Chairman Sevak Khatchadorian, along with Armen Sefyan Esq.;
Glendlae City Clerk Ardashes Kasakhian, and Glendale City Mayot
Zareh Sinanian
Other elected officials who voiced their concerns in opposition to the
monument included City of Montebello Mayor Jack Hadjinian, a direct
descendant of the atrocities committed by Ataturk, who told the City
Council that they would be honoring a man who murdered his family if
they voted in favor of the monument. Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan
also revealed historical information about Ataturk as Glendale City
Clerk Ardashes Kassakhian shared an emotional story about his Greek and
Armenian ancestors who both suffered inhumanity under Ataturk’s
reign of power.
Both sides of the aisle provided testimony, however only 6 speakers
from each side were allowed to speak due to time constraints and an
overwhelming number of speakers – there were 298 speakers in opposition
to the monument and only 101 in support of the monument.
The Mayor had proposed a motion to move the item to the next Council
Meeting, however Councilmembers Robles and Holmes insisted on voting
for the motion. After speaking to the audience about the importance
of reconciliation and moving forward in unity, Mayor Dear, a history
instructor, expressed that he is a proponent of acknowledging the
Armenian Genocide and that there are revisionists who try to deny
that such an event occurred in history.
“The monument would bring bad notoriety to the City of
Carson,†said Councilmember Holmes and continued by stating
that city should not accept the gift.
The Armenian Council of America is a grassroots organization dedicated
to working with all political leaders, offering Armenian related
news, analysis and resources for policymakers, media, students and
activists, advocating issues important to Armenian Americans. The
Armenian Council of America aims to strengthen U.S. – Armenia and
U.S. – Nagorno Karabakh ties, the development of programs promoting
sustainable economic growth and good governance in Armenia, while
promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship.
Letter to Carson City Council by Assemblymembers Gipson, Atchajian,
Gatto, Wilk and Nazarian
Letter to Carson City Council by Assemblymembers Gipson, Atchajian,
Gatto, Wilk and Nazarian
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[City-of-Carson2-300×225.jpg]
[City-of-Carson3-300×225.jpg]
urk-monument/
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Carson City Council Unanimously Rejects Ataturk Monument Measure
Posted on March 5, 2015
CARSON, CA – Earlier this evening, the Carson City Council unanimously
rejected the proposal to erect a memorial monument for Genocide
Perpetrator and Denier Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the city’s
International Sculpture Garden.
The 4-0 vote came after an overflow crowd of community organizations,
leaders, activists and Thank you Carson concerned community members
packed Carson’s City Hall to voice their concerns during the
public comment session. While over 298 members opposing the monument
and 101 in favor submitted cards to speak, only 6 from each side were
afforded the opportunity to comment.
In the weeks leading up to today’s vote, the ANCA-WR, Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, Armenian Youth Federation, American Hellenic
Council, elected officials from neighboring cities, and the concerned
citizenry of the local South Bay community, respectively had all
been educating the Carson City Councilmembers who had been lobbied by
the Los Angeles Turkish American Association with the ill-conceived
proposition for erecting a statue of Ataturk on public grounds and
rallying the community for tonight’s meeting.
“We thank our grassroots and the community based organizations
for their unrelenting vigor to time and again advocate for the
truth, which Turkish lobbyists shamelessly and unsuccessfully, as
evidenced today, try to bury with corrupt funding and preposterous
schemes,†stated ANCA-WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan.
“We applaud Mayor Jim Dear, Mayor Pro Tempore Elita Santarina,
and Councilmembers Lula Davis-Homes and Albert Robles for listening
to the testimonies and comments from our community and allies and
voting against such revisionist agendas,†added Asatryan.
Glendale City Mayor Zareh Sinanyan was the first to speak in opposition
of the proposal, and 11034301_10153094804831147_3323654472151318119_n
recounted his family’s personal story of survival of the
Armenian Genocide.
He informed the Carson City Council that Ataturk was idolized by Nazi
Germany and by Hitler for how he ‘liberated’ Turkey. This
liberation, however, included trying to finish what the Armenian
Genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey attempted but failed-total
annihilation of the Armenians. At the end of his comments Mayor
Sinanyan urged the Council to vote against the measure and noted that
having an Ataturk Memorial would be the same as having one of Hitler.
“To honor Ataturk is to honor murder, rape, dictatorship,
repression, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Today the Armenian community
of S. California made sure there is no place for that here or anywhere
else in the civilized world,†stated Mayor Sinanyan.
Sinanyan’s statements were followed by Honorable Mayor
of Montebello Jack Hadjinian, Glendale City Clerk Ardashes
“Ardy†Kassakhian, Professor Levon Marashlian, and the
Vice Chairman of the American Hellenic Council Aris Anagnos who shed
light on the historical facts surrounding the Armenian Genocide and
Ataturk, all urging the Council to reject this ridiculous measure.
In his remarks, Anagnos posed the question that crossed the minds of
many “Why would an American city choose to honor a General who
fought against Americans?â€
Professor of History, Dr. Levon Marashlian during his public comment
recounted the words spoken by Ataturk himself who once asserted,
“I am a dictator so that Turkey will never again have a
dictator.†Marashlian noted that Mustafa Kemal continued
the crimes of the Armenian Genocide and read an excerpt from
American nurse Edith Woods’ eyewitness testimony in 1922 of
the atrocities committed against the Armenians during Kemal’s
forced deportations of the Armenians from Turkey. “The children
would often be dead before I had taken their names. 40 to 50 of the
older women died each day, their mouths were massive sores and their
teeth were dropping out and their feet, those poor bleeding feet.
Deportation assured death, and a far more horrible death than
massacre. Unless one sees these things it is difficult to believe
that such monstrous cruelty and barbarity exists in the world.â€
“As elected officials it is our responsibility to properly
identify real historical figures and honor photo (10) them for their
true heroism or public service rather than ignore the facts and
glorify villains who thrived from the blood of our ancestors or of
any innocent man,†stated Montebello Mayor Jack Hadjinian.
“Ataturk built the modern republic of Turkey upon the bones
and ashes of its minorities – Greeks, Armenians and others. My own
family survived the burning of Smyrna – one of the worst catastrophes
of the 20th century. To honor such a man is not only insult to
Armenian-Americans but to all Americans who believe that every
person is born with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness,†remarked Glendale city clerk Ardashes Kassakhian.
“Ataturk and his regime denied thousands of these rights. It
is upsetting that the Mayor of Carson has invited upon his city the
stain of honoring a Genocide denier by proposing such an inappropriate
monument. A more appropriate monument would be one to honor the
victims of Ataturk’s regime,†added Kassakhian.
California State Assemblymembers submitted a letter in opposition to
the monument, which was presented at the meeting by a representative
of Assemblymember and former Carson City Councilman Mike Gipson,
and co-signed by Assemblymembers Adrin Nazarian, Katcho Achadjian,
Scott Wilk and Mike Gatto.
When Turkish Consul General of Los Angeles
Raife Gulru Gezer, who was one of the 6 to speak in
11025734_10206083551588985_3664930548140104248_n favor of the proposed
monument, addressed the City Council, an overwhelming majority of
the crowd in attendance turned their backs to her in protest.
Carson Mayor Jim Dear, who initiated the monument proposal and
used unfair tactics including initially permitting an additional
speaker in favor of than in opposition to the monument and providing
unlimited speaking time to foreign agent Turkish Consul General of Los
Angeles Raife Gulru Gezer, while curtailing the voice of the American
citizenry, made a motion to table the item to a future meeting. The
motion was rejected by the other Councilmembers who did not want to
delay the vote.
Prior to making a motion to reject the monument Councilmember Robles
stated “This type of monument would bring bad notoriety to
our City.†In the end, Dear changed his vote and spent over
10 minutes talking about the atrocities that took place during the
Armenian Genocide.
Armenian press, including Asbarez, was not allowed to enter the City
Council chamber. However, CNN Turk and ABC7 were allowed to cover
the proceedings from inside the chamber.
Upon confirmation of today’s scheduled
vote, ANCA-WR disseminated an action alert, to which
its11051903_863466380359231_7555945855876169548_n highly mobilized
grassroots responded swiftly. Phone calls and e-mails expressed
the grave concerns of Armenian-Americans who questioned why the
city of Carson would ever consider memorializing a genocide denier,
perpetrator and profiteer, calling their attention to the precarious
timing of the vote just weeks away from the Centennial anniversary
of the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923, committed by Ottoman Turkey,
a crime still unpunished, and for which recognition, reparations and
restitution are justly sought.
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.
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