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After split, town mulls own antibias effort
By Connie Paige, Globe Correspondent | October 21, 2007
Sosse Beugekian says her family has not forgotten what happened to her
great-grandparents a century ago.
A purge and mass slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks prompted the
18-year-old's great-grandparents to settle in Lebanon. Seven years
ago, she said, she and her parents migrated from there to Lexington.
Last week, Beugekian, a Lexington High School senior, organized a
student petition to selectmen asking them to sever ties to the
Anti-Defamation League's No Place for Hate program because of ADL's
stance on the atrocity against Armenians.
"We obviously want everyone to recognize the Armenian genocide," said
Beugekian, who added that she helped persuade more than 250 fellow
students to sign the petition.
At the urging of Armenian-Americans and others, Lexington and
Arlington have joined the growing chorus of communities that have
decided to break with the No Place for Hate program, despite the ADL's
move to modify its stance on the Armenian genocide.
Now, Lexington selectmen are appointing an organizing committee to
recommend how to carry on the work of No Place for Hate without the
offending political ties and suggesting ways to carry its message of
tolerance statewide. The recommendations are expected within six weeks
or so, said Jeanne Krieger, board chairwoman.
The turmoil over No Place for Hate is occurring as Congress tries to
come to grips with how to characterize the deportation and killing of
as many as 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and
1923 that many scholars call genocide. A resolution to that effect
faces opposition from the Bush administration.
As debate rages in local, state, and national board rooms, Al Gordon,
ADL's associate Northeast regional director, said the group regrets
the most recent votes against No Place for Hate.
"We believe that No Place for Hate has been and continues to be a
valuable tool for combating hate and promoting diversity in about 60
Massachusetts communities," Gordon said. "We think the towns have
benefited greatly from the programs' capabilities and their access to
the expertise that the Anti-Defamation League brings to the realm of
bias and hate crimes."
Gordon added that many individuals within the ADL, including some
members of the Northeast regional chapter, "have acknowledged the
Armenian genocide."
Still, Sharistan Melkonian, chairwoman of the Armenian National
Committee of Massachusetts, said communities are taking a stand
because a statement by a national ADL officer about the genocide did
not go far enough. She was referring to the statement in August by ADL
executive director Abraham Foxman that the atrocities were
"tantamount" to genocide.
The votes in Lexington and Arlington followed similar withdrawals in
Belmont, Newton, and Watertown. Medford is also considering severing
its ties with No Place for Hate, Melkonian said.
Before the selectmen's vote last week, Lexington had already
experienced lengthy public and private debate among members of the
local No Place for Hate Committee that sparked outrage earlier this
month from the town's Armenian-American community.
Three Armenian-American residents complained after they were barred
from an unannounced meeting that the local No Place for Hate committee
held behind closed doors at Town Hall to help determine how they would
approach selectmen about the controversy.
Laura Boghosian, one of those excluded, said she believes ADL holds
contradictory positions - on the one hand supporting human rights,
and, on the other, backing Turkey, as a close ally of Israel.
Officials in Turkey have denied that the killings of Armenians
constituted genocide.
"They have to make a choice what kind of organization they're going to
be," Boghosian said last week of the ADL. "I don't think they can do
both."
As part of its human rights mission, the ADL established the No Place
for Hate program in 1999 to promote diversity and allow communities to
take a stand against bias.
To earn the designation, cities and towns had to show the ADL that
they had taken certain steps, including hosting at least three
antibias events. Communities would then receive recertification each
year, provided they held at least two more annual events.
But after the ADL fired its regional director in August for
acknowledging the Armenian genocide, some towns began to withdraw from
No Place for Hate. The regional director, Andrew Tarsy, has since been
rehired.
Along with local communities, the Massachusetts Municipal Association
is "monitoring the matter," said Geoffrey Beckwith, executive
director.
The municipal association released a statement last month saying the
slaughter of Armenians "must be recognized by all as a genocide."
Beckwith said the association has called on the national ADL to
respond to the criticism during a November meeting of the group's
national governing board.
"After that, we will certainly evaluate our official sponsorship,"
Beckwith said.
Meanwhile, Lexington's Krieger said she believes that a statewide
coalition of local human rights commissions could be the vehicle for
No Place for Hate's message.
Beugekian applauded the idea of having new local and statewide
organizations as watchdogs against bias instead of No Place for Hate.
"I think that's the best solution," she said. "They've done a lot of
good work, and we've heard about them in school, too. We all
appreciate their work."
Connie Paige can be reached at [email protected].
(c) Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
Source: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/ 21/after_split_town_mulls_own_antibias_effort/
By Connie Paige, Globe Correspondent | October 21, 2007
Sosse Beugekian says her family has not forgotten what happened to her
great-grandparents a century ago.
A purge and mass slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks prompted the
18-year-old's great-grandparents to settle in Lebanon. Seven years
ago, she said, she and her parents migrated from there to Lexington.
Last week, Beugekian, a Lexington High School senior, organized a
student petition to selectmen asking them to sever ties to the
Anti-Defamation League's No Place for Hate program because of ADL's
stance on the atrocity against Armenians.
"We obviously want everyone to recognize the Armenian genocide," said
Beugekian, who added that she helped persuade more than 250 fellow
students to sign the petition.
At the urging of Armenian-Americans and others, Lexington and
Arlington have joined the growing chorus of communities that have
decided to break with the No Place for Hate program, despite the ADL's
move to modify its stance on the Armenian genocide.
Now, Lexington selectmen are appointing an organizing committee to
recommend how to carry on the work of No Place for Hate without the
offending political ties and suggesting ways to carry its message of
tolerance statewide. The recommendations are expected within six weeks
or so, said Jeanne Krieger, board chairwoman.
The turmoil over No Place for Hate is occurring as Congress tries to
come to grips with how to characterize the deportation and killing of
as many as 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and
1923 that many scholars call genocide. A resolution to that effect
faces opposition from the Bush administration.
As debate rages in local, state, and national board rooms, Al Gordon,
ADL's associate Northeast regional director, said the group regrets
the most recent votes against No Place for Hate.
"We believe that No Place for Hate has been and continues to be a
valuable tool for combating hate and promoting diversity in about 60
Massachusetts communities," Gordon said. "We think the towns have
benefited greatly from the programs' capabilities and their access to
the expertise that the Anti-Defamation League brings to the realm of
bias and hate crimes."
Gordon added that many individuals within the ADL, including some
members of the Northeast regional chapter, "have acknowledged the
Armenian genocide."
Still, Sharistan Melkonian, chairwoman of the Armenian National
Committee of Massachusetts, said communities are taking a stand
because a statement by a national ADL officer about the genocide did
not go far enough. She was referring to the statement in August by ADL
executive director Abraham Foxman that the atrocities were
"tantamount" to genocide.
The votes in Lexington and Arlington followed similar withdrawals in
Belmont, Newton, and Watertown. Medford is also considering severing
its ties with No Place for Hate, Melkonian said.
Before the selectmen's vote last week, Lexington had already
experienced lengthy public and private debate among members of the
local No Place for Hate Committee that sparked outrage earlier this
month from the town's Armenian-American community.
Three Armenian-American residents complained after they were barred
from an unannounced meeting that the local No Place for Hate committee
held behind closed doors at Town Hall to help determine how they would
approach selectmen about the controversy.
Laura Boghosian, one of those excluded, said she believes ADL holds
contradictory positions - on the one hand supporting human rights,
and, on the other, backing Turkey, as a close ally of Israel.
Officials in Turkey have denied that the killings of Armenians
constituted genocide.
"They have to make a choice what kind of organization they're going to
be," Boghosian said last week of the ADL. "I don't think they can do
both."
As part of its human rights mission, the ADL established the No Place
for Hate program in 1999 to promote diversity and allow communities to
take a stand against bias.
To earn the designation, cities and towns had to show the ADL that
they had taken certain steps, including hosting at least three
antibias events. Communities would then receive recertification each
year, provided they held at least two more annual events.
But after the ADL fired its regional director in August for
acknowledging the Armenian genocide, some towns began to withdraw from
No Place for Hate. The regional director, Andrew Tarsy, has since been
rehired.
Along with local communities, the Massachusetts Municipal Association
is "monitoring the matter," said Geoffrey Beckwith, executive
director.
The municipal association released a statement last month saying the
slaughter of Armenians "must be recognized by all as a genocide."
Beckwith said the association has called on the national ADL to
respond to the criticism during a November meeting of the group's
national governing board.
"After that, we will certainly evaluate our official sponsorship,"
Beckwith said.
Meanwhile, Lexington's Krieger said she believes that a statewide
coalition of local human rights commissions could be the vehicle for
No Place for Hate's message.
Beugekian applauded the idea of having new local and statewide
organizations as watchdogs against bias instead of No Place for Hate.
"I think that's the best solution," she said. "They've done a lot of
good work, and we've heard about them in school, too. We all
appreciate their work."
Connie Paige can be reached at [email protected].
(c) Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
Source: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/ 21/after_split_town_mulls_own_antibias_effort/