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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AFFIRM SUPPORT FOR CONGRESSIONAL ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTIONS
armradio.am
13.09.2007 13:06
A broad spectrum of Los Angeles area community groups have joined with
national organizations in speaking out in support of Congressional
legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide and in voicing their
disappointment over the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) ongoing
opposition to this human rights legislation, reported the Armenian
National Committee ï~^- Western Region (ANC-WR).
The comments come in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding
ADL National Director Abraham Foxmanï~^'s recent statements regarding
the Armenian Genocide in which he publicly opposed House and Senate
Armenian Genocide resolutions (H.Res.106 /S.Res.106). H.Res.106 enjoys
the broad bipartisan support of over 225 cosponsors in the House,
a clear majority of its membership, while S. Res. 106 currently has
31 cosponsors.
UCLA History Professor David Myers argued that, ï~^"Foxman should
follow the logic of his own statement and take the essential next step
of supporting HR 106". The well-respected scholar went on to urge the
Southern California ADL Board to ï~^"either announce its support for H.
Res. 106 - if not here in the heart of the Armenian Diaspora, then
where? Or else renounce the organizationï~^'s declared mission ï~^'to
secure justice and fair treatment for all.ï~^'ï~^"
Jewish World Watch Founding President and Executive Director Janice
Kamenir-Reznik and Tzivia Schwartz-Getzug concurred, stating that
ï~^"as a community with first-hand knowledge and experience of
the ravages of genocide, we have a particular moral obligation
to stand up and ask our government to recognize what we know as
true: that 1.5 million Armenians were systematically slaughtered
in a government-sponsored campaign of genocide against them. The
Anti-Defamation Leagueï~^'s announcement that it would finally
recognize the Armenian Genocide as genocide is clearly a step in the
right direction. However, we believe that the ADL, the premiere Jewish
anti-discrimination agency in this country, must go a step further
and join in asking our government to do the same.ï~^" Similarly,
Progressive Jewish Alliance Executive Director Daniel Sokatch
noted. ï~^"ï~^'Never Againï~^' applies to all people everywhere.ï~^"
These Southern California Jewish American leaders and organizations
added their voice to a broad range of organizations which have
called for passage of Armenian Genocide legislation, including the
American Federation of Jews from Central Europe (New York, NY), the
American Jewish World Service (New York, NY), Americans for Peace
Now (Washington,D.C.), the Center for Russian Jewry with Student
Struggle for Soviet Jewry (New York, NY), the Jewish Social Policy
Action Network (Philadelphia, PA), Jewish War Veterans of the USA
(Washington, D.C.), Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote,
PA), the Union for Reform of Judaism (Washington, D.C.), Workmenï~^'s
Circle/Arbeter Ring (New York, NY) and the Zionist Organization of
America (New York, NY)
Leaders in Californiaï~^'s prominent Greek American community
also voiced serious concern over the ADLï~^'s morally unjustified
position. "Abraham Foxman's refusal to support passage of H. Res. 106
properly acknowledging the facts of the Armenian Genocide betrays
the years of service that the ADL has devoted to educating the world
about the facts of the Jewish Holocaust. Being selective when it
comes to proper genocide acknowledgement is simply absurd. Hundreds
of thousands of Greeks living in the Ottoman Empire were massacred
alongside the Armenians. We urge the ADL to take the moral high ground
and support this critical piece of legislation in respect for all
victims of genocide," remarked Aris Anagnos, Vice President of the
American Hellenic Council of California.
Darfur activists also spoke out urging the ADL to support the
resolutions. ï~^"To recognize the Genocide and to stop short of
supporting the Resolution turns a noble quest for justice into a game
of politics. The Armenian Genocide is not up for debate, and therefore,
the Resolution must be passed in order for justice to be served for
all victims of genocide and mass-atrocities,ï~^" stated Pastor Vazken
Movsesian, Priest at Saint Peter Armenian Church and Youth Ministry
Center in Glendale, California. Movsesian is also the Director of In
His Shoes Ministries, a mission and movement which rallies support
for the suffering in the world, and has traveled to Africa to help
end the cycle of genocide.
Sarah Czuleger, member of the University of California, Santa Barbara
Chapter of STAND, an anti-genocide student coalition, stated that,
"as an organization committed to ending the cycle of genocide,
we call upon the ADL and all community and civic organizations to
support the Armenian Genocide resolutions in Congress."
ï~^"The Darfur Action Committee of UC-Irvine strongly supports
the passage of H. Res. 106. In solidarity with worldwide Save
Darfur Coalitions, the Darfur Action Committee understands the
moral and humane importance of recognizing the first genocide of
the 20th century. In order to take action and provide aid for the
people of Darfur, the international community must first heal the
past. Our hearts and efforts stand with the Armenian community in
this incredibly imperative issue,ï~^" stated Anita Issagholyan,
co-chairwoman of the Darfur Action Committee at the University of
California, Irvine. We urge ADL to join us in solidarity of human
rights, genocide recognition and justice for all mankind by supporting
the Armenian Genocide resolution,ï~^" she added.
--Boundary_(ID_T2hGREYbFalgX+Tu2o442Q)--
armradio.am
13.09.2007 13:06
A broad spectrum of Los Angeles area community groups have joined with
national organizations in speaking out in support of Congressional
legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide and in voicing their
disappointment over the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) ongoing
opposition to this human rights legislation, reported the Armenian
National Committee ï~^- Western Region (ANC-WR).
The comments come in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding
ADL National Director Abraham Foxmanï~^'s recent statements regarding
the Armenian Genocide in which he publicly opposed House and Senate
Armenian Genocide resolutions (H.Res.106 /S.Res.106). H.Res.106 enjoys
the broad bipartisan support of over 225 cosponsors in the House,
a clear majority of its membership, while S. Res. 106 currently has
31 cosponsors.
UCLA History Professor David Myers argued that, ï~^"Foxman should
follow the logic of his own statement and take the essential next step
of supporting HR 106". The well-respected scholar went on to urge the
Southern California ADL Board to ï~^"either announce its support for H.
Res. 106 - if not here in the heart of the Armenian Diaspora, then
where? Or else renounce the organizationï~^'s declared mission ï~^'to
secure justice and fair treatment for all.ï~^'ï~^"
Jewish World Watch Founding President and Executive Director Janice
Kamenir-Reznik and Tzivia Schwartz-Getzug concurred, stating that
ï~^"as a community with first-hand knowledge and experience of
the ravages of genocide, we have a particular moral obligation
to stand up and ask our government to recognize what we know as
true: that 1.5 million Armenians were systematically slaughtered
in a government-sponsored campaign of genocide against them. The
Anti-Defamation Leagueï~^'s announcement that it would finally
recognize the Armenian Genocide as genocide is clearly a step in the
right direction. However, we believe that the ADL, the premiere Jewish
anti-discrimination agency in this country, must go a step further
and join in asking our government to do the same.ï~^" Similarly,
Progressive Jewish Alliance Executive Director Daniel Sokatch
noted. ï~^"ï~^'Never Againï~^' applies to all people everywhere.ï~^"
These Southern California Jewish American leaders and organizations
added their voice to a broad range of organizations which have
called for passage of Armenian Genocide legislation, including the
American Federation of Jews from Central Europe (New York, NY), the
American Jewish World Service (New York, NY), Americans for Peace
Now (Washington,D.C.), the Center for Russian Jewry with Student
Struggle for Soviet Jewry (New York, NY), the Jewish Social Policy
Action Network (Philadelphia, PA), Jewish War Veterans of the USA
(Washington, D.C.), Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote,
PA), the Union for Reform of Judaism (Washington, D.C.), Workmenï~^'s
Circle/Arbeter Ring (New York, NY) and the Zionist Organization of
America (New York, NY)
Leaders in Californiaï~^'s prominent Greek American community
also voiced serious concern over the ADLï~^'s morally unjustified
position. "Abraham Foxman's refusal to support passage of H. Res. 106
properly acknowledging the facts of the Armenian Genocide betrays
the years of service that the ADL has devoted to educating the world
about the facts of the Jewish Holocaust. Being selective when it
comes to proper genocide acknowledgement is simply absurd. Hundreds
of thousands of Greeks living in the Ottoman Empire were massacred
alongside the Armenians. We urge the ADL to take the moral high ground
and support this critical piece of legislation in respect for all
victims of genocide," remarked Aris Anagnos, Vice President of the
American Hellenic Council of California.
Darfur activists also spoke out urging the ADL to support the
resolutions. ï~^"To recognize the Genocide and to stop short of
supporting the Resolution turns a noble quest for justice into a game
of politics. The Armenian Genocide is not up for debate, and therefore,
the Resolution must be passed in order for justice to be served for
all victims of genocide and mass-atrocities,ï~^" stated Pastor Vazken
Movsesian, Priest at Saint Peter Armenian Church and Youth Ministry
Center in Glendale, California. Movsesian is also the Director of In
His Shoes Ministries, a mission and movement which rallies support
for the suffering in the world, and has traveled to Africa to help
end the cycle of genocide.
Sarah Czuleger, member of the University of California, Santa Barbara
Chapter of STAND, an anti-genocide student coalition, stated that,
"as an organization committed to ending the cycle of genocide,
we call upon the ADL and all community and civic organizations to
support the Armenian Genocide resolutions in Congress."
ï~^"The Darfur Action Committee of UC-Irvine strongly supports
the passage of H. Res. 106. In solidarity with worldwide Save
Darfur Coalitions, the Darfur Action Committee understands the
moral and humane importance of recognizing the first genocide of
the 20th century. In order to take action and provide aid for the
people of Darfur, the international community must first heal the
past. Our hearts and efforts stand with the Armenian community in
this incredibly imperative issue,ï~^" stated Anita Issagholyan,
co-chairwoman of the Darfur Action Committee at the University of
California, Irvine. We urge ADL to join us in solidarity of human
rights, genocide recognition and justice for all mankind by supporting
the Armenian Genocide resolution,ï~^" she added.
--Boundary_(ID_T2hGREYbFalgX+Tu2o442Q)--