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SA 'YES' TO GENOCIDE MOTION
Anastasios Papapostolou
Greek Reporter
http://au.greekreporter.com/2009/05/04/sa -yes-to-genocide-motion/
May 4 2009
Australia
Photo: L-R Peter Jasonidis, Alternate President of the Federation
of Pontian Associations of Australia (FPAA), Attorney General of SA
Michael Atkinson and Haralambos Tavlaridis, President of FPAA.
The South Australian Parliament recognised unanimously on Thursday
the Genocide of Armenians, Pontian Greeks, Syrian Orthodox, Assyrian
and other Christian minorities.
It is the first such recognition by any State or Federal Parliament
in Australia. The resolution was proposed by South Australia's
Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Multicultural Affairs and
Veterans' Affairs, Michael Atkinson.
The resolution states: "That, whereas the genocide by the Ottoman state
between 1915-1923 of Armenians, Hellenes, Syrian and other minorities
in Asia Minor is one of the greatest crimes against humanity, the
people of South Australia and this House - join the members of the
Armenian-Australian, Pontian Greek-Australian and Syrian-Australian
communities in honouring the memory of the innocent men, women and
children who fell victim to the first modern genocide; condemns the
genocide of the Armenians, Pontian Greeks, Syrian Orthodox and other
Christian minorities, and all other acts of Genocide as the ultimate
act of racial, religious and cultural intolerance; recognises the
importance of remembering and learning from such dark chapters in
human history to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not
allowed to be repeated; condemns and prevents all attempts to use
the passage of time to deny or distort the historical truth of the
Genocide of the Armenians and other acts of Genocide committed during
this century; acknowledges the significant humanitarian contribution
made by the people of South Australia to the victims and survivors
of the Armenian Genocide and the Pontian Genocide; and calls on the
commonwealth parliament officially to condemn the Genocide."
The issue of the Pontian Genocide had recently stirred a contentious
political debate in South Australia with the Liberal Senator Alan
Ferguson accusing Mr Atkinson of playing politics on the issue.
In a speech he delivered at the Senate on March 18 Mr Ferguson went
so far as to dispute the validity of historical evidence regerarding
the Armenian and Pontian Genocides.
The South Australian State Opposition Leader did not hesitate to
proclaim his allegiance by stressing, "As a man married to a Greek,
with a son who is half Greek, who is Orthodox, this has very much
touched me and my family. Let there be no doubt in the mind of any
South Australian about my view and the view of the state Liberals
of these terrible and tragic events." He continued by chastising
Mr Atkinson for politically taking advantage of that situation by
sending to his Greek constituents the speech made by Senator Ferguson.
Anastasios Papapostolou
Greek Reporter
http://au.greekreporter.com/2009/05/04/sa -yes-to-genocide-motion/
May 4 2009
Australia
Photo: L-R Peter Jasonidis, Alternate President of the Federation
of Pontian Associations of Australia (FPAA), Attorney General of SA
Michael Atkinson and Haralambos Tavlaridis, President of FPAA.
The South Australian Parliament recognised unanimously on Thursday
the Genocide of Armenians, Pontian Greeks, Syrian Orthodox, Assyrian
and other Christian minorities.
It is the first such recognition by any State or Federal Parliament
in Australia. The resolution was proposed by South Australia's
Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Multicultural Affairs and
Veterans' Affairs, Michael Atkinson.
The resolution states: "That, whereas the genocide by the Ottoman state
between 1915-1923 of Armenians, Hellenes, Syrian and other minorities
in Asia Minor is one of the greatest crimes against humanity, the
people of South Australia and this House - join the members of the
Armenian-Australian, Pontian Greek-Australian and Syrian-Australian
communities in honouring the memory of the innocent men, women and
children who fell victim to the first modern genocide; condemns the
genocide of the Armenians, Pontian Greeks, Syrian Orthodox and other
Christian minorities, and all other acts of Genocide as the ultimate
act of racial, religious and cultural intolerance; recognises the
importance of remembering and learning from such dark chapters in
human history to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not
allowed to be repeated; condemns and prevents all attempts to use
the passage of time to deny or distort the historical truth of the
Genocide of the Armenians and other acts of Genocide committed during
this century; acknowledges the significant humanitarian contribution
made by the people of South Australia to the victims and survivors
of the Armenian Genocide and the Pontian Genocide; and calls on the
commonwealth parliament officially to condemn the Genocide."
The issue of the Pontian Genocide had recently stirred a contentious
political debate in South Australia with the Liberal Senator Alan
Ferguson accusing Mr Atkinson of playing politics on the issue.
In a speech he delivered at the Senate on March 18 Mr Ferguson went
so far as to dispute the validity of historical evidence regerarding
the Armenian and Pontian Genocides.
The South Australian State Opposition Leader did not hesitate to
proclaim his allegiance by stressing, "As a man married to a Greek,
with a son who is half Greek, who is Orthodox, this has very much
touched me and my family. Let there be no doubt in the mind of any
South Australian about my view and the view of the state Liberals
of these terrible and tragic events." He continued by chastising
Mr Atkinson for politically taking advantage of that situation by
sending to his Greek constituents the speech made by Senator Ferguson.