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ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIER JUSTIN MCCARTHY TO SPEAK AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE
ABC News, Australia
Nov 16 2013
By national defence correspondent Michael Brissenden
One of the world's most vocal Armenian genocide deniers will make an
address at Parliament House in Canberra next week.
The ABC has learnt that a committee room in Parliament House has
been booked by Labor backbencher Laurie Ferguson for a special
invitation-only address titled "What happened during 1915-1923?"
The address will be given by Professor Justin McCarthy, an American
history professor who many Armenians view with the same disdain as
Jews view Holocaust denier David Irving.
The ABC has seen an invitation to the presentation to be delivered
by Professor McCarthy, who campaigns around the world against the
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
April 2015 will be a significant month for several nations. While
Australia and Turkey commemorate the centenary anniversary of the
Gallipoli landing, Armenians will mark a centenary since the start
of the darkest chapter of their history.
Genocide scholars say that from 1915 to 1923 more than 1 million
Armenians lost their lives at the hands of the Ottoman empire.
Although it is known as the Armenian genocide, thousands of Assyrians
and Pontian Greeks were also killed.
Turkey has long denied the charge and only recently pledged to ban
the entire New South Wales Parliament from Gallipoli ceremonies after
they unanimously passed a motion recognising the genocide.
A total of 22 nation states, including Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Netherlands, Russia and the Vatican, and dozens of state and
provincial legislatures around the world, including New South Wales
and South Australia, have formally recognised the genocide by Turkey
between 1915 and 1922.
International bodies such as the World Council of Churches, the Council
of Europe, the European Parliament and the International Association
of Genocide Scholars have also recognised the genocide.
Bid for Australian parliament to recognise genocide
Despite some ferocious lobbying from the Turks, there has also
been pressure from time to time from some in the Australian Federal
Parliament to formally recognise the Armenian genocide.
Photo: An invitation to Professor Justin McCarthy's lecture. (Supplied)
Treasurer Joe Hockey is of Armenian descent and has on numerous
occasions urged the parliament to do just that.
In 2011 he was joined by a handful of others, including Malcolm
Turnbull and Labor's Michael Danby.
Mr Turnbull told the parliament that the Armenian genocide was one of
the great crimes against humanity and resulted in "the elimination,
the execution, the murder of hundreds of thousands - of millions of
people - for no reason other than that they were different".
"In this case it was they were not Turks, just as the Jews were
eliminated by the Nazis because they were not Germans," Mr Turnbull
added.
Mr Hockey told the parliament: "This is not an issue of definition.
Any systematic eradication of a race is genocide, regardless of the
political or social unease it may bring."
Genocide scholar Panayiotis Diamadis says the local Armenian, Assyrian
and Pontian Greek communities will be alarmed that such an address
is being held in Parliament House.
"Anger, disgust that an official forum - such an official forum as
Federal Parliament - is being given to a man who denies the memory
of the victims, who denies that this genocide occurred," he said.
'No evidence, no proof', says controversial professor
Professor McCarthy's views are all over YouTube.
He says those who claim there was genocide have "no evidence, no proof
that the Turks wanted to act in this way. What is said is based on
emotion in this case and a desire to prove there is genocide instead
of first looking at the facts".
Photo: Historian and renowned Armenian genocide denier Professor
Justin McCarthy. (YouTube: UMCLONDON)
The ABC approached Mr Ferguson's office for comment but he is yet
to respond.
None of those who have spoken in the parliament on this issue in the
past, including both Mr Hockey and Mr Turnbull, wanted to add to what
they have already said.
However, they certainly stand by the views they have already expressed.
It is clear the sensitivities surrounding Australia's relationship with
Turkey is in focus as Gallipoli's centenary anniversary approaches.
However, it is understood another attempt will be made to get the
Federal Parliament to recognise the genocide - after April 2015.
A ballot to win attendance to the centenary Anzac commemorations in
Gallipoli opens today.
Watch the Video at
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-15/armenian-genocide-denier-to-speak-at-parliament-house/5095656
ABC News, Australia
Nov 16 2013
By national defence correspondent Michael Brissenden
One of the world's most vocal Armenian genocide deniers will make an
address at Parliament House in Canberra next week.
The ABC has learnt that a committee room in Parliament House has
been booked by Labor backbencher Laurie Ferguson for a special
invitation-only address titled "What happened during 1915-1923?"
The address will be given by Professor Justin McCarthy, an American
history professor who many Armenians view with the same disdain as
Jews view Holocaust denier David Irving.
The ABC has seen an invitation to the presentation to be delivered
by Professor McCarthy, who campaigns around the world against the
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
April 2015 will be a significant month for several nations. While
Australia and Turkey commemorate the centenary anniversary of the
Gallipoli landing, Armenians will mark a centenary since the start
of the darkest chapter of their history.
Genocide scholars say that from 1915 to 1923 more than 1 million
Armenians lost their lives at the hands of the Ottoman empire.
Although it is known as the Armenian genocide, thousands of Assyrians
and Pontian Greeks were also killed.
Turkey has long denied the charge and only recently pledged to ban
the entire New South Wales Parliament from Gallipoli ceremonies after
they unanimously passed a motion recognising the genocide.
A total of 22 nation states, including Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Netherlands, Russia and the Vatican, and dozens of state and
provincial legislatures around the world, including New South Wales
and South Australia, have formally recognised the genocide by Turkey
between 1915 and 1922.
International bodies such as the World Council of Churches, the Council
of Europe, the European Parliament and the International Association
of Genocide Scholars have also recognised the genocide.
Bid for Australian parliament to recognise genocide
Despite some ferocious lobbying from the Turks, there has also
been pressure from time to time from some in the Australian Federal
Parliament to formally recognise the Armenian genocide.
Photo: An invitation to Professor Justin McCarthy's lecture. (Supplied)
Treasurer Joe Hockey is of Armenian descent and has on numerous
occasions urged the parliament to do just that.
In 2011 he was joined by a handful of others, including Malcolm
Turnbull and Labor's Michael Danby.
Mr Turnbull told the parliament that the Armenian genocide was one of
the great crimes against humanity and resulted in "the elimination,
the execution, the murder of hundreds of thousands - of millions of
people - for no reason other than that they were different".
"In this case it was they were not Turks, just as the Jews were
eliminated by the Nazis because they were not Germans," Mr Turnbull
added.
Mr Hockey told the parliament: "This is not an issue of definition.
Any systematic eradication of a race is genocide, regardless of the
political or social unease it may bring."
Genocide scholar Panayiotis Diamadis says the local Armenian, Assyrian
and Pontian Greek communities will be alarmed that such an address
is being held in Parliament House.
"Anger, disgust that an official forum - such an official forum as
Federal Parliament - is being given to a man who denies the memory
of the victims, who denies that this genocide occurred," he said.
'No evidence, no proof', says controversial professor
Professor McCarthy's views are all over YouTube.
He says those who claim there was genocide have "no evidence, no proof
that the Turks wanted to act in this way. What is said is based on
emotion in this case and a desire to prove there is genocide instead
of first looking at the facts".
Photo: Historian and renowned Armenian genocide denier Professor
Justin McCarthy. (YouTube: UMCLONDON)
The ABC approached Mr Ferguson's office for comment but he is yet
to respond.
None of those who have spoken in the parliament on this issue in the
past, including both Mr Hockey and Mr Turnbull, wanted to add to what
they have already said.
However, they certainly stand by the views they have already expressed.
It is clear the sensitivities surrounding Australia's relationship with
Turkey is in focus as Gallipoli's centenary anniversary approaches.
However, it is understood another attempt will be made to get the
Federal Parliament to recognise the genocide - after April 2015.
A ballot to win attendance to the centenary Anzac commemorations in
Gallipoli opens today.
Watch the Video at
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-15/armenian-genocide-denier-to-speak-at-parliament-house/5095656