| Letter to Officials Attending North American Turkish Leadership Conference |
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The first-ever North American Turkish Leadership Conference took place from October 8-9, 2011, in Kingston, Ontario. While we encourage the constructive, grassroots activities of all ethnocultural communities in Canada, Armen Karo Student Association took issue with the presence of several elected officials at this conference. The event was organised by the Council of Turkish Canadians (CTC), with the support the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations (FCTA); Assembly of Turkish American Assocations (ATAA); and Turkish Coalition of America (TCA). These four organisations have a proven track-record of opposing due recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and we believed that the presence of our public representatives at the conference would grant credibility to their views.
With these concerns in mind, a version of the following letter was sent to Liberal MP Ted Hsu, Liberal MPP John Gerretsen, and Mayor Mark Gerretsen - all representing the City of Kingston.
To date, we have received a reply from the office of Mayor Gerretsen stating, "I did offer words of welcome to conference attendees at last Saturday's meeting, but did not partake in any discussion items that were on the agenda." Also present were the ambassadors of the Republics of Turkey & Azerbaijan; Prof. Michael M. Gunter of Tennesee Technical University; Mr. Bruce Fein of the Turkish American Legal Defence Fund; psychiatrist Dr. Adin Yurtcu; Mr. Bora Hincer; and former Canadian ambassador to the UN Paul Heinbecker.
** LETTER FOLLOWS **
Dear Messrs. Hsu, Gerretsen & Gerretsen,
Armen Karo Student Association and the Armenian Student Associations of eight Canadian universities are addressing this letter to you in order to express our concerns regarding your presence at the North American Turkish Leadership Conference, set to take place in Kingston from 8-9 October 2011.
We see nothing wrong with Turkish cultural associations organising events or meetings with influential Canadians. However, we are concerned that this conference will be a vehicle for the continuing dissemination of anti-Armenian rhetoric and manipulation of world history. The Council of Turkish Canadians and Turkish Coalition of America have a long track record of doing just this, specifically through their organised campaigns of denial of the Armenian Genocide.
Canada officially recognises the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide. The Liberal Party's stance on this issue is a matter of public record; Liberal MPs, MPPs and city councillors have made numerous announcements, proclamations, and statements in this regard.
Kingstonians - regardless of party affiliation - have played irreplaceable roles in the narrative of the Armenians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the most prominent names are Queen's University graduate and missionary Robert Chambers, who beseeched Canadians to help save the Armenians on a continual basis starting in 1880. There was Queen's University Principal George M. Grant, who played a leading role in spearheading nation-wide fundraising campaigns for the Armenians, which were among the largest in their day. Newspapers across the country - including The Kingston Whig - published articles on a regular basis, spreading word of the suffering of Armenians and imploring the public for help. Through them, over ten thousand Ontarians sent funds overseas. To do this topic justice, one would also have to mention Frederick MacCallum, Agnes Maule Machar and others.
The safeguarding of the history of the Armenian Genocide is not an issue that only concerns those who identify as Armenian or Turkish. It is a part of our collective Canadian (and universal) identity. We all have a responsibility to protect it. As university students, we feel confident in our ability to move our country forward in the world, but we cannot do this if our elected officials undermine the proven values of our society. By granting this conference credibility through your presence, you are taking us back to a time before the 1870s, when the plight of those suffering elsewhere in the world was of little concern here.
We ask that you please take these notes into consideration as you make your way to the conference tomorrow. We hope earnestly that you will use the platform there to remind participants of the proud Canadian history they have inherited, and the humanitarian spirit that once flowed out of Kingston.
Cordially,
Armen Karo Student Association Armenian Student Association at Ryerson University Armenian Students Association at the University of Waterloo Armenian Students' Association at York University Armenian Students' Association of McMaster University Armenian Students' Association of the University of Toronto Concordia Armenian Students' Association McGill Armenian Students' Association Université de Montréal Armenian Students' Association |
| » Thursday, 13 October 2011 18:58 |