History Course Proposal Upsets Canadian Turks

[Yervant1]

HISTORY COURSE PROPOSAL UPSETS CANADIAN TURKS

Louise Brown

 

The Toronto Star

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/291545

Jan 7 2008

Ontario, Canada

 

1,200 people sign petition against class that labels 1915 mass killing

of Armenians as a genocide

 

An unusual new course about genocide to be offered in Toronto high

schools this fall has sparked anger among Turkish-Canadians for

including the Turkish killing of Armenians in 1915.

 

The Grade 11 history course, believed the only one of its kind at

a high school in Ontario and possibly Canada, is designed to teach

teenagers what happens when a government sets out to destroy people of

a particular nationality, race or religion, through three examples:

the Holocaust which exterminated 6 million Jews in World War II, the

Rwandan slaughter of nearly one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus in

1994, and the Turkish killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians

between 1915 and 1923.

 

"These are very significant, horrible parts of history, and without

sounding hackneyed, we hope we can learn something from them so we

can make a better world for our children's children," said Trustee

Gerri Gershon, of the Toronto District School Board, who proposed the

course after a moving tour in 2005 of the Nazi death camps in Poland.

 

"This isn't a course to teach hatred or blame the perpetrators - no,

no, no," said Gershon. "Our goal is the exact opposite: To explore

how this happens so we can become better people and make sure it

never happens again."

 

But the Council of Turkish Canadians has gathered more than 1,200

signatures on an online petition opposed to the course for calling the

Armenian killings a "genocide" and inciting anti-Turkish sentiment. The

Turkish government has long denied the slaughter was a genocide,

but rather part of the wartime casualties of World War I, with both

sides guilty of some provocation.

 

"To pick Armenia as a genocide when it is so controversial - especially

when there are atrocities by other countries that could have been

chosen - is just wrong, and will inadvertently lead to the bullying of

Turkish-Canadian children," argues Ottawa engineer Lale Eskicioglu,

executive director of the council and author of the petition, which

she will present to school board staff at a meeting this month.

 

"Children of Turkish descent already face bullying, racism and hatred

in the school yards. We rely on our schools to provide a shelter free

from hate-inciting propaganda and not contribute to the divisions

between ethnic minorities," she says.

 

School board Superintendent Nadine Segal says teachers already are

being trained to handle these issues "with sensitivity to the cultural

mosaic in our schools," and insists the course is not designed to

"point fingers, but to examine the early warning signs of genocide

and the role of the perpetrator and bystander.

 

"Our own Canadian government has recognized the Armenian genocide as

uncontestable reality, the original genocide of the 20th century, and

the course has been approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education,"

says Segal.

 

"But students will also be doing independent studies of their own

choosing that will allow them to examine other examples of genocide.

 

The goal is to help students gain a deeper understanding of human

rights and their responsibilities as global citizens."

 

Kudos for the new course have been rolling in from historians and

human rights advocates, Segal adds, including former United Nations

special envoy Stephen Lewis, author Joy Kogawa and genocide historian

Frank Chalk, co-director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and

Human Rights Studies at Concordia University.

 

The course is being designed with the help of experts from UNICEF,

York University, the Canadian Centre for Genocide and Human Rights

Education, the University of Toronto and the Holocaust Centre of

Toronto. Schools from as far away as Montreal have asked for the

curriculum, says Segal.

 

Both Segal and Gershon cite the International Association of Genocide

Scholars' unanimous declaration of the Armenian killings as "genocide"

in 1997.

 

However, Eskicioglu calls the course "propaganda by the Armenian

diaspora" and notes that although Prime Minister Stephen Harper has

recognized the Armenian tragedy as genocide, his government also

supports Turkey's call for an "impartial" joint historical review of

events - a move Armenians refuse to take part in.

 

"We are asking either for the removal of the genocide course from

the curriculum," says the petition, "or removing any discussion of

the Ottoman-Armenian tragedy from its contents."

 

Gershon says she would oppose any such change.

 

[garmag]

So... what else is new?

The unending saga of denials and counter denials will never find a solution for serving justice! If so called justice exists.

THE WORLD IS A JUNGLE! HISTORY SHOWS US THIS FACT AS REALITY.

The Arabs have a saying, "dunya khiyara, yom be idak, yom be t...k" meaning the great cycle of life continues.

Hasgatzoghin shad parev.

[Arpa]

So... what else is new?

---

The Arabs have a saying, "dunya khiyara, yom be idak, yom be t...k" meaning the great cycle of life continues.

Tahki Arabi eh?

Speak to Johannes.

BTW. Ahlan, Welcome, wa Sahlan.**

In another language it goes; "s*k*m khyar, ister ye, ister yemeh".

Not to worry. Our "khyar" is getting bigger by the day. They better cover their "goets".

** In that noble peoples' language "ahlan" means "with your tribe/family/tohm" and "sahlan" means "with ease/piece".

Edited January 8, 2008 by Arpa

[Anoushik]

"To pick Armenia as a genocide when it is so controversial - especially

when there are atrocities by other countries that could have been

chosen - is just wrong, and will inadvertently lead to the bullying of

Turkish-Canadian children," argues Ottawa engineer Lale Eskicioglu,

executive director of the council and author of the petition, which

she will present to school board staff at a meeting this month.

Why do they get away with comments like this? Are children of German descent bullied in America and Canada for the Nazi Holocaust?

[vava]

Why do they get away with comments like this? Are children of German descent bullied in America and Canada for the Nazi Holocaust?

 

Yes we especially bully those Germans

Give me a break - I can't wait to see what the Star prints as letters to the editor. The Star, historically, has not been a big proponent of Armenian issues, always opting for a "balanced" lie, er, I mean, article.

 

[Nikephoros_Phokas]

Raphael Isreali, who used to be a dhimmi living in Morocco has talked about restrictions to unfettered muslim immigrantion which is something I agree with.

 

Instead of adapting to Western values, Turks in Canada are brining their national rejection of these values to Canada with them. The problem is that the Turkish government is very sucessful to hide things from the common knowledge, like:

 

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=17...20&start=20

G6k Alp was then somewhat of a visionary who announced a "New Life" (Yeni Hayat) for the Turkish race. In contradistinction with the purport¬edly decaying Europeans, the Turks would strengthen themselves by starting "a new civilization" endowed with "genuine values" and characterized by economic achievements:

[This "New Life"] will show that the civilizations of Europe were based on rotten, sick, putrid foundations. These civilizations are condemned to decline, annihilation. The genuine civilization is the Turkish civilization which will start only with the development of the New Life. The Turkish race, unlike other races, has not been corrupted by alcohol and dissipation. The Turkish blood has been steeled, rejuvenated in glorious battles.

 

Turkey has been so successful to infiltrate academia, to get its theses repeated in the Western press, most do not know this. They do not know that most Turks rejected and still reject Western values, but pretend to respect them for sake of argument. A challenge has to be presented to the Turkish endowed facilities of history and this challenge must be repeated to the press, so it can start to enter the common knowledge.

[Yervant1]

SCHOOLING KIDS ON GENOCIDE AND MORAL RELATIVISM

by John Turley-Ewart

 

National Post

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...relativism.aspx

Jan 8 2008

Canada

 

When I learned that the Toronto District School Board offers a course,

albeit to a very small number of students, on the history of genocide,

I was pleasantly surprised. Most students leave High School with

little knowledge or and little interest in the world that came before

and the horrors that have befallen previous generations. Any effort

to bring students into the world they are a part of is welcome.

 

After reading the first couple of paragraphs of the story I should

have stopped. Gerri Gershon, the Toronto School Board Trustee who

championed the course's creation, explained the course objective in

response to concerns expressed by some members of the Canadian-Turkish

community about the course's take on the Armenian genocide by stating:

 

"This isn't a course to teach hatred or blame the perpetrators -

no, no, no," declared Gershon. This statement raises an interesting

question. If the perpetrators of genocide do not deserve blame,

what do they deserve?

 

Gershon's simple minded take smacks of the kind of moral relativism

that, rather than ensuring genocide never happens again, opens the

door to it. Toronto students deserve better. Let's hope their teachers

have a superior moral compass than their school trustee and teach

kids the genocide is wrong and those who are guilty of it deserve

both blame and punishment.

 

[DominO123]

Why is Cambodia not included? The Khmer Rouge crimes were very much distinct and should be given as an exemple of a government targeting its own ethnic group by targetting social classes. This sort of crime will tend to happen more in the future, and at least one exemple isen't too much.

[Ashot]

I think the subject is about extermination - genocide... I don't think Cambodia was trying to exterminate itself...

[DominO123]

I think the subject is about extermination - genocide... I don't think Cambodia was trying to exterminate itself...

 

A targetted a group of society in a self imposed hierarchical system. For prevention of war crime, this should also enter as an extermination process and sure qualify as genocide. The group doesn't need to be an ethnic group.

 

The potential danger is real, take Turkeminstan where there is some sort of hierarchy governed by a dictatorial regime such crimes against humanity under a similar circumstances is quite possible.

 

Exemples and case studies are important, they serve as models, Cambodia is a special case and require inclusion because of its particularity.

[Ashot]

got it, thanks for the explanation!!!

[Zara]

I'm just curious but how did the Canadian educational system approach the issue of the genocide (if at all) before all of this was proposed?

 

In LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) the issue is purposely avoided in all textbooks and courses (I took a European History, World History, and an American History course in high school and it was never brought up - and all the classes were college level with textbooks that were used by universities). All three years I volunteered to speak about it (I said it would only take a few minutes and ended up speaking for the entire hour ) and, to be honest, not too many people knew much (if anything at all) about what happened. I was the only Armenian there and I'm sure if I wasn't there those people would still be clueless. If it were not for the initiatives taken by the students in LAUSD the issue would, in my opinion, never come up.

Edited January 11, 2008 by Zara

[Anoushik]

That's wonderful Zara! Armenian students should educate their classmates as much as they can regarding the Armenian Genocide.

[Ashot]

Zara jan, it does not surprise me... back in 1996 I was the one that has done your job for 3 consecutive years, then off to Pierce College and done 2 years in there, no one knew anything because no one is teaching... do you really beleive that an Hispanic mother or father would sit down and teach their child of the Armenian Genocide? as much as we know about them that's how much they know about us! It is our duty, the so called DIASPORANS to do the job untill it is fully recognised in the US and written in the textbooks. Being the president of the student council the ASA and the Student Council did a big program for 3 years to teach everyone in the school, afterwords in Pierce College - myself and the former president of the ASA in Van Nuys high re-opened the ASA in Pierce, He has a memeber of the Student Council of the College and we both were the pres and vp of the ASA... we still hope that people have continued to do what we did after we have left!!!

We do appreciate the job you have done and lets just hope people that will follow you will do the same year after year! Thank you for all of your contributions!!!

[vava]

I'm just curious but how did the Canadian educational system approach the issue of the genocide (if at all) before all of this was proposed?

 

In LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) the issue is purposely avoided in all textbooks and courses (I took a European History, World History, and an American History course in high school and it was never brought up - and all the classes were college level with textbooks that were used by universities). All three years I volunteered to speak about it (I said it would only take a few minutes and ended up speaking for the entire hour ) and, to be honest, not too many people knew much (if anything at all) about what happened. I was the only Armenian there and I'm sure if I wasn't there those people would still be clueless. If it were not for the initiatives taken by the students in LAUSD the issue would, in my opinion, never come up.

 

Good question. By my experience, Genocide in general is not a subject that's covered much in the public school system, at least not until the University levels. Sure during WWII history courses we cover the Holocaust, but coverage is quick and very in-depth. Other Genocides in the 20th century are not covered at all... however, I think things have begun to change since the federal government here as acknowledge the AG as Genocide in no uncertain terms. Recognition has helped in two ways: 1) Raised the profile of the Genocide through related media coverage and 2) Established a higher level of credibility.

Armenian associations now have an important tool to leverage in public relations campaigns and in the media. So I suspect that we'll gradually be seeing more programs like the TDSB Genocid history course. And that's a good thing...

[Yervant1]

I'm just curious but how did the Canadian educational system approach the issue of the genocide (if at all) before all of this was proposed?

Zara Jan this course is offered only in Ontario schools and it's about genocides in general. The course talks about three examples one of which is the Armenian Genocide.

The province of Ontario along with Quebec had accepted the AG long time ago, but few years ago the Canadian government did so as well therefore it makes only sense that they include the AG as well alongside the Holocaust.

[vava]

I think Domino's case for the Khmer Rouge is a good one as well. There are other examples that should be discussed...

[Yervant1]

TURKISH ULTRA-NATIONALISTS TRY TO SILENCE PROMINENT CANADIANS

 

AZG Armenian Daily

22/01/2008

 

Toronto - The Turkish Government's propaganda machine tried to

intimidate and silence many prominent Canadians who had come forth to

make deputations during the monthly meeting of the Toronto District

School Board's (TDSB) program and services committee.

 

During the Jan. 16 meeting the TDSB committee provided an opportunity

to two Turkish representatives (Ozay Mehmet of the Council of Turkish

Canadians, and Lale Eskicioglu) and four Canadians (Prof. Frank Chalk,

director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights

Studies; David Warner, former Speaker of the Ontario Legislative

Assembly; Leo Adler, prominent criminal lawyer and human rights

advocate; and Hon.

 

Jim Karygiannis, MP) to present their points of view on the board's

Grad 11 'Genocide: Historical and Contemporary Implications'

curriculum.

 

The Turkish representatives protested the inclusion of the Armenian

Genocide in the curriculum. The prominent Canadians' group praised

the TDSB for its moral fortitude, vision, and commitment to develop

such a timely curriculum and asked for the inclusion of the Armenian

Genocide in the curriculum. Mr. Warner read a letter signed by

prominent Canadians from all walks of life, urging the TDSB to "stand

firm by its decision and not to be swayed by politically-motivated

pressure groups." Among the signatories were Stephen Lewis,

Gerald Caplan, Jack Layton, Bob Rae, Joy Kogawa, Amir Hassanpour,

Jacques Kornberg. During the presentations of Chalk, Warner, Adler

and Karygiannis, ultranationalist Turks hackled the speakers and

tried to stop them from speaking. Several times committee chair,

trustee Chris Bolton, was forced to call for order and ask the Turkish

representatives not to disrupt the meeting.After the meeting, members

of the Turkish group approached some of the pro-Genocide inclusion

speakers and taunted them with abuse and profanities. The scene was

reminiscent of the trials of many righteous Turkish individuals who

in recent years have challenged the Turkish Government on its denial

of the Armenian Genocide and have been silenced under Article 301

of the Turkish penal code. At the meeting, Aris Babikian, executive

director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, tabled a

petition in support of the curriculum. The petition carried 2,643

signatures. Among the signatories were many teachers from the TDSB

system. For the past two years the TDSB has been developing 'Genocide:

Historical and Contemporary Implications' curriculum for Grade 11

students. The course comprises of three genocide case studies: the

Armenian Genocide; the Holocaust; the Rwandan Genocide, in addition

to other cases of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.The

course has been approved by the Ontario Minister of Education. An

overwhelming majority of principals, teachers and program directors

have commended the TDSB for this timely project. They have also

indicated that they are eager to teach the program.In the last two

months the Turkish denial machine has launched a vicious campaign of

falsehood, misrepresentation, unsubstantiated accusations, innuendo

and revisionist historical discourse to persuade the TDSB to remove

the Armenian Genocide from the curriculum.

 

[Nikephoros_Phokas]

What do you expect when you allow unfettered immigration from Turkey to countries like Canada?

 

They think they are back in their homeland...

[Ashot]

No more politics for Furks, their polititians have no other ways of keeping the AG recognized troughout the world, now they are using the threatening, and vicious talks, nothing more, they are hanging from a small strip of a rope that is about to break off!!! Pretty soon, very soon!!!

[Yervant1]

TURKEY DECRIES TORONTO SCHOOL BOARD GENOCIDE COURSE

By Michelle Collins

 

 

EuropeNews, Denmark Aug 27 2008

 

The killings of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 is being taught alongside

the Holocaust & 1994 Rwandan genocide

 

In a letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and the province's

Ministry of Education, the Turkish Embassy has voiced strong objections

to a Toronto District School Board decision to teach students that

the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 was genocide.

 

The lessons will come in a new course entitled "Genocide: Historical

and Contemporary Implications" that will be launched with the start

of the new school year in September. The course's three case studies

include the Ottoman's killing of Armenians in 1915, the Holocaust

and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

 

Although the Canadian Parliament approved a motion in 2004 recognizing

the killings as genocide, the Turkish government has long disputed

the description.

 

The idea of teaching a course on genocide was first raised three years

ago by a Toronto board trustee, but has since been met with controversy

on all sides. Aside from Turkish objections, the Ukrainian Canadian

Congress advocated that the Holodomor should be included in the course,

and the Muslim Canadian Congress accused the board of religious bias.

 

As the controversy escalated over what was and wasn't included in

course material, the school board decided earlier this year to strike

a review committee. After a few public meetings, the panel concluded

that the course reading list would need to be approved by a panel of

historical experts.

 

It's unclear how the Armenian killings were included in the Toronto

school board course proposal, but the inclusion of one book in

particular, Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide by Barbara

Coloroso, sparked outrage.

 

At one point the review committee had agreed to remove Ms. Coloroso's

book from its reading list, which in turn prompted outcry from the

literary community and a letter from Penguin Canada president David

Davidar to the school board defending Ms. Coloroso's credentials as

an educator.

 

This past June, after months of debate, committee and public review,

the school board decided to include Ms. Coloroso's book as a text

examining the psychology of genocide, and on June 2 gave final approval

for the course to go ahead in 11 Toronto high schools, reaching about

300 Grade 11 students.

 

Turkish Outrage

 

That has prompted a backlash from the Turkish Embassy as well as

members of the Turkish community.

 

"This is a pedagogical thing and goes against traditional Canadian

principles of objectivity, and this is a matter of history...which

should really be immune to political pressures," said Yonet Tezel,

first counsellor at the Turkish Embassy. "That's something for

Canadian educational institutions to consider themselves, we don't

need to remind them of that.

 

"The school board's decision to go ahead anyway and teach it as

genocide, it's very objectionable, that's why Turkish parents are

concerned, and I sympathize with them."

 

Mr. Tezel said the Turkish Embassy has communicated its concern to

colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and to provincial

officials that as the school year commences, Turkish Ambassador

Rafet Akgunay will continue to raise his concerns through diplomatic

channels.

 

The Council of Turkish Canadians has also expressed its disapproval,

especially of the inclusion of Extraordinary Evil.

 

Lale Eskicioglu, executive director of the Council of Turkish

Canadians, launched a formal complaint against the Toronto District

School Board in November. Ms. Eskicioglu also started a petition,

which she said has collected 12,000 signatures.

 

"It cannot be taught as genocide," she said. "You can teach it as a

dispute or under Ottoman history maybe, but you cannot teach it in

the same category with Holocaust and Rwanda. This is a very serious

crime. You cannot accuse a nation or its people of that which amounts

to slander and hate propaganda because it's not correct."

 

For Ms. Eskicioglu, this is a personal plight, and a situation in

which she feels she and her fellow Turks have been wronged.

 

"Why should my daughter, alongside with her Armenian friends, sit in

the same classroom and hear one-sided inaccurate versions of history,

which is categorized with the worst crime in the world?" Ms. Eskicioglu

asked.

 

Although the course has been approved, she said she plans to pursue the

matter further, and that she and other parents will closely monitor

the course teachings and materials used. Fearful that children of

Turkish descent will face discrimination, Ms. Eskicioglu also said

they are prepared to take legal action if any (...)

 

http://europenews.dk/en/node/13407

 

 

[vava]

Funny - the rest of the article seems to be cut off.

 

Here it is in it's entirety - I've put the missing portion in italics.

 

Embassy, August 27th, 2008

NEWS STORY

Turkey Decries Toronto School Board Genocide Course

The killings of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 is being taught alongside the Holocaust and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

By Michelle Collins

In a letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and the province's Ministry of Education, the Turkish Embassy has voiced strong objections to a Toronto District School Board decision to teach students that the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 was genocide.

 

The lessons will come in a new course entitled "Genocide: Historical and Contemporary Implications" that will be launched with the start of the new school year in September. The course's three case studies include the Ottoman's killing of Armenians in 1915, the Holocaust and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

 

Although the Canadian Parliament approved a motion in 2004 recognizing the killings as genocide, the Turkish government has long disputed the description.

 

The idea of teaching a course on genocide was first raised three years ago by a Toronto board trustee, but has since been met with controversy on all sides. Aside from Turkish objections, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress advocated that the Holodomor should be included in the course, and the Muslim Canadian Congress accused the board of religious bias.

 

As the controversy escalated over what was and wasn't included in course material, the school board decided earlier this year to strike a review committee. After a few public meetings, the panel concluded that the course reading list would need to be approved by a panel of historical experts.

 

It's unclear how the Armenian killings were included in the Toronto school board course proposal, but the inclusion of one book in particular, Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide by Barbara Coloroso, sparked outrage.

 

At one point the review committee had agreed to remove Ms. Coloroso's book from its reading list, which in turn prompted outcry from the literary community and a letter from Penguin Canada president David Davidar to the school board defending Ms. Coloroso's credentials as an educator.

 

This past June, after months of debate, committee and public review, the school board decided to include Ms. Coloroso's book as a text examining the psychology of genocide, and on June 2 gave final approval for the course to go ahead in 11 Toronto high schools, reaching about 300 Grade 11 students.

 

 

Turkish Outrage

 

That has prompted a backlash from the Turkish Embassy as well as members of the Turkish community.

 

"This is a pedagogical thing and goes against traditional Canadian principles of objectivity, and this is a matter of history...which should really be immune to political pressures," said Yonet Tezel, first counsellor at the Turkish Embassy. "That's something for Canadian educational institutions to consider themselves, we don't need to remind them of that.

 

"The school board's decision to go ahead anyway and teach it as genocide, it's very objectionable, that's why Turkish parents are concerned, and I sympathize with them."

 

Mr. Tezel said the Turkish Embassy has communicated its concern to colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and to provincial officials that as the school year commences, Turkish Ambassador Rafet Akgünay will continue to raise his concerns through diplomatic channels.

 

The Council of Turkish Canadians has also expressed its disapproval, especially of the inclusion of Extraordinary Evil.

 

Lale Eskicioglu, executive director of the Council of Turkish Canadians, launched a formal complaint against the Toronto District School Board in November. Ms. Eskicioglu also started a petition, which she said has collected 12,000 signatures.

 

"It cannot be taught as genocide," she said. "You can teach it as a dispute or under Ottoman history maybe, but you cannot teach it in the same category with Holocaust and Rwanda. This is a very serious crime. You cannot accuse a nation or its people of that which amounts to slander and hate propaganda because it's not correct."

 

For Ms. Eskicioglu, this is a personal plight, and a situation in which she feels she and her fellow Turks have been wronged.

 

"Why should my daughter, alongside with her Armenian friends, sit in the same classroom and hear one-sided inaccurate versions of history, which is categorized with the worst crime in the world?" Ms. Eskicioglu asked.

 

Although the course has been approved, she said she plans to pursue the matter further, and that she and other parents will closely monitor the course teachings and materials used. Fearful that children of Turkish descent will face discrimination, Ms. Eskicioglu also said they are prepared to take legal action if any are bullied as a result of the teachings.

 

This past April, she said, posters accusing all Turkish people of being mass murderers were discovered pinned up around Carleton University's campus in Ottawa.

 

"This is our fight because these are our children," she said. "Please do not teach inaccurate history."

 

Course Overdue

 

But those in support of the course and its inclusion of the Armenian killings as genocide say it is long overdue and that the inclusion of the course is part of living in a diverse and multicultural country such as Canada.

 

Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis, who represents the Toronto riding of Scarborough-Agincourt and in 2005 travelled to Armenia to commemorate the Armenian genocide, expressed his support for the course at one of the school board's special meetings in June.

 

Although Mr. Karygiannis said the meeting was "cordial," he said he is disturbed that at least one protestor in turn verbally attacked him and his Greek ancestry.

 

"The course is needed, we cannot bury our heads in the sand anymore," Mr. Karygiannis said Monday. "This is where we have to move on, we have to turn the page, we have to acknowledge what happened, we have to teach our children what happened."

 

Executive director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, Aris Babikian, said there are several respected scholars who have concluded the Armenian killings to be genocide.

 

Over the last several months, he said, the controversy has been fuelled by some members of the Turkish community misrepresenting some of the issues, and disputes that Turkish students will face discrimination or bullying.

 

"The issue, it's not to try to stigmatize certain segments in our society in Canada on the controversy, it's something the students should [learn] from these past experiences and in the Turkish-Armenian case, it is the hype and paranoia of the Turkish government inflaming the issue here because they are getting involved in these issues," Mr. Babikian said. "We do not have any issue with the Turkish-Canadian community."

 

System superintendent for special projects for the Toronto School Board Nadine Segal said that despite the controversy, school board officials feel very positive about the planned course and are confident they have knowledgeable teachers. She said it has been an "incredibly exciting project" that has, for the most part, received positive support from international academics.

 

"There was never any intent to offend any community or to suggest that one person's suffering was greater than another's," Ms. Segal said. She added that the course is not meant to exclude any other genocides and that many of the other 20 events of the 20th century that had also been considered, will be woven into the course. "We had to select areas that were well-resourced, that had materials that were available for high school students."

 

She said the course was built in alignment with the Ministry of Education's policy for a locally-developed course, and involved input from community groups.

 

"It's very carefully constructed, also the main focus of the course is global citizenship and what students can do to respect human rights and prevent future genocides, so we expect students to be critical thinkers and do something with this information, and that's where we move into the section of the course that focuses on social action."

 

mcollins@embassymag.ca

 

 

There is also a sidebar article on the history of this issue in the educational system in Canada:

 

Furor Over High School Course Reached House in 1988

 

Twenty years ago, the debate surrounding the Ottawa Board of Education's decision to refer to the killing of Armenians as Turkish genocide went all the way to the House of Commons.

 

External Affairs Minister Joe Clark rose in the House on March 17, 1988 to say that one of his senior officials should not have interfered with the board's decision and said an official apology would be sent.

 

Mr. Clark's assistant deputy minister of the Europe branch, Jacques Roy, had sent a letter to the board criticizing the decision to characterize the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as genocide in a new high school course. Mr. Roy said it would affect relations between Turkey and Canada.

 

Mr. Clark told the House the letter had been sent without his knowledge and said the Department of External Affairs should not have been involved in the matter.

 

 

Link to the story @ EmbassyMag.ca

 

It's worthwhile to note that notorious Genocide Denier Gwynne Dyer is a columnist at Embassy Mag.

[Yervant1]

Vava Jan that poster incident at Carlton University is explained here clearly as to who did it.

 

 

 

The California Courier Online Edition, September 4, 2008

 

6- Turkish Ultra-Nationalists Berate Canadian

Politicians, Media, Judicial, Educational Systems

OTTAWA, Canada - The Canadian-Armenian community, like other Canadians, is

dismayed by the hateful and disrespectful tone of the August 20 press release

issued by the Council of Turkish Canadians (CTC) toward Canadians in general and

Canadian politicians, media, the judicial and educational systems in

particular.

In the release, the CTC blanketed respected Canadian institutions with

unsubstantiated accusations and falsehood, reported representative of the Armenian

National Committee of Canada (ANCC).

It is ironic, said the ANCC President, Dr. Girair Basmadjian, that an

ultra-nationalist minority in the Turkish-Canadian community is taking advantage of

the country's democratic principles, of freedom of speech and tolerance to

import the same heavy-handed modus operandi of the Turkish "Deep State" to Canada

and try to turn Canada into a country where the accused is guilty until proven

otherwise.

Turkish ultra-nationalists have stifled free speech in Turkey with their

infamous penal code (Article 301) which sets harsh punishment for any expression

of facts or opinion that "insults Turkishness." It has been used to indict over

70 writers, journalists and intellectuals in Turkey, including Nobel

Prize-winner Orhan Pamuk.

Turkish school curricula don't even mention the existence of minorities in

Turkey, Basmadjian noted. Representatives of Kurdish and Alevi minorities of

Turkey recently stated, "Government-published textbooks treat non-ethnic Turkish

Christians, Jews and Moslems as outcasts and pariahs. In Turkish history books

Kurds, Alevis, Armenians are considered enemies of Turkey."

Regarding the CTC news release's citing of the anti-Turkish posters incident

at Carlton University, the ANCC spokesperson said, it is an amazing

coincidence that the poster appeared when the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) was

to approve its Grade 11 Genocide curriculum. It is an even a more amazing

coincidence that of the some 15 Ontario universities, this incident took place only

at the University where CTC Board member Prof. Ozay Mehmet's practices.

"We have spoken to the Equity Services Department of Carlton University and

the Carlton University Students Association. Both have informed us that they

did not know who put up the posters," Basmadjian said. The university security

teams removed the posters the same night.

"This raises serious questions about the identity of those who were behind

the exhibition of the posters. Who knew that the posters would be placed, and

when? Who had the knowledge of the exact location of the posters in a large

university such as Carlton, so that someone representing the CTC could take

photographs before they were removed by the university?" asked the ANCC

spokesperson.During this year's public hearing of the TDSB program and school service

committee, representatives of CTC heckled and tried to intimidate and silence

Prof. Frank Chalk, professor of history at Concordia University and director of

the Montreal Institute of Genocide and Human Rights Studies; David Warner,

former speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly; Leo Adler, representative of

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Canada; and MP Jim Karygiannis, who had

been invited by the TDSB to present their testimonies and deputations.

On several occasions the committee chair, trustee Chris Bolton, was forced to

call for order and ask the Turkish representatives not to disrupt the

meeting. The Chair`s pleas were regularly ignored by the Turkish group. After the

meeting, members of the Turkish group approached some of the Canadian speakers

and taunted them with abuse and profanities.

"We are confident that many righteous and fair-minded Canadian-Turks do not

share the hateful, divisive and extremist policies of CTC--which are alien to

all Canadians," said the ANCC spokesperson. The CTC is trying to create discord

among Canadians and to undermine the credibility of our institutions.

Most Armenians and Turks overwhelmingly make a distinction between the

perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and people of

Turkish descent today, wherever the latter may live. The January 19

commemoration of the first anniversary of the assassination journalist Hrant Dink in

Ottawa by a group of Armenians and Turks, who are members of the Turkish-Armenian

Dialogue Group of Ottawa, is the best illustration of this attitude.

Dr. Basmadjian said, "We do not have any conflict with the Canadian-Turkish

community. At issue is the Turkish government and its functionaries' Armenian

Genocide denial policy. A policy which Turkish ultra-nationalists are using to

whip up hysteria and animosity between our two peoples."

Dr. Basmadjian went on to say that the Armenian community in Canada and

elsewhere condemns the dissemination of hate in any form or shape. Armenians in

particular, who have gone through numerous persecutions and have paid the highest

price due to hatred, racism and xenophobia, cannot condone such despicable

and inhumane behavior.

Aris Babikian, executive director of the ANCC, stated, "We are facing a

well-organized, well-funded, sophisticated and unscrupulous assault on our way of

life, principles and traditions by forces which are not interested in

addressing the wrongs of the past, nor in teaching our children historical truths,

tolerance and respect for each other, but in teaching them how to rewrite history,

how to deny one's guilt, how to blame the victim, and how to bully respected

Canadian institutions."

Babikian called upon Canadian political leaders, the media, educators, and

all Canadians to be "vigilant and not let a small group of ultra-nationalists to

tamper with our harmonious mosaic."

 

[Yervant1]

PanARMENIAN.Net

 

Turkish nationalists attempt to suppress ANCC representative's speech

20.02.2009 19:45 GMT+04:00

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of Canada's (ANCC)

Executive Director Aris Babikian challenged Turkish professor Turkkaya

Ataov's attempt to deny the historic reality of the Armenian Genocide

during the latter's lecture at the Ryerson University on

Feb. 18. Prof. Ataov's presentation was titled "How to come to terms

with one's past", ANCC reports.

 

When Babikian tried to correct Prof. Ataov's erroneous statements

regarding the Armenian Genocide, and the Turkish professor's

accusations that the Western world was racist, anti-Islamic and

practiced genocidal policies, many of the Turkish nationalists in the

audience tried to silence Babikian. When Babikian insisted on being

heard, some of the organizers turned off the microphone and threatened

Babikian with forceful removal from the podium.

 

Babikian reminded the audience that they are living in Canada and not

in Turkey and that freedom of speech is one of the most cherished

rights of Canadians, specially in academic settings. After Babikian's

condemnation of Turkish nationalists' anti-democratic behavior, the

ANCC executive director was allowed to make his statement, challenging

Prof. Ataov's boiler-plate propaganda. Babikian also condemned

Prof. Ataov's use of the "religion card" to justify his accusations

against the West. Earlier in his lecture Ataov had accused Western

countries of killing five million Muslims in the Balkan and in the

Caucasus. Ataov's manner was condescending towards the West and his

audience. Babikian asked Atoav how did he reconcile his statement

that only two Armenians were killed on April 24, 1915 with Talaat

*****'s, Minister of Interior and the main architect of the Armenian

Genocide, diary ("Black Book") which stated that 924,158 Armenians had

been killed by the Turkish government. Talaat also kept a detailed

account of Armenians deported from each city, county, and

province. Babikian also questioned the credibility of the historians

Ataov cited as experts on the Armenian Genocide, such as Justin

McCarthy, Gunther Lewy, Sanford Show, and Andrew Mango. Babikian then

read "British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies'" evaluation of

McCarthy's work as `junk food, junk bonds and now junk

history'. Babikian reminded Ataov and the audience about the testimony

of 100 Holocaust scholars, International Association of Genocide

Scholars, the International Centre for Transitional Justice and

hundreds of other scholars and historians who have contradicted

Ataov's claims and the Turkish Government's denial of the Armenian

Genocide.

 

When Babikian tried to question some of Ataov answers, Turkish

nationalists once again tried to suppress Babikian from

speaking. Embarrassed by his compatriots behavior and as a face-saving

measure, Ataov invited Babikian to the stage to stand next to him and

to continue the discussion. Babikian and Ataov continued to discuss

many relevant issues to the Armenian Genocide.

 

After the event, Dr. Girair Basmadjian, president of the ANCC, said

that he `condemned the behavior of the Turkish nationalists and their

attempt to intimidate and silence a Canadian, while trying to deny him

one of the most basic human rights to freedom of thought which is

enshrined in our constitution."

 

Dr. Basmadjian added: "The modus operandi of these nationalists is

indicative and reminiscent of the Turkish government's modus operandi

in suppressing freedom of speech and silencing anyone who dares to

challenge the official Turkish government narrative of the Armenian

Genocide under article 301 of the Turkish penal code." The persecution

of award-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and many other righteous Turks,

and the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist are eloquent

examples of these policies,' said Dr. Basmadjian.

 

 

 

[Arpa]

Apris Aris!!

I have personally corresponded with him in another Forum.

We need more of his kind to shove documents up their .... noses!

We have had too many so called "scholars" that use haggard and stale "hearsay" in battling in a highly chrged and misguided "scholarships" such as those "junk historians" the likes of mcCarthy and company. You think that those furks could BUY more credible "acholars"!!!

Remember that dog, the disbarred and ridiculed Samuel Weems?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Weems

As always, we may be a bit too late. There was a time when thos furkish (nationalist) dogs, not only could not speak Canadian English, they could not even speak their own perso-arabo-osmano-furko language. Until that is Hakob Martayan, aka Agop Dilachar (tongue opener) devised their language.

Edited February 22, 2009 by Arpa