The Armenian National
Committee of America and AHI send letter to the American Jewish Congress
to express their disappointment for granting Bravery Award to Turkish
Prime Minister
WASHINGTON, DC—On January 22, 2004, ANCA
Chairman Kenneth V. Hachikian and AHI general counsel, Gene Rossides sent
a letter to the President of the American Jewish Congress, Mr. Jack Rosen,
to express their disappointment for granting the American Jewish Congress
Bravery Award to the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The full text of the letter to the American Jewish Congress follows;
January
22, 2004
Mr. Jack Rosen
President
American Jewish Congress
15 East 84th Street
New York, NY 10028
Dear Mr. Rosen:
We are writing, as friends of the Jewish American community, to voice our
profound disappointment with your decision to grant the American Jewish
Congress Bravery Award to the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, on January 26th in New York City.
As you know, Mr. Erdogan is the Prime Minister of a nation with among the
world's worst records on torture, human rights, and jailing journalists.
His government occupies over a third of the independent country of Cyprus
and has consistently blocked a peaceful Cyprus resolution. The Turkish
government, under his leadership, actively and openly pressures the United
States, Israel, and other nations to deny the Armenian Genocide. In fact,
as recently as last April, Mr. Erdogan's Education Minister, Hussein Celik,
implemented a mandatory program of teaching Armenian Genocide denial in
Turkey's school system. Mr. Erdogan's government also blockades
humanitarian aid to Armenia; places unfair restrictions on Turkey's
Christian communities, and commits ethnic cleansing against and denies the
most basic rights of its Kurdish population. These are not the actions of
a leader who deserves the praise of the American Jewish Congress, a proud
organization that represents a community that Armenian and Greek Americans
have, through long experience, come to know as the defender of the highest
ethical principles.
We cannot believe that your decision to honor Mr. Erdogan reflects the
views of the mainstream Jewish American community. Jewish Americans - like
Greek and Armenian Americans - are, of course, deeply committed to their
homeland's security. We cannot accept, however, that the Jewish community
supports expending its great moral standing, and thereby compromising
Israel's long-term interests, on behalf of a government that denies
genocide, restricts basic rights, and commits unspeakable abuses against
its own citizens. This is clearly demonstrated by the growing number of
community organizations supporting efforts to reaffirm the Armenian
Genocide. Among those who are supporting the Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.193 and S.Res.164) currently before Congress are: American
Federation of Jews in Central Europe; American Jewish League for Israel;
American Jewish World Service; Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding;
Center for Russian Jewry with Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry;
Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations; Council for Jewish
Education; Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs; Jewish Community Relations
Council of Greater Boston; Jewish Community Relations Council of the
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County; Jewish War Veterans of the USA;
National Committee for Labor Israel; Rabbinical Assembly;
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and Union of Orthodox Rabbis. In
addition to these organizations, this legislation has been backed by over
one hundred other leading national groups, among them the NAACP, National
Council of La Raza, American Values, International Campaign for Tibet,
Sons of Italy, and the National Council of Churches.
We do not understand why the AJC, despite both personal and written
appeals, has failed to take a similar principled stance on the Armenian
Genocide. It is our sincere hope that the AJC will join the Genocide
Resolution coalition, urge Mr. Erdogan to withdraw Turkish forces from
Cyprus, and encourage him to abandon his shameful and immoral positions on
human rights, Cyprus, and the Armenian Genocide.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Gene Rossides
Kenneth V. Hachikian Founder Chairman
American Hellenic Institute
Armenian
National Committee of America
