10/23 Medford Transcript: City recognizes Armenian genocide, suspends ADL membership

City recognizes Armenian genocide, suspends ADL membership

By Sharon Tosto Esker/medford@cnc.com
Tue Oct 23, 2007, 06:00 PM EDT

Medford -

Medford - While Medford may continue to be a welcoming place for those of different cultures and colors, the city is considering no longer being formally called “No Place for Hate.”

During the Oct. 16 City Council meeting, Councilor Robert M. Penta proposed rescinding the city’s membership to the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place for Hate” program as a result of the organization’s failure to recognize the Armenian genocide.

More than 1.5 million Armenians were killed in Turkey at the end of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1917. While several nations, like France and Germany, have formally classified that these killings as a genocide, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has stopped short of supporting a national program that condemns the event.

“I felt that at this point in time it was important to address this issue with the council,” said Penta. “Sometimes you have to get involved with issues that may not be popular. We do have an Armenian population in Medford and all they want is recognition.”

Penta originally received additional details about the Armenian genocide as a member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. The issue was presented as an agenda item at a recent meeting to discuss whether or not the MMA would recognize the actions against the Armenians as genocide.

Other cities and towns, such as Arlington, Belmont, Newburyport, Newton and Watertown, have chosen to formally recognize the genocide and either rescind or suspend their ADL membership as a result of the organization’s lack of action.

Medford has been a member of the ADL since December 2004.
“When you have situations going on in places like Darfur, which the ADL has taken a position against the genocide there, and you don’t recognize the Armenian genocide, the ADL is becoming discriminatory,” said Penta. “How do you choose to recognize that atrocity, but not the Armenian genocide?”

Rather than decide immediately to rescind the city’s ADL membership, the City Council voted to wait for a recommendation from Medford’s Human Rights Commission. At last week’s HRC meeting, members developed a proposal to send back to the council to suspend the city’s membership rather than rescind it outright.

“There’s no conversation if we withdraw our membership to the ADL,” said Diane McLeod, executive director of the Office of Human Diversity. “We wanted to leave room for dialogue. There’s been a mistake made by the ADL, and we’d like more evidence that they sincerely are recognizing the genocide.”

In August, leaders of the ADL announced that what happened in Armenia was “tantamount to genocide.” However, many cities and towns in Massachusetts, including Medford, now believe the ADL’s statement was not genuine enough.

“We have listed two types of evidence that would show that the ADL is sincere about this recognition,” said McLeod. “One would be to sponsor a national or local program about the Armenian genocide or the other would be to support national recognition of the genocide. But we are also asking the community about what they would like to see as evidence of the ADL’s commitment.”

McLeod encouraged members of the community e-mail the HRC with recommendations. While the HRC cannot guarantee that all suggestions would be included in its proposal to the City Council, the HRC would like to give the community an opportunity to voice its opinions.

McLeod and Penta both emphasized that, even though it will no longer be a member of the “No Place for Hate” program, the city will continue to sponsor programming that encourages diversity appreciation and respect among differences in the community. Most importantly, diversity training will continue in the city’s elementary, middle and high schools.

“We will continue to respect the principles of the ‘No Place for Hate’ program, but the bottom line is a simple component,” said Penta. “The Armenians are not asking for reparations. They just want acknowledgement.”

— To discuss the Armerian genocide, Medford’s Human Rights Commission can be reached at humandiversity@medford.orgor 781-393-2501.

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/medford/homepage/x96464381