By Rosario Teixeira
BOSTON, Mass.—About one week before the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Peace of Art, Inc. was notified by Clear Channel that the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboard, which had been on display at Lechmere Station in Cambridge, Mass., had to be removed. It seems that this year, an anonymous entity had deemed the message on the billboard—“Recognize the Crime of the Century, the Armenian Genocide”—to be of a political nature. The 2013 message, which read “Honoring the memory of 1.5 million lives lost, Armenian Genocide. Recognition and condemnation,” was displayed in the same location and without incident.
Peace of Art, Inc., is a non-profit educational organization registered with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, and tax exempt under section 501 (C) 3. Its projects involve bringing awareness to the human condition, such as hunger, homelessness, and deportation. One of its projects is to sponsor billboards to bring awareness to genocide. Since 2003, Peace of Art has sponsored the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboards that call for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Peace of Art maintains that it is not a political organization, is not associated with any political organization, and does not issue political opinions, beyond stating that genocide is a crime against humanity.
Clear Channel has classified the billboard as a political awareness message—”one of two sides of an issue”—and removed the billboard located at Lechmere Station, while offering to place the billboard in one of two unsold locations in Cambridge. Therefore, for the remaining of the month of April, the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboard can be seen on Massachusetts Avenue and Walden Street in Cambridge.
Daniel Varoujan Hejinian, the president of Peace of Art, Inc., said the removal is unjust and unjustified. “It doesn’t matter how many sides an issue has, the truth has only one side. The Armenian Genocide is recognized by 21 countries and 42 states of the Union including Massachusetts,” he explained.
For more information, visit www.PeaceofArt.org.
Rosario Teixeira is the executive director of Peace of Art, Inc.
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I call this removal of the billboard Political and Cowardly. The Truth is the Truth and it will live even after the death of those who lived through it. My grandmother and Aunt began telling me their stories from the time I was three until they both died and I will continue telling those stories to everyone who will listen, friends friends of friends and family until I die. I want to tell it not for hate but for powerful will and legacy of those who endured and hopefully for recognition recovery and forgiveness
stupid is seen- ignorance-they are allied with the cow dung that cannot fertilize=they smell
The billboard indirectly blaming Obama, who lied to his own people!
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/24/for-6th-year-in-a-row-obama-breaks-promise-to-acknowledge-armenian-genocide/
This is ridiculous. It is a fee country, and when you advertise cigarettes, liquor, food, or any other social issue or cause on a billboard, there are always two sides to it, meaning a competitor has a ‘different story to tell’ about the same product, or an opposing view may have something different to say (even in political campaigns…), such as a health related issue, or domestic violence or any other issue for that matter (social, political or otherwise). Yet, these billboards remain, and no one says, “This is one of two sides of an issue,” so let’s remove it!!! No billboard of the kind described above EVER represents TWO points of view on issues. Only the one of the person paying for the billboard!
So where is the freedom of speech here. No entity is singled out, mentioned or denigrated!
Bullshit, total bullshit. And shame on Clear (which seems to be anything but!)
This is how politicians and lobbiest act Armenians should learn from Turks and Jewish lobbying, they do everything in silence no evidence of their involvement that remains in the shadow. Not like Armenians who announce all their actions even before realising them.
USA is a freedom country right? But freedom of expression is repressed and silenced. It reminds me Soviet Union political sensorship. Is this the USA? Then North Korea is even better and more free.
Wanna bet that they’d never remove a similar billboard about the Holocaust? That would be ‘anti-Semitic’. However, they’re allowed to be blatantly anti-Armenian???
I am a German married to an Armenian clear sounds like is unclear or run by a Turk . This is supposed to be a free country. Let me tell you it’s not .money is what rules this country truth and justice no longer matter
I have spoken to Mayor Rizzo and his office said they are investigating and trying to remedy the situation …