Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this month invited Armenian American organizational representatives to discuss the Armenia-Turkey protocols. Her invitation, however, was to Armenian organizations that have supported the protocols, with the exception of the Armenian National Committee of America.
The invitation sent to the Armenian Assembly of America, the North America Dioceses, the AGBU, the Knights of Vartan, and the ANCA is seen as a response to an ANCA-initiated letter by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging Clinton to give Armenian Americans “an opportunity to share their views with you.”
In his letter, Reid also emphasized Armenian American concerns on the protocol-mandated formation of a commission to study the Armenian Genocide.
Aside from the ANCA, all the groups invited to the meeting jointly signed a letter in support of the U.S.-backed protocols.
Missing from the list of invitees were the North American Prelacies of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Relief Society, the Armenian Youth Federation, the Armenian Democratic League (Ramkavar party), the Social-Democratic Hunchakian Party, and the countless other organizations that joined a cross-section of the community in opposing the protocols with mass demonstrations in New York and Los Angeles during the now-infamous diaspora tour by Armenian President Serge Sarkisian.
In a letter to Clinton, ANCA chairman Ken Hachikian on Monday expressed “serious concern,” saying the invitation to the meeting, scheduled for Feb. 9, “does not represent our traditional community leadership nor does it reflect the widely understood Armenian American opposition to the Turkey-Armenia protocols.”
“As presently configured, the meeting you have proposed will not serve the vital and worthwhile aim of healthy discourse, and would, at this sensitive moment, in fact be counter-productive. The current arrangement, which by all appearances intentionally excludes so many of our traditional community and church leaders on the basis of their views and values, would set an undemocratic and highly negative precedent,” said Hachikian.
“Our community’s traditional leadership group, as you may know, met with President Clinton in 1994 and has, collectively, signed a series of letters to the White House over the past two decades, including as recently as President Obama’s inauguration. The organizations that signed our community’s congratulatory letter to President Obama on his inauguration, in addition to the groups that you have invited to meet with you (namely the Armenian Assembly, ANCA, Eastern U.S. and Western U.S. Diocese of the Armenian Church, Armenian General Benevolent Union, and the Knights of Vartan) include the Eastern U.S. and Western U.S. Prelacies of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Bar Association, Armenian International Women’s Association, Armenian Rights Council of America, Armenian Youth Federation, Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Education Association, Homen
etmen Armenian General Athletic Union, Tekeyan Cultural Association, United Armenian Fund, and the U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee,” continued Hachikian.
“I respectfully call upon you to reconsider your initial arrangements for your first meeting with Armenian American leaders. An open, inclusive meeting—one that allows for the full expression of the Armenian American perspective—will, we are confident, serve all of our hopes and aspirations for lasting peace and justice in the region,” said Hachikian.
In an Aug. 20 letter to Clinton, the ANCA had asked for a meeting with all community members to discuss what was then a “roadmap”: “Thank you for your consideration of our views. We respectfully request an immediate personal meeting between you and the Armenian American community’s civic, religious, and charitable leaders so that we can address these matters in greater detail.”
Clinton’s and the State Department’s blatant disregard for popular voices of the community and their insistence to meet with a group whose majority has come out in support of the protocols signals that the Obama Administration is unwilling to have a serious dialogue about this critical matter impacting the future of Armenia and the Armenian nation.
By ignoring the vast cross-section of the community, Clinton’s invitation appears to be a mere gesture to appease her long-time colleague Reid and, once again, tramples on the many Obama campaign promises for inclusion, dialogue, and transparency.
Leaders of the organizations that have been marginalized by this invitation should demand that their voices be heard by the State Department and the meeting is not, by and large, a gathering of yes-men who traditionally have parroted the State Department’s agenda in the community.
Ara Khachatourian
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Only when she decides to re-send an invitation letter to ALL major Armenian organization leaders for a civil sit down discussion should any of the invited parties accept the invitation. This would clearly counter her repeated attempts to divide and conquer Armenians.
But I’m sure the AAA and their ilk would love every moment of sticking this to the rest of us by attending regardless. Don’t kid yourself, this is their shinning moment and they wouldn’t miss it even for live feed of Turkey’s televised recognition of the genocide…
I hope they prove me wrong.
Hye, the overwhelming majority of American citizens of Armenian heritage are being discriminated against by our State Department. Deliberate exclusions, based on painfully transparent and cynical calculations, not only insults these Armenians (and their generations of collective service to America), but also, very sadly, diminishes the integrity of our government as an honest-broker and the central civil and democratic institution of our society. Manooshag
The Armenian Assembly has basically been able to exist without enjoying the support and sympathies of the vast majority of the Armenian American community. I don’t know why this is so — but I have seldom met people (even people in the Diocese) who genuinely support the policies and positions of the AAA (beyond genocide recognition of course).
I think the ANCA and the like should not call on Clinton to let all these organizations in, instead, they should ask the Armenian Assembly to not attend unless they do.
The U.S. State Department has become a sort of Communist Politbeauro of the Soviet period, as it is operating its agenda in the communities in a socialistic way. Mrs. Hillary Clinton has always been a loser at large and remains a loser. Though minor Armenians within the United States of America are proud to shake hands with Mrs. Clinton, the Head of the State Department, no matter how miserable they themselves become or how miserable and silly their Government in Armenia grows. One essential thing remains — to change Texas into Tekhasshchina and Oklahoma into Oklakhomshchina.
As Tavit says, if the invited pro-protocol organizations have any decency, they should reject Clinton’s invitation outright, if not for her discrimation against the rest of the American Armenian community, but at least for insulting their compatriotes.
ANCA should call the Armenian Assembly not to attend with Clinton, unless every Armenian organization will be attending.
Hye, Armenian Assemby have over the years been with the State Department in all matters concerning Armenians – opposition over the years. AAA is not inclined to ‘support’ any
others but its own convoluted choices – as proven in all these years! Sadly, such as these
bring home my belief for honesty in whatever leaderships for Haiastan.
Sadly, such as these are the same who give donations to Haiastan, howsomever, are also amongst the leaders who get back to pcket all they ‘donate’ – together with Serge and cohorts. Manooshag
It’s ironic that the Armenian Organization that campaigned the hardest for the Democratic ticket gets the short end of the stick. The ANC needs to take a moment and think why this is so.
Hy Bashmakian, I’m still waitng for the ‘moment’ when the AAA takes moments to ‘speak’ of their
stance of the issue of the Protocols, the big give-away of the fledling Armenian nation to the Turks.
AAA silence is resounding…. Manooshag
P.S. AAA tends to copycat/ape much of materials put out by the ANCA – unable to ‘copy’ now??
(Too, you shall know it is the ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA – ANCA).
M