CHICAGO, Ill.—A coalition of groups working against genocide protested outside Northwestern’s Lurie Medical Research Center in downtown Chicago, where a program denying Turkey’s genocide of 1.5 Million Armenians was being conducted by the Turkish American Cultural Alliance (TACA) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA).
“It’s unfortunate that Northwestern University is allowing its facilities to be used for an event denying the Armenian Genocide,” stated Maral Vartanian-Abrahamian, representative of the Armenian National Committee of Illinois (ANC of Ill.), one of the organizations protesting the program. “Northwestern’s prestige has been damaged by carelessly providing a podium for hate speech in the form of genocide denial,” she continued.
Dozens of demonstrators carried signs displaying “ATAA Go Away” and “Northwestern – Complicit in Genocide Denial,” while chanting slogans such as “Don’t Deny the Genocide,” referring to Turkey’s 1915 genocide of 1.5 million Armenians. In addition to the ANC of Illinois, several other groups took part in the protest including Northwestern University’s STAND (a student anti-genocide coalition), the Genocide Education Network of Illinois, and the Armenian Youth Federation.
“We are here today to remind the ATAA and the TACA that genocide denial and historical revisionism will not be tolerated,” said Shant Papazian, Chairman of the Armenian Youth Federation’s Chicago chapter. “Instead of helping Turkey face up to its horrific past, these organizations continue to perpetuate the myths generated by Turkish government,” he added.
The TACA/ATAA event featured a renowned genocide denier, Prof. Türkkaya Ataöv, whose presentation was entitled “Turks & Armenians: What Really Happened on April 24, 1915.” During his presentation, Ataöv stressed how, through the centuries, the Turks had been benevolent toward the Armenians, and how the Armenians were an ungrateful nation. Leading up to the First World War, Ataöv stated, that the Armenians fought the Turks out of a sense of superiority, even though the Turks allowed Armenians to live in peace and freedom. He continued by stating the Turks were kind enough to escort the Armenians out of their homes in April of 1915 and into safety, telling them that it will be ok to return once the conflicts were over. He then surmised that the Armenians did not return because they were ashamed of their bad behavior towards the Turks.
Early in Ataöv’s presentation, Northwestern Campus police confronted the Armenians seated in the audience and demanded that they leave the auditorium, despite the fact that they had been seated and silent during presentation. Once in the lobby, the police informed the Armenian attendees that they were “not welcome at this event and needed to leave.” One of the event organizers came out of the auditorium and interceded, stating that they had not been disruptive and were welcome to stay.
Prior to returning to the auditorium, however, the Armenians were accosted by ATAA President-elect Ergun Kırlıkovalı, who stated, “I am tired of you people showing up to all my events and calling me a bloody murderer.” Despite this confrontation, the Armenians were allowed back into the auditorium, but were subject to close surveillance. Following Ataöv’s presentation, Kırlıkovalı was introduced and took the podium. At various points in his presentation, Kırlıkovalı spoke sarcastically of the Armenians, and these comments were often greeted with laughter and warmly received by many the 100 or Turks in attendance.
“Not only were the content and tone of Ataöv’s and Kırlıkovalı’s presentations offensive, but the fact that such a program is being held within days of April 24th, the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, is insulting to the memory of the victims and their families,” stated Vartanian-Abrahamian.
The Turkish organizations hosting the program have long been active in genocide denial. The ATAA has sued the State of Massachusetts and threatened school districts in unsuccessful attempts to exclude the Armenian Genocide from genocide and holocaust education programs such as those mandated by the State of Illinois. The ATAA has been under close scrutiny since wiretapped conversations between Turkish diplomats at the Chicago consulate and local ATAA officials revealed that the organization attempted to bribe Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in order to prevent passage of legislation regarding the Armenian Genocide.
Although the TACA is ostensibly a cultural organization, the majority of the activities listed on its website (grassroots.tacaonline.org) seem instead directed toward denying the Armenian Genocide rather than promoting Turkish culture. These activities include efforts to block legislation in Congress marking the Armenian Genocide and lectures focused on Armenians and Kurds, two of the most oppressed groups in Turkish society.
Beginning in April, 1915, and continuing until 1923, the Turkish government conducted a program of described by then US Ambassador to Turkey Henry Morgenthau as “race extermination,” resulting in the deaths of over 1.5 million Armenians, 750,000 Assyrians, and 330,000 Pontian Greeks. Although some of the leaders responsible for the genocide were found guilty in abstentia for crimes against humanity by a tribunal conducted by the post-war Turkish government, the current Turkish government denies that a genocide occurred. The Turkish government has gone as far a making it a criminal offense publicly discuss the Armenian Genocide, and several notable Turks, including Nobel-prize winning author Orhan Pamuk, have been indicted under this law.
The Turkish government’s position runs contrary to that of most independent genocide and holocaust scholars worldwide, as well as many governments. Raphael Lemkin, the Polish lawyer who was the primary force behind the adoption of the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide, invented the word “genocide” specifically to describe the experience of the Armenians in WWI and the victims of the Holocaust in WWII.
The Armenian National Committee of Illinois is a grassroots public affairs organization serving to inform, educate, and act on a wide range of issues concerning Armenian Americans throughout the state of Illinois.
I warned in one of my posts here that Turkey was offering a summer exchange program at Northwestern; so I am not surprised that it has targeted NU as a place to have genocide denial programs. I too had a run in with the “Nazi” campus police which was just unbelievable.
I just knew this was going to happen. Armenian genocide denial follows wherever Turkey is; they may be there because all the politicians are paid by the Turkish lobby????
I am so mad I could just spit because of all the trouble I have had at Northwestern University; and I would like to spit in the face of those Nazi Turks. What morons those NU people are to let the Turks speak there.
I complained to Haaretz that the American universities are producing “evil” students because the schools have racist policies and teachers (anti Israel and anti black; now anti-Armenian?); and the students may be smart but have no character and are not taught to have any; and end up becoming Wall Street crooks and Doctor Mengeles? So what the Hell is this denier doing speaking at the medical school – trying to spread his racist prejudice. Is this what Northwestern is teaching them and exposing them to? What crap.
They also let George Rockwell, an American Nazi speak there years ago.
I apologize to all you Armenians; but I really expect NORTHWESTERN to apologize to you. I would never give that school any money.
I will send them a SIGNED letter; not an anonymous post.
I wish you the best of luck and give you my whole hearted support because I know how terrible this school can be. Please use your lawyers if necessary.
I believe also that Ali Babacan got his degree at Northwestern.
What is truly disappointing is that AKP (Babacan) is as much a genocide denier as the CHP, Ataturk’s party.
It seems it matters not if they are islamist or secularist; they are all nationalists and genocide deniers. I have no faith in the AKP, which is also currently having difficulties with Israel. I was hoping for more from them, but it was a false hope.
Israel is not allowed now to use Turkish air space for drills; USA was not allowed to use Incirlik.
No party in Turkey at this time is going to accept the Armenian genocide and apologize. We heard Erdogan deny it over and over again.
Unfortunately, we shall also have to watch their treatment of Israel.
Like I said, the universities let anti-semitic speakers on campus and there is a lot of harassment of the Jewish students (you can read a lot about that in Haaretz and JPost).
The proper response (besides the protest outside the Northwestern building) is for ANC Illinois to invite an international Genocide scholar to lecture for much larger audience then 100 biased Turkish students. That would mean using same platform, and freedom of speech to address the Genocide issue.
Hye, NU, a learning institution has dropped the ball. Evidently not any knowledge of world history/world Genocides is available within it walls.
Monetary gains shall be their goal… truths… denied.
World archives, American Ambassador Henry Morgenthaw eyewitness accounts, missionairies eyewitness acccounts, and more shall not have been
accessed within the NU walls – thus NU has dropped the ball and cannot be amongst those who seek to end the cycle of Genocides… Humans violating humans…
Murders, rapes, all crimes are pursued in the civilized nations and all efforts are made to find the guilty and pursued until justice is served.
NU, it appears hears the word GENOCIDE (which applies to the elimination of the innocents) still today, 2010, in Darfur – yet no justice need be applied when there is a Genocide – thus the perpetrator is the ‘winner’ and all the innocents are
the ‘losers’… Why?
does anyone know what time and the date this event was held? i think Northwestern owes Armenians an apology!
I urge interested people to research Mr. Kirlikovali, the president elect of the assembly of turkish american associations. The web is full of viciously racist statements by him against Armenians and Mexicans.
To Garo:
I agree, this is indeed the right response…
To Anonymous #2:
I wonder if Israel and Israel’s Policy toward a certain population is not to blame for some of the issues between Israel and Turkey? From your post it seems the problems between Israel and Turkey are solely due to anti semitism of Turkish politicians…
Vincent, if Israel and the Palestinians in the near future find a way to improve their relations, Turkey and Iran will no longer have a scapegoat; and they will be forced to deal with their internal problems, i.e., their relations with Armenians and Kurds.
I read today Israel is being careful not to sell arms to Turkey because it believes Turkey is becoming more Islamist. Pan-Islam may fail as pan-arabism failed because of nationalism. Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan each have their own national identity and problems.
Turkey may also have real or false fears that the USA and Israel are helping the Kurds and the PKK and that may be one reason for the strain in relations.
I am hoping that Israel and the Palestinians will be able in the near future to solve their problems; I am really confident that they will.
Turkey, Iran, Pakistan want to be a third bloc, a muslim bloc, equal to the West and the East. What about Iraq and the Kurds? What about Armenia? What about Egypt? What about Lebanon? What about Syria? What about Saudi Arabia?
What about the Palestinians? These all have their own national identities and problems.
How should the USA deal with Turkey, esp. if Turkey really is becoming more Islamist?
Well, at the least, I thank Armenian Weekly, YaLibnan, Hurriyet, and all the other publications for their articles which I read to keep up-to-date on the news. Hopefully, this means of communication on the internet will speed up the peace and reconciliation efforts, for Israel and the Palestinians at least, if not for the other countries who ban the internet and thereby hinder peace efforts.
If Israel improves its relations with the Palestinians, will that necessarily mean that its relations with Turkey will be better? Turkey is still anti-semitic as far as I know.
Gee, now that you dashnaks have had a taste of your own medicine, you can’t stand it, can you!! Over the years, Turks and Azeris attended conferences at U of Minn, UCLA and U of MI. The presenters included Balakiyan and Pappazian. When they projected an overhead map of what Armenia will look like after reparartions, one of the Turkish students (a single one) politely asked what kinds of reparations could the families of the massacred Turks, Azeris and so many other Moslems and non-Moslems could expect. Ever single Turkish and Azeri attendee (less than 20) were immediately removed by security and, unlike what happened at NW, they were NOT allowed to return!
I am glad all my friends and family from Turkey chose to attend UCLA and Stanford instead of Northwestern. At least UCLA offers courses on Armenia and there are many well known Armenians in California who teach about the Armenian genocide; where are the courses or teachers at Northwestern who offer courses on genocide studies and/or the truth about the Armenian genocide? If they offered such a course, would they be willing to stand up to Turkey and teach the truth?
The USA is made of diverse populations; it is not homogeneous; and it is no longer in vogue to americanize everyone. UCLA, for example, teaches language and history courses for everyone, including Armenian, Persian, Jewish, and even Turkish. Everyone is an equal citizen under the law.
I find the California universities to be very interesting because of the variety of interesting courses they offer.
Also, California hospitals, like the Ronald Reagan Hospital in L.A. get an “A” rating, while the Northwestern Hospitals are “C+.”
Stanford also has the William Saroyan collection.
Maybe that would be interesting for the Armenians around the world to know.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, renowned Turkish intellectuals urged to get together in Istanbul and mourn for 1915 victims of Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2010.
Their statement reads: “In 1915 Turkish population was estimated at 13 million with about 2 million Armenians in Frakia, Aegean Region, Adana, Malatya, Van, Kars, Samatya, Sisli and other places. They were our friends from the blocks: our tailors, jewelers, shoemakers, millers, classmates, teachers, officers, soldiers, MPs, historians and composers. They were our akin neighbors, facing same challenges as we did. They were displaced since April 24, 1915 and we lost them. They are no more with us. The majority is gone, not even their grave sites are known. But our heart sores for 95 years for that pain and great catastrophe. We call on all Turks feeling this pain deep in the heart to pay tribute to 1915 victims, wearing black, silent and with lighted candles and flowers. As this pain is OUR pain. This is our sorrow. So we meet April 24 at 7:00 p.m. local time in Taksim square of Istanbul.”
The statement was signed by scholar Baskin Oran, lawyer Fethiye Cetin, historian Nese Duze, Chairman of Human Rights Association Ozturk Turkdogan, Turkish MP Ufuk Uras and others.
I graduated from Northwestern’s Wesley Passavant School of Nursing in 1975. At the time, many students were international, coming from different backgrounds. As the only Armenian-American student in the Nursing program, there was no discrimination to report, though I understand in years past, there was a “quota” in the various schools…four Armenian’s were allowed in the Medical or Dental Schools, for instance-per class. Although the vogue of quotas are past; the rights of all Genocide victims and their descendants were terribly marred by the University on that day. To make matters worse, my son and daughter in law were the person’s “ejected.” I was not aware that the University security did the “dirty work,” but was somehow under the impression that the Chicago Police Dept. were involved. Another issue is the fact that, out of all the attendees, why were these two targeted? They were seated quietly, respectfully, to hear the “other side.” It seems to me that their constitutional rights were violated, and that the University and ATAA should be liable for these constitutional infractions. We all know that they are free to speak, and we are free to do so, as well as listen. I believe that ANC and all Armenians should respond in kind to fill the lecture halls and venues where these ridiculous “conferences,” are held, and should participate politely by citing the facts, and ask respectful questions which are truthful in nature. Only the truth will free our dead victims. Only the truth will assist our fellow victims of Darfur and Rwanda to acquire justice. So far, the Turkish reality has been allowed to perpetuate itself, lie after lie. As long as this happens, there will be no fear, and no punishment of the monstrous governments, militaries, and others, who think they have “world order,” at interest. We are late in our protest and need to collect whatever reparation there is to pay for the damages and restore property, and then we will see what the Turkish government will do as great “Europeans.”
“ANC of Illinois chairperson Nairee Hagopian… . She updated the community on the April 10 protest organized by the ANC against a denialist event at Northwestern University, where several Armenians were ejected because of their ethnicity, and announced the letter-writing campaign directed at Northwestern University president Morton Shapiro. “Chicago Armenians Mark Genocide,” Armenian Weekly
Anonymo us – I hope you are sending him a letter.
My doctors worked at Michael Reese, a Jewish hospital; when it was closed because of financial difficulties, they worked at other hospitals in the area. There was always a little anti-semitism at the Northwestern Hospitals; that is one of the reasons I believe that Jews and Catholics had their own hospitals. Some of my relatives now work in Israel in the medical field. I would be curious to know if any of them are experiencing prejudice at the NU hospitals today.
Having a different opinion has nothing to do with hate speech. Infact the false accusation of “hate speech” is just a scheme to supress free speech. Also, the accusation of being “denialists” is another mere scheme to supress free speech.