Commemoration on Beacon Hill: 'Deny Denial'

Annual Beacon Hill Commemoration Celebrates ‘No Place for Denial’ Effort

By Andy Turpin

"The Armenian Weekly", Volume 74, No. 18, May 3, 2007

BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)—On April 18, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives Chamber at the State House on Beacon Hill, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and state officials presided over ceremonies commemorating the Armenian Genocide .

Massachusetts State Representative Rachel Kaprielian (D) introduced the event, stating, “Today we are so honored with the presence of the governor of the Commonwealth, Deval Patrick. Like John F. Kennedy in Berlin, today Mr. Patrick, ‘You are Armenian.’”

She said of keynote speaker Nancy Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and her camaraderie with the Armenian community that “You are a mensch [Yiddish, “a good person”] and a true friend. You are the embodiment of what this day means and we love and honor you.”

Kaprielian honored the passing of Boston-area Armenian humanitarian and benefactor John Baronian. “We miss you John,” she said. “Armenian par excellence and a son of survivors, we know you’re looking down on us.”

Rev. Stephan Baljian of St. Stephen’s Armenian Church in Watertown, presented the ceremony’s religious invocation, followed by the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance led by Senator Steven A. Tolman (D-Mass.).

The children of St. Stephen’s Armenian School and of the Armenian Sister’s Academy then sang “America the Beautiful” and the “Armenian National Anthem”.

Lt. governor Tim Murray, former three-term mayor of Worcester, presented remarks, introduced by State Representative Peter J. Koutoujian (D).

Koutoujian said of Murray and Worcester’s longtime Armenian-American friendship, that “Many of you may not know that the Armenian-American community started in Worcester, or as it used to be known, Vooster. Lt. Gov. Murray understands that. He has worked with the ANC of Central Massachusetts to advocate genocide recognition in D.C.”

Murray said of the day’s significance that “understanding the lessons of the Armenian Genocide helps us to prevent other genocides around the world.”

Patrick spoke next, offering the presentation of the Governor’s Proclamations. “Bari luys,” he said. “I am so glad to be here today to welcome you to your house. The State House is your house.”

He said of his longtime friendship with Koutoujian, “I was befriended by Peter with a grace and kindness I will never forget.”

Offering counsel to those Armenian children in attendance, he said proudly, “What you see in the faces of the survivors here is a picture of the resilience of the human spirit. You come from a spirit and tradition of survival and mental toughness. Remember that, live it.”

Patrick presented ceremonial plaques recognizing the Armenian Genocide and the overcoming of its terrors to survivors Virgine Mazmanian, Ojen Fantazian, and Almas Boghosian.

Koutoujian added, “I want you all to know of the governor’s long-held commitment to our people and our cause.” He recounted how during Patrick’s election campaign allegations were spread that he supported genocide denial.

Koutoujian detailed, “He reached out to myself and Rachel and said, ‘This is untrue,’ and made statements speaking out against the Armenian Genocide and its denial. He doesn’t just understand the issue of genocide, he feels it. And that’s a leap this governor never had to make.”

Turning to speak of the ongoing construction of the Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway and the legislative battle for its creation by the Boston-Armenian community, Koutoujian said, “We fought against all odds because it made us proud to remember, ‘We are here in America!’ But we always had one friend. This governor stayed with us and were it not for him and this lieutenant governor, we would not have the Armenian Heritage Park Greenway.”

In reaction, the crowd gave Patrick a cheering standing ovation for his longstanding support of the Armenian-American cause and its constituents.

Turning the ceremonies to honor those involved in exposing and opposing the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) denial of the Armenian Genocide, Kaprielian stated, “Regular citizens said, ‘This is not right.’ And stood up for our people.”

Watertown town councilor and member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) board of directors Jonathan Hecht was presented with the Joint House and Senate Resolution on the Armenian Genocide as a way of honoring him for his pivotal role in advocating for the MMA to rescind its sponsorship of the ADL-affiliated No Place for Hate program.

The MMA severed its ties with the ADL on April 8. The resolution also honored the Watertown Town Council’s leadership on the ADL issue over the past several months. During his acceptance speech, Hecht stated, “I want to be sure to thank the Armenian community for its tireless efforts to make sure the truth is known and that the Armenian Genocide is not ‘the Forgotten Genocide,’ and to make it clear that the responsibility of fighting genocide falls on each and every one of us.”

Koutoujian then introduced keynote speaker Nancy Kaufman, and praised her for her support during the campaign against the ADL’s ambiguous position on the Armenian Genocide. “She did not hesitate and did not think about the politics,” he said. “She denied denial.”

Kaufman said, “Passover is the festival that celebrates freedom from tyranny and oppression. So it is appropriate that when I should be home cooking, I am here with you today. We also share in common the attempts by some to deny that a genocide occurred.”

She continued, “I want to testify and witness and witness on behalf of the JCRC and as a Jewish-American that 1915 occurred.”

Kaufman presented the audience with an overview of the Armenian Genocide. She noted that “Early gas chambers were formed by pushing people into caves and blocking the entrances. … The Nazis improved the technology of these methods.” She praised U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, a Jewish-American, and his works to protect Armenians in all aspects, including advocating to President Woodrow Wilson to restore and assist in the founding and preservation of the Armenian First Republic following World War I.

Kaufman added, “Ironically, it was his son [Henry Morgenthau, Jr.] who lobbied FDR for United States intervention on behalf of the Jews during World War II. America’s non-response to the Turkish horror set in place patterns that would be repeated again.”

Of the infamous Article 301 in Turkey, she explained, “Today it’s considered treason to acknowledge the genocide in Turkey…Think for a moment what would have happened if the Allies had urged the world [to take action] against genocide [after World War I]. Or suppose the Nazis had remained in power and there were no Nuremberg Trials. Doubtless Germany would have denied the charges against them as Turkey does today for the Armenian Genocide.”

She ended speaking of the genocide in Darfur. “Let us not ask ourselves what we would have done but let us act,” she said.

Koutoujian presented special thanks to the representatives of all those Massachusetts towns that contributed and banded together during the anti-ADL controversy, including Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Lexington, Medford, Needham, Newburyport, Newton, North Hampton, Watertown, and Westwood. House of Representatives citations were also presented to human rights groups in those towns for their “Commitment to Protect and Honor Human Rights in the Past, Present, and Future.”

Koutoujian also thanked the “No Place for Denial” team of activists for leading an unprecedented grassroots effort to expose the ADL’s denial and to persuade over a dozen Massachusetts municipalities, and ultimately the statewide umbrella group the MMA, to sever their links with the ADL.

Also thanked for their attendance were the medical NGO Heart-Rwanda, the Consul Generals of Finland and Israel, the Knights of Vartan, and the Armenian Veterans Association Post 41. A final blessing was given to the memory of recently deceased benefactor John Baronian, noting, “John continued to give, and to give, to his college and to his people.”

Fr. Vasken Kouzouian of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cambridge gave a benediction and requiem prayer. The Erebuni Armenian Chorus of Greater Boston, conducted by Maestro Artur Veranian, presented a selection of commemoration pieces.