Armenia Solidarity
British Armenian All Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
Tel 07876561398 or 07718982732
Press Release
A major presentation of evidence for the Armenian Genocide to be held in the Grand Committee Room, The House of Commons, on the 24th April (Armenian Genocide Day) at 4.00 p.m. The experts include Greg Topalian, Christopher Walker, Desmond Fernandes, Linda Melvern, Dr Margaret Brearley, Professor Theo van Lint and Farhad Malekian, director of the Institute of International Criminal Law, Uppsala, Sweden
The UK government has declined an invitation to attend this presentation. Their position that there is insufficient evidence for the Armenian Genocide is opposed by the overwhelming majority of independent genocide scholars and historians in the UK and across the world. Their reluctance to listen to this presentation while repeating the Turkish official line without qualification is a concern and an untenable position. The UK government will not rise to the challenge of persuading the Turkish authorities to prepare for EU entry by adopting European values including facing up to their history.
102 MPs have signed Early Day Motion 357 recognising the Armenian Genocide. Of the other international EDMs only those on Darfur, Burma and Zimbabwe have received more signatures.
We understand that the government whips are actively discouraging parliamentarians to attend our events that include a prayer meeting at St Mary's under Croft Chapel in the House of Lords.
MPs will be wearing the white poppy in parliament next week as a visible sign of their recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Program of Events
Armenia Solidarity British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group Nor Serount Publications
You are warmly invited to the following events on Armenian Genocide Day, the 24th April.
Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide 1 Leafleting at the gates of parliament (9.00 a.m. till noon)
- Remembrance at St Mary's-under-Croft Church, the House of Lords at 11.00 am (until 11.20 am )
- Wreath-laying at the Monument to the Innocents outside Westminster Abbey (with Darfuri representatives) - (12.00 till 12.15 pm)
- Major Presentation of evidence for the Armenian Genocide in the Grand Committee Room, The House of Commons
at 4.00 pm, till 5.30 pm Chaired by Lord Avebury & sponsored by John Bercow M.P.
Followed by: Appeal to all MPs to support Early Day Motion 357 on the Genocide and the Formation of a Future Delegation to meet the Rt. Hon Geoff Hoon
- At 5.45 pm: Proceed together from the House of Commons to a Laying of a wreath at the Cenotaph,
at 6.00 pm
Please reply to Eilian Williams, by email or by telephone 07876 561 398, to the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group and the Nor Serount Publications if you are willing to help and to put your name down for the Remembrance at St Mary's-under-Croft Church (event number 2 above), the House of Lords at 11.00 am
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Additional Notes for Editors
Greg Topalian
Gregory Topalian is a historian focusing on comparative memories of the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust and other genocides. His current work looks at different levels of denial, from the blatant approach of the Turkish State, to the role academia and the media play in the denial process. Topalian has acted as an academic advisor to a number of organizations, contributed to a number of radio and television documentaries on the Armenian genocide and currently directs the Gomidas Institute's educational programmes aimed at young people in the United Kingdom.
Christopher Walker
Christopher Walker is a recognised expert with an extensive bibliography on the Armenians and their history from co-authoring the Minority Rights Group publication, The Armenians, through Armenia, Survival of a Nation to editing Vision of Ararat, Writings on Armenia
Desmond Fernandes
Desmond Fernandes is the author of ‘The Kurdish Genocide in Turkey’ (to be published in 2007 by Apec Press, Stockholm) who has written a number of articles on genocide, Turkish state terror, tourism and the ‘Kurdish Question’. He was a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at De Montfort University in Bedford from 1994 to 2006, specialising in Genocide Studies, Sustainable Development, Globalisation and Imperialism. He is currently a member of the Consortium for Research on Terrorology and Political Violence (CRTPV). CRTPV is a consortium of academics operating under the auspices of NASPIR (The Network of Activist Scholars of Politics and International Relations) and the Public Interest Research Network (PIRN) on issues relating to the ‘War on Terror’.
Linda Melvern
Linda Melvern is the second Vice President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the pre-eminent group of independent scholars specialising in the area of research. IAGS has been in the forefront of combating the denial of the Armenian Genocide including writing an open letter to the Turkish Prime Minister. She is an Honorary Professor in the Department of International Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and her most recent published work is the Conspiracy to Murder. The Rwandan Genocide.
Margaret Brearley
Margaret Brearley has been a Lecturer in Mediaeval and Renaissance German Literature at Birmingham University and Honorary Holocaust Adviser to the Archbishops’ Council, and held academic posts at Selly Oak Colleges and the Institute of Jewish Affairs, London. She is currently on the National Executive of WIZO. She has published The Forgotten Genocide that uncovers the links between the Armenian Genocide, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Professor Theo Van Lint of Oxford University
Theo van Lint is the Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies at Oxford University. He has extensive interests over many years in Armenian culture, language and history, and chairs the London based Armenian Institute.
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Farhad Malekian, Director of The Institute of International Criminal Law, Uppsala ,Sweden
Farhad Malekian is the founder and the director of the Institute of International Criminal Law in Uppsala, Sweden. Malekian has contributed a scholarly acknowledged chapter governing International Criminal Responsibility of Individuals and States to the well-known book on International Criminal Law (M. Cherif Bassiouni, 1999). He introduced for the first time the Principle of International Tribunality of Jurisdiction in international criminal law at the Cornell Law School, Cornell University in 2005, embodied in his article on `Emasculating the Philosophy of International Criminal Justice in the Iraqi Special Tribunal' He lectures international criminal law and public international law and is also the editor of the Contemporary Journal of International Criminal Law to be published by the Institute of International Criminal Law in 2005. His work on Crucifying the Philosophy of International Criminal Justice is also forthcoming. His lecture is part of a panel considering War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Resolution.
Written Evidence
Dr Mark Levene of Southampton University Prof Martin Shaw of Sussex University Prof Donald Bloxham of Edinburgh University
Statement from the International Association of Genocide Scholars Compilation of Evidence in the book "Remember" by John Torosyan, Cardiff, as presented to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
List of Armenian Genocide references |
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