Your personal contribution to next week's Armenian Genocide events

Next week brings with it the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.Yet after all these years, we in the UK are still unable to make the breakthrough here that they are getting closer to in the USA.

There will be two meetings in the House of Commons as well as the usual commemorative events in London joined by a new one in Cardiff. In February 2007 in the House of Commons, we were told by the architect of Holocaust Memorial Day that the Armenians would not make any advance until their cause was better known by politicians in particular and the population in general. He had in mind more than annual commemorations.

So this is what you personally can do this year. Buy Taner Akcam's ' A Shameful Act' from a bookshop or Amazon (now at special price) and send it to your MP. Its significance is that it is written by a top class non-Armenian academic and is endorsed by world famous author Orhan Pamuk on the cover. In this way, you will reinforce the commemorative events.

Find your MP by clicking on http://www.parliament.uk/directories/directories.cfm

Even better send another copy to your MEP, particularly if you live outside London.

Find your MEP by clicking on http://www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm

Here's a sample covering letter to get you going:

"I write to you as one of your constituents on a matter of great importance to me and my family. The UK Armenian community is preoccupied with the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and its impact on current affairs. As you must know, the Turkish government continues its denialist policy using it as an issue in international relations.

For a further insight into this unresolved episode, I enclose a book written by Dr Taner Akcam, one of the new generation of Turkish historians who now no longer accept the Turkish government’s official line. He is at the University of Minnesota having fled the country. Because of his research and its conclusions, his life was in danger: there is no real freedom of speech or conscience for Turks, Armenians or any ethnic or religious minority in Turkey.

On the eve of the 93^rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I urge you to bring all the pressure you can on the British government to recognise the Armenian Genocide. Please sign Early Day Motion 797 as a first step. Please ask the British government to use its good offices to persuade the Turkish government enter into diplomatic relations with Armenia and open the closed border between the two countries. The Turkish authorities use the Armenian Genocide as one of their justifications for their policy on both these issues. Furthermore, this country can use its influence to improve treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in Turkey which has to meet the European Union objective of “Unity in Diversity”.

You should know of the recent desecration of the Armenian Genocide monument in Cardiff. Unfortunately no senior politician in the UK of any hue has condemned this. We realise that it will probably be attacked again when it is repaired.

Yours sincerely

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