Holland Raises "Armenian Issue" within EU and in Contacts with Turkey

PanARMENIAN.Net - Representatives of the Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands (FAON) met today with Minister of Immigration and Integration Rita Verdonk. As the FAON told the PanARMENIAN.Net the reason for this meeting was connected with the commotion after the removal of three MP candidates of Turkish descent from the candidates' lists of CDA (Christian Democrat Party) and PvdA (Labor Party) for publicly denying the Armenian Genocide. In response to that Minister Verdonk underlined that in the international context the Dutch government has raised the Armenian question repeatedly, both in EU framework and in the bilateral contacts with Turkey and will continue to do so. The Armenian Federation, that got the ball rolling on the matter of the MP candidates through a letter to the CDA, expressed concern towards the minister on the one-sided way in which particularly Turks in the Netherlands are informed about this episode of the history, which hampers their integration into Dutch society. Moreover, because of current Turkish legislation, it is in fact impossible for Turks, also those living in the Netherlands, to give other opinions on the Armenian Genocide than the official Turkish point of view. The FAON for this reason urged the minister to adapt the education program on this subject. By means of objective material, attention should be paid to this history on different levels, as is the case in neighboring countries, in one package together with the Holocaust and other genocides. The Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam can play an important role in this matter. Minister Verdonk promised that she will transmit the request of the FAON concerning the adaptation of the history curriculum on this subject to her colleague of Education, Culture and Sciences. The minister subscribes to the need of sound provision of information on the matter.



 

Additionally, the FAON asked for an active attitude of the Dutch government by acting against denial on Internet sites stirring up hatred, and other forms of public denial, minimization, justification or reversing of the Armenian Genocide; action is also necessary against hackers who continuously try to destroy Dutch and Armenian internet websites. In response to this request, minister Verdonk promised to ask the Dutch Complaints Bureau for Discrimination on the Internet (MDI) to be alert to any form of discrimination towards Armenians.