April 22, 2006 - 16:17 AMT
Harvard Expert: Events in 1915 Are Genocide by All Criteria of Genocide
Leading politicians and groups from a range of communities are joining with Armenians in their battle to ensure that the Armenians' early-20th-century history be taught as genocide, writes the Boston Globe. As the article Armenians Get Allies in Genocide Teachings, the Armenians are fighting a federal lawsuit that seeks to include opposing views of the Armenian Genocide in teaching materials for Massachusetts high schools. A rally yesterday at the State House drew representatives from the diverse coalition, including members of local Jewish and Irish communities, as well as the prosecutor general and the vice-governor of the State, who intend to run for Massachusetts governor, in a testament to the political clout that the Armenian community has in Massachusetts.

In its turn the Boston Herald cites Harvard genocide expert Helen Fein. "It is a genocide by all criteria of genocide," said Fein, director of the Institute for the Study of Genocide. "It's insulting and ridiculous to argue with these deniers," she said. "Given the fact that Turkey continues its denial campaign, it becomes that much more important for the U.S. and other countries to remember and reaffirm what happened so we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past," said Bryan Ardouny, head of the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA).