August 17, 2010
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Eight Muslim American leaders who visited concentration camps and met with Holocaust survivors signed a statement condemning Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism.
The trip earlier this month, intended to teach the participants about the Holocaust, featured visits to Dachau and Auschwitz.
"We stand united as Muslim American faith and community leaders and recognize that we have a shared responsibility to continue to work together with leaders of all faiths and their communities to fight the dehumanization of all peoples based on their religion, race or ethnicity," the statement read. "With the disturbing rise of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hatred, rhetoric and bigotry, now more than ever, people of faith must stand together for truth."
Marshall Breger, an Orthodox Jew who served in the Reagan and first Bush administrations, and Rabbi Jack Bemporad, a Reform clergyman, launched the trip to educate those who may not have had the opportunity to learn the history of the Holocaust. Breger said this would help combat Holocaust denial among Muslims.
The leaders on the trip were imams Muzammil Siddiqi of Orange County, Calif.; Muhamad Maged of Virginia; Suhaib Webb of Santa Clara, Calif.; Abdullah Antepli of Duke University in North Carolina; and Syed Naqvi of Washington, D.C., along with Dr. Sayyid Syeed of Washington; Sheik Yasir Qadhi of New Haven, Conn.; and Laila Muhammad of Chicago. Muhammad is the daughter of American Muslim leader W.D. Muhammad and granddaughter of Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. U.S. government officials, the State Department's special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, and the U.S. ambassador to the Organization of the Islamic Conference also participated.
In 2001, Yasir Qadhi, one of the imams on the trip, called the Holocaust a hoax, but he later said his comment had been a mistake. After the trip earlier this month, Qadhi told the N.J. Star-Ledger, "It was a very moving experience for all of us imams, in particular myself. I had never seen anything like this. I was just overwhelmed throughout the entire trip. I was just overwhelmed at the sheer inhumanity of it. I could not comprehend how such evil could be unleashed."
The Aug. 7-11 trip was co-sponsored by a German think tank, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and a New Jersey-based interfaith group called the Center for Interreligious Understanding.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Germany charges ex-Rwandan mayor with genocide
(AP) - 4 hours ago
BERLIN -- German prosecutors say they have filed charges against a former Rwandan mayor for his alleged involvement in the African country's 1994 genocide.
Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that they charged the 53-year-old ethnic Hutu -- identified only as Onesphore R. -- with genocide and murder as well as incitement to those crimes. They said he was a mayor of an unspecified district in northern Rwanda at the time of the killings.
They say the man called for a pogrom against the Tutsi ethnic minority on three occasions in early April 1994 and forced a local official to throw out Tutsis who had taken refuge in his house.
Prosecutors say the man ordered and coordinated three massacres between April 11 and 15, 1994, in which at least 3,730 Tutsis were killed.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Schools can exclude materials disputing Armenian genocide Court ruled on 1999 case
Schools can exclude materials disputing Armenian genocide Court ruled on 1999 case
By Peter Schworm
Globe Staff / August 12, 2010
In a closely watched case, a federal appeals court yesterday ruled that statewide public school guidelines on teaching human rights history can exclude materials disputing that the mass slaying of Armenians in the First World War era constituted genocide.
The decision, written by retired Supreme Court justice David Souter, who occasionally hears cases with the First Circuit Court of Appeals, found that state education officials did not violate public school students' free speech rights in 1999, when they excluded all "contra-genocide'' sources calling the Armenian genocide into question.
Van Z. Krikorian, a professor at Pace University Law School who filed a brief defending the state's move, said he was thrilled by the ruling, equating those who dispute the genocide designation to Holocaust deniers.
"It would have put human rights education in reverse,'' he said. "It's a major defeat for genocide denial.''
Upholding a lower-court decision, the court ruled that although state guidelines were advisory, and "not meant to declare other positions out of bounds in study and discussion,'' they were part of the official curriculum and therefore under the discretion of state authorities.
Requiring that officials include references to dissenting viewpoints, Souter wrote, "might actually have the effect of foreclosing future opportunities for open enquiry in the classroom.''
Harvey Silverglate, a Boston civil rights lawyer representing the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, had argued that removing the references amounted to government censorship and prevented students from hearing both sides.
"It always is a sad day when a court constricts First Amendment rights rather than expand them,'' he said. "I think they made a mistake.'' Silverglate said his clients will consider whether to appeal.
The Turkish-American group disputes that the Muslim Turkish Ottoman Empire committed genocide against its Christian Armenian minority population. Over 1.5 million Armenians died at the hands of Turkish forces, but Turkish activists maintain it was not the result of a policy.
In 1998, the Legislature ordered the state Board of Education to prepare an advisory curriculum guide for teaching about genocide and human rights, and a draft of the guide initially included a section on the "Armenian Genocide.'' Under pressure from Turkish advocacy groups, the commissioner of education, David P. Driscoll, revised the draft to include references to opposing views, said the ruling.
When officials filed the guide with legislators in March 1999, the state's Armenian community protested the inclusion of "contra-genocide'' viewpoints, and the education commissioner removed the references.
Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
By Peter Schworm
Globe Staff / August 12, 2010
In a closely watched case, a federal appeals court yesterday ruled that statewide public school guidelines on teaching human rights history can exclude materials disputing that the mass slaying of Armenians in the First World War era constituted genocide.
The decision, written by retired Supreme Court justice David Souter, who occasionally hears cases with the First Circuit Court of Appeals, found that state education officials did not violate public school students' free speech rights in 1999, when they excluded all "contra-genocide'' sources calling the Armenian genocide into question.
Van Z. Krikorian, a professor at Pace University Law School who filed a brief defending the state's move, said he was thrilled by the ruling, equating those who dispute the genocide designation to Holocaust deniers.
"It would have put human rights education in reverse,'' he said. "It's a major defeat for genocide denial.''
Upholding a lower-court decision, the court ruled that although state guidelines were advisory, and "not meant to declare other positions out of bounds in study and discussion,'' they were part of the official curriculum and therefore under the discretion of state authorities.
Requiring that officials include references to dissenting viewpoints, Souter wrote, "might actually have the effect of foreclosing future opportunities for open enquiry in the classroom.''
Harvey Silverglate, a Boston civil rights lawyer representing the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, had argued that removing the references amounted to government censorship and prevented students from hearing both sides.
"It always is a sad day when a court constricts First Amendment rights rather than expand them,'' he said. "I think they made a mistake.'' Silverglate said his clients will consider whether to appeal.
The Turkish-American group disputes that the Muslim Turkish Ottoman Empire committed genocide against its Christian Armenian minority population. Over 1.5 million Armenians died at the hands of Turkish forces, but Turkish activists maintain it was not the result of a policy.
In 1998, the Legislature ordered the state Board of Education to prepare an advisory curriculum guide for teaching about genocide and human rights, and a draft of the guide initially included a section on the "Armenian Genocide.'' Under pressure from Turkish advocacy groups, the commissioner of education, David P. Driscoll, revised the draft to include references to opposing views, said the ruling.
When officials filed the guide with legislators in March 1999, the state's Armenian community protested the inclusion of "contra-genocide'' viewpoints, and the education commissioner removed the references.
Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
"It's a Woman's World" airs
Dr. Ellen Kennedy and Sabina Zimering, Holocaust survivor, appear in the episode "It's a Woman's World". The episode is scheduled to air on February 8th at 9:30 am and 4:30 pm on Metro Cable Network, Channel 6. It will also air on SPNN Channel 15 on February 5th and 12th at 6:30 pm.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Ritchie Boys
Thank you for all that attended our Ritchie Boys event on November 12th at the MN History Center.
To listen to the MPR interview with Dr. Guy Stern and Walter Schwarz click here.
The Film "The Ritchie Boys" can be purchased here from Amazon.com or here from Barnes and Noble.
Dr. Guy Stern referenced additional information that we would be posting to our website. This information can be found here.
You can see photos from the Nov. 12th event and Dr. Stern's visit here.
To listen to the MPR interview with Dr. Guy Stern and Walter Schwarz click here.
The Film "The Ritchie Boys" can be purchased here from Amazon.com or here from Barnes and Noble.
Dr. Guy Stern referenced additional information that we would be posting to our website. This information can be found here.
You can see photos from the Nov. 12th event and Dr. Stern's visit here.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
World Without Genocide Student Action Award
World Without Genocide Student Action Award
Knowledge + Action = Power
This annual award, to be given by World without Genocide (formerly Genocide Intervention Network-Minnesota), recognizes community outreach projects by college and high school classes to raise awareness about any aspect of genocide: protection, prevention, prosecution, and remembrance.
Click for more information.
World Without Genocide Student Action Award
Knowledge + Action = Power
This annual award, to be given by World without Genocide (formerly Genocide Intervention Network-Minnesota), recognizes community outreach projects by college and high school classes to raise awareness about any aspect of genocide: protection, prevention, prosecution, and remembrance.
These projects can include educational outreach to other schools, faith-based organizations, civic groups, businesses, and human rights organizations in the form of art exhibits; theater or dance performances; rallies; film events; legislative outreach; fund-raising; media awareness and support; and similar activities.
Evaluation criteria:
1) number of community people reached
2) impact of project as measured by students' reflections
3) project characteristics: actionable, sustainable, and replicable, emotionally-engaging, innovative
4) level of professionalism and excellence
Who can apply:
Applications can be submitted by students or educators at public or private high schools, colleges and universities, and faith-based organizations.
Award ceremony:
A ceremony will be held at the Minnesota State Capitol in May 2010. Awards will be presented by Senator Sandy Pappas, board member of World without Genocide, to the winning students and educators.
Submission information:
Deadline: April 30, 2010
Instructions:
Students or educators are asked to submit an application as follows:
1) Class information
Name of instructor and contact information (mailing address; email address; phone)
School name and location
Course title or student group and date
Name of person submitting application and contact information (mailing address; email address; phone)
2) Project description - a narrative limited to two pages that addresses the four evaluation criteria:
• number of community people reached
• impact of project as measured by students' and/or community members' reflections
• project characteristics:
actionable, sustainable, and replicable
emotionally-engaging
innovative
• level of professionalism and excellence
3) Evaluation of project impact
4) Any relevant supporting information (photographs, newspaper articles, website promotion, etc.)
Applications should be submitted electronically to
hlschommer@gmail.com
Subject: Student Action Award submission
For additional information, contact Heather at 952-994-2729 or visit
www.worldwithoutgenocide.org
Knowledge + Action = Power
This annual award, to be given by World without Genocide (formerly Genocide Intervention Network-Minnesota), recognizes community outreach projects by college and high school classes to raise awareness about any aspect of genocide: protection, prevention, prosecution, and remembrance.
Click for more information.
World Without Genocide Student Action Award
Knowledge + Action = Power
This annual award, to be given by World without Genocide (formerly Genocide Intervention Network-Minnesota), recognizes community outreach projects by college and high school classes to raise awareness about any aspect of genocide: protection, prevention, prosecution, and remembrance.
These projects can include educational outreach to other schools, faith-based organizations, civic groups, businesses, and human rights organizations in the form of art exhibits; theater or dance performances; rallies; film events; legislative outreach; fund-raising; media awareness and support; and similar activities.
Evaluation criteria:
1) number of community people reached
2) impact of project as measured by students' reflections
3) project characteristics: actionable, sustainable, and replicable, emotionally-engaging, innovative
4) level of professionalism and excellence
Who can apply:
Applications can be submitted by students or educators at public or private high schools, colleges and universities, and faith-based organizations.
Award ceremony:
A ceremony will be held at the Minnesota State Capitol in May 2010. Awards will be presented by Senator Sandy Pappas, board member of World without Genocide, to the winning students and educators.
Submission information:
Deadline: April 30, 2010
Instructions:
Students or educators are asked to submit an application as follows:
1) Class information
Name of instructor and contact information (mailing address; email address; phone)
School name and location
Course title or student group and date
Name of person submitting application and contact information (mailing address; email address; phone)
2) Project description - a narrative limited to two pages that addresses the four evaluation criteria:
• number of community people reached
• impact of project as measured by students' and/or community members' reflections
• project characteristics:
actionable, sustainable, and replicable
emotionally-engaging
innovative
• level of professionalism and excellence
3) Evaluation of project impact
4) Any relevant supporting information (photographs, newspaper articles, website promotion, etc.)
Applications should be submitted electronically to
hlschommer@gmail.com
Subject: Student Action Award submission
For additional information, contact Heather at 952-994-2729 or visit
www.worldwithoutgenocide.org
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