KeghartA Call for Action by the Armenian Association of Toronto
Dear members and supporters of the Armenian Association of Toronto,
We are writing to share some concerning information regarding a Member of Parliament who has shown political support and cooperation with the Azeri and Turkish communities in his riding of Nepean, without regard for Canadian values or the principles of his own political party.
Mr. Chandra Arya, a Liberal MP, traveled to Azerbaijan before the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from their ancestral land. His trip was financed by both the Azeri community in Canada and the Azeri government, raising serious questions about his allegiance to human rights and justice.
Moreover, late last year, Mr. Arya took to his X (formerly Twitter) page to proudly announce that the Turkish community in Canada plans to commemorate Mustafa Kemal Atatürk by erecting a bust (of this Turkish military leader) in Kars, a village on the Rideau River, which is part of the city of Ottawa.
The above acts raise concerns that should alarm us: Has Mr. Arya studied Atatürk’s legacy, including his involvement in genocide, or is he aware of the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Armenians by the Azeri government?
We urge all members of the Armenian community and supporters of justice to remain vigilant in these troubling times and continue advocating for the truth. Together, we can ensure that our collective history and the rights of the Armenian people are never forgotten.
22 January 2025, Toronto
Keghart
Keghart
10 comments
Those who love Ataturk can go build monuments in their original countries. After all, this is Canada – not Turkey, not Azerbaijan !
The centuries old and very dangerous Pana-Turkish sentiments are on the rise again. They were manifested in the Armenian genocide in the early 1900’s and again by the ethnic cleansing of the Armenians in 2020’s. The grandiose sentiments usher a geopolitical flashpoint at the crossroad between Azerbaijan-Armenia-Iran-Turkey; and are the force behind the rise of HTS throat cutters (formerly ISIS, and Al-Qaida) in Syria, endangering the lives of Christian, Alawite, Kurd and other minorities. And oh… the Azeri-Turkish petroleum to Israel flew throughout the 16 months of Palestinian genocide.
It is shameful for anyone, notably Mr. Chandra Arya to appear “bribed by” or “caving to” Azeri / Turkish pressure to erect such despicable monuments. Are Canadians importing a nationalist movement by erecting a monument that embodies expansionist, fascistic, genocidal, and disruptive forces from Asia?
As we read a welcome “call to action”, many more Chandra Aryas are being served by the adversaries of the Armenian nation.
Dare we ask?
How can a handful concerned motivation rebuilders reverse the long term policies of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Zionism, when the majority of Armenians dispersed throughout, as the result of the Turkish and recent Azeri Genocides, are still trying to rebuild their own lives among the “odar” (foreign) societies and subcultures.
It takes individuals who can dedicate their personal and collective (including church) wealth, distancing themselves from advancing their personal business interests in Armenia, leaving their armchairs to preach, and promoting what it takes to lead and make a hole, not just a dent, in the enemy destructive policies/actions. Monitoring or punching?
Thank you for keeping the subscribers aware of this situation and the plans in Ottawa by their turkish community. Has any Armenian organization in Canada filed a complaint in the name of the Armenian community? Most of the Armenian community in USA and Canada do as much as we can to spread the narrative of the Armenian Genocide, and the truth of the actions of turkey and azerbaijan. Where are official complaints against the actions of Chandra Aya?
I would consider this an affront.
This must never happen in a society such as this.
There are a few military leaders in the history of the world who have caused the death of more people than Gengiz Khan, yet his grand statue is in the center of London, UK. In fact, all great military leaders have caused widespread death during their military career: Alexander the Great, Julius Ceasar, and many others. Napoleon is a more modern example: his wars have caused the death of more than a million people, half of them being French soldiers. Yet, Napoleon’s statues are everywhere. The same for George Washington, whose military actions caused the death of many Americans, yet he is the most revered leader of USA, with hundreds of statues and thousands of busts in USA and abroad.
The very location of the proposed Statue of Ataturk is highly significant.- The village of KARS, named after the city built by King Ashot II (the Iron) of the Bakradouni dynasty of Armenia, 1100 years ago. And a mere 105 years ago, Kemal Ataturk’s forces captured Kars, making it a city in Turkey.today. So, I suggest to erect the statues of King Ashot “Yergat” and President Kemal Ataturk in a location named Kars, located in Canada, Turkey, or anywhere else. That would be fair!
HOW to contact those officials and others in Canada who can put an end to this outrage?
Here are some facts about Ataturk, the mass murderer and genocidist:
https://www.greek-genocide.net/index.php/overview/perpetrators/mustafa-kemal-atatuerk
Also should not GREEKS, ASSYRIANS, and KURDS oppose this too?
Why don’t Greece and Armenia send letters to Canada to express their outrage?
The Prime Minister: The Right Hon. Justin Trudeau can be reached through the website (e-mail, fax, civic address):
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact
Ministers: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/ministries
Click on the link, then on the name, and open the contact window of the minister you wish to write to through emails
House of Commons (Parliament): https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/search
Click on the link. Pictures and names of the members of parliament (MP) will appear. Click on the name, open the contact window where the e-mail appears.
MP Chandra Arya’s e-mail: [email protected]
This is the e-mail I sent to the minister of foreign affairs :
[email protected]
Dear Mrs. Joly,
I would like to voice my outrage to the plan of erecting a bust of the Turkish military leader and head of state of Turkey in Ottawa .This “hero” was responsible for countless atrocities committed against Greek and Armenian civilians in 1921 / 1922.My grandmother’s family was decimated during his campaign in Smyrna.
What would the Canadian government do if a neo-Nazi group planned to build a memorial to Heinrich Himmler in Ottawa?
Hoping that you will bring pressure against this affront .
Sincerely ,
Hovanes Boyadjian
By the way, how many Foreign leaders’ busts exist in Canada? Is this a common practice in Canada?
Keghart and its readers have done a good job to publicize the Ataturk bust scandal. Now it’s time for Armenian organizations, churches, and political parties to carry on the mission to scuttle the scandalous project. After all, it’s their mission to represent our community and its interests.