The Arab Council of Australia called for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognise the Ottoman-Turkish perpetrated genocide (1913-1923) against the Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians.
The CEO of the Arab Council of Australia, Randa Kattan, wrote in a letter to the Australian Prime Minister that "We call on Australia to join the many countries that have taken steps in recognising the Armenian Genocide."
"The act of formally recognising events of mass atrocity as experienced by the victims affords them dignity," she wrote.
"This acknowledgement of history supports the healing of a community and is inclusive of those many generations living with inherited trauma,” Kattan added.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia "expressed sincere gratitude" for the Arab Council's "support as they continue to advocate for Federal recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides."
The call for genocide recognition directly contradicts the claim made by the Turkish Ambassador to Australia only days ago.
Spearheaded by Turkish Ambassador Korhan Karakoç, Turkey is attempting to have MP’s work against South Australian MP Tom Koutsantonis motion for a Greek Genocide Remembrance Day.
In his argument against a Genocide Remembrance Day, Karakoç claimed that such a memorial would impact “the social harmony in South Australia currently enjoyed by the Turkish and greater Muslim community.”
This was a mischievous, but failed attempt by the Turkish Embassy to divide Muslims and Christians in Australia.
Although the Arab Council of Australia is a secular, not-for-profit independent community organisation, it does represent the interests of Australians from 22 Middle Eastern countries, overwhelmingly Islamic.
It is also recalled that in different ways, Muslim-majority countries like Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Egypt have recognised the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire and the Young Turks in their lunatic drive to create a “Turkey for the Turks.”
Only the Ottoman Turks can be blamed for the genocide and the Arab Council of Australia has reaffirmed that they will not fall into the trap of sectarian division that Karakoç seemingly attempted to set up.
Although Turkey continues to insistently deny genocide, it has complete academic consensus, with the International Association of Genocide Scholars saying in a 2007 resolution that:
“the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923 constituted a genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks.”
READ MORE: Turkish Ambassador attempts to silence South Australian MP Koutsantonis on Greek Genocide.
