AHI Sends Letter To Governor Rowland of Connecticut Urging Retraction Of Historically Inaccurate Proclamation

On October 22, 2001, the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) submitted a letter to Governor John G. Rowland of Connecticut urging him to reconsider and withdraw a historically revisionist proclamation regarding events which took place in Turkey during 1912-1922 and thereafter. The proclamation, which commemorates August 30, 2001 as a "Day of Remembrance for the Turkish Zafer Holiday in the State of Connecticut," is based on serious factual inaccuracies and omissions.

Similar historically revisionist proclamations were issued recently by Governor Don Siegelman of Alabama, and Mayor Michael P. Peters of Hartford, Connecticut. Both officials have since retracted these documents. Governor Siegelman officially retracted his proclamation on October 3, 2001. Mayor Peters issued a formal apology on September 6, 2001 to the Greek and Armenian communities for issuing the exact proclamation issued by Governor Rowland regarding the Turkish Zafer Holiday.

Attached is AHI's letter (click here) to the Governor of Connecticut regarding his proclamation, and a related exhibit. The exhibit includes text of the Connecticut proclamation along with AHI's commentary on shortcomings of the proclamation's "WHEREAS" clauses.

For additional information, please contact Chrysoula Economopoulos at (202) 785-8430 or chrysoula@ahiworld.org, and visit our Web site at http://www.ahiworld.org.