March 7, 2000

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126 HOLOCAUST SCHOLARS AFFIRM THE INCONTESTABLE FACT OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND URGE WESTERN DEMOCRACIES TO OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE IT At the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Scholars' Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches Convening at St. Joseph University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 3-7, 2000, one hundred twenty-six Holocaust Scholars, holders of Academic Chairs and Directors of Holocaust Research and Studies Centers, participants of the Conference, signed a statement affirming that the World War I Armenian Genocide is an incontestable historical fact and accordingly urge the governments of Western democracies to likewise recognize it as such. The petitioners, among whom is Nobel Laureate for Peace Elie Wiesel, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, also asked the Western Democracies to urge the Government and Parliament of Turkey to finally come to terms with a dark chapter of Ottoman-Turkish history and to recognize the Armenian Genocide. This would provide an invaluable impetus to the process of the democratization of Turkey. Below is a partial list of the signatories:

Prof. Yehuda Bauer Distinguished Professor Hebrew University Director, The International Institute of Holocaust Research Yad Vashem, Jerusalem Prof. Israel Charny, Director Institute of the Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem Professor at the Hebrew University, Editor-in-Chief of The Encyclopedia of Genocide Prof. Stephen Feinstein, Director Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies University of Minnesota Prof. Saul Friedman, Director Holocaust and Jewish Studies Youngston State University, Ohio Prof. Edward Gaffney Valparaiso University Law School Prof. Zev Garber Los Angeles Valley College Prof. Dorota Glowacka University of King's Collage Halifax, Nova Scotia Dr. Irving Greenberg, President Jewish Life Network Prof. Herbert Hirsch Virginia Commonwealth University Prof. Irving L. Horowitz Hannah Arendt Distinguished Professor Rutgers University, NJ Rabbi Dr. Steve Jacobs Temple Sinai Shalom Huntsville, Alabama Associate Editor of The Encyclopedia of Genocide Prof. Steven Katz Distinguish Professor Director, Center for Judaic Studies Boston University Prof. Richard Libowitz Temple University Dr. Marcia Littell Stockton College Exec. Director, Scholars' Conference On the Holocaust and the Churches Franklin Littell Emeritus Professor Temple University Prof. Hubert G. Locke Washington University Co-founder of the Annual Scholar's Conference On the Holocaust and the Churches Dr. Elizabeth Maxwell Executive Director of the International Scholarly Conference on the Holocaust, London, England Prof. Erik Markusen Southwest State University, MN Prof. Saul Mendlowitz Dag Hammerskjold Distinguished Professor of International Law Rutgers University Prof. Jack Needle, Director Center for Holocaust Studies Brookdale Community College Lincroft, NJ Dr. Philip Rosen, Director Holocaust Education Center of the Delaware Valley Prof. Alan S, Rosenbaum Dept. of Philosophy Cleveland State University William L. Shulman, President Association of Holocaust Organizations City University of New York Prof. Samuel Totten The University of Arkansas Assoc. Editor of The Encyclopedia of Genocide Prof. Elie Wiesel Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities Boston University Founding Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council Nobel Laureate for Peace

I hereby declare that the originals of these one hundred and twenty-six signatories are on file in my office. All affiliations supplied are for identification purposes only.

Dr. Stephen Feinstein, Director, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies University of Minnesota