Coalition Protests GG's Patronage of Museum

Canadians for a Genocide Museum (CGM) have called on Canadians to contact Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaлlle Jean to ask the she withdraw her patronage of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. It was proposed that she be a patron by  the board of directors of Winnipeg’s Asper Foundation.

The CGM states that the museum, which is supported in large measure by taxpayer’s funds, provided by the municipal (City of Winnipeg), provincial (Manitoba) and federal Canadian governments, will not, according to reports, be be inclusive and equitable in its treatment of the many episodes of genocide that occurred before, during and after the Second World War in Europe.  Nor will it deal with genocides that have taken place elsewhere in the world, including Asia and Africa. Instead, the museum, is intended to focus attention only on the horrors that befell European Jews says the CGM.

The CGM is a coalition of dozens of Canadian ethnic, religious, and racial groups who have come together to question the lack of inclusiveness and transparency of this project.  A number of Ukrainian-Canadian organizations belong to the coalition: The Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, the Ukrainian Women’s Organization and the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women of Canada.

Other member associations include the Armenian National Federation, Lithua-nian Canadian Community, Latvian National Federation of Canada, National Alliance of Canadian Sikhs and the Pan African Movement of Canada.

Commenting on the Asper Foundation’s proposal, Mr James Kafieh, who heads up the Canadians For a Genocide Museum said:

“We are calling upon Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Michaлlle Jean, to withdraw her support of this initiative because we are not convinced that the Asper museum will be inclusive or equitable in its treatment of the many episodes of genocide and crimes against humanity that befouled not only 20th century Europe but other regions as well. Of course, we have no objection to an exhibit on the Holocaust, which took millions of Jewish and non-Jewish lives, but that crime is well known and already extensively treated in museums around the world.

“We believe a Canadian institution funded largely by the taxpayers should not suggest that any atrocity is more deserving of attention than others, or that the suffering that befell one community should be made to appear as being more worthy of memory than those endured by others. We want a museum that is not partial or prejudiced and that is developed and managed openly instead of behind closed doors. The Asper Foundation’s proposal does not meet these criteria. Their spokespersons are not being candid in responding to our legitimate concerns.

“Accordingly, we are asking our friends and supporters to contact the Governor General and petition her to withdraw her support, at least until there are public assurances that our frankly-stated concerns have been addressed. Her Majesty’s representative in Canada should not be engaged in partisanship nor in endorsing a project that is so very controversial.”

Her Excellency may be contacted by mail at the address below or email at info@gg.ca

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaлlle Jean
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A1