PROTEST TURKEY'S EFFORTS TO CENSOR MICROSOFT
ENCARTA'S ENTRY ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE


Chronicle of Higher Education Reveals Official Turkish Threats Against On-Line Encyclopedia for Refusing to Deny Armenian Genocide

Background:
The Chronicle for Higher Education has revealed a campaign by the Turkish government to pressure Microsoft's on-line encyclopedia, Encarta, to deny the Armenian Genocide.

In its August 18th edition, the Chronicle reports that the Turkish government has threatened Microsoft with serious reprisals unless any mention of the Armenian Genocide is removed from its entry dealing with Armenia, written by Ronald Grigor Suny, and its entry on genocide, written by Helen Fein.

According to the article, in response to Turkey's pressure, Microsoft approached both these authors to rewrite their entries to cast doubt on the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide. Both Mr. Suny and Ms. Fein rejected these requests and have openly discussed Turkey's pressure tactics with reporters from the Chronicle.

The Chronicle article, written by Jeff Sharlet and Scott Heller, also notes that Encarta's entry on Turkey makes no mention of the Armenian Genocide. The
Chronicle is the nation's leading publication for the academic community.

Action #1
Thank the Chronicle of Higher Education for standing up against censorship by breaking this important story

The Chronicle of Higher Education
Attention: Scott Jaschik, Editor
1255 Twenty-Third Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037

Tel: (202) 466-1000
Fax: (202) 452-1033
Email: mail@chronicle.com

Points: I am writing to thank you for taking a powerful stand against censorship by revealing the Turkish government's campaign to pressure Microsoft Encarta to deny the Armenian Genocide.

Your August 18th article "The Other Side of Genocide" provided a valuable public service by drawing the attention of academics and the general public to Turkey's shameful efforts to cover-up this crime against all humanity.

Action #2
Urge Microsoft Encarta to include the Armenian Genocide in its entry on Turkey.

1) Go to www.encarta.com
2) Click on "Help" at the bottom of the screen
3) Click on "Contact Us" on the left side of the screen
4) Click on "Encarta Content Queries"
5) In the "Offer Product Suggestions" section, click on "Support Form"
6) Complete and submit the form

Points: I was troubled to learn in the August 18, 2000 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education that the Turkish government has pressured Microsoft Encarta to censor its documentation of the Armenian Genocide. I encourage Encarta to resist these threats aimed at denying this crime against all humanity.

I also would like to recommend that Encarta include the Armenian Genocide in its entry on Turkey. Clearly, no account of Turkish history can be complete without addressing the Armenian Genocide and the systematic destruction of the Greeks and other Christians communities in the final years of the Ottoman Empire.


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