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Council calls for feedback on Assyrian memorial

02 Dec, 2009 12:57 PM
The emotional debate for and against the Assyrian Genocide Memorial monument has continued this week.

Fairfield Council has called for community feedback on the monument proposed for Edensor Park.

The council's cultural development policy adviser, Tiffany Lee-Shoy, said residents wanting to have their say either for or against the memorial ``need to use the correct channels to have their voices heard''.

Ms Lee-Shoy also said key stakeholder groups in the Bonnyrigg and Edensor Park community had been consulted but individual households had not been notified directly.

``There was no letterbox drop as we felt this was not the most effective way to communicate with residents,'' she said.

``This is a completely open process and we don't want people to feel we're neglecting them or their point of view.''

The community consultation period will end on Friday.

All responses from the community will be collated and assessed by council staff before a report is prepared for the councillors.

Plans to build the monument opposite Bonnyrigg Park were spearheaded by the Assyrian Universal Alliance earlier this year.

The proposed memorial statue, to be built on the corner of Smithfield Road and Elizabeth Drive, would stand 4.5metres tall.

The best way to lodge your view is to go to www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au and click on the green ''Have Your Say'' button. Then click on the Community Consultations, Workshops or Public Forums link to either read the full consultation paper or lodge an objection or feedback.

Smithfield MP Ninos Khoshaba comments: ''Earlier this year, I was approached by the Assyrian Universal Alliance and other members of the Assyrian community requesting assistance in gaining official recognition of the Assyrian genocide in NSW.

''I have raised a notice of motion in Parliament in order to recognise the Assyrian genocide and condemn all other acts of genocide, which I hope to debate early next year.

''While this is a council issue, I believe it's a sign of

peace condemning all acts of genocide and I have no

problem supporting the proposed memorial or any other

future projects promoting peace.''

CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

Councillors Anwar Khoshaba, Albert Mooshi and Sam Yousif declared a non-significant, non-pecuniary interest in the matter of the Assyrian Genocide Memorial at last month's Fairfield Council Services Committee meeting.

All three councillors said they had ``a very close relationship with the Assyrian Alliance'', the organisation

which proposed the memorial monument. Each councillor stated the relationship would ``not influence my

decision, as there is no pecuniary interest in relation to this matter''.

According to the LGA Conflict of Interest Provisions Guidelines and Examples: March 2007 a conflict of

interest is present ``when an affected person or person closely associated with an affected person will enjoy or

have a reasonable expectation of enjoying a benefit or will suffer or have a reasonable expectation of

suffering a detriment if the matter is decided in a particular manner''.

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I'm not opposed to the memorial, but if it is approved I hope we will see consistency in the future if any other group wants the same consideration. There are many Fairfielders of overseas background, and from many parts of the world where atrocious, genocidal acts have occured - if our Khmer, Sudanese, Armenian, or Greek residents (to name just a few) seek to have a remembrance for their forebears suffering they, too, should be approved.
Posted by Bill Cashman, 3/12/2009 8:09:56 AM, on Fairfield Champion
The memorial is great, as Bill points out there are many others in the community of whom seek a similar memorial. Perhaps one memorial or a park be allocated to allow others to erect similar monuments. For example, the Serbs, Jews and Gypsies experienced atrocities and extermination in WWII at the Jasenovac concentration camp lead by NAZI Croatia where some 750 000 persons lost their lives.
Posted by Momo Romic, 6/12/2009 2:04:13 PM, on Fairfield Champion
Bill, you make a very valid point. I completely agree - if approved, all residents of overseas background should have the same right!
Posted by Roberto, 6/12/2009 2:34:19 PM, on Fairfield Champion
I hear people saying fairfield community,they have all or most have escaped from there own countrys . But you see the answer is THERE OWN COUNTRYS they can build do what ever they like in there own countrys but the Assyrians can not, there country Assyria is divided up by other country's they are not allowed to wear crosses on there chests in public they have the smallest seat ratios in the parliaments they are classed as 3rd class citizens so ofcourse when they come to these western country's they should be allowed to build these monumnts to let people understand what has happend to them and to stop these nations from commiting these atrocities again . The reason why they cant build it in there own country is because there is NOOOOOOOOOOOOO country it was taken and handed over to the Arabs,Kurds,Turks,Iranians by the English,Russians,french,Americans ,isreal so in regards to all nationalities should be able to build a monument together as one is not valid because other nationalities can do so in there own country's is the Assyrians cant now because there's was taken away from them
Posted by normal guy, 7/12/2009 2:46:28 AM, on Fairfield Champion
one of the mps against this monument http://www.smh.com.au/national/gi llards-israel-trip-rankles-party- mps-20090614-c7g5.html
Posted by normal guy, 7/12/2009 7:52:47 PM, on Fairfield Champion
error in last mess so in regards to all nationalities should be able to build a monument together as one in one park or some great huge thing with all different nationalities is not valid because other nationalities can do so in there own country's BUT the Assyrians cant now because there's was taken away from them and given away to others
Posted by normal guy, 7/12/2009 8:02:52 PM, on Fairfield Champion
Australia is so far away from all these countries and hopefully from all the history . We don't need to start stirring hornets nests on what doesn't and shouldn't involve Australians. How many other genocides and so-called genocides are we planning on building memorials for? Perhaps just one memorial for the genocide committedon the Aborigines would do?
Posted by Leyla, 8/12/2009 6:32:49 AM, on Fairfield Champion
I honestly don't understand what this memorial has to do with Australian history. Shouldn't we be focussing and commemorating our own history? Or does the council have another agenda here?
Posted by anne, 9/12/2009 6:44:15 PM, on Fairfield Champion
Australia in the land aspect is so far away only thing NOT connecting it to these genocides is the ocean and water but Australia was & still is involved 400 thousand assyrans refugees on iraq,jordan,syria and guess where turkey and only reason is because of the allied forces which australia is a part of so Leyla before you let your fingers to the work think before you type
Posted by normal guy, 9/12/2009 6:59:59 PM, on Fairfield Champion
Pandoras box , Council will be running for cover very soon , to reverse this appalling decision by a selfish minority of people within a community .Don,t they relise that this is there new country that isolationism and marked teritories such as monuments will be ethnically no-go zones .This council will have a stain for years to come that it sucks up to selective nationalities to do deals in the interest of few to feed echos that benifit nobody in any community other than themselves .I,m just waiting for the other tribes to have there day in the sun and it,ll be i told you so but to late , we need to intergrate or we,ll disintergrate by hate from other communities that have learn to behave themselve in this land of freedoms .
Posted by risto, 23/12/2009 1:06:04 PM, on Fairfield Champion
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In memoriam: Memorials have been established all over the world for the Assyrian genocide, including the memorial plaque (above) in Tarzana, California and the Assyrian-Chaldean genocide memorial plaque in Paris. Below is the proposed Assyrian Genocide Memorial for Edensor Park.
In memoriam: Memorials have been established all over the world for the Assyrian genocide, including the memorial plaque (above) in Tarzana, California and the Assyrian-Chaldean genocide memorial plaque in Paris. Below is the proposed Assyrian Genocide Memorial for Edensor Park.
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