Source: Today´s Zaman
The Foundation for the Struggle Against Baseless Allegations of Genocide (ASIMED) has begun an e-mail campaign to try and dissuade actor Mel Gibson from playing a role in a film that underscores claims of an alleged genocide of Anatolian Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I.
The president of ASIMED and faculty member at Atatürk University's history department, Professor Savas Egilmez, said in order to raise support internationally for Armenian allegations, various Armenian diaspora groups had set aside a fund of $100 million and this money had been given to Hollywood film production companies to encourage the making of such a film. Egilmez noted that more than one such Hollywood company is preparing to shoot a film supporting the Armenian view. "It is now being said that actor Mel Gibson is to play a role in one of these films. There is a push to have the film shot at Icon Productions, the company Gibson is a partner in," said Egilmez.
Egilmez noted that a similar situation occurred recently when Sylvester Stallone announced his plans to play a role in a new film adaptation of the book "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh." After a campaign led by ASIMED in which more than 3,000 e-mails were sent to Stallone, the actor declined the role. "Stallone decided not to act in this film after the e-mail campaign we led. The European press also expressed concerns about the book's accuracy. We have begun sending documents about the truth of the situation to Gibson. We started an e-mail campaign to urge him to decline the role and to not allow this film to be shot at his production company. What we are facing is a new slander campaign on the level of the 'Midnight Express'. Everyone needs to be sensitive and aware on this topic. We need to put pressure on this famous actor by telling him the truth of the matter," stated Egilmez.