US Fed News
April 22, 2005 Friday 5:05 AM EST
REP. HONDA ISSUES STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
US Fed News
WASHINGTON
Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif. (15th CD), issued the following statement:
Statement of Rep. Mike Honda on the Armenian Genocide
April 24th 2005 marks a solemn occasion in world history: the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. From 1915 to 1923, the
Christian Armenian population endured a policy of systemic killing
implemented by the then-Ottoman and early Turkish Empires, resulting
in the ethnic slaughter of one and a half million Armenians.
Since that time, descendants of Armenian immigrants have proudly
clung to their identity, prospering in communities throughout the
world. Here in the United States, we are especially fortunate to have
a vibrant Armenian community that has greatly enriched American civic
life.
It is vital that we remember this dark period in history. Losing the
memory of this tragic event would only perpetuate the injustice. For
too long, the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th
Century, has been denied the recognition that it properly deserves.
As human beings, we all have a responsibility to keep events such as
the Armenian Genocide at the forefront of our collective historical
memory. We cannot begin to overcome the challenges of the future
until we acknowledge our past mistakes.
It is perhaps the tragedy of the 20th Century that a cataclysmic
occurrence such as the Armenian Genocide has to share a place in our
memory with other horrific events such as the wartime atrocities
perpetuated during WWII, the ethnic cleansings in Cambodia and
Bosnia, and the Rwandan genocide. I truly believe we must take the
time and make the effort to find reconciliation between the
perpetrator and victims of these events.
Currently, we are confronted by a genocide unfolding in Sudan, where
tens of thousands die every month; we must not allow ourselves to
turn a blind eye. Recognizing the Armenian Genocide will help heal
the wounds humanity has suffered in the past century. By
acknowledging the horrors of our past and working to protect our
future, we take one step closer to the goal of “never again.”