Armenian Assembly of America
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Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]
U.S. ASSOCIATION WITHDRAWS AWARD TO AMB. EVANS FOLLOWING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMENTS
Pallone Expresses Disappointment to Congress
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly today commended Congressman
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) for expressing disappointment over the
American Foreign Service Association’s (AFSA) unprecedented withdrawal
of its Herter Award for “constructive dissent” from U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia John Evans for his proper characterization of the Armenian
Genocide.
Evans, during his public exchanges with Armenian-American communities
throughout the United States in March, declared that “the Armenian
Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.” Members
of the House and Senate, as well as the Assembly, publicly supported
Evans’ declarations and called on President George W. Bush to also
accurately label this crime against humanity.
In a speech before the House of Representatives Monday, Pallone said in
part: “It is simply unacceptable for this Administration to continue
to penalize the ambassador for his comments. Ambassador Evans did
a courageous thing. His statements did not contradict U.S. policy,
but rather articulated the same message that this Administration
has sent to the public. The only difference in this case is that
Ambassador Evans assigned a word to define the actions taken against
the Armenians.”
For example, in 1981, Ronald Reagan issued a presidential proclamation
that said in part: “like the genocide of the Armenians before it,
and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it – and like too
many other persecutions of too many other people – the lessons of the
Holocaust must never be forgotten…” President Bush himself has also
carefully set forth the textbook definition of the crime of genocide
as it applies to Armenians in his successive April 24th statements
of remembrance.
AFSA President John W. Limbert last week told the Washington Post
that no one at the organization can remember an award being withdrawn
after it had been announced.
Pallone also noted that the AFSA rescinded the award days before
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Washington
for a meeting with President Bush.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.
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NR#2005-065
Editor’s Note: Below is the full text of Congressman Pallone’s
comments as delivered on the floor of the House of Representatives
on June 13, 2005.
AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION AWARD WITHDRAWN – (House of
Representatives – June 13, 2005)
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to express my
disappointment with the American Foreign Service Association, and
its decision to withdraw awarding a “Constructive Dissent” award to
U.S. Armenian Ambassador John Evans.
Ambassador Evans was due to receive the Christian A. Heter Award for
intellectual courage, initiative, and integrity later this week. The
award was as a result of courageous statements he made regarding the
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
In a series of public statements, Ambassador Evans, who has studied
Russian history at Yale and Columbia and Ottoman history at the Kennan
Institute stated, “I will today call it the Armenian genocide.”
Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Evans has studied history of Armenia , and
based on his substantial studies of the issue, he is willing to go on
the record and define the actions taken Armenians as genocide. The
Armenian genocide was the systematic extermination, the murder,
of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children. To this day, the
Republic of Turkey refuses to acknowledge the fact that this massive
crime against humanity took place on soil under its control, and in
the name of Turkish nationalism.
Unfortunately, some 90 years later, the U.S. State Department continues
to support Turkey’s demands and denials despite all evidence to the
contrary. It is not likely that the State Department was happy that
their Ambassador to Armenia acknowledged the Armenian genocide. And,
therefore, Ambassador Evans retracted his remarks after receiving
substantial pressure from the State Department.
Well, now the selection committee at the American Foreign Service
Association has decided to withdraw the award with no reason for
its actions. I find the timing of the decision peculiar. The sharp
turnaround came right before Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan arrived in
Washington for a meeting with President Bush. Based on past history,
it is clear that the State Department, the Bush administration, and the
pro-Turkish lobby pressured AFSA to withdraw Ambassador Evans’ award.
It is simply unacceptable for this administration to continue to
penalize the ambassador for his comments. Ambassador Evans did a
courageous thing. His statements did not contradict U.S. policy,
but rather articulated the same message that this administration
has sent to the public. The only difference in this case is that
Ambassador Evans assigned a word to define the actions taken against
the Armenians.
This was a refreshing break, I must add, from a pattern on the part of
the State Department of using evasive and euphemistic terminology to
obscure the full reality of the Armenian genocide. Ambassador Evans
pointed out, and I quote, that no American official has ever denied
it, and went on to say, and I quote, I think we, the U.S. Government,
owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of discussing
this problem.
Ambassador Evans was merely recounting the historical record, which
has been attested to by over 120 Holocaust and genocide scholars from
around the world. By doing this, he earned a prestigious award that
was taken from him because of politics and denial.
Mr. Speaker, I want to add my voice to all those who, in Ambassador
Evans’ own words, and again I am quoting, think it is unbecoming of
us as Americans to play word games here. I believe in calling things
by their name. Evans was right, and the American Foreign Service
Association was correct in awarding him the Christian A. Herter
Award. We should encourage our Ambassadors to speak the truth, and,
more broadly, end, once and for all, our complicity in Turkey’s
campaign of genocide denial.
Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Evans has been penalized for simply telling the
truth. The American Foreign Service Association has set a terrible
example by retracting Ambassador Evans’ award. I guess, even in
America, the Turkish Government is able to stifle debate.
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