Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES MARK ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
IN REMARKS ON THE FLOORS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE CHAMBERS
— Diverse Remarks by Legislators include Call for Passage of
Armenian Genocide Resolution, Disappointment with President
Bush’s Failure to Honor his Pledge to Properly Recognize
Armenian Genocide, and Condemnation of the Recall of
Ambassador Evans
WASHINGTON, DC – More than a dozen Senators and Representatives
took to the floors of their respective chambers during the week of
April 24th to mark the 91st anniversary of the beginning of the
Armenian Genocide and share with their colleagues the moral
imperative to enact legislation condemning this crime against
humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).
These remarks were in addition to the annual Capitol Hill Armenian
Genocide observance, held on April 26th, which drew forty Senators
and Representatives and featured the presentation of the ANCA’s
Voice of Justice award to Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan of System
of a Down.
On the Senate side, speeches were delivered by Barbara Boxer (D-
CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Jack Reed (D-RI). The House
initiative was organized by Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Co-
Chairman of the Armenian Caucus, and featured remarks by Chris
Smith (R-NJ), the Vice-Chairman of the International Relations
Committee; Howard Berman (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Mark Foley
(R-FL), Sander Levin (D-MI), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), James McGovern
(D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Jon C. Porter (R-NV), John J.H.
“Joe” Schwarz (R-MI), Hilda Solis (D-CA), and Henry Waxman (D-CA).
Among the most compelling Senate remarks were the following:
* Senator Russ Feingold: The international community has made the
first steps, but it has a long way to go in punishing and,
particularly, preventing genocide. As we move forward, we must
learn the lessons of Armenia’s genocide. We cannot be misled by the
rhetoric of scapegoating, denial, and obfuscation used by murderous
leaders to disguise their agenda. And we cannot respond to evidence
of methodical, brutal violence by wringing our hands and waiting
for some definitive proof that these events qualify as genocide.
Enforcing a collective, international commitment to prevent and
stop genocides from occurring is imperative. We owe the victims of
the Armenian genocide this commitment.
* Senator Barbara Boxer: The brutality of the genocide was
atrocious. But the inhumanity continues today because the Turkish
Government refuses to acknowledge the massacres as genocide. The
wounds cannot heal until the Armenian people receive recognition.
* Senator Jack Reed: So as history does not repeat itself, we
must study and remember the events of our past. In instances such
as the Armenian genocide, all nations must educate their youth in
the hatred, the wrongdoing, and the oppression to deter future
atrocities against humanity. Not more that two decades after the
Armenian genocide, Hitler said to his generals on the eve of
sending his death squads into Poland, “Go, kill without mercy…
who today remembers the annihilation of the Armenians.” We remember
the Armenians. “Menk panav chenk mornar.” We will never forget.
* Senator Dianne Feinstein: The Armenian -American community
knows this all too well and today, we stand with them in
commemorating the start of the Armenian genocide. So let us renew
our commitment to support those around the world who face
persecution and even death simply because of who they are. We will
never forget the Armenian genocide, and we look to the present and
future with a newfound sense of hope and optimism so that we may
have the strength to stand up and prevent such atrocities.
Among the more compelling excerpts from the speeches in the U.S.
House are provided below:
* Congressman Chris Smith: Unfortunately, President Bush, in his
annual message about the Genocide, did not use the word. Once
again, terms like “mass killings” and “forced exile” mask the depth
of the horror that took place, carefully avoiding the plain truth.
In fact, as has been described in numerous newspaper articles,
Ambassador John Evans, who was posted in Yerevan, is being recalled
for having the courage to say publicly that what happened to the
Armenians of the Ottoman Empire was Genocide. It saddens me that
the U.S. Government would go to such lengths to deny the
undeniable. I would like to commend Ambassador Evans for his
bravery–as a career Foreign Service Officer, he must have known
what the consequences might be.
* Congressman Frank Pallone: Last week I was joined by my Co-
Chair of the Armenia Caucus and many of my colleagues in Congress
on a bipartisan basis in sending yet another bipartisan
congressional letter to President Bush urging him to use the word
“genocide” in his April 24th commemorative statement. With over 178
signatures, the message in that letter is loud and clear: 90 years
is too long to wait for justice to be served and proper recognition
to be made.
The U.S. owes it to the Armenian American community, to the 1.5
million that were massacred in the genocide, and to its own history
to reaffirm what is fact. As we have seen time and time again, the
United States has a proud history of action and response to the
Armenian genocide. During a time when hundreds of thousands were
left orphaned and starving, a time when a nation was on the verge
of complete extermination, the U.S. took the lead and proudly
helped end these atrocities. In fact, Americans helped launch an
unprecedented U.S. diplomatic, political, and humanitarian campaign
to end the carnage and protect the survivors.
Regardless of President Bush’s inaction, I call on Speaker Hastert
to bring the resolution to officially recognize the Armenian
genocide to the House floor. The resolution that passed in
committee last September, again on a bipartisan basis by an
overwhelming majority, has over 148 cosponsors. Now is the time to
allow Members to reaffirm the United States’ record on the Armenian
genocide. The U.S. Government needs to stop playing politics with
this tragic time in history and take a firm stance for the truth.
Genocide must not be tolerated
* Congressman James McGovern: Luckily, such leadership and
courage is not lacking among the Armenian American community. Not
only do they continue their historic work on the recognition and
documentation of the Armenian Genocide, but they are genuine
leaders and partners in efforts to educate Americans about the
other genocides of the 20th and 21st Centuries–the Holocaust of
World War II, Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia, to note some of the most
prominent.
* Congressman Howard Berman: The debate on this historical issue
has been settled. The distinguished International Association of
Genocide Scholars, among others, has concluded that it is
undeniable. Others, including some who accept the historical
facts, say Congress should not pass a resolution recognizing the
Armenian Genocide because it will irreparably damage our
relationship with Turkey. This is a phony argument.
* Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney: The tragic events that began on
April 24, 1915, which are well known to all of us, should be part
of the history curriculum in every Turkish and American school. On
that dark April day, more than 200 of Armenia’s religious,
political and intellectual leaders were arrested in Constantinople
and killed. Ultimately, more than 1.5 million Armenians were
systematically murdered at the hands of the Young Turks, and more
than 500,000 more were exiled from their native land.
* Congressman Jerry Costello: Despite the effort of some to
minimize the scope and deny its occurrence, the Armenian Genocide
is a historical fact. In the years since, descendants of Armenian
immigrants have clung to their identity and have prospered across
this nation and throughout the world. In my district, there is a
significant population of Armenian survivors and their families
that showed heroic bravery and a will to survive. With faith and
courage, generations of Armenians have overcome great suffering and
proudly preserved their culture, traditions, and religion by
sharing their story of the genocide. It is through their
unforgettable tragedy that we are able to share in their history
and strong heritage.
The full text of all the Senate and House remarks is available on
the ANCA website at:
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