REP. PALLONE SLAMS UN FOR CAPITULATION TO TURKISH PRESSURE ON GENOCIDE EXHIBIT
ArmRadio.am
04.05.2007 12:36
In a powerful speech on the House floor, Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) castigated the United Nations for first
postponing and then rewording a Rwandan genocide exhibit in response
to protests from the Turkish Government about its inclusion of a
display citing the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
"We thank Congressman Pallone for speaking to his Congressional
colleagues – and the American public – about Turkey’s pressure on the
United Nations to water down the reference to the Armenian Genocide
in the recently opened Rwanda Genocide exhibit," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. "We value Frank Pallone’s leadership
and share his principled view that the international community’s
efforts to prevent and punish genocide should be not reduced to the
level acceptable to a Turkish government that is actively pursuing
a campaign of genocide denial – both here in the United States and
around the world."
Rep. Pallone, clearly incensed by the UN decision to reword the exhibit
prior to its opening, remarked: "How, exactly, are you educating the
public about genocide when you refuse to call the first genocide of the
20th century by its name? The word ‘genocide’ was actually created as
a way to describe the barbaric crimes inflicted against the Armenians
between 1915 and 1923, but now the word cannot be used in an exhibit
at the UN This is utterly ridiculous. . . Would you ever have an
exhibit on Christianity without mentioning the birth of Christ?"
"This is the warped Turkish version of history, and it’s simply not
acceptable. The Turkish objection to this exhibit is the latest
example of their genocide denial. It’s absolutely ludicrous that
an exhibit dedicated to the education and prevention of genocide
would include Armenia as an example, use the definition of the term
"genocide," but not use the word "genocide" to describe the events,"
Frank Pallone remarked.
"Turkey should be condemned for its policy of denying the Armenian
genocide.
As a global community we must collectively stand for historical truth
and properly recognize the worst humanitarian crimes we have seen,"
the Congressman concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
