FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2007
Armenian National Committee of S. Florida
931 NE 48th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33334
Contact: Mike Toumayan
Tel: 954-565-0462
ANC OF S. FLORIDA HOSTS GATHERING TO
EDUCATE COMMUNITY ON ARMENIAN ISSUES
Candidate Reaches Out to Armenians to Unseat Robert Wexler (D-FL-
19)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL ` Over one hundred South Florida activists
rallied behind Ben Graber, the former Broward County Commissioner
who will run against Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL-19), Chairman of the
Congressional Turkish Caucus and fierce opponent of Armenian
Genocide recognition, reported the Armenian National Committee of
South Florida.
The growing Armenian community in South Florida warmly welcomed Ben
Graber and his family, Margaret Ajemian Ahnert, author of "The
Knock at the Door," and Karine Birazian, Executive Director of the
ANCA Eastern Region.
"This was a wonderful opportunity for Armenian activists throughout
the area to learn more about what the ANCA does and how they can
get involved," commented ANC of S. Florida Chairman Albert
Mazmanian. "We plan to continue to have functions like this and
invite all those interested to attend."
During the function, Birazian updated the community on H. Res. 106,
legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide, as well as shared
with them the recent victory of the withdrawal of the Hoagland
nomination, which took place hours before.
The 19th district, running from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale,
boasts one of the largest concentrations of Armenians in the state
of Florida. Ben Graber’s opposition to Wexler’s policies on the
Armenian Genocide was well publicized by the local press and
welcomed by the Armenian-American community prior to his meeting
with community members and leaders.
During his speech, Graber proclaimed, "The American people cannot
and should not allow any state that commits genocide to erase it
from history, otherwise we will be setting the course for it to
happen again." Additionally, he stated, "Their horrific experience
opened the door to the Jewish Holocaust and other genocides of that
century."
Although Rep. Robert Wexler, Jewish himself, has been a leading
advocate against genocides such as Darfur, his opposition to the
Armenian Genocide resolution pending in Congress has puzzled
community leaders.
The second half of the night, the audience was honored with the
presence of Margaret Anhert who wrote a book on the Armenian
Genocide based on the accounts of her mother, a survivor of the
genocide. Unlike other scholarly books, Anhert’s charm and
conversation with her mother captivated and awed everyone.
Present at the function was community activist Hasmig Eskandarian
who recently relocated to southern Florida from Washington, DC.
Eskandarian commented: "The S. Florida ANC put together a very
informative event. Having recently relocated to southern Florida
from Washington, DC, I have been pleasantly surprised given the
size of the local Armenian community at the quality and
organization of the local ANC events. This proves that quality not
quantity makes the difference."
Every Friday night, the Armenian Cultural Association of Florida
(ACAF) organizes a gathering at the Armenian Center in Deerfield
Beach allowing for Armenians from all over to maintain their
Armenian heritage through social and educational events. "The
Armenian community is becoming quite active down in South Florida.
We plan to have more gatherings like this in the near future,"
commented Bedros Der-Bedrossian, ACAF Chairman.
The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest Armenian
American grassroots political organization in Florida and
nationwide. The ANCA actively advances a broad range of issues of
concern to the Armenian American community.
Photo Caption:
Photo 1: Left to Right ANC of S. Florida activist Michael Toumayan,
ANCA ER Director Karine Birazian, Dr. Ben Graber, Sandy Graber,
ACAF Chairman Bedros Der-Bedrossian, ANC of S. Florida Chairman
Albert Mazmanian, Author Margaret Ajemian Ahnert (sitting)
Photo 2: ANCA ER Director Karine Birazian educating community
activists about the ANCA Website