ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION
Western United States
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 206, Glendale, California 91206
Phone: (818) 507-1933 Fax: (818) 242-3442
info@ayfwest.org

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: October 7, 2007
Contact: Vache Thomassian ~ Tel: (818) 507-1933

AYF and ANC Confront Genocide Denier Congresswoman Jane Harman

Los Angeles, CA – With pride and patriotism, members of the Armenian
Youth Federation (AYF) confronted Congressman Jane Harman (D-CA-36)
this weekend for her immoral role in the denial of the Armenian
Genocide. It was discovered this week that the Congresswoman, while
publicly endorsing H. Res. 106 (the Armenian Genocide Resolution), had
secretly authored a letter on October 3, 2007 urging the Chairman of
the House Foreign Affairs Committee to kill that very same bill.

"Jane Harman ought to be ashamed," commented Vache Thomassian, a
member of the AYF Central Executive. "She ought to be ashamed for her
rank hypocrisy. She ought to be ashamed for her double standard on
human rights. And she ought to be ashamed that as a daughter of a man
who came to America as a refugee from Nazi Germany, she is now willing
to turn a blind eye to genocide for the sake of political
expediency. Shame on Jane Harman," Thomassian added.

The AYF members, joined by ANC supporters, challenged Harman’s
position at a public event held in Lakewood, California on Saturday,
October 6, 2007. Nearly a 100 AYF members were on hand, the Armenian
Americans spoke truth to power by directly confronting the
Congresswoman for her hypocrisy. Specifically, the AYF members shared
that her deceitful actions are profoundly immoral and fall far beneath
even the most basic ethical standards that her constituents in
California’s 36th Congressional District have a right to expect. With
chants of "Hypocrite, Liar, Genocide Denier," the AYF members
highlighted Harman’s ethically challenged effort to defeat the
Armenian Genocide resolution.

Over 1,000 human rights supporters from across Los Angeles County have
contacted Harman’s offices in California and Washington, D.C. to
criticize her decision to oppose the Armenian Genocide Resolution. Her
constituents have called Harman to express their sharp disappointment
with her betrayal to support universal recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. Having learned of her secretive opposition to the Armenian
Genocide Resolution, many voters in her Congressional District
question Harman’s dedication to the truth. Constituents found the
Congresswoman’s actions particularly troubling given her longstanding
public support for this human rights legislation.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) has grown to
become the largest and most influential Armenian American youth
organization; with chapters throughout the United States and
affiliated organizations around the world. Inspired by our past and
motivated by the needs of the future, the AYF actively strives to
advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of
all Armenian youth.