PRESS RELEASE
Senator Barbara Boxer
Washington D.C.
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3553
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U.S. Senator Barbara Boxers Statement on the 94th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide
Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 94th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
Ninety-four years ago today, the Ottoman Empire — now modern-day
Turkey — began the systematic destruction of the Armenian
people. Armenians were driven from their homes and villages, marched
to their deaths in the deserts of the Middle East, and slaughtered in
cold blood. Before it was over, approximately 1.5 million Armenians
lost their lives in the first genocide of the 20th century.
Recently, the Armenian and Turkish governments announced important
progress toward achieving the full normalization of relations between
their two countries. I support this effort, and am hopeful that this
process will lead the Turkish government to finally acknowledge the
irrefutable truth of the Armenian Genocide, and also to greater peace
and prosperity for the people of Armenia.
As President Barack Obama has said, `The Armenian Genocide is not an
allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a
widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical
evidence. The facts are undeniable.’ There is no need for further
study or debate, because we must never legitimize the views of those
who deny the very worst of crimes against humanity.
On this solemn anniversary, we remember those who were lost in the
Armenian Genocide, while honoring the survivors and their descendants
who have done so much to make America and the world a better place. I
am personally grateful that so many of those individuals have chosen
to call California home.
We also take pause to acknowledge that such crimes are continuing
today. There is perhaps no more fitting example than the genocide that
is raging in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Since 2002, the Sudanese government has attempted to exterminate the
African Muslim population of Darfur with horrific acts of
brutality. Villages have been burned to the ground, innocent women and
children slaughtered by helicopter gunships, and rape has been used as
a tool of genocide. What happened to the Armenians is genocide. What
is happening today in Darfur is genocide, even though the government
of Sudan denies this.
Genocide is only possible when people avert their eyes. Any effort to
deal with genocide — in the past, present or future — must begin
with the truth. By acknowledging the truth of the Armenian Genocide,
we can end the phony debates and strengthen our ability to stand up
against mass killing today.
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