CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS WEEK OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE

Yerkir
15.04.2010 14:13
Yerevan

Yerevan (Yerkir) – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has
proclaimed the week of April 19 through April 26t as "Days of
Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."

Below is the text of the proclamation.

It is important to remember the horrors of the past in order to keep
history from repeating itself. The Armenian Genocide was a terrible
breach of human rights and an event that has outraged the world.

Between 1915 and 1923, 1.5 million innocent Armenians lost their lives
at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, and 500,000 more were forced from
their homeland.

The atrocities carried out against the Armenian people were grave
and unimaginable, as they were subjected to deportation, abduction,
torture, starvation and more. And as with any violent conflict,
Armenian women and children suffered the worst abuses. The bulk of the
Armenian population that was displaced from their homes was forced
to escape to neighboring as well as faraway countries. Many fled to
the United States.

Today, California is honored to be home to a vibrant Armenian-American
population, the largest outside the Republic of Armenia. This thriving
community is a proud reminder of survival and determination even in
the face of extreme injustice.

As Americans and Californians, it is our duty to raise awareness
of the Armenian Genocide and to participate in the remembrance and
mourning of the loss of innocent lives.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State
of California, do hereby proclaim April 19-26, 2010, as "Days of
Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."