PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada
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Contact: Deacon Hagop Arslanian,
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Wed, Apr 21 2010
Canada Reaffirms Its Strong Position on the Armenian Genocide of 1915
Ottawa -April 21, 2010: On the occasion of the 95th. Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, the Parliament of Canada once again expressed its
resolute support for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Six years
to the day of the April 21, 2004, adoption of Motion 380 recognizing the
Armenian Genocide as a Crime against Humanity, members of the House of
Commons received the statements of affirmation presented by the four major
political parties of Canada with a standing ovation=2E
Mr. Thomas Mulcair MP for Outremont and deputy leader of the New
Democratic Party, representing the NDP, declared "…95 years ago, the
world remained silent as over 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children
were murdered. Just a few years ago, the House passed a motion clearly
stating the TRUTH and condemning this act as a crime against humanity. Les
nouveaux-démocrates sont solidaires de la communauté arménienne dans
sa volonté de souligner et de commémorer un des chapitres les plus
horribles de l’histoire de l’humanité…"
Ms. Nicole Demers, MP for Laval spoke on behalf of the Bloc Québecois
and said "…Il y a 95 ans, le peuple arménien subissait le premier
génocide du XXe siècle, lequel a fait plus d’un million de victimes
dans la population arménienne…De plus, comme nous l’avons vu à
plusieurs reprises au cours des dernières années, les Arméniens
doivent continuer à se battre et à se défendre contre de fausses
allégations, entretenues pour éviter d’avoir à accepter la
vérité du génocide."
The Honourable Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice and renowned
professor of law and director of McGill University’s Human Rights Program
from 1973 to 1999, and Member of Parliament for Mount Royal, spoke on
behalf of the Liberal Party. He stated that "…On the 95th anniversary of
the Armenian genocide, which the House has recognized, scholars have
documented and the anguished testimony of survivors has affirmed, the
whole reminds us of the dangers of indifference and inaction in the face
of incitement and mass atrocity, of the dangers of a culture of impunity
and of the dangers of revisionism and denial that led Hitler to remark, as
he embarked on the Nazi genocide, "Who today remembers the Armenians?" We
remember. We bear witness. As we say on occasions such as these: Jamais
plus, never again. Jamais plus pour les Arméniens, jamais plus pour qui
que ce soit!""
Mr. Harold Albrecht, President of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary
Friendship Group and Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga, spoke
on behalf of he Conservative Party. He stated that "Mr. Speaker, I rise
today as Chair of the Canada-Armenia Friendship Group to remember the
Armenian Genocide of 1915. It is important not only to honour the memory
of those who died nor to simply acknowledge what has passed, but also to
understand that the recognition of these tragic events can be a starting
point to move forward in improved relationships and understanding between
present day Turkey and Armenia. The Armenian Genocide was recognized by
the Senate in 2002, by this House in 2004, and first commemorated by the
Government of Canada in 2006. The Armenian Canadian community has
contributed greatly to Canada’s culture and economy. I applaud their
efforts to acknowledge their past while looking forward to the future to
build bridges based on mutual respect. Mr. Speaker, by recognizing and
remembering the Armenian Genocide, we should all be motivated to do
everything in our power to ensure that such a terrible tragedy never
happens again."
The Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the 95th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the spokespersons
representing the New Democratic, Bloc Québecois, Liberal, and
Conservative parties. On behalf of the Canadian-Armenian community, our
highest respects and esteem are extended to Mr. Harold Albrecht, the
Honourable Irwin Cotler, Ms. Nicole Demers and Mr. Thomas Mulcair for
their integrity and their commitment to the cause of human rights and
genocide recognition. Their sincere and direct statements on the occasion
of the 95th Anniversary are a reconfirmation of the truth and the historic
vote of the Parliament of Canada.
Most importantly, we commend the steadfast acknowledgements of today’s
speakers for their statements declaring the historical facts to be true
and their condemnation of the deniers of the Armenian Genocide.
Regrettably, at the behest of Turkey, the deniers still command a voice on
the international stage, which threatens the voice of justice. With
increasing awareness of the indisputable specifics of the history of the
Armenian Genocide, the pursuit of the practice of denial will ultimately
be challenged and the historical truths will be acknowledged=2E
21 Apr 2010 by Press Office
©2004 Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada. All rights reserved=2E
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