EXPERT PREDICTS STRONGER CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR NEW GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 15, 2011 – 17:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Genocide resolution, newly submitted
to U.S. House of Representatives will have stronger support among
Congressmen, according to director of the Oriental Studies Institute at
Armenian National Academy of Sciences, professor Ruben Safrastyan.As
the expert told a news conference in Yerevan, introduction of a new
resolution on rightful return of confiscated churches to Armenians,
increases the probability of their adoption.

The struggle will start once the resolutions are included on U.S.
House of Representatives agenda, the expert said, noting that Armenian
Genocide recognition issue will always be on U.S.~R political agenda.

A bipartisan group of U.S. legislators are set to introduce two
resolutions in support of a truthful and just resolution of the
Armenian Genocide, including a new measure specifically pressing
Turkey to fully respect the rights of Christians to practice their
faith in freedom, including through the rightful return of confiscated
churches to Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Pontians, Arameans (Syriacs)
and other Christians communities.

The Return of Churches resolution, spearheaded by senior House Foreign
Affairs Committee member Ed Royce (R-CA) and the panel’s Ranking
Democrat Howard Berman (D-CA), calls upon the government of Turkey
to honor its international obligations end all forms of religious
persecution and to protect the rights and religious freedoms of
Christians. The measure specifically calls upon Turkey to return
confiscated Christian church properties.

The Armenian Genocide Resolution, introduced by Congressmen Robert
Dold (R-IL) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), calls upon the President to
recognize the Armenian Genocide and encourages the U.S. government to
apply the lessons of this tragedy to prevent future crimes against
humanity. This measure, identical to H.Res.252 during the previous
session of Congress, has been adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee
four times over the past eleven years, but has yet to reach the floor
for an up-or-down vote of the full U.S. House of Representatives.