WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of New York praised Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s (D-NY-12th district) most recent initiative promoting broader public understanding of the Armenian Genocide, its consequences and ongoing costs through the upcoming introduction of the Armenian Genocide Education Act.
“On behalf of the ANC of New York, I want to thank Rep. Maloney for introducing this landmark legislation which will shed light on the injustices endured by the Armenian nation for more than a century. This legislation will also ensure that generations to come will learn about the Armenian Genocide – the first genocide of the modern century – one that has not received the exposure and awareness, which has led, no doubt, to the genocides that followed. Rep. Maloney spearheaded this measure for us all, and we are so thankful for her leadership,” said Chantelle Nasri, ANC of NY chair.
The bipartisan education measure, led by Rep. Maloney and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), aims to provide the Library of Congress with $10 million over five years to work with partners to provide educational materials about the Armenian Genocide, the Ottoman Turkish government’s centrally planned and systematically executed campaign of extermination of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites and other Christians between 1915 and 1923. Following the near-unanimous US House and Senate votes to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2019 and President Biden’s recognition of the crime on April 24 in 2021, the Armenian Genocide Education Act seeks to ensure that the history and lessons of the Armenian Genocide are taught in schools across the US.
“Genocide education generally, and Armenian Genocide education in particular, should be essential learning for all students in the United States,” explained ANC of NY member and 12th district constituent Alec Soghomonian. “It will force students to come in contact with the harsh realities that have affected an oppressed people, which hopefully will allow them to reflect and create a world where genocide is a thing of the past. I am extremely proud that Representative Maloney is bringing forth this legislation, and I’m lucky to be her constituent,” concluded Soghomonian.
Rep. Maloney has been a lead advocate for US affirmation of the Armenian Genocide for 30 years, supporting every resolution on the topic since taking office in 1993 and attending annual Armenian Genocide commemorative events in Times Square and Capitol Hill. She continues to be outspoken in condemning Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s attacks on Armenia and Artsakh and called for the immediate release of over 200 Armenian POWs still illegally held by Azerbaijan. She has been equally vocal on sending robust US assistance to Artsakh and Armenia, co-signing annual letters to House appropriators to expand aid. She has always fostered close ties with her district’s Armenian American community, which includes St. Illuminator’s Armenian Church, the oldest Armenian church in New York City. As the co-chair of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, she has led efforts to block US arms and aid to Turkey, condemned Turkey’s ongoing occupation of northern Cyprus and placed an international spotlight on Turkey’s human rights abuses. For her decades of service and commitment to advancing Armenian American priorities, she has consistently received an “A+” rating from the ANCA.