ARMENIANS of COLORADO
PRESS RELEASE
Armenians of Colorado Inc.
8998 E. Hampden Ave. #108
Denver, CO 80231
Contact: Kim Christianian
Telephone: (303) 588-5524
E-mail: [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Denver, Colorado – Wednesday April 6, 2005 – This morning the
Colorado State Legislature unanimously passed a joint resolution
commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. During this
period 1.5 million men, women, and children of Armenian descent were
annihilated accounting for more than half the Armenian population.
Senator Lois Tochtrop and Speaker Andrew Romanoff were the co-sponsors
of the lengthy resolution describing the Armenian atrocities and
continued denial of the events by the current Turkish government.
“2005 marks the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and it
is fitting that the Colorado Legislature continue its tradition of
designating April 24 as Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide”, said Kim Christianian chairperson of the Armenian Genocide
Commemoration Committee for Armenians of Colorado Inc, a non-profit
cultural organization.
The 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative events in
Colorado begins on April 21, 2005 7:00 PM. The Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)
International Honor Society’s ACC Chapter with co-sponsor Armenians
of Colorado will host The Greatest Crimes of the 20th Century:
Genocide/Holocaust Commemoration. Ken Allikian an Armenian/American,
whose parents survived the genocide, will be the guest speaker as
well as Walter Plywaski, a Holocaust survivor and scholar. Phi Theta
Kappa chapter president Simon Maghakyan will present briefly on the
cultural genocide that destroyed thousands of Armenian churches and
historical monuments in historic Armenia, at the Arapahoe Community
College Waring Theatre 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, Co 80160.
On Sunday April 24, 2005 at Noon Armenians of Colorado Inc. will host
the Commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
at the Memorial Plaque located in the N.E. Quadrant of State Capitol
grounds. Guest speakers will include State Senator Lois Tochtrop and
Speaker Andrew Romanoff. The community is invited to participate in
a joint commemorative church service at the Assumption Greek Orthodox
Church beginning at 2PM. There will be clergy from both the Armenian
Apostolic Church of Denver and from the Armenian Apostolic Church of
Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region. Following the service there
will be a reception of coffee and sweets. At 4:00 PM Armenians of
Colorado is proud to present a talk with Tatul Sonentz-Papazian,
long-time Armenian National Committee activist and Armenian Relief
Society International Office Publications Director and Editor of “Hai
Sird”, the multi-lingual periodical of the ARS. Mr. Papazian is also
the recipient of the St. Mesrop Mashtots Medal by Catholicos Aram I,
for meritorious contributions to the promotion of Armenian culture
in the Diaspora. The talk will be held in the church cultural center
4610 E. Alameda Avenue Denver, Colorado 80246. For directions and
more information please visit
Armenians of Colorado Inc. was established in June 1980, as a 501(
c) (3) non-profit, cultural organization. Its purpose is to create
a cohesive Armenian community and to further the understanding of
Armenian history, culture, and heritage. AOC actively supports issues
and concerns of the Armenian/American community here in Colorado as
well as those identified within the Armenian Diaspora throughout the
world. AOC represents the interests of over 1000 Colorado Armenian
residents accounting for over 300 Armenian families throughout
the state.
Text of the Joint State Resolution is as follows:
CONCERNING REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FROM 1915 TO 1923
ON APRIL 24, 2005, and every year hereafter, AS “COLORADO DAY OF
REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE”.
WHEREAS, This year marks the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
when 1.5 million men, women, and children of Armenian descent were
victims of the brutal genocide perpetrated by the Turkish Ottoman
Empire from 1915-1923; 500,000 more were exiled, and 500,000 were
able to escape the regime of terror and establish themselves in new
foreign lands, and, as a result, today there are only 100,000 people
of Armenian heritage left residing within the borders of modern
Turkey; and
WHEREAS, The United States’ Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry
Morgenthau, Sr., stated, “Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts
of the human mind can devise, and whatever refinements of persecutions
and injustice the most debased imagination can conceive, became the
daily misfortunes of this devoted people. I am confident that the
whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as
this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost
insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race
in 1915. The killing of the Armenian people was accomplished by the
systematic destruction of churches, schools, libraries, treasures of
art, and cultural monuments in an attempt to eliminate all traces of
a noble civilization with a history of more than 3,000 years.”; and
WHEREAS, Contemporary newspapers, such as the New York Times,
carried headlines including “Tales of Armenian Horrors Confirmed”,
“Million Armenians Killed or in Exile”, and “Wholesale Massacre of
Armenians by Turks”; and
WHEREAS, The Armenian Genocide has been acknowledged by countries and
international bodies such as Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the Council
of Europe, Cyprus, the European parliament, France, Great Britain,
Greece, Lebanon, Russia, the United Nations, and Uruguay; and
WHEREAS, Modern Turkey continues to deny and distort the facts of the
genocide and to honor the perpetrators of that crime against humanity
as national heroes; and
WHEREAS, The Armenian people have been denied the right to
self-determination on their ancestral lands and have received no form
of reparations for their tragic loss; and
WHEREAS, Each year, Armenians throughout the world honor those
who perished from 1915 to 1923, and all the world’s people should
commemorate the Armenian Genocide and condemn any attempt to deny its
historical truth or mischaracterize the episode as anything less than
genocide, a crime against humanity; and
WHEREAS, We must all do our best to raise awareness about the Armenian
Genocide not only because it is an undeniable chapter of world history,
but also because learning more about this unconscionable tragedy
will help people better understand the necessity of eliminating
hatred in our own communities; to that end, we support the efforts
of Armenians of Colorado Inc. to encourage the educators in Colorado
to include the Armenian Genocide in the school curriculum.
WHEREAS, Residents of Colorado are highly sensitive to the need for
consistently remembering and openly condemning the crimes committed
against any culture or people to prevent similar atrocities in the
future; and
WHEREAS, For three consecutive years this legislative body unanimously
passed a similar joint resolution in which the roll calls were added
as co-sponsors designating April 24 as “Colorado Day of Remembrance
of the Armenian Genocide”; and
WHEREAS, Armenian-Americans living in Colorado have greatly enriched
our state through their leadership in business, agriculture, academia,
government, and the arts; now, therefore,
1. That this legislative body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to be
recognized at a memorial service on Sunday, April 24, 2005, at the
Armenian Genocide memorial plaque located in the northeast quadrant
on the State Capitol grounds;
2. That we, the members of the General Assembly, hereby acknowledge
April 24, 2005, and every year hereafter, as “Colorado Day of
Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide”;
3. That the State of Colorado respectfully urges the United States
Congress to likewise commemorate the Armenian Genocide.
Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent
to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States;
the members of the Colorado Congressional Delegation; the Honorable
Bill Owens, Governor of Colorado; the Armenian Assembly of America in
Washington, D.C.; and the Armenian National Committee in Washington,
D.C.