Greek-American Organizations APPEAL TO WHITE HOUSE WITH CALL TO
RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
YEREVAN, MAY 24. ARMINFO. The American Hellenic Institute announced
today that the major Greek American membership organizations endorsed
the policy statement on Armenia prepared by the American Hellenic
Institute. These are: the Order of AHEPA, the Hellenic American
National Council, the Cyprus Federation of America, the Panepirotic
Federation of America, the Pan-Macedonian Association of America, the
Evrytanian Association of America and the American Hellenic
Institute. Hellenic News of America reports.
According to the resource, the endorsed statement, which is part of
the 2005 Greek American Policy Statements, follows: We support the
Armenian American community’s efforts to secure full recognition,
proper commemoration, and a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.
In 2005, the 90th anniversary of the Genocide, the Administration
should, for the sake of U.S. interests and American values, finally
bring an end to all forms of U.S. complicity in Turkey’s denial of
this crime against all humanity. The President, in his annual April
24th remarks, should properly recognize the Armenian Genocide as a
clear instance of genocide, as defined by the United Nations Genocide
Convention. We refer readers to Professor Peter Balakian’s recent
book The Burning Tigris, a remarkable history of the Armenian
Genocide by the Young Turk government in Turkey. Professor Balakian
includes the details of the humanitarian movement of leading American
public citizens and ordinary citizens to save the Armenians. The U.S.
Congress should adopt legislation both recognizing the Armenian
Genocide and urging the American people to apply the lessons of this
tragedy to the cause of preventing future genocides.
Finally, Turkey must be pressured to acknowledge its genocidal crime
against the Armenian nation, to come to terms with this chapter in
its history, and, consistent with the Genocide Convention and other
relevant international legal instruments, to make full reparations to
the Armenian people. We also support efforts to press Turkey to lift
its illegal blockade of Armenia and to end the mistreatment of the
Armenian population in Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress