PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
Web:
MULTI-PLATIMUM ROCK BAND SYSTEM OF A DOWN ASK HOUSE SPEAKER DENNIS
HASTERT TO ‘DO THE RIGHT THING’ IN SUPPORT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
LEGISLATION
BAND RALLIES THEIR FANS WITH ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA
(ANCA) IN FRONT OF HASTERT’S BATAVIA, IL OFFICE TUESDAY, SEPT 27 AT
NOON
Band Are In Chicago in Advance Of Their Friday
Evening Concert at Chicago’s Allstate Arena
Los Angeles, CA – September 23, 2005 – System of a Down, one of rock’s
most daring and innovative bands, have just announced that they –
along with their fans, the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA; ), Axis of Justice () and the
Armenian Youth Federation – will visit the Batavia office of
Rep. Dennis Hastert on Tuesday, September 27 (Noon) to ask Speaker
Hastert to ‘do the right thing’ and keep his commitment to hold a vote
on the pending Armenian Genocide legislation. If passed, the
legislation will officially recognize Turkey’s destruction of 1.5
million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. The band have invited their
fans to join with them in this effort by attending the rally and have
set up a system by which fans can directly email Speaker Hastert on
the issue.*
System of a Down’s four band members – Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian,
Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan – are of Armenian descent and have
made awareness of the genocide, and genocide around the world, a
central message of the band. All have lost family members to the
Armenian Genocide.
On September 15, the House International Relations Committee
overwhelmingly approved legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide,
despite objections from both Turkey and the Bush Administration.
Despite his previous public support for the measure in 2000, Speaker
Hastert has twice prevented the Armenian Genocide legislation from
coming to a full vote in the House. Today the fate of this human
rights issue rests in the Speaker’s hands. He has two choices: either
allow a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, giving the 435
Members of the U.S. House a chance to cast their ballots on this human
rights measure or, delay, defer, and ultimately defeat the Armenian
Genocide Resolution by refusing to bring the measure to a vote of the
full U.S. House. The rally is in support of a fair and full vote in
the House of Representatives, ending U.S. denial of this crime and
opening the doors to justice – to the restoration, reparation, and
restitution owed to the victims of genocide.
“Dennis do the right thing” stated Serj Tankian, “I just visited my
97 year old grandfather, my only link to the far past, and promised
him that I would go and try to talk to Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the
House, and make sure that he takes this opportunity to bring up the
Armenian Genocide Resolution to the floor of the House of
Representatives. This is a personal issue to me and System.”
The System of a Down/ANCA rally will take place at the offices of
Rep. Dennis Hastert – 27 North River Street, Batavia, Illinois (about
an hour from downtown Chicago). The rally is scheduled for
12Noon-2:00 PM on Tuesday, September 27. The Armenian community,
activists, and the band’s fans from across the greater Chicago area
are expected to attend the rally.
Members of System of a Down and Aram Suren Hamparian, Executive
Director of ANCA, are available to discuss the rally and pending
legislation on Tuesday, 9/27 and Friday, 9/30, the day of their
concert at Chicago’s Allstate Arena.
* System Of A Down have asked their fans to take action and send a
free WebFax urging Hastert to hold a vote on the Armenian Genocide
Resolution:
;amp;u=c9oct
About System Of A Down: Six months after their album Mesmerize debuted
at number one on Billboard’s Top 200 album charts, the quartet returns
with Hypnotize on November 22, part two of a promised two-album set.
The American/Columbia recording artists are nominated for an American
Music Award in the “Favorite Artist” in Alternative category and are
currently on a North American headlining tour through October 12. For
more information, visit the band’s website:
Background on the issue:
On September 15th of this year, the International Relations Committee
overwhelmingly approved legislation properly recognizing this crime
against humanity. During the course of a three-hour meeting, 21
Representatives on this 50-member panel spoke in favor of H.Res.316
and H.Con.Res195, which were adopted by bipartisan majorities of 40 to
7 and 35 to 11, respectively. Clearly, just as in 2000, legislation
recognizing the Armenian Genocide enjoys the support of a large
Congressional majority.
The full video of the 9/15/05 webcast can be viewed at:
In October of 2000, Speaker Hastert withdrew the Armenian Genocide
Resolution from consideration only moments before it was to reach to
House floor.
Following his withdrawal of this measure, he issued a statement
affirming his personal support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
stressing that the Resolution enjoyed the support of a bi-partisan
Congressional majority, and pledging to bring this legislation back to
the House floor.
The Speaker has, in the past, taken positive actions on the Armenian
Genocide issue:
1) Remarks on the House floor, on April 19, 1994, marking the 79th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide: “Over a million Armenians were
exiled and eventually murdered by the Ottoman Turks beginning on April
24, 1915. As a result of this genocide, the Armenian population of the
Ottoman Empire was effectively eliminated through a carefully executed
government plan.”
2) He voted, on June 5th of 1996, for the Radanovich Amendment, to cut
U.S. aid to Turkey until it ceases denying the Armenian Genocide.
This measure was adopted on the House floor by a bipartisan majority
of 268 to 153.
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For more information, please contact:
Angelica Cob-Baehler, Vice President, Columbia Records, Media,
Santa Monica, 310-449-2508; email: [email protected]