Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA CAPITOL HILL ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
REMEMBRANCE DRAWS 40 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
— Record Audience on Hand as System of a Down is Recognized
for Ground-breaking Genocide Recognition Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC – Forty members of the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives joined with over 500 Armenian Americans from across
the country last week, at the Armenian National Committee of
America’s (ANCA) annual observance of the Armenian Genocide, in a
powerful display of bipartisan support for American recognition of
the Armenian Genocide.
“Armenian Americans join with Armenians around the world in
expressing our appreciation to each of our Congressional friends
who took part in this solemn remembrance of the Armenian Genocide,”
said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We join with them in
recommitting ourselves to ending the denial of this crime – first
in America and then in Turkey – and, ultimately to ending the
longstanding denial of justice to the Armenian nation.”
In addition to the strong Congressional turnout, the program
featured the diplomatic representatives of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabagh, Armenian Church leaders, leading figures in the
Washington, DC foreign policy community, and a broad range of
ethnic and human rights activists.
====================================== ==========
Broad Bipartisan Participation Marks 12th Annual Capitol Hill
Observance of Armenian Genocide
========================================= =======
The two-hour Capitol Hill Observance of the Armenian Genocide
featured the participation of a diverse group of Congressional
leaders from across the country. New Jersey Senators Frank
Lautenberg (D) and Robert Menendez (D) joined perennial attendee,
Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) in marking the occasion with
moving speeches commending Armenian American activism on this key
human rights concern.
Among the members of the Congressional leadership taking part in
the program were House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-CA)
and Mike Pence, Chairman of the powerful Republican Study
Committee. Chief Deputy Majority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) met with
a group of over 25 Richmond ANC members during the day, but could
not attend the observance. Also taking part were John Larson,
Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Caucus and Joe Crowley (D-NY), the
Chief Deputy Minority Whip.
Featured prominently in the program were the authors of Armenian
Genocide legislation – George Radanovich (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-
CA). The Armenian Caucus was represented by Congressman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), who founded the 158-member body more than a decade
ago. Carolyn Maloney, the Co-Chairwoman of the Hellenic Caucus was
on hand as well and offered powerful words of remembrance.
Members of the International Relations Committee who participated
in the observance were Eliot Engel (D-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA),
Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Donald Payne (D-
NJ), Brad Sherman, and Diane Watson (D-CA). Rep. Ben Cardin, who
serves as the Ranking Member on the Commission on Security and
Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission), also took
part.
Members of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, the panel that
writes the foreign aid bill, that took part were Ranking Member
Nita Lowey (D-NY), Mark Kirk (R-IL), John Sweeney (R-NY), and Steve
Rothman (D-NJ).
Additional participants included Representatives Howard Coble (R-
NC), Jim Costa (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Mike
Honda (D-CA), Sue Kelly (R-NY) , James Langevin (D-RI), Dan
Lipinski (D-IL), Edward Markey (D-MA), James McGovern (D-MA), James
Moran (D-VA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), Mark Souder (R-IN), John Tierney
(D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Zach Wamp (R-TN), and Curt Weldon
(R-PA).
Attendees also included several key Armenian American officials
including John Jamian, the Department of Transportation’s Action
Maritime Administrator, Joe Bogosian, the Federation Aviation
Administration’s Assistant Administrator for International
Aviation; and Rolling Hills Estates, CA Councilman Frank Zerunyan;
as well as Alecko Eskandarian, the star forward for the DC United
soccer team, and David Alpay, the star of Atom Egoyan’s film
“Ararat.”
================================== ===============
System of a Down Receives ANCA ‘Voice of Justice’ Award
============================================ =====
Among the most moving elements of the program was the presentation
of the ANCA’s ‘Voice of Justice’ Award to Serj Tankian and John
Dolmayan of the Grammy Award-winning band System of a Down. Serj
Tankian and John Dolmayan, took part in the observance on the final
evening of their three-day advocacy tour of Washington, DC. They
also participated in an April 24th rally outside the Turkish
Embassy, the April 25th Capitol Hill screening of excerpts from
Carla Garapedian’s powerful new film “Screamers,” and a series of
Congressional meetings and media interviews.
In accepting the award on behalf of System of a Down, drummer John
Dolmayan noted that, “This is a very personal cause for us. We are
honored to be here to represent Armenians and also United States
citizens. We consider ourselves very fortunate to bring this cause
forward to people who may not necessarily have had a chance to
understand or learn anything about the Armenian Genocide. We also
feel it’s important to bring up issues that are taking place right
now, such as the Darfur Genocide. As Armenians, I would like to
challenge you to do what you can to help these poor people that are
suffering the way we did almost a hundred years ago.”
=========================================== ========
Armenian Ambassador; NKR Representative; Clergy Join Armenian
American leaders in Urging World Recognition of Armenian Genocide
========================================= ==========
Master of Ceremonies, Glendale, California City Clerk Ardashes
Kassakhian, opened the observance by inviting His Eminence Oshagan
Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern
U.S., to offer a prayer and opening remarks. The Archbishop noted
that, “We gather today with survivors and members of Congress to
remember the truth, because increasingly truth is being violated by
falsehood. To this day the Genocide of the Armenians is denied not
only by the perpetrators, but also by our own government here in
Washington. The same government in whose archives are thousands
upon thousands of documents that attest to the annihilation of the
Armenians. The denial our government is the most difficult for us
to comprehend and fills our hearts with grief because denial is
another assault, another genocide. The words of Martin Luther King,
Jr. resonate in our souls – ‘In the end we will remember not the
word of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.'”
Kassakhian then introduced each of the twenty-eight members of
Congress who offered remarks, as well as honored speakers,
including Armenia’s Ambassador to the United States Tatoul
Markarian, Nagorno Karabagh Republic Representative in the U.S.
Vardan Barseghian, and ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. He also
introduced ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, who made the
‘Voice of Justice’ award presentation to System of a Down.
In his remarks, Amb. Markarian stressed that, “Recognition of the
Armenian Genocide cannot be negotiated away, delayed, or
conveniently forgotten. . . . The recognition of the Armenian
Genocide remains, and will remain, on our foreign policy agenda. We
will advance it vigorously and with a conviction that this will
also help to normalize Turkish-Armenian relations, and bring more
security and stability to our region. We will continue to work
with our friends and partners towards this goal in Europe, and in
particular in the United States.”
Vardan Barseghian, on behalf of the government of the Nagorno
Karabagh Republic, vowed to “educate the world about what happened
to us. We will rally support and we will seek justice, until the
perpetrators and deniers are condemned and held responsible. And
most importantly we will do everything in our power to insure that
similar tragedies do not befall Armenians or any other nation.” He
added that, “Turkey’s irresponsible denial of genocidal facts paves
way to new atrocities and crimes against humanity.”
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in his remarks, urged the Armenian
American community to greater levels of activism, specifically
asking all in attendance to insist that the Administration demand
that Turkey acknowledge its responsibility for the Armenian
Genocide, fully repent, and restore to the Armenian nation the
fruits of its crime.
In his closing remarks, Kassakhian reminded those in attendance
that, “Today, in these very halls of Congress, our friends have
spoken loud and clear. They have said in one voice, that there
will be no silence until there is justice. They have told their
colleagues by being here today – in front of us – that we will
never forget and their will never be silence until there is
justice.”
Excerpts of Congressional Speeches offered at the annual Capitol
Hill Armenian Genocide Observance follow.
========================================= ==========
Members of Congress Honor Victims of the Armenian Genocide; Call
for Proper U.S. Recognition of this Crime Against Humanity
========================================= ==========
Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD): “I come every year because I think that
the issue you place on the national and international agenda is of
great importance. . . If there should be any question raised about
the occurrence of this genocide, it is beyond my understanding. . .
If other nations can speak the truth then our nation must speak the
truth on this issue. . . The Senate [Armenian Genocide] resolution
has my strongest support.”
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ): “There are those who argue that Turkey
is an ally, and maybe it is. But, at the end of the day, even an
ally should permit us to have our own policy to recognize what
history says happenedthat 1.5 million Armenians perished. That
should be the reality we take as a position for the country. When
Hitler asked “who remembers the Armenians?” I answer that we
remember the Armenians, the next generation of the Armenians, and
all of us who believe in human rights. And this country remembers
the Armenians, and that is why we are here today.”
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ): “We have to remember that genocide
was originally discovered in those years [1915-1923]. . . and make
sure to support legislation to recognize the Genocide, making sure
that it is known as an Armenian event and do everything we can to
get it passed.”
Rep. David Dreier (R-CA): “We are strongly committed to doing
everything we can to making sure there is clear recognition of the
Armenian Genocide – and that is exactly what I’ve said to two
Turkish Prime Ministers.”
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ): “It is so important for you to be here
and to show up. The only way a message is going to be sent is if
more and more people come out and show up. . . The effort to deny
the Genocide continues and that’s why it’s so important to be out
there in large numbers to counter their actions.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): “I long for the day when we not only come
to commemorate the Genocide, but to celebrate the passage of
Genocide resolutions. . . Let’s not let any of our Armenian
parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles down. . . let’s recognize
the Armenian Genocide now!”
Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA): “It’s particularly exasperating
this year – we have a bill out of committee ready to go to the
floor, yet we are finding it difficult to move it further and I
think after 12 years I wonder and I tire but I know you have been
waiting 91 years and it gives me hope we will soon be recognizing
the Genocide. Keep working and have faith and America will
recognize it.”
Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY): “Without a full acceptance, we have
denial, and with denial we perpetuate terrible episodes in history,
threatening humanity and mankind, and impede on the march of
freedom and liberty. I don’t intend on allowing that to happen! I
pledge and vow to you as one of your own to keep the fight up and
keep on working hard.”
Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ): “The truth has curative power and
reconciliation powers and we thank you for that effort of getting
the truth out.”
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL): “When we learn the lesson of the Armenian
Genocide, we say ‘never again,’ which is very easy to say in a
speech in Washington. But I’ve been there [as a U.S. soldier
serving in Bosnia] when we’ve meant ‘never again,’ where we took
action as the only superpower on the planet to stop a crime. So
now when we look at what’s happening today, we have a powerful
moral lesson that we have learned from the people of Armenia — the
one that we have to carry into the classrooms and television sets.”
Rep. James Langevin (D-RI): “If we do not recognize the Armenian
Genocide it will happen again and again and again.”
Rep. John Larson (D-CT): “I’m often amazed at the ceremonies and
annual pilgrimages people make on behalf of their beliefs and their
cause. And for those that seek to remember or understand Armenia
all you have to do is look around this room it’s written on your
faces, it’s carried in your hearts.”
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY): “It is time for the American
government to officially recognize what happened 91 years ago and
join the other countries of the world with official recognition . .
. We must always stand up and speak the truth to counter any
denial.”
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA): “It is extraordinary given what the
Armenian people were subjected to, given the fight that still goes
on, given the unfair obstacles still put in the way of Armenia,
given the importance of reminding the world of this genocide, that
you have compassion, wisdom, and commitment to universal values
that lead you to your efforts for stopping the atrocities taking
place in Darfur.”
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL): “If you look at all the members who have
spoken here and those who are still waiting to speak this is a very
unique situation. On any other day these Members may have nothing
in common, but this is what happens when you come together for
truth. . . You have done a great job in bringing this to everyone’s
attention in this country and I commend you and urge you to keep it
up.”
Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA): “It’s time for President Bush to adhere
to his campaign promise and tear down that wall of denial and
recognize and honor the Armenian Genocide.”
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI): “We must pierce the myth of this
indispensable relationship [between the U.S. and Turkey]. . . No
relations can be built upon a lie. . . If we are going to have
friends and allies in the world that the United states can depend
on, there must be honesty both within our relationship and in the
United States itself.”
Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ): “What is going on now – because your
movement is getting stronger, your voices are getting louder, your
issues are being heard – there is a disinformation, it’s always
been there but now it’s more organized. . . So now we have to keep
the pressure on keep the fight on. Genocide anywhere is wrong.”
Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ): “What is the harm in denying the truth?
Is there any harm in denying the truth? As human beings we know
that this does cause a physical destruction to the body when one
denies the truth. Just as I believe that applies to individuals, I
believe that it applies to countries and humanity. And so when the
world denied the Armenian Genocide and continues to deny it, not
only did that lead to the Holocaust but it has contributed to the
atmosphere in which the world has witnessed the deaths of 400,000
in Darfur. You notice that there are some similarities in the way
the Ottoman Empire persecuted the Armenian population and what is
going on in Darfur the forced exile, the systematic deprivation
of food and water, and murder through starvation. . . Denying the
truth about genocide is really a second killing, a double genocide.
We as Americans cannot stand by when the truth continues to be
denied.”
Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY): “It makes no sense that we cannot officially
recognize the genocide, acknowledge it, ask for an apology and go
beyond the issue, allowing the whole region to move together. This
cannot happen unless there is an apology!”
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA): “When will Turkey be part of the modern
world if it does not recognize the past? Where would Germany be if
it denied the Holocaust? Where would America be if we said slavery
didn’t exist and the native America tribes just drifted away
peacefully. Every country needs to recognizes its past in order to
move forward to the future. And that is why I have co-sponsored
every resolution in the last ten years in the House of
Representatives to recognize the first genocide of the last
century. But we have seen it again and again. Our International
Relations committee passes the resolution – we reformulate the
resolution and get it through the Judiciary committee instead. We
move that bill through that Committee and then the House leadership
won’t let it come up to a vote. It’s time to raise our voices to
even higher levels and say its time for this to come up for a vote.
Why is the Congress hiding from its responsibilities?”
Rep. John Tierney (D-MA): ” All of you do us a great service in
reminding us the issues that are important to the Armenian
community and for us to attend to those issues. Truth about what
happened 91-years ago and the fairness of the issues for which you
fight are things we need to continually remember. The truth is that
it was ‘Genocide.’ We have to end man’s inhumanity to man, and we
can only do that by acknowledging what has happened in the past,
and swearing that we should never remain silent as it happens now
in Darfur.”
Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN): “I commend you for your efforts to keep
this alive and I hope you get a hard vote.”
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): “The lesson of the Armenian Genocide
is that evil things are not just done by the bad people who
perpetuate the crimes, but in a way are allowed to happen by the
good people who are not taking the necessary action. The failure
of the United States Congress to pass an Armenian Genocide
Resolution sends exactly the wrong signal to people around the
world about accountability. We have to send the signal that we are
going to hold people accountable and the failure to do that has
been a stain on the conscious of Congress and the United States.”
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA): “I understand it is a responsibility of
mine in Congress to stand for your people and for the plight of
your nation. . . . I told the President of Azerbaijan that we
wanted to be friends with Azerbaijan but that we will not do it at
the expense of Armenia and the Armenian community. We want the
dignity of Armenia to shine strong in the Caspian region. You have
our support and bipartisan support by members of Congress to make
sure we never forget the terrible atrocities that occurred 91 years
ago and that we never forget the plight of the Armenian people.”
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA): “A country is only as great as its ability
to recognize its past, recognize its mistakes, apologize and move
on. The Diaspora isn’t looking for blood and vengeance, I believe
you are looking for reconciliation and recognition so that we can
all move forward in this world to insure that future acts of
genocide shall cease.”
Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI): “I am a student of history and have been
interested in Armenian history for many years. One of the goals
for Congress and for American foreign policy should be a strong and
independent Armenia within the community of the Transcaucasus. We
should not let the Azeris, the Georgians, the Russians, the Turks
impinge on the bright and prosperous future of Armenia. . . The
United States must recognize the Armenian genocide so that we can
get on with the healing.”
Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA): “I come to support you and join with my
colleagues in saying that California already has a resolution
supporting the Genocide of the Armenians, so we are already ahead
of the game. And we want it to spread across this nation, all 50
states, that they then will correct the people out there that would
like to deny. Let them know that history speaks for itself, and
that the genocide is real. . . .We are going to try to convince our
colleagues, regardless of the Turkish influence that appears in
these halls, and win out in the end.”
#####
Note to the Editor: Photos Available upon request
Please email: [email protected]
–Boundary_(ID_tRiPxZeQLOctSpu WFq9ANQ)–