WATCH VIDEO: Speaker Pelosi Leads Calls for U.S. Armenian Genocide Recognition
|
ANCA Exec. Dir. Aram Hamparian shows Speaker Pelosi a copy of the "End the Gag Rule" ad placed in several Congressional publications on April 23rd & 24th, calling attention to Turkey's efforts to block Armenian Genocide legislation. See the ad. . . | Speaker Pelosi Leads Calls for Congressional Adoption "I come to pay respect with some sadness - certainly sadness over what happened nearly 100 years ago but also sadness that it is long past time for the President and the Congress to formally recognize the
|
Sen. Bob Menendez Pledges to Carefully Question President Bush’s New Nominee for Ambassador to Armenia; Warns of New Hold if Answers Fall Short
 |
| Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) with ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian and Executive Director Aram Hamparian |
WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was joined by more than a dozen of her House and Senate colleagues this week in urging passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, a move described by legislators on both sides of the aisle as a long overdue rejection of Turkey’s “gag-rule” on the U.S. Congress and a powerful step toward ending all forms of U.S. complicity in Turkey’s multi-million dollar campaign of denial, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"Americans don't like gag rules," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We saw that at this year's Capitol Hill observance, and we're seeing it across Congress, from both sides of the aisle. Americans don't appreciate a foreign government dictating our human rights policy and resent Turkey's attempts to veto America’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”
Speaker Pelosi’s remarks came at the annual Armenian Genocide Observance on Capitol Hill, organized this year by the Congressional Armenian Caucus. Over 200 Armenian Americans attended the function including Armenian Genocide survivors Rose Baboyan, Yeretsgeen Sirarpi Khoyan and Alice Shnorhokian. The event was preceded by a reception organized by the ANCA, U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee and other organizations.
Speaker Pelosi, who received a standing ovation upon her arrival, noted that she keeps a copy of the front page of the October 11, 2007, issue of The New York Times, which features a photo of Armenian Genocide survivors attending the House Foreign Affairs Committee markup of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106). The Committee, despite intense pressure from the Turkish Government and personal pleas by President George Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other Administration officials, passed the resolution 27 to 21. “Our work is not finished – there is much more to be done, but on that day, a very important committee of the Congress of the United States made a statement that was courageous – made a statement that was appropriate to the values of the American people – that nearly 100 years ago something happened to the Armenian people and we in the United States are prepared to call it a genocide,” stated Pelosi, who went on to note, “it is long past time for the President and the Congress to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.”
 |
| Sen. Bob Menedez (D-NJ) with ANCA activist Vahe Shnorhokian, Eastern Region Exec. Dir. Karine Birazian, Gov't Affairs Dir. Kate Nahapetian, Legis. Affairs Dir. Raffi Karakashian, Exec. Dir. Aram Hamparian and Eastern Region Board Member Aram Sarafian |
Speaker Pelosi then went on to explain the modern day implications of genocide denial. “Many times people have said to me as we were bringing this up and since then ‘Why are you doing this? Even if it is genocide, it happened a long time ago?’ I said ‘I know, but genocide is happening right here and now on our planet. It happened in Rwanda, and it is happening in Darfur. And as long as it exists we have to make a statement about a genocide we know happened – no matter how long ago.’”
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer concurred, sharing with the assembled Members of Congress and Armenian American community activists, “Don’t accept the premise at all that this resolution is about what happened in 1915-1923. Does it recognize it, does it relate to it – of course. But it is a resolution that says not just to Turks, not just to the Armenian people, but to all peoples, that we need to recognize the transgressions of the past – however heinous they may be and however much we may want to deny them. Because if we do not, our children will not recognize their responsibility to never let it happen again.” Read More.
ANCA (ancaupdate@anca.org)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment