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Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
HOUSTON COMMEMORATES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
-- Major Texas City Joins Growing Lone Star State
Movement toward Armenian Genocide Recognition
WASHINGTON, DC - Houston Mayor Bill White has shared a proclamation
commemorating the Armenian Genocide with leaders of the Lone Star
State's growing Armenian American community, delivering a powerful
pro-human rights message in the home state of President George W.
Bush and in the backyard of House Majority Leader Tom Delay,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Armenian Americans in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio,
Galveston, El Paso and throughout the state are coordinating their
efforts through the Texas Joint Committee for the 90th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide.
"We want to thank Mayor White for his leadership and to express our
appreciation to all those that made this proclamation possible,
including City Controller Anise Parker, community activist and
local attorney Phil Kanayan, and the Texas Joint Committee for the
90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide," said Aram Hamparian,
Executive Director of the ANCA. "This proclamation, which, of
course, holds great meaning for Armenians living in the Houston
area, has national significance as well, coming, as it does, in the
home state of a President who has, for four straight years, broken
his pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, and in the
backyard of a Congressional leader who has consistently blocked
legislation commemorating this crime against humanity."
Among the major steps taken this year by the Texas Armenian
community were the hosting of an Armenian Genocide exhibit at the
Holocaust Museum of Houston, the Mayor of Galveston's Armenian
Genocide proclamation, and the signatures of three Texas
legislators - Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Gene Green (D-TX), and
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) - on the Congressional letter urging
President Bush to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. On May
26th, at 6:30pm, Bill Parsons, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Holocaust
Museum will be giving a talk on genocide and "Remembering for the
Sake of the Future" at the Holocaust Museum of Houston. The Joint
Committee for the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will
cosponsor the event.
In January of last year, ANCA staff from Washington, DC and Los
Angeles conducted a ten day fieldtrip throughout Texas, meeting
with local leaders, briefing members of Congress and other elected
officials, and offering support to the community's advocacy
efforts.
"We are tremendously proud of the increasingly active, vocal, and
effective Armenian community of Texas, and are committed to making
our unique contribution to, once and for all, ending U.S.
complicity in Turkey's shameful campaign of genocide denial," added
ANC-Texas representative Vatche Hovsepian.
#####
PROCLAMATION
Armenian Martyrs Day
WHEREAS, on April 24, 2005, Armenians around the world will
commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; during
the First World War, the Turkish Empire in an effort of general
extermination and elimination of all traces of a thriving and noble
civilization over 3,000 years old; of the Armenian population in
Eastern Turkey, massacred approximately 1.5 million men, women, and
children in the twentieth century's first genocides; and
WHEREAS, although the survivors of this massacre were scattered to
all parts of the world, they have maintained their identity and
unity through their church, passing along to each generation not
only a strong Christian faith but a knowledge of their language,
history and culture; and
WHEREAS, the survivors and descendents of this genocide which drove
them from their homeland, recall and commemorate April 24, 1915 as
Armenian Martyr's Day; and
WHEREAS, the heroic struggles of the Armenian people inspire and
challenge us to cherish and preserve the freedom that is ours; and
WHEREAS, on April 24, 2005, City of Houston residents will be
called together to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915; and
WHEREAS, this commemoration will serve as an appropriate time for
the people of the City of Houston and others to remember the 1.5
Armenian men, women and children who lost their lives; and
Therefore, I, Bill White, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby
proclaim April 24, 2005, as Armenian Martyrs Day in Houston, Texas.
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
HOUSTON COMMEMORATES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
-- Major Texas City Joins Growing Lone Star State
Movement toward Armenian Genocide Recognition
WASHINGTON, DC - Houston Mayor Bill White has shared a proclamation
commemorating the Armenian Genocide with leaders of the Lone Star
State's growing Armenian American community, delivering a powerful
pro-human rights message in the home state of President George W.
Bush and in the backyard of House Majority Leader Tom Delay,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Armenian Americans in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio,
Galveston, El Paso and throughout the state are coordinating their
efforts through the Texas Joint Committee for the 90th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide.
"We want to thank Mayor White for his leadership and to express our
appreciation to all those that made this proclamation possible,
including City Controller Anise Parker, community activist and
local attorney Phil Kanayan, and the Texas Joint Committee for the
90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide," said Aram Hamparian,
Executive Director of the ANCA. "This proclamation, which, of
course, holds great meaning for Armenians living in the Houston
area, has national significance as well, coming, as it does, in the
home state of a President who has, for four straight years, broken
his pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, and in the
backyard of a Congressional leader who has consistently blocked
legislation commemorating this crime against humanity."
Among the major steps taken this year by the Texas Armenian
community were the hosting of an Armenian Genocide exhibit at the
Holocaust Museum of Houston, the Mayor of Galveston's Armenian
Genocide proclamation, and the signatures of three Texas
legislators - Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Gene Green (D-TX), and
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) - on the Congressional letter urging
President Bush to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. On May
26th, at 6:30pm, Bill Parsons, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Holocaust
Museum will be giving a talk on genocide and "Remembering for the
Sake of the Future" at the Holocaust Museum of Houston. The Joint
Committee for the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will
cosponsor the event.
In January of last year, ANCA staff from Washington, DC and Los
Angeles conducted a ten day fieldtrip throughout Texas, meeting
with local leaders, briefing members of Congress and other elected
officials, and offering support to the community's advocacy
efforts.
"We are tremendously proud of the increasingly active, vocal, and
effective Armenian community of Texas, and are committed to making
our unique contribution to, once and for all, ending U.S.
complicity in Turkey's shameful campaign of genocide denial," added
ANC-Texas representative Vatche Hovsepian.
#####
PROCLAMATION
Armenian Martyrs Day
WHEREAS, on April 24, 2005, Armenians around the world will
commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; during
the First World War, the Turkish Empire in an effort of general
extermination and elimination of all traces of a thriving and noble
civilization over 3,000 years old; of the Armenian population in
Eastern Turkey, massacred approximately 1.5 million men, women, and
children in the twentieth century's first genocides; and
WHEREAS, although the survivors of this massacre were scattered to
all parts of the world, they have maintained their identity and
unity through their church, passing along to each generation not
only a strong Christian faith but a knowledge of their language,
history and culture; and
WHEREAS, the survivors and descendents of this genocide which drove
them from their homeland, recall and commemorate April 24, 1915 as
Armenian Martyr's Day; and
WHEREAS, the heroic struggles of the Armenian people inspire and
challenge us to cherish and preserve the freedom that is ours; and
WHEREAS, on April 24, 2005, City of Houston residents will be
called together to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915; and
WHEREAS, this commemoration will serve as an appropriate time for
the people of the City of Houston and others to remember the 1.5
Armenian men, women and children who lost their lives; and
Therefore, I, Bill White, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby
proclaim April 24, 2005, as Armenian Martyrs Day in Houston, Texas.