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CR: Memorial To Those Who Lost Their Lives In Armenian Genocide

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  • CR: Memorial To Those Who Lost Their Lives In Armenian Genocide

    Congressional Record: May 4, 2005 (Extensions)

    MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

    HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

    of indiana

    in the house of representatives

    Wednesday, May 4, 2005

    Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn memorial to the
    estimated 1.5 million men, women, and children who lost their lives
    during the Armenian Genocide. As in the past, I am pleased to join
    so many distinguished House colleagues on both sides of the aisle
    in ensuring that the horrors wrought upon the Armenian people are
    never repeated.

    On April 24, 1915, over 200 religious, political, and intellectual
    leaders of the Armenian community were brutally executed by the Turkish
    government in Istanbul. Over the course of the next 8 years, this
    war of ethnic genocide against the Armenian community in the Ottoman
    Empire took the lives of over half the world's Armenian population.

    Sadly, there are some people who still deny the very existence of
    this period which saw the institutionalized slaughter of the Armenian
    people and dismantling of Armenian culture. To those who would question
    these events, I point to the numerous reports contained in the U.S.
    National Archives detailing the process that systematically decimated
    the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire. However, old records
    are too easily forgotten--and dismissed. That is why we come together
    every year at this time: To remember in words what some may wish to
    file away in archives. This genocide did take place, and these lives
    were taken. That memory must keep us forever vigilant in our efforts
    to prevent these atrocities from ever happening again.

    I am proud to note that Armenian immigrants found, in the United
    Sates, a country where their culture could take root and thrive. Most
    Armenians in America are children or grandchildren of the survivors,
    although there are still survivors among us. In my district in
    Northwest Indiana, a vibrant Armenian-American community has developed
    and strong ties to Armenia continue to flourish. My predecessor in
    the House, the late Adam Benjamin, was of Armenian heritage, and his
    distinguished service in the House serves as an example to the entire
    Northwest Indiana community. Over the years, members of the Armenia-
    American community throughout the United States have contributed
    millions of dollars and countless hours of their time to various
    Armenian causes. Of particular note are Mrs. Vicki Hovanessian and
    her husband, Dr. Raffy Hovanessian, residents of Indiana's First
    Congressional District, who have continually worked to improve the
    quality of life in Armenia, as well as in Northwest Indiana. Three
    other Armenian-American families in my congressional district, Dr. Aram
    and Mrs. Seta Semerdjian, Dr. Heratch and Mrs. Sonya Doumanian, and Dr.
    Ara and Mrs. Rosy Yeretsian, have also contributed greatly toward
    charitable works in the United States and Armenia. Their efforts,
    together with hundreds of other members of the Armenian-American
    community, have helped to finance several important projects in
    Armenia, including the construction of new schools, a mammography
    clinic, and a crucial roadway connecting Armenia to Nagorno Karabagh.

    In the House, I have tried to assist the efforts of my Armenian-
    American constituency by continually supporting foreign aid to Armenia.
    This past year, with my support, Armenia received $84 million in U.S.
    aid to assist economic and military development. In addition, on
    April 16, 2004, I joined several of my colleagues in signing the
    letter to President Bush urging him to honor his pledge to recognize
    the Armenian Genocide.

    The Armenian people have a long and proud history. In the fourth
    century, they became the first nation to embrace Christianity. During
    World War I, the Ottoman Empire was ruled by an organization known as
    the Young Turk Committee, which allied with Germany. Amid fighting
    in the Ottoman Empire's eastern Anatolian provinces, the historic
    heartland of the Christian Armenians, Ottoman authorities ordered the
    deportation and execution of all Armenians in the region. By the end
    of 1923, virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolia and
    western Armenia had either been killed or deported.

    While it is important to keep the lessons of history in mind, we
    must also remain committed to protecting Armenia from new and more
    hostile aggressors. In the last decade, thousands of lives have been
    lost and more than a million people displaced in the struggle between
    Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabagh. Even now, as we rise to
    commemorate the accomplishments of the Armenian people and mourn the
    tragedies they have suffered, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and other countries
    continue to engage in a debilitating blockade of this free nation.

    Consistently, I have testified before the Foreign Operations
    Appropriations Subcommittee on the important issue of bringing
    peace to a troubled area of the world. I continued my support for
    maintaining the level of funding for the Southern Caucasus region of
    the Independent States (IS), and of Armenia in particular. In addition,
    on February 26, 2004, I joined several of my colleagues in sending
    a letter to President Bush urging him to ensure parity in military
    assistance between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives
    Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, for organizing this special order
    to commemorate the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Their
    efforts will not only help bring needed attention to this tragic
    period in world history, but also serve to remind us of our duty to
    protect basic human rights and freedoms around the world.
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