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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: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
April 4, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SYSTEM OF A DOWN TO LAUNCH THREE-DAY WASHINGTON, DC
CAMPAIGN FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
-- Band Members to Join Rally at Turkish Embassy; Screen New
Genocide Documentary; Meet with Media and Key Congressional
Officials on Pending Armenian Genocide Legislation
LOS ANGELES, CA - Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan of the Grammy
Award-winning band System of a Down will travel to Washington, DC
on April 24th for a three-day campaign to urge Speaker of the House
Dennis Hastert and other Congressional leaders to end their
complicity in Turkey's ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.
On the evening of Monday, April 24th - starting at 5:00pm - the
multi-Platinum-selling group members will join with the Armenian
National Committee of America and Armenian Youth Federation in
leading a grassroots demonstration outside the gates of the Turkish
Embassy at 2525 Massachusetts Ave, in Northwest Washington, DC.
The Turkish government, through its Embassy in Washington, spends
millions of dollars each year to bully, threaten, and blackmail the
U.S. government not to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
The band members will devote Tuesday, April 25th to providing
interviews to the political media in Washington, and, in the
evening, hosting a Congressional screening of "Screamers," a new
documentary by filmmaker Carla Garapedian about the band's
worldwide campaign for Armenian Genocide recognition.
On Wednesday April 26th, System will meet with key Members of
Congress to urge them to allow a vote on legislation recognizing
the Armenian Genocide, and - at 5:30pm - will participate in the
annual Capitol Hill commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. This
event, now in its 11th year, is regularly attended by over 30
Members of Congress, diplomats, ethnic community leaders, human
rights activists, genocide prevention advocates, and Armenian
Americans from across the country.
Beginning on April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began a
centrally planned and systematically executed campaign to
annihilate the Armenian people from their ancient homeland. By
1923 over 1.5 million Armenians were killed and hundreds of
thousands deported, in what constituted the first genocide of the
20th century. Congressional legislation recognizing this crime
(H.Res.316 / H.Con.Res.195 / S.Res.320) has broad bipartisan
support, but has been blocked from coming to a vote by
Congressional leaders, despite the fact that, five years ago, U.S.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert promised to allow Members to vote on
this human rights measure.
In September of last year, Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan from the
band traveled to the Speaker's hometown of Batavia, Illinois to
lead a rally urging him to allow a vote on the Armenian Genocide
legislation. During the rally, Tankian delivered a personal and
powerfully worded message calling on the Speaker to do the right
thing, and stressing that "historical truths should never be denied
in a democracy - especially one with such a proud heritage of
freedom."
Speaker Hastert has it in his power to accomplish one of System's
goals - official U.S. recognition of Turkey's destruction of 1.5
million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. By allowing Congress to
vote on this legislation, Speaker Hastert can end U.S. denial of
this crime and open the doors to justice - to the restoration,
reparation, and restitution owed to the victims of genocide. By
continuing to block a vote on this legislation, Hastert effectively
joins in the denial of this crime against humanity, and the denial
of justice to an entire nation.
The members of System of a Down, Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, John
Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian, who are of Armenian descent, all
personally lost family members and family history to the Armenian
Genocide. "Because so much of my family history was lost in the
Armenian Genocide," said Malakian, "my grandfather, who was very
young at the time, doesn't know his true age. How many people can
say they don't know how old they are?" Tankian, Dolmayan and
Odadjian all identify their grandparents' memories as the only
links they have to their respective family heritages, as most of
their families were obliterated during the Armenian Genocide.
"It's important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide,"
explained Tankian, "and that those actions continue to be covered
up by the Turkish government, the U.S. State Department, Turkey's
allies in the defense and oil industries, and by our present U.S.
Administration. Had the Armenian Genocide been acknowledged as a
Crime Against Humanity as it was, Hitler might not have thought he
could get away with the Jewish Holocaust. History does and will
repeat itself, unless we stop that cycle."
#####
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
April 4, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SYSTEM OF A DOWN TO LAUNCH THREE-DAY WASHINGTON, DC
CAMPAIGN FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
-- Band Members to Join Rally at Turkish Embassy; Screen New
Genocide Documentary; Meet with Media and Key Congressional
Officials on Pending Armenian Genocide Legislation
LOS ANGELES, CA - Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan of the Grammy
Award-winning band System of a Down will travel to Washington, DC
on April 24th for a three-day campaign to urge Speaker of the House
Dennis Hastert and other Congressional leaders to end their
complicity in Turkey's ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.
On the evening of Monday, April 24th - starting at 5:00pm - the
multi-Platinum-selling group members will join with the Armenian
National Committee of America and Armenian Youth Federation in
leading a grassroots demonstration outside the gates of the Turkish
Embassy at 2525 Massachusetts Ave, in Northwest Washington, DC.
The Turkish government, through its Embassy in Washington, spends
millions of dollars each year to bully, threaten, and blackmail the
U.S. government not to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
The band members will devote Tuesday, April 25th to providing
interviews to the political media in Washington, and, in the
evening, hosting a Congressional screening of "Screamers," a new
documentary by filmmaker Carla Garapedian about the band's
worldwide campaign for Armenian Genocide recognition.
On Wednesday April 26th, System will meet with key Members of
Congress to urge them to allow a vote on legislation recognizing
the Armenian Genocide, and - at 5:30pm - will participate in the
annual Capitol Hill commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. This
event, now in its 11th year, is regularly attended by over 30
Members of Congress, diplomats, ethnic community leaders, human
rights activists, genocide prevention advocates, and Armenian
Americans from across the country.
Beginning on April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began a
centrally planned and systematically executed campaign to
annihilate the Armenian people from their ancient homeland. By
1923 over 1.5 million Armenians were killed and hundreds of
thousands deported, in what constituted the first genocide of the
20th century. Congressional legislation recognizing this crime
(H.Res.316 / H.Con.Res.195 / S.Res.320) has broad bipartisan
support, but has been blocked from coming to a vote by
Congressional leaders, despite the fact that, five years ago, U.S.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert promised to allow Members to vote on
this human rights measure.
In September of last year, Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan from the
band traveled to the Speaker's hometown of Batavia, Illinois to
lead a rally urging him to allow a vote on the Armenian Genocide
legislation. During the rally, Tankian delivered a personal and
powerfully worded message calling on the Speaker to do the right
thing, and stressing that "historical truths should never be denied
in a democracy - especially one with such a proud heritage of
freedom."
Speaker Hastert has it in his power to accomplish one of System's
goals - official U.S. recognition of Turkey's destruction of 1.5
million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. By allowing Congress to
vote on this legislation, Speaker Hastert can end U.S. denial of
this crime and open the doors to justice - to the restoration,
reparation, and restitution owed to the victims of genocide. By
continuing to block a vote on this legislation, Hastert effectively
joins in the denial of this crime against humanity, and the denial
of justice to an entire nation.
The members of System of a Down, Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, John
Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian, who are of Armenian descent, all
personally lost family members and family history to the Armenian
Genocide. "Because so much of my family history was lost in the
Armenian Genocide," said Malakian, "my grandfather, who was very
young at the time, doesn't know his true age. How many people can
say they don't know how old they are?" Tankian, Dolmayan and
Odadjian all identify their grandparents' memories as the only
links they have to their respective family heritages, as most of
their families were obliterated during the Armenian Genocide.
"It's important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide,"
explained Tankian, "and that those actions continue to be covered
up by the Turkish government, the U.S. State Department, Turkey's
allies in the defense and oil industries, and by our present U.S.
Administration. Had the Armenian Genocide been acknowledged as a
Crime Against Humanity as it was, Hitler might not have thought he
could get away with the Jewish Holocaust. History does and will
repeat itself, unless we stop that cycle."
#####