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THOUSANDS COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AT SITE OF MONTEBELLO MONUMENT
ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012
About 2,000 Armenian-Americans, as well as friends and supporters
gathered Tuesday at the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument at Bicknell
Park to commemorate the 97th anniversary of the genocide.
Speakers, including elected officials, scholars and professionals,
gave voice to the frustration of the continued denial of the slaughter
of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire from 1915
to 1923, reports Armenpress citing Whittier Daily News.
"The continued failure of the U.S. government to recognize the Armenia
genocide is deeply disturbing and from a human rights point of view,
terribly counterproductive," said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena. "If we
are to lead the fight against genocide in Darfur or elsewhere, we must
be willing to recognize genocide wherever and whenever it has occurred.
The monument, at 901 Via San Clemente, was approved by the Montebello
City Council in 1965.
It symbolizes the first genocide of the 20th century and is in memory
of the those who were systematically massacred.
It was unveiled in April 1968 to honor the Armenians and all victims
of crimes against humanity.
Turkey denies that the massacre was the result of state-sponsored
extermination, but rather the result of ethnic strife, famine and
disease during World War I.
"Armenian genocide recognition demands for the formal acceptance that
the massacre and forced deportation of Armenians committed
by the Ottoman Empire constitutes genocide," said Tom Alexanian,
a board member of the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles, the
event's sponsor.
"As of 2009, 21 countries, including France, Canada, Argentina and
Sweden, and 43 states of the United States of America, have followed
suit," he added.
United Armenian Fund President Harout Sasounian chided elected
officials, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe
Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for not acknowledging
the genocide.
"Shame on them," he said, saying that their campaign rhetoric has
not matched what they said after being elected to office.
" Joining Schiff were Los Angeles Councilman Paul Krekorian, Los
Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, the former president of the
Glendale Unified School District Greg Krikorian and other dignitaries.
The keynote speaker was Israel Charny, the executive director of the
Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide.
The event also included a religious service led by all denominations
of the Armenian community, a flag ceremony performed by the Homenetmen
and the Armenian General Benevolent Union scouts and the placement
of wreaths by various organizations.
ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012
About 2,000 Armenian-Americans, as well as friends and supporters
gathered Tuesday at the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument at Bicknell
Park to commemorate the 97th anniversary of the genocide.
Speakers, including elected officials, scholars and professionals,
gave voice to the frustration of the continued denial of the slaughter
of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire from 1915
to 1923, reports Armenpress citing Whittier Daily News.
"The continued failure of the U.S. government to recognize the Armenia
genocide is deeply disturbing and from a human rights point of view,
terribly counterproductive," said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena. "If we
are to lead the fight against genocide in Darfur or elsewhere, we must
be willing to recognize genocide wherever and whenever it has occurred.
The monument, at 901 Via San Clemente, was approved by the Montebello
City Council in 1965.
It symbolizes the first genocide of the 20th century and is in memory
of the those who were systematically massacred.
It was unveiled in April 1968 to honor the Armenians and all victims
of crimes against humanity.
Turkey denies that the massacre was the result of state-sponsored
extermination, but rather the result of ethnic strife, famine and
disease during World War I.
"Armenian genocide recognition demands for the formal acceptance that
the massacre and forced deportation of Armenians committed
by the Ottoman Empire constitutes genocide," said Tom Alexanian,
a board member of the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles, the
event's sponsor.
"As of 2009, 21 countries, including France, Canada, Argentina and
Sweden, and 43 states of the United States of America, have followed
suit," he added.
United Armenian Fund President Harout Sasounian chided elected
officials, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe
Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for not acknowledging
the genocide.
"Shame on them," he said, saying that their campaign rhetoric has
not matched what they said after being elected to office.
" Joining Schiff were Los Angeles Councilman Paul Krekorian, Los
Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, the former president of the
Glendale Unified School District Greg Krikorian and other dignitaries.
The keynote speaker was Israel Charny, the executive director of the
Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide.
The event also included a religious service led by all denominations
of the Armenian community, a flag ceremony performed by the Homenetmen
and the Armenian General Benevolent Union scouts and the placement
of wreaths by various organizations.