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MENENDEZ AND KIRK INTRODUCE SENATE GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
asbarez
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
Sen. Robert Menendez
Bipartisan Drive for S.Res.399 Aims to End Turkey's Gag Rule
WASHINGTON, DC -Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL)
introduced legislation, S.Res.399, today calling upon the U.S.
government to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide and to use the
lessons of this atrocity to prevent future crimes against humanity,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"It is time for the United States to join the nineteen nations
including Belgium, Canada, France, Italy and the European Union
that have formally recognized the actions carried out by the Ottoman
Empire from 1915 to 1923 as genocide," Senator Menendez said. "The
Armenian Genocide is a historical fact and was one of the incidents
upon which the Genocide Convention was predicated. Only by accurately
acknowledging the crimes of the past can we ever hope to move forward
in a legitimate manner and prevent such human rights crimes from
happening in the future."
"The Armenian Genocide is well-documented and formally recognized by
11 NATO allies and the European Union. This resolution accurately
characterizes the events of 1915-1923 as a genocide, honors the
memory of the victims, and strengthens America's moral leadership on
human rights and the prevention of mass atrocities around the world,"
said a spokesman for Senator Kirk.
Joining Senators Menendez and Kirk as original cosponsors of the
bipartisan measure were Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Human Rights and Chairman of the
Senate Environment Committee and Public Works Committee, Michael
Bennet (D-CO), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence, Carl Levin (D-MI), Chairman of
the Senate Armed Services Committee, Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Chairman
of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Jack Reed (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee
on Seapower, and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. Senator Chuck Schumer
(D-NY), the Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Conference, has also
joined S.Res.399 as a cosponsor.
"We join with Armenians from New Jersey, Illinois, and around the
country in thanking Senators Menendez and Kirk for their many years
of leadership in pressing for an end to Turkey's gag-rule on American
condemnation and commemoration of the Armenian Genocide," said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "Turkey has no right to hold
America hostage to its willful refusal as a state to accept a truthful,
just, and comprehensive resolution of this crime against all humanity."
Parallel to this effort, Reps. Robert Dold (R-IL) and Adam Schiff
(D-CA) have offered a nearly identical measure, H.Res.304, in the U.S.
House. Senators Scott Brown (R-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Mark
Kirk have introduced S.Res.392, the Senate version of a religious
freedom measure that was adopted last December, in the U.S. House
calling upon Turkey to return stolen Christian church properties to
their rightful owners.
Turkey continues to prosecute writers, for simply speaking about
the Armenian Genocide, and threatens retaliation against countries
around the world, including the United States and Armenia, that dare
to honor the victims of this crime.
Armenian Americans and anti-genocide activists are urged to contact
their Senators to cosponsor and work for the adoption of this
legislation.
From: A. Papazian
asbarez
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
Sen. Robert Menendez
Bipartisan Drive for S.Res.399 Aims to End Turkey's Gag Rule
WASHINGTON, DC -Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL)
introduced legislation, S.Res.399, today calling upon the U.S.
government to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide and to use the
lessons of this atrocity to prevent future crimes against humanity,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"It is time for the United States to join the nineteen nations
including Belgium, Canada, France, Italy and the European Union
that have formally recognized the actions carried out by the Ottoman
Empire from 1915 to 1923 as genocide," Senator Menendez said. "The
Armenian Genocide is a historical fact and was one of the incidents
upon which the Genocide Convention was predicated. Only by accurately
acknowledging the crimes of the past can we ever hope to move forward
in a legitimate manner and prevent such human rights crimes from
happening in the future."
"The Armenian Genocide is well-documented and formally recognized by
11 NATO allies and the European Union. This resolution accurately
characterizes the events of 1915-1923 as a genocide, honors the
memory of the victims, and strengthens America's moral leadership on
human rights and the prevention of mass atrocities around the world,"
said a spokesman for Senator Kirk.
Joining Senators Menendez and Kirk as original cosponsors of the
bipartisan measure were Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Human Rights and Chairman of the
Senate Environment Committee and Public Works Committee, Michael
Bennet (D-CO), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence, Carl Levin (D-MI), Chairman of
the Senate Armed Services Committee, Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Chairman
of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Jack Reed (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee
on Seapower, and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. Senator Chuck Schumer
(D-NY), the Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Conference, has also
joined S.Res.399 as a cosponsor.
"We join with Armenians from New Jersey, Illinois, and around the
country in thanking Senators Menendez and Kirk for their many years
of leadership in pressing for an end to Turkey's gag-rule on American
condemnation and commemoration of the Armenian Genocide," said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "Turkey has no right to hold
America hostage to its willful refusal as a state to accept a truthful,
just, and comprehensive resolution of this crime against all humanity."
Parallel to this effort, Reps. Robert Dold (R-IL) and Adam Schiff
(D-CA) have offered a nearly identical measure, H.Res.304, in the U.S.
House. Senators Scott Brown (R-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Mark
Kirk have introduced S.Res.392, the Senate version of a religious
freedom measure that was adopted last December, in the U.S. House
calling upon Turkey to return stolen Christian church properties to
their rightful owners.
Turkey continues to prosecute writers, for simply speaking about
the Armenian Genocide, and threatens retaliation against countries
around the world, including the United States and Armenia, that dare
to honor the victims of this crime.
Armenian Americans and anti-genocide activists are urged to contact
their Senators to cosponsor and work for the adoption of this
legislation.
From: A. Papazian