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REP. ADAM SCHIFF AGAIN PRESSURES WHITE HOUSE TO ALLOW DISPLAY OF ARMENIAN ORPHAN RUG
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Dec 19 2013
By Kelly Goff, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 12/18/13, 5:39 PM PST |
The White House is facing renewed pressure from a San Fernando Valley
congressman to allow the public display of a rug woven by orphans
of the Armenian genocide for President Calvin Coolidge, something it
has so far been reluctant to do despite growing controversy over the
politics behind its refusal.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, sent a letter to the White House this
week, asking it to loan the rug for display at an event he is planning
for early next year to commemorate the centennial of the massacres.
The large, colorful, hand-knotted Ghazir rug with depictions of plants
and animals woven in ornate detail - often referred to as the Armenian
Orphan Rug - was slated to be loaned to the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C., to coincide with the launch of a book detailing
the rug's past - "President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan
Rug," written by Hagop Martin Deranian - but in mid-October, the White
House pulled the plug. Schiff had also co-authored a letter to Obama
in November, urging the president to reverse that position.
"The White House said it couldn't loan the rug to the Smithsonian
because it was tied to a book launch, but they have said they would
consider lending it to an appropriate event," he said. "If that's
correct, then they should have no problem with it being displayed at
the event we are planning."
The Schiff-sponsored event will be a gathering of survivors of the
genocide, their descendants and other community members to discuss
the history of the rug, effects of the Armenian conflict and its
continuing impact on the diaspora.
The event is slated for January or February, and he said he would
schedule it based on the White House's time frame.
"I didn't want to pick a specific date and have them say it wasn't
available, so we'll be flexible and work with them," Schiff said. "But
I'm optimistic they'll agree. I'm taking them at their word that
they will allow it for an appropriate event. I think this would be
an appropriate event."
The rug has become a flash point in the Armenian community, which
has long lobbied Washington to officially recognize the genocide. The
Obama administration has routinely stopped short of referring to the
atrocities committed against the Armenian population as genocide in
what was then the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The conflict
left up to 1.5 million people dead.
The girls who made the rug were living in the Ghazir Orphanage of Near
East Relief, in present-day Lebanon, which was created and funded
through the U.S. Congress. The back of the rug bears an inscription
thanking President Coolidge for the support Americans gave to the
Armenian population during the time.
At issue now is pressure from the Turkish government, activists say,
which is a critical U.S. ally that has routinely denied the genocide
took place.
To coincide with Obama's visit to Los Angeles in November, the Armenian
National Committee of America organized an event for religious and
community leaders to discuss the refusal of the White House to display
the rug and to call on it to do so in the future.
Local community advocates reiterated that sentiment after Schiff's
request was made. "The White House put out a statement saying that
a book signing wasn't an appropriate venue to display the rug, that
they place a high value on the rug and where it should be displayed,"
said Tereza Yerimyan, government-affairs director for the western
region of the Armenian National Committee of America, whose offices
are in Glendale.
"This is a very valuable event. It's educational, it's important to the
community. We hope that we will be able to have the rug to display."
http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20131218/rep-adam-schiff-again-pressures-white-house-to-allow-display-of-armenian-orphan-rug
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Dec 19 2013
By Kelly Goff, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 12/18/13, 5:39 PM PST |
The White House is facing renewed pressure from a San Fernando Valley
congressman to allow the public display of a rug woven by orphans
of the Armenian genocide for President Calvin Coolidge, something it
has so far been reluctant to do despite growing controversy over the
politics behind its refusal.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, sent a letter to the White House this
week, asking it to loan the rug for display at an event he is planning
for early next year to commemorate the centennial of the massacres.
The large, colorful, hand-knotted Ghazir rug with depictions of plants
and animals woven in ornate detail - often referred to as the Armenian
Orphan Rug - was slated to be loaned to the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C., to coincide with the launch of a book detailing
the rug's past - "President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan
Rug," written by Hagop Martin Deranian - but in mid-October, the White
House pulled the plug. Schiff had also co-authored a letter to Obama
in November, urging the president to reverse that position.
"The White House said it couldn't loan the rug to the Smithsonian
because it was tied to a book launch, but they have said they would
consider lending it to an appropriate event," he said. "If that's
correct, then they should have no problem with it being displayed at
the event we are planning."
The Schiff-sponsored event will be a gathering of survivors of the
genocide, their descendants and other community members to discuss
the history of the rug, effects of the Armenian conflict and its
continuing impact on the diaspora.
The event is slated for January or February, and he said he would
schedule it based on the White House's time frame.
"I didn't want to pick a specific date and have them say it wasn't
available, so we'll be flexible and work with them," Schiff said. "But
I'm optimistic they'll agree. I'm taking them at their word that
they will allow it for an appropriate event. I think this would be
an appropriate event."
The rug has become a flash point in the Armenian community, which
has long lobbied Washington to officially recognize the genocide. The
Obama administration has routinely stopped short of referring to the
atrocities committed against the Armenian population as genocide in
what was then the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The conflict
left up to 1.5 million people dead.
The girls who made the rug were living in the Ghazir Orphanage of Near
East Relief, in present-day Lebanon, which was created and funded
through the U.S. Congress. The back of the rug bears an inscription
thanking President Coolidge for the support Americans gave to the
Armenian population during the time.
At issue now is pressure from the Turkish government, activists say,
which is a critical U.S. ally that has routinely denied the genocide
took place.
To coincide with Obama's visit to Los Angeles in November, the Armenian
National Committee of America organized an event for religious and
community leaders to discuss the refusal of the White House to display
the rug and to call on it to do so in the future.
Local community advocates reiterated that sentiment after Schiff's
request was made. "The White House put out a statement saying that
a book signing wasn't an appropriate venue to display the rug, that
they place a high value on the rug and where it should be displayed,"
said Tereza Yerimyan, government-affairs director for the western
region of the Armenian National Committee of America, whose offices
are in Glendale.
"This is a very valuable event. It's educational, it's important to the
community. We hope that we will be able to have the rug to display."
http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20131218/rep-adam-schiff-again-pressures-white-house-to-allow-display-of-armenian-orphan-rug