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CALIF.ASSEMBLY SPEAKER'S BILL URGES CONGRESS, PRESIDENT TO RECOGNIZE GENOCIDE
http://asbarez.com/119773/calif-assembly-speakers-bill-urges-congress-president-to-recognize-genocide/
Thursday, February 20th, 2014
Speaker Perez (far right) with members of California delegation at
Dzidzernagapert while visiting Armenia in September
SACARAMENTO--California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez on
Thursday introduced a resolution that reaffirms California's strong
position on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The resolution calls on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide
and urges Congress and President Obama to do the same.
This measure would designate the week of April 20 to 26, 2014,
as "California Week of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of
1915-1923," and would memorialize the Congress and the President
of the United States to observe the California Week of Remembrance
for the Armenian Genocide by participating in the Armenian Genocide
Commemorative Project.
Below is the text of the resolution AJR 35
WHEREAS, The Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 was the first genocide
of the 20th century, in which 1.5 million men, women, and children
lost their lives at the hands of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in their
attempt to systematically eliminate the Armenian race; and
WHEREAS, In their 3,000 year historic homeland in Asia Minor, Armenians
were subjected to severe and unjust persecution and brutality by the
Turkish rulers of the Ottoman Empire before and after the turn of
the 20th century, including widespread acts of destruction and murder
during the period from 1894 to 1896, inclusive, and again in 1909; and
WHEREAS, The massacre of the Armenians constituted one of the most
atrocious violations of human rights in the history of the world; and
WHEREAS, Adolph Hitler, in persuading his army commanders that the
merciless persecution and killing of Jews, Poles, and other people
would bring no retribution, declared, "Who, after all, speaks today
of the annihilation of the Armenians?"; and
WHEREAS, Unlike other people and governments that have admitted and
denounced the abuses and crimes of predecessor regimes, and despite
the overwhelming proof of genocidal intent, the Republic of Turkey
has inexplicably and adamantly denied the occurrence of the crimes
against humanity committed by the Ottoman and Young Turk rulers,
and those denials compound the grief of the few remaining survivors
of the atrocities, desecrate the memory of the victims, and cause
continuing pain to the descendants of the victims; and
WHEREAS, Leaders of nations with strategic, commercial, and cultural
ties to the Republic of Turkey should be reminded of their duty to
encourage Turkish officials to cease efforts to distort facts and
deny the history of events surrounding the Armenian Genocide; and
WHEREAS, The determination of those who continue to speak the truth
about the Armenian Genocide is tested to this day with some of these
speakers of truth being silenced by violent means; and
WHEREAS, The accelerated level and scope of denial and revisionism,
coupled with the passage of time and the fact that very few survivors
remain who can serve as reminders of indescribable brutality and
tormented lives, compel a sense of urgency in efforts to solidify
recognition of historical truth; and
WHEREAS, By consistently remembering and forcefully condemning the
atrocities committed against the Armenians, and honoring the survivors
as well as other victims of similar heinous conduct, we guard against
repetition of such acts of genocide and provide the American public
with a greater understanding of its heritage; and
WHEREAS, This measure would provide that the Legislature deplores the
persistent, ongoing efforts by any person in this country or abroad
to deny the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide; and
WHEREAS, California is home to the largest Armenian-American population
in the United States, and Armenians living in California have enriched
our state through their leadership in business, agriculture, academia,
government, and the arts; and
WHEREAS, The State of California has been at the forefront of
encouraging and promoting a curriculum relating to human rights and
genocide in order to empower future generations to prevent recurrence
of the crime of genocide; now, therefore,
Be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the State of California commends its
conscientious educators who teach about human rights and genocide;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby
designates the week of April 20 to 26, 2014, as "California Week of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923"; and be it further
Resolved, That California commemorates California Week of Remembrance
for the Armenian Genocide through the Armenian Genocide Commemorative
Project; and be it further
Resolved, That the State of California respectfully calls upon the
Congress and the President of the United States to act likewise and to
formally and consistently recognize and reaffirm the historical truth
that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted
genocide; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon the Republic of Turkey to
acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and to work toward a
just resolution; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this
resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States,
Members of the United States Congress, the Governor, and the Turkish
Ambassador to the United States.
http://asbarez.com/119773/calif-assembly-speakers-bill-urges-congress-president-to-recognize-genocide/
Thursday, February 20th, 2014
Speaker Perez (far right) with members of California delegation at
Dzidzernagapert while visiting Armenia in September
SACARAMENTO--California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez on
Thursday introduced a resolution that reaffirms California's strong
position on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The resolution calls on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide
and urges Congress and President Obama to do the same.
This measure would designate the week of April 20 to 26, 2014,
as "California Week of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of
1915-1923," and would memorialize the Congress and the President
of the United States to observe the California Week of Remembrance
for the Armenian Genocide by participating in the Armenian Genocide
Commemorative Project.
Below is the text of the resolution AJR 35
WHEREAS, The Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 was the first genocide
of the 20th century, in which 1.5 million men, women, and children
lost their lives at the hands of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in their
attempt to systematically eliminate the Armenian race; and
WHEREAS, In their 3,000 year historic homeland in Asia Minor, Armenians
were subjected to severe and unjust persecution and brutality by the
Turkish rulers of the Ottoman Empire before and after the turn of
the 20th century, including widespread acts of destruction and murder
during the period from 1894 to 1896, inclusive, and again in 1909; and
WHEREAS, The massacre of the Armenians constituted one of the most
atrocious violations of human rights in the history of the world; and
WHEREAS, Adolph Hitler, in persuading his army commanders that the
merciless persecution and killing of Jews, Poles, and other people
would bring no retribution, declared, "Who, after all, speaks today
of the annihilation of the Armenians?"; and
WHEREAS, Unlike other people and governments that have admitted and
denounced the abuses and crimes of predecessor regimes, and despite
the overwhelming proof of genocidal intent, the Republic of Turkey
has inexplicably and adamantly denied the occurrence of the crimes
against humanity committed by the Ottoman and Young Turk rulers,
and those denials compound the grief of the few remaining survivors
of the atrocities, desecrate the memory of the victims, and cause
continuing pain to the descendants of the victims; and
WHEREAS, Leaders of nations with strategic, commercial, and cultural
ties to the Republic of Turkey should be reminded of their duty to
encourage Turkish officials to cease efforts to distort facts and
deny the history of events surrounding the Armenian Genocide; and
WHEREAS, The determination of those who continue to speak the truth
about the Armenian Genocide is tested to this day with some of these
speakers of truth being silenced by violent means; and
WHEREAS, The accelerated level and scope of denial and revisionism,
coupled with the passage of time and the fact that very few survivors
remain who can serve as reminders of indescribable brutality and
tormented lives, compel a sense of urgency in efforts to solidify
recognition of historical truth; and
WHEREAS, By consistently remembering and forcefully condemning the
atrocities committed against the Armenians, and honoring the survivors
as well as other victims of similar heinous conduct, we guard against
repetition of such acts of genocide and provide the American public
with a greater understanding of its heritage; and
WHEREAS, This measure would provide that the Legislature deplores the
persistent, ongoing efforts by any person in this country or abroad
to deny the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide; and
WHEREAS, California is home to the largest Armenian-American population
in the United States, and Armenians living in California have enriched
our state through their leadership in business, agriculture, academia,
government, and the arts; and
WHEREAS, The State of California has been at the forefront of
encouraging and promoting a curriculum relating to human rights and
genocide in order to empower future generations to prevent recurrence
of the crime of genocide; now, therefore,
Be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the State of California commends its
conscientious educators who teach about human rights and genocide;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby
designates the week of April 20 to 26, 2014, as "California Week of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923"; and be it further
Resolved, That California commemorates California Week of Remembrance
for the Armenian Genocide through the Armenian Genocide Commemorative
Project; and be it further
Resolved, That the State of California respectfully calls upon the
Congress and the President of the United States to act likewise and to
formally and consistently recognize and reaffirm the historical truth
that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted
genocide; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon the Republic of Turkey to
acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and to work toward a
just resolution; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this
resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States,
Members of the United States Congress, the Governor, and the Turkish
Ambassador to the United States.