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WHITE HOUSE PLANS EXHIBITION OF RUG LINKED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Los Angeles Times
Oct 15 2014
By Matt Hansen
historic rug tied to the Armenian genocide will go on display at the
White House Visitor Center in November after several failed attempts
to display the piece.
The Ghazir rug was created by orphans of the genocide and presented
to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925. It will be featured alongside
other artifacts in an exhibition highlighting gifts to the United
States from groups that have benefited from American humanitarian aid.
"The rug ... is a reminder of the close relationship between the
people of Armenia and the United States," National Security Council
spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement announcing the
exhibition.
The tapestry, also called the Armenian Orphan Rug, has been in
storage for decades with only limited public appearances. In 2013,
the White House blocked a plan to display the rug at the Smithsonian
Institution, saying the planned exhibition, which would have featured
the release of a book about the piece, was a private event and thus
"not viewed as commensurate with the rug's historical significance."
Armenian American leaders and several U.S. senators objected to the
decision, saying the White House was bowing to political pressure
from the Turkish government, which denies a genocide took place.
Historians estimate that 1.2 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman
Turks during the political upheaval surrounding World War I. The
circumstances of the genocide remain contested by Turkey, which
maintains that the Armenians died of disease, starvation and being
caught in crossfire. The Ghazir rug was later created by orphans as
a goodwill gesture toward the U.S.
Members of the Armenian American community praised the decision to
display the rug.
"Turkey doesn't want people to use the word 'genocide,' so the
United States doesn't use the word 'genocide,' " said Aram Hamparian,
executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America. "We
hope that this is the symbol of the White House finally doing the
right thing."
The delay in exhibiting the rug stemmed from rules governing historic
objects rather than political considerations, senior administration
officials said.
For elected officials representing Armenian American communities,
the decision is a welcome relief after years of negotiation.
"It's a powerful symbol of American generosity to victims of the
Armenian genocide," Rep. Adam Schiff (D- Burbank) said. "I'm thrilled
that it will soon be on display."
Schiff said he would continue to push for official federal recognition
of the genocide, especially in light of the event's 100th anniversary
in April.
For Hamparian, the exhibition will be a success if it represents a
change in White House policy.
"The victory will be if this symbolizes progress by this White House
to speak the truth about the Armenian genocide," he said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-white-house-rug-armenian-genocide-20141015-story.html
Los Angeles Times
Oct 15 2014
By Matt Hansen
historic rug tied to the Armenian genocide will go on display at the
White House Visitor Center in November after several failed attempts
to display the piece.
The Ghazir rug was created by orphans of the genocide and presented
to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925. It will be featured alongside
other artifacts in an exhibition highlighting gifts to the United
States from groups that have benefited from American humanitarian aid.
"The rug ... is a reminder of the close relationship between the
people of Armenia and the United States," National Security Council
spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement announcing the
exhibition.
The tapestry, also called the Armenian Orphan Rug, has been in
storage for decades with only limited public appearances. In 2013,
the White House blocked a plan to display the rug at the Smithsonian
Institution, saying the planned exhibition, which would have featured
the release of a book about the piece, was a private event and thus
"not viewed as commensurate with the rug's historical significance."
Armenian American leaders and several U.S. senators objected to the
decision, saying the White House was bowing to political pressure
from the Turkish government, which denies a genocide took place.
Historians estimate that 1.2 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman
Turks during the political upheaval surrounding World War I. The
circumstances of the genocide remain contested by Turkey, which
maintains that the Armenians died of disease, starvation and being
caught in crossfire. The Ghazir rug was later created by orphans as
a goodwill gesture toward the U.S.
Members of the Armenian American community praised the decision to
display the rug.
"Turkey doesn't want people to use the word 'genocide,' so the
United States doesn't use the word 'genocide,' " said Aram Hamparian,
executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America. "We
hope that this is the symbol of the White House finally doing the
right thing."
The delay in exhibiting the rug stemmed from rules governing historic
objects rather than political considerations, senior administration
officials said.
For elected officials representing Armenian American communities,
the decision is a welcome relief after years of negotiation.
"It's a powerful symbol of American generosity to victims of the
Armenian genocide," Rep. Adam Schiff (D- Burbank) said. "I'm thrilled
that it will soon be on display."
Schiff said he would continue to push for official federal recognition
of the genocide, especially in light of the event's 100th anniversary
in April.
For Hamparian, the exhibition will be a success if it represents a
change in White House policy.
"The victory will be if this symbolizes progress by this White House
to speak the truth about the Armenian genocide," he said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-white-house-rug-armenian-genocide-20141015-story.html