[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H3796-H3797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my 
colleagues in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Armenian 
genocide. As you know, 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the 
Turkish Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.
  The Armenian community in the United States is mostly descended from 
survivors of this genocide who were forcibly exiled from their 
homeland. These citizens, many of whom reside in Pennsylvania's 13th 
Congressional District, have made tremendous contributions to American 
life while honoring their own rich traditions.
  On the evening of April 24, 1915, the political, religious, and 
intellectual leaders of the Armenian community in Constantinople, now 
Instanbul, were arrested, exiled from the capital city, and murdered. 
After the ``Young turk'' government silenced the voices of the Armenian 
community in this horrific way, they began a systematic deportation and 
extermination of all Armenians.
  Mr. Speaker, it is our duty to ensure that these reprehensible crimes 
against humanity are not forgotten. I am deeply concerned that the 
Turkish Government refuses to acknowledge this genocide, even today. We 
know all to well the consequences of forgetfulness. As Elie Wiesel 
reports, ``Before planning the final solution, Hitler asked, `Who 
remembers the Armenians? ''
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr. Pallone and Mr. Porter for 
their leadership in sponsoring this special order.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to salute the Pennypack Watershed 
Association in my district, through its director Tish Ryan, who has 
done such a great job of bringing people together in environmental 
education programs, environmental management programs, and especially 
bringing students together in the 13th District. She has

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done an outstanding job and should be saluted for her environmental 
trail blazing.

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