[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE 81ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today, April 24, marks the 81st 
anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide. I rise today to 
acknowledge and commemorate this terrible chapter in our history, to 
help ensure that it will never be forgotten.
  Eighty-one years ago today, one of the darkest chapters in human 
history began. On that day, Ottoman authorities began arresting 
Armenian political and religious leaders throughout Anatolia. Over the 
ensuing months and years, some 1.5 million Armenians were killed at the 
hands of the Ottoman authorities, and hundreds of thousands more were 
exiled from their homes.
  On this 81st anniversary of the Armenian genocide, let us renew our 
commitment never to forget the horror and barbarism of this event. We 
must remember, we must speak out, and we must teach the next generation 
about the systematic persecution and murder of millions of Armenians by 
the Ottoman Government. I know that I am joined by every one of my 
colleagues, by the Armenian American community, and by people across 
the United States in commemorating the genocide and paying tribute to 
the victims of this crime against humanity.
  As Americans, we are blessed with freedom and security, but that 
blessing brings with it an important responsibility. We must never 
allow oppression and persecution to pass without condemnation. By 
commemorating the Armenian genocide, we renew our commitment always to 
fight for human dignity and freedom, and we send out a message that the 
world can never allow genocide to be perpetrated again.
  Even as we remember the tragedy and honor the dead, we also honor the 
living. Out of the ashes of their history, Armenians all across the 
world have clung to their identity and have prospered in new 
communities. My State of California is fortunate to be home to a 
community of Armenian-Americans a half a million strong. They are a 
strong and vibrant community whose members participate in every aspect 
of civic life, and California is the richer for their presence.
  The strength and perseverance of the Armenian people is a triumph of 
the human spirit, which refuses to cede victory to evil. The best 
retort to the perpetrators of oppression and destruction is rebirth, 
renewal, and rebuilding. Armenians throughout the world have done just 
that, and today they do it in their homeland as well. A free and 
independent Armenia stands today as a living monument to the resilience 
of a people. I am proud that the United States, through our friendship 
and assistance, is contributing to the rebuilding and renewal of 
Armenia.
  Let us never forget the victims of the Armenian genocide; let their 
deaths not be in vain. We must remember their tragedy to ensure that 
such crimes can never be repeated. And as we remember Armenia's dark 
past, we can take some consolation in the knowledge that its future is 
bright with possibility.

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