[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 45 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H2212-H2213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      COMMEMORATING THE 83RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, today is the sad and solemn day on which we 
remember one of the greatest tragedies that humankind has witnessed. 
Today marks the 83rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the first 
genocide of the 20th Century.
  I have come to the floor of the House to acknowledge the atrocities 
suffered by the Armenian people at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. On 
April 23, 1915, over 200 Armenian religious, political, and 
intellectual leaders were massacred in Turkey. Little did anyone know 
that April 23rd, 1915, would signify the beginning of a Turkish 
campaign to eliminate the Armenian people from the face of the earth.
  Over the following 8 years, 1\1/2\ million Armenians perished. And 
more than 500,000 were exiled from their homes. Armenian civilization, 
one of the oldest civilizations, virtually ceased to exist. Of course, 
that was the Turkish plan.
  Unfortunately, the Armenian genocide is not as well known in history 
today as it should be. Little attention was paid to this tragic episode 
in history by the victorious allied powers at the end of World War I or 
by historians since.
  Thus, ignored by many, the valuable lessons which might have been 
learned from this Armenian genocide went largely unnoticed. If more 
attention had been centered on the slaughter of

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these innocent men, women, and children, perhaps the events of World 
War II, the Holocaust, might never have taken place.
  As George Santayana reminds us, those who forget the past are 
condemned to repeat it. Perhaps this, above all, is the valuable lesson 
each of us must learn from the Armenian genocide.
  As a result of the failure of some nations to acknowledge this 
horrible tragedy, the Turkish crimes have remained unpunished. An 
international court yet to condemn the holocaust of an entire nation, 
and this impunity has permitted the Turks to repeat similar crimes 
against the Greek inhabitants of Asia Minor, the Syrian Orthodox 
people, and, recently, people living in Cyprus.
  However, despite the unmerciful efforts of the Turks, Armenian 
civilization lives on today. It lives on in the independent Republic of 
Armenia. And it lives on in communities throughout America, 
particularly from my home State of California.
  Today, we honor the innocent Armenians who tragically lost their 
lives. Today, we acknowledge that the Ottoman Turks committed genocide 
against the Armenian people. Today, we demand that this undeniable fact 
be accounted for by the current leaders in Istanbul.
  I look forward to the day when the world says in one united voice we 
remember the Armenian genocide. Until that day comes, I will continue 
to stand up here before the House of Representatives and remind all of 
us of our responsibility to learn from the past and our responsibility 
to prevent any such atrocities in the future.

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