[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
remembrance of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. I would like to 
thank the cochairs of the Armenian Caucus, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Frank Pallone) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. John 
Porter) for arranging this important special order in observance of 
this tragic event.
  During the second half of the nineteenth century, between the years 
1915 and 1923, the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire became a 
target of heightened persecution by the Ottoman Turks. These 
persecutions culminated in a 3-decade period during which more than 1.5 
million Armenians were systematically uprooted from their homelands of 
3,000 years and eliminated through massacres and deportation.
  Mr. Speaker, this historic event can no longer be denied. Vast 
amounts of documentation exist in the United States archives, as well 
as in the public domain, which lend proof that the horrific event 
surrounding this period did in fact take place. It is important that 
we, as Members of Congress, continue to officially recognize the 
genocide because it is an important part of our world history, just as 
historically important as World War II, and a prelude to the Holocaust 
that followed. It is a shame and an outrage that the Genocide is still 
not recognized by many, many nations.
  Mr. Speaker, it is also important that we continue to mark this event 
on an annual basis. Although most of the survivors of the Genocide are 
unfortunately no longer with us, their relatives continue to remember 
and to mourn them to this day. I am proud that the State of New York is 
one of the few States which has offered a human right/genocide 
curricula for teachers and students to use at their discretion, which 
includes the Armenian Genocide. I was a sponsor of that curricula, and 
I believe educational programs such as this allow our children to learn 
more about the tragic events such as the Armenian Genocide, hopefully 
ensuring a peaceful existence for future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot forget that the persecution and mistreatment 
of the Armenian people continues today in Nagorno-Karabagh. Since 1988, 
fighting there has left more than 1,500 Armenians dead and uprooted 
hundreds more, forcing them to flee to other parts of this unstable 
region. As a member of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, I will work 
to end the repression of the Armenian people in Nagorno-Karabagh and 
will continue to support their efforts to ensure a stable future for 
their people.

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