[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H1595-H1596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, as a proud member of the 
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and the representative of a 
large and vibrant community of Armenian-Americans, I rise today to join 
my colleagues in the sad commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
  Today, we continue the crusade to ensure that this tragedy is never 
forgotten. This 87th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is an 
emotional time. The loss of life experienced by so many families is 
devastating. But, in the face of the systematic slaughter of 1.5 
million people, the Armenian community has persevered with a vision of 
life and of freedom.
  Armenian Americans are representative of the resolve, bravery, and 
strength of spirit that is so characteristic of Armenians around the 
world. That strength carried them through humanity's worst: Upheaval 
from a homeland of 3,000 years, massacre of kin, and deportation to 
foreign lands. That same strength gathers Armenians around the world to 
make certain that this tragedy is never forgotten.
  Without recognition and remembrance, this atrocity remains a threat 
to nations around the world. I've often quoted philosopher George 
Santayana who said: ``Those who do not remember the past are condemned 
to repeat it.'' And to remember, we must first acknowledge what it is--
Genocide.
  As another scholar stated: ``Denial of genocide is the final stage of 
genocide; it is what Elie Wiesel has called ``double killing.'' Denial 
murders the dignity of the survivors and seeks to destroy the 
remembrance of the crime.''
  Tragically, more than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically 
murdered at the hands of the Young Turks. More than 500,000 were 
deported. It was brutal. It was deliberate. It was an organized 
campaign and it lasted more than 8 years. We must make certain that we 
remember.
  Now, we must assure that the world recognizes that Armenian people 
have remembered, and they have survived and thrived.

[[Page H1596]]

  Out of the crumbling Soviet Union, the Republic of Armenia was born, 
and independence was gained. But, independence has not ended the 
struggle.
  To this day, the Turkish government denies that genocide of the 
Armenian people occurred and denies its own responsibility for the 
deaths of 1.5 million people.
  In response to this revisionist history, the Republic of France 
passed legislation that set the moral standard for the international 
community. The French National Assembly unanimously passed a bill that 
officially recognizes the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey 
during and after WWI as genocide.
  Several nations have since joined in the belief that history should 
be set straight.
  Canada, Argentina, Belgium, Lebanon, The Vatican, Uruguay, the 
European parliament, Russia, Greece, Sweden and France, have authored 
declarations or decisions confirming that the genocide occurred. As a 
country, we must join these nations in recognition of this atrocity.
  Two years ago I joined numerous Members in support of the 
International Relations Committee's Armenian Genocide Resolution. As 
may of you remember, the resolution passed and was sent to the full 
House for a vote. Though the resolution was withdrawn, the Congress had 
taken its stand. We must demand that the United States officially 
acknowledge the forced exile and annihilation of 1.5 million people as 
genocide.
  Denying the horrors of those years merely condones the behavior in 
other places as was evidenced in Rwanda, Indonesia, Burundi, Sri Lanka, 
Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Iraq. Silence may have been the 
signal to perpetrators of these atrocities that they could commit 
genocide, deny it, and get away with it.
  As Americans, the reminder of targeted violence and mass slaughter is 
still raw. We lost nearly 3,000 people on September 11th. I cannot 
imagine the world trying to say that this did not occur. The loss of 
1.5 million people is a global tragedy.
  A peaceful and stable South Caucasus region is clearly in the U.S. 
national interest. Recognizing the genocide must be a strategy for this 
goal in an increasingly uncertain region. One of the most important 
ways in which we an honor the memory of the Armenian victims of the 
past is to help modern Armenia build a secure and prosperous future.
  The United States has a unique history of aid to Armenia, being among 
the first to recognize that need, and the first to help. I am pleased 
with the U.S. involvement in the emphasis of private sector 
development, regionally focused programs, people-to-people linkages and 
the development of a civil society.
  Other reform has included the 1998 five part Comprehensive Market 
Reform Program, tax and fiscal reform, modernization of tax offices, 
land registration, capital markets development, and democratic and 
legal reforms.
  Armenia has made impressive progress in rebuilding a society and a 
nation in the face of dramatic obstacles.
  I will continue to take a strong stand in support of Armenia's 
commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and a market economy--I am 
proud to stand with Armenia in doing so. But there is more to be done. 
Conflict persists in the Nagorno-Karabaugh region.
  Congress has provided funding for confidence building in that region, 
and I will continue in my support of that funding and the move towards 
a brighter future for Armenia. But in building our future, we must not 
forget our past. That is why I strongly support the efforts of the 
Armenian community in the construction of the Armenian Genocide 
Memorial and Museum. Because so many Armenians have spoken of the 
destruction they have made certain that we remember.
  Last Sunday, I met with Vickie Smith Foston, the author of Victoria's 
Secret: A Conspiracy of Silence. Through this story, we learn about the 
historical journey of a lifetime that preceded her grandmother's leap 
to her death on March 9, 1950 and the danger of silence.though her 
family tried desperately to hide and conceal their identity, Vickie 
discovers a past that was to be buried with Victoria--her family's 
Armenian heritage and the horrors of the Armenian Genocide.
  This book forces the reader to remember. Now we must make certain 
that the world remembers.

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