[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E662-E663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn memorial to the 
estimated 1.5 million men, women, and children who lost their lives 
during the Armenian Genocide. As in the past, I am pleased to join so 
many distinguished House colleagues on both sides of the aisle in 
ensuring that the horrors wrought upon the Armenian people are never 
repeated.
  On April 24, 1915, over 200 religious, political, and intellectual 
leaders of the Armenian community were brutally executed by the Turkish 
government in Istanbul. Over the course of the next 8 years, this war 
of ethnic genocide against the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire 
took the lives of over half the world's Armenian population.
  Sadly, there are some people who still deny the very existence of 
this period which saw the institutionalized slaughter of the Armenian 
people and dismantling of Armenian culture. To those who would question 
these events, I point to the numerous reports contained in the U.S. 
National Archives detailing the process that systematically decimated 
the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire. However, old records are 
too easily forgotten--and dismissed. That is why we come together every 
year at this time: to remember in words what some may wish to file away 
in archives. This genocide did take place, and these lives were taken. 
That memory must keep us forever vigilant in our efforts to prevent 
these atrocities from ever happening again.
  I am proud to note that Armenian immigrants found, in the United 
States, a country where their culture could take root and thrive. Most 
Armenians in America are children or grandchildren of the survivors, 
although there are still survivors among us. In my district in 
Northwest Indiana, a vibrant Armenian-American community has developed 
and strong ties to Armenia continue to flourish. My predecessor in the 
House, the late Adam Benjamin, was of Armenian heritage, and his 
distinguished service in the House serves as an example to the entire 
Northwest Indiana community. Over the years, members of the Armenian-
American community throughout the United States have contributed 
millions of dollars and countless hours of their time to various 
Armenian causes. Of particular note are Mrs. Vicki Hovanessian and her 
husband, Dr. Raffy Hovanessian, residents of Indiana's First 
Congressional District, who have continually worked to improve the 
quality of life in Armenia, as well as in Northwest Indiana. Three 
other Armenian-American families in my congressional district, Dr. Aram 
and Mrs. Seta Semerdjian, Dr. Heratch and Mrs. Sonya Doumanian, and Dr. 
Ara and Mrs. Rosy Yeretsian, have also contributed greatly toward 
charitable works in the United States and Armenia. Their efforts, 
together with hundreds of other members of the Armenian-American 
community, have helped to finance several important projects in 
Armenia, including the construction of new schools, a mammography 
clinic, and a crucial roadway connecting Armenia to Nagorno Karabagh.
  In the House, I have tried to assist the efforts of my Armenian-
American constituency by continually supporting foreign aid to Armenia. 
This past year, with my support, Armenia received $84 million in U.S. 
aid to assist economic and military development. In addition, on April 
16, 2004, I joined several of my colleagues in signing the letter to 
President Bush urging him to honor his pledge to recognize the Armenian 
Genocide.
  The Armenian people have a long and proud history. In the fourth 
century, they became the first nation to embrace Christianity. During 
World War I, the Ottoman Empire was ruled by an organization known as 
the Young Turk Committee, which allied with Germany. Amid fighting in 
the Ottoman Empire's eastern Anatolian provinces, the historic 
heartland of the Christian Armenians, Ottoman authorities ordered the 
deportation and execution of all Armenians in the region. By the end of 
1923, virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolia and western 
Armenia had either been killed or deported.
  While it is important to keep the lessons of history in mind, we must 
also remain committed to protecting Armenia from new and more hostile 
aggressors. In the last decade, thousands of lives have been lost and 
more than a million people displaced in the struggle between Armenia 
and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabagh. Even now, as we rise to 
commemorate the accomplishments of the Armenian people and mourn the 
tragedies they have suffered, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and other countries 
continue to engage in a debilitating blockade of this free nation.
  Consistently, I have testified before the Foreign Operations 
Appropriations Subcommittee on the important issue of bringing peace to 
a troubled area of the world. I continued my support for maintaining 
the level of funding for the Southern Caucasus region of the 
Independent States (IS), and of Armenia in particular. In addition, on 
February 26, 2004, I joined several of my colleagues in sending a 
letter to President Bush urging nim to ensure parity in military 
assistance between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Joe 
Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, for organizing this special order to 
commemorate the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Their 
efforts will not only help bring needed attention to this tragic period 
in world history, but also serve to remind us of our duty to protect 
basic human rights and freedoms around the world.

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