[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E667-E668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mrs. MALONEY. 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 89th 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 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.
  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 ensure that the world recognizes that Armenian people 
have remembered, and they have survived and thrived.
  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 
beset 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.

[[Page E668]]

  I am proud to join more than 100 of my colleagues in cosponsoring H. 
Res. 193, which emphasizes the importance of remembering and learning 
from past crimes against humanity. 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 11. 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.
  I recently joined many of my colleagues in requesting funding for 
Armenia including for Foreign Military Financing, for Economic Support 
Funds, and for assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh.
  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-
Karabakh region.
  Congress has provided funding for confidence building in that region, 
and I will continue my support of that funding and the move toward 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.
  Nothing we can do or say will bring those who perished back to life, 
but we can imbue their memories with everlasting meaning by teaching 
the lessons of the Armenian genocide to the next generation and help 
Armenia build its future.

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