[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E642-E643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      COMMEMORATING THE 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 27, 2006

  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 to join my colleagues 
in the sad commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
  Today we declare to people living in every comer of our globe that 
the Turkish and American governments must finally acknowledge what we 
have long understood: that the unimaginable horror committed on Turkish 
soil in the aftermath of World War I was, and is, an act of genocide.
  The tragic events that began on April 24, 1915, which are well known 
to all of us, should be part of the history curriculum in every Turkish 
and American school. On that dark April day, more than 200 of Armenia's 
religious, political and intellectual leaders were arrested in 
Constantinople and killed. Ultimately, more than 1.5 million Armenians 
were systematically murdered at the hands of the Young Turks, and more 
than 500,000 more were exiled from their native land.
  On this 91st anniversary of the beginning of the genocide, I join 
with the chorus of voices that grows louder with each passing year. We 
simply will not allow the planned elimination of an entire people to 
remain in the shadows of history. The Armenian Genocide must be 
acknowledged, studied and never, ever allowed to happen again.
  I recently joined with my colleagues in the Caucus in urging PBS not 
to give a platform to the deniers of the genocide by canceling a 
planned broadcast of a panel which included two scholars who deny the 
Armenian Genocide. This panel was to follow a documentary about the 
Armenian Genocide which aired just last week. Representative Anthony 
Weiner and I led a successful effort to convince Channel Thirteen in 
New York City to pull the plug on these genocide deniers.
  The parliaments of Canada, France and Switzerland have all passed 
resolutions affirming that the Armenian people were indeed subjected to 
genocide. The United States must do the same. I will not stop fighting 
until long overdue legislation acknowledging the Armenian Genocide 
finally passes.
  Of course, an acknowledgment of the genocide is not our only 
objective. I remain committed to ensuring that the U.S. Government 
continues to provide direct financial assistance to Armenia. Over the 
years, this aid has played a critical role in the economic and 
political advancement of the Armenian people. I have joined with my 
colleagues in requesting military parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan 
in the FY07 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. We also have 
requested an adequate level of economic assistance for Armenia and 
assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh.
  On this solemn day, our message is clear: the world remembers the 
Armenian Genocide, and the governments of Turkey and the United States 
must declare--once and for all--that they do, too.

[[Page E643]]



                          ____________________