[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 34 (Friday, February 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  OBSERVING THE 26TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNSPEAKABLE VIOLENCE IN SUMGAIT, 
                               AZERBAIJAN

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                        HON. KATHERINE M. CLARK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 28, 2014

  Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, today, on the 26th 
observation of unspeakable violence in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, I proudly 
stand with the Armenian community of Massachusetts in remembrance and 
mourning of the loss of innocent lives.
  Anti-Armenian aggression in Sumgait in the early months of 1988 gave 
way to violent death and destruction. Thousands of Armenians were 
forced to flee their homes as refugees.
  Today, the families of those who lost their lives, or were displaced 
by this violence, still seek resolution and justice.
  Over decades, many displaced Armenian families have sought refuge in 
America, and are now making vital contributions in the Fifth District 
of Massachusetts. Proudly, our diverse district is home to one of the 
largest Armenian communities in the nation. Together, our community is 
a thriving example of strength and perseverance in the face of extreme 
adversity.
  Like the persecution of too many other peoples before it, the lessons 
of Sumgait must not be forgotten.
  As diverse families of the Commonwealth, and as Americans, we have a 
moral obligation to promote tolerance and justice, and we have a duty 
to recognize the atrocities that have kept us from our common goal.

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