[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E601-E602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        MINNESOTA REMEMBERS THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2015

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, on April 24th I was honored to be invited 
to join members of the Armenian-American community from across 
Minnesota for a service of remembrance at St. Sahag Armenian Church in 
St. Paul. That evening we remembered the victims of the Armenian 
Genocide and it was my privilege to deliver the following remarks.
  Today we join the people of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora around 
the world in commemorating a historic reality, a historic truth, a 
historic crime. One hundred years ago a campaign of cruelty was waged 
against Ottoman Armenians that resulted in suffering and death of such 
a profound magnitude that it continues to be felt today.
  The entire world--all nations and peoples--need to stand with 
Armenians everywhere in commemorating the Armenian Genocide, 
acknowledging the horror of its cruelty, and recognizing the 
generations of pain it has caused. But this goal cannot be fully 
realized until truth triumphs over denial; until the historical horrors 
are acknowledged by the government of those responsible. We need to 
strengthen condemnations of the past and recognize the important 
relationship that the United States shares with Armenia today.
  The Armenian people were exposed to torture, starvation, deportation, 
abduction, and massacre. In addition to mass killings, millions of 
Armenians were forced into deportation and were expelled from their 
historic homeland. The framework for the United Nations Convention of 
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was, in part, 
based on this unbelievable crime. Many survivors of this genocide have 
passed away now, and we are

[[Page E602]]

running out of time as an international community to move toward peace 
and reconciliation in the region. We are running out of time for the 
victims and those who remember the tragedy to come together and heal.
  A clear recognition of this atrocity would affirm that the Armenian 
Genocide is not an opinion, but a widely documented fact supported by a 
body of historical evidence. Forty three states including Minnesota 
have recognized, by legislation or proclamation, the Armenian Genocide. 
Fortunately the Ottoman Empire no longer exists. However, people living 
in the region, and especially the descendants of the Armenian victims, 
deserve to have an accurate reflection of history acknowledged in order 
to move forward toward peace and reconciliation. As a Member of 
Congress, I want the United States to officially call the events of 100 
years ago a genocide inflicted upon the ancestors of Armenian-
Americans. Furthermore, our government should call on our NATO ally--
Turkey--to acknowledge their historic responsibility.
  On this 100th anniversary, my thoughts and prayers are with the 
families and ancestors of victims of this international crime against 
humanity. Let us remember and pray for the victims we never have met. 
Let us pray for those who survived and lived lives of courage. And, let 
us pray for the Armenian community in Minnesota, across the U.S. and 
all around the world who stand united in honoring your ancestors and in 
pursuing the truth with perseverance, honor, and dignity. As we reflect 
on this tragedy let us also reinforce our own resolve, as Americans, to 
prevent future genocides.

                          ____________________