[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 132 (Tuesday, August 7, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ASSYRIAN MARTYR'S DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 7, 2018

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Assyrian Martyr's 
Day.
  I stand with the Assyrians in my community in commemorating this 
solemn day--the day the Iraqi army entered Simele and its surrounding 
areas and massacred thousands of men, women, and children.
  We must never forget this horrific event and I hope one day we can 
erect a memorial in Simele for the fallen.
  We also recognize the 103rd anniversary of the Ottoman genocide 
against the Assyrians and others that began in 1915. I will continue 
pushing for global recognition of this genocide.
  Despite tragedies of the past, the Assyrian people have shown an 
unparalleled resolve to build a better and brighter future.
  Earlier this year, I introduced the Nineveh Plain Restoration Act in 
Congress to support the swift rehabilitation of the Nineveh Plain in 
the wake of war and violence. We must ensure Assyrians have a home and 
a future in their ancestral homeland, and I will continue to prioritize 
this.
  Although we cannot change the past, I look forward to working with 
those in my community to build a strong and vibrant future for 
Assyrians here in America and around the world.
  I urge my colleagues to stand together with me in remembering those 
who lost their lives. May their memories continue to be with us.

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