Friday, April 22 2022 12:35

ArmInfo. Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) were joined by close to 50 U.S. Representatives in introducing the Armenian Genocide  Education Act, an ANCA-backed bipartisan measure that would fund  Library of Congress educational programs about the history, lessons,  consequences, and ongoing costs of the Armenian Genocide.  

"As the saying goes, if we do not learn from history, we are doomed  to repeat it," said Congresswoman Maloney. "That is why I am proud to  introduce the Armenian Genocide Education Act to teach the horrors  and lessons of the Armenian Genocide accurately and effectively. Both  chambers of Congress voted with overwhelming bipartisan majorities to  officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, and last year President  Biden made it clear that it is the official position of the United  States that these systematic killings were genocide. It is imperative  that we now ensure Americans have access to the resources they need  to learn and teach about this atrocity." 

Rep. Bilirakis concurred, noting, "our darkest moments as a human  race have come during times when those who knew better stood  silently, making excuses for passivity and allowing injustice and  persecution to reign. We must acknowledge the atrocities of the past  so that we might hopefully prevent them in the future. One of the  best ways to achieve this goal is through education and awareness,  which is why I am proud to co-introduce the Armenian Genocide  Education Act with Carolyn Maloney." 

This landmark legislation, introduced on the eve of the international  commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on April 24th, seeks to  provide $10 million in funding over five years for the Library of  Congress to educate Americans about Ottoman Turkey's systematic and  deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national dispossession,  cultural erasure, and exile of millions of Armenians, Greeks,  Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other  Christians, between 1915 and 1923.  

"The ANCA welcomes this landmark launch of the Armenian Genocide  Education Act," remarked ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian.  

"With White House and Congressional recognition of the Armenian  Genocide secured - we must now ensure that America's school children  are taught about the historical lessons and present-day consequences  of this crime against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans,  Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians," the ANCA  Chairman added.  

"The ANCA looks forward to working with Congresswoman Maloney,  Congressman Bilirakis, and their growing bipartisan list of  Congressional cosponsors to advance this timely measure. We are  committed to challenging genocide denial at every turn, with the  clear goal of securing a just resolution for all the victims of  Turkey's crimes - past and present," concluded Hamparian 

Joining Armenian Genocide Education Act lead authors Rep. Carolyn  Maloney and Rep. Gus Bilirakis as original cosponsors of the measure,  are Representatives:  Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA),  Tony Cardenas (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Katherine Clark (D-MA),  Lou Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Anna Eshoo  (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer  (D-NJ), Josh Harder (D-CA), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Sara Jacobs (D-CA),  Marcy Kaptur (D- OH), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), Raja  Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI),  Barbara Lee (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Nicole  Malliotakis (R-NY), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Grace  Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN),  Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Scott Peters (D-CA), Katie Porter (D- CA),  Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL),  Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Christopher Smith (R-NJ),  Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Eric Swalwell  (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY),  Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Valadao (R-CA), and Juan Vargas (D-CA).   Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) has already added his name to the cosponsor  list and congressional support is expected to grow in the upcoming   days.  

In addition to the ANCA, the Armenian Genocide Education Act already  has the support of a diverse and growing coalition of ethnic,  faith-based, and educational organizations including the American  Friends of Kurdistan, Armenian Assembly of America, Armenian Legal  Center for Justice and Human Rights, Armenian National Institute,  Assyrian Policy Institute, The Genocide Education Project, Hellenic  American Leadership Council, Hindu American Foundation, In Defense of  Christians, International Association of Genocide Scholars, Middle  East Forum, and UCLA's Promise Institute for Human Rights.  

Building upon the 2019 passage of H.Res.296 and S.Res.150 - which  specifically rejected any official U.S.  association with Armenian  Genocide denial - and President Biden's recognition of the Armenian  Genocide in 2021, the Armenian Genocide Education Act seeks to  counter discourse and propaganda that claims that Ottoman Turkey's  systematic and deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national  dispossession, cultural erasure, and exile of millions of Christians  between 1915 and 1923 did not take place.  

"Remember the Armenian Genocide and all genocides. Remember with  caring and protest. We cannot bring back our victims, but we can  honor them by pledging to human history that we will oppose any and  all genocidal murders of peoples and cultures. Preventing genocide -  including to our enemies - is our true memorial," stated genocide  studies pioneer Dr. Israel Charny, upon introduction of the Armenian  Genocide Education Act.  

The text of the resolution is available here:   https://anca.org/assets/pdf/ArmenianGenocideEducationAct_text.pdf