Wednesday, February 15 2017 12:02

ArmInfo.Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs wrote to their colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to sign a letter to  President Donald Trump to affirm the Armenian Genocide, reported the  Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). 

Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), David  Valadao (R-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), David Trott (R-MI) and  Vice-Chairs Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) are  urging the White House to honor the United States' historic  leadership in defending human rights and to properly characterize the  events of 1915 as a genocide in this year's presidential statement on  April 24th.  

"Since the start of the 115th Congress, the Armenian Assembly already  has more new members and State Chairs taking on the crucial role of  contacting their local governments and voicing their concerns. The  Armenian-American community is energized to support the Armenian  Caucus Co-Chairs who are reaching out to President Trump, and we  encourage everyone to keep this momentum going," Assembly Co-Chairs  Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian stated. "The Armenian Assembly  welcomes the bipartisan letter written by the Armenian Caucus  leadership calling on their colleagues to urge this Administration to  affirm the Armenian Genocide and the proud chapter in U.S. history in  helping to save the survivors. We urge our State Chairs and activists  across the country to take action and contact their Members of  Congress about the importance of signing this letter to the  President." 

In the "Dear Colleague" letter, the Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs  recalled America's humanitarian intervention: "Among the proudest  chapters in our shared history is America's remarkable record of  protesting the Genocide and in caring for the survivors of this  crime." The letter highlighted the Near East Relief, a  Congressionally chartered humanitarian organization which raised $116  million (over $2.5 billion in 2017 dollars) to aid the victims of the  Ottoman Empire's mass murder of millions of Armenians, Assyrians,  Chaldeans, Greeks, Pontians, Syriacs, and other persecuted peoples.  

Additionally, the letter states: "In leading an honest and accurate  American remembrance of this known case of genocide, you will stand  with President Reagan, who recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1981,  and the Eisenhower Administration, which did the same in a 1951  submission to the International Court of Justice." 

President Ronald Reagan squarely acknowledged the Armenian Genocide  stating that "Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the  genocide of the Cambodians which followed it - and like too many  other such persecutions of too many other peoples - the lessons of  the Holocaust must never be forgotten." 

"During his presidential campaign, President Trump called out Turkey  for conducting business with ISIS, and we urge the President to  continue to stand strong when it comes to affirming this historical  truth," the Assembly Co-Chairs added.  

As reported by Breitbart News, a news outlet formerly managed by  President Trump's Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor, Steve  Bannon, President Trump stated that the Turkish government "looks  like they're on the side of ISIS more or less based on the oil." In  separate articles, Breitbart News detailed historical facts of the  Armenian Genocide, describing the genocide as "a story conveniently  ignored by the media and forgotten by world governments similarly  ignoring atrocities by Muslims against Christians the world over." 

Members of the Turkish Parliament are currently being silenced for  being honest and commemorating the Armenian Genocide. Garo Paylan, a  parliamentarian of Armenian origin, was suspended last month for  referring to the Armenian Genocide.  

"By affirming the Armenian Genocide in this year's presidential  statement, President Trump will stand up for minorities and victims  everywhere who do not have basic human rights and the freedom of  speech that America proudly upholds. Turkish President Recep Tayyip  Erdogan continues to push Turkey to a dangerous authoritarian regime  rather than a democratic nation and ally to the U.S.," Barsamian and  Krikorian said.