US Reps. Trott and Schiff Spearhead Bipartisan Genocide Prevention  Resolution

ArmInfo. U.S. Representatives David Trott (R-MI) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined with their Congressional Armenian Caucus colleagues in introducing a bipartisan  anti-genocide resolution calling on the United States to apply the  lessons of the Armenian Genocide in seeking to prevent modern day  atrocities across the Middle East, reported the Armenian National  Committee of America (ANCA).

This genocide prevention measure stresses that "proper commemoration  and consistent condemnation of the Armenian Genocide will strengthen  our international standing in preventing modern day genocides," and,  building upon the 2016 official U.S. designation of an ISIS genocide  against Middle East minorities, specifically calls for the following:   "[T]he United States, in seeking to prevent war crimes, crimes  against humanity, and genocide against Christians, Yezidis, Muslims,  Kurds, and other vulnerable religious and ethnic groups in the Middle  East, should draw upon relevant lessons of the United States  Government, civil society, and humanitarian response to the Armenian  Genocide, Seyfo, and the broader genocidal campaign by the Ottoman  Empire against Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Greeks,  Pontians and other Christians upon their biblical era homelands."

"We thank Congressmen Trott and Schiff, their colleagues in the  leadership of the Armenian Caucus, and all the original cosponsors of  this resolution - including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman  Ed Royce and Ranking Member Engel - for their commitment to ensuring  that the lessons of the U.S. response to the Armenian Genocide are  applied to help prevent modern-day atrocities taking place across the  Middle East," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We look  forward, in the coming days and weeks, to working with Members of  Congress and all our coalition partners to see this  genocide-prevention measure adopted by the U.S. House."

In a letter inviting their House colleagues to co-sponsor this  legislation, Reps. Trott and Schiff underscored that: "It is time for  the United States government to officially take a stand for the  truth, and against genocide denial."

Joining Representatives Trott and Schiff as original cosponsors of  the Genocide Prevention Resolution are House Foreign Affairs  Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel  (D-NY), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ),  Jackie Speier (D-CA), and David Valadao (R-CA) and Vice-Chair Gus  Bilirakis (R-FL), as well as, Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA),  Jim Costa (D- CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Anna  Eshoo (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), James McGovern (D-MA), and  John Sarbanes (D-MD).

The launch of this legislation takes place on the same day as the  special Capitol Hill viewing of "The Promise," the Armenian  Genocide-era epic, starring Oscar-winner Christian Bale and directed  by Oscar-winner Terry George.  Parallel to this legislative  initiative, the Armenian Caucus is collecting Congressional  signatures on a letter urging President Trump to properly commemorate  the Armenian Genocide, as a genocide, this April 24th.

In 2016, the House of Representatives and the Senate both passed  legislation concluding that the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL  against Christians, Yezidis, and other religious and ethnic  minorities in Iraq and Syria constitute war crimes, crimes against  humanity, and genocide. Secretary Kerry subsequently stated that ISIS  was "responsible for genocide against Yezidis, Christians, and Shia  Muslims."