Tuesday, March 28 2017 12:51

ArmInfo. Armenian Assembly of Armenia (AAA) called American congressmen to sign the letter addressed to  President Donald Trump  calling to adjudicate the Armenian Genocideint the Ottoman Empire. 

AAA reminds that less than a month remains until the 102-nd  anniversary of Armenian Genocide. The organization stands with a  claim to join the colleagues from  US Congress Armenian Support Group  in respect to the two-party Resolution on Genocide Struggle. "  The  Resolution contains a call to the United States to pick lessons from  Armenian Genocide in respect to prevent violations at the Middle East   taking place today. The document states also that the proper  commemoration of the Genocide victims will improve the international   position of USA in respect to prevention  of genocides today," the  AAA statement reads.   

To remind,  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.