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Sen. Markey Praises White House Display of Armenian Orphan Rug

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  • Sen. Markey Praises White House Display of Armenian Orphan Rug

    States News Service
    April 30, 2014 Wednesday


    MARKEY PRAISES WHITE HOUSE DISPLAY OF ARMENIAN ORPHAN RUG

    WASHINGTON

    The following information was released by Massachusetts Senator Edward
    J. Markey:

    Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced that the treasured
    Armenian Orphan Rug will be displayed later this year and praised
    President Obama and the White House for working to display this
    important symbol. The Armenian Orphan Rug was made by survivors of the
    Armenian Genocide and presented to then-President Calvin Coolidge in
    1925 in appreciation of American assistance to the survivors of the
    genocide. It took Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of the Near
    East Relief Society ten months to weave. The rug could be displayed as
    early as late summer or early fall and a timeline for exhibition will
    be finalized by the White House soon. A venue for the display that is
    appropriate, sensitive and open to the public is currently being
    sought.

    The Armenian Orphan Rug is an important symbol of the longstanding
    friendship between America and Armenia, said Senator Markey.
    Displaying this significant piece of history will serve as reminder
    that we will never forget the Armenian Genocide and highlight the
    continued need to work towards its proper recognition. I commend
    President Obama and the White House for working with me and my
    Congressional colleagues to ensure that this rug is given the historic
    exhibition is truly deserves.

    The display of this tangible expression of gratitude for Americas
    humanitarian intervention to save the survivors of the Armenian
    Genocide is a positive development, said Armenian Assembly Executive
    Director Bryan Ardouny.

    We thank Senator Markey for his continuing efforts to seek the release
    and respectful display of the Armenian Orphan Rug, a powerful symbol
    of the American humanitarian spirit, woven by child survivors of the
    Armenian Genocide, said Aram S. Hamparian, Executive Director of the
    Armenian National Committee of America. The fact that we are, today,
    speaking about finally holding an event for a historic piece of art,
    that has been hidden away for decades, is a strong statement about the
    tireless leadership of our Congressional friends in finally securing
    the release of this iconic American artifact.

    Senator Markey wrote to President Obama in December to urge him to
    make the rug available for display, consistent with the need to
    protect and preserve this precious reminder of a dark chapter in the
    history of Armenia and the world.

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