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Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
May 3, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. PALLONE SLAMS U.N. FOR CAPITULATION
TO TURKISH PRESSURE ON GENOCIDE EXHIBIT
"I don't think that the U.N. response to genocides
should be denigrated to a level acceptable to the
Turkish Government." -- Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
WASHINGTON, DC - In a powerful speech on the House floor,
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
castigated the United Nations for first postponing and then
rewording a Rwandan genocide exhibit in response to protests from
the Turkish Government about its inclusion of a display citing the
Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).
"We thank Congressman Pallone for speaking to his Congressional
colleagues - and the American public - about Turkey's pressure on
the United Nations to water down the reference to the Armenian
Genocide in the recently opened Rwanda Genocide exhibit," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We value Frank Pallone's
leadership and share his principled view that the international
community's efforts to prevent and punish genocide should be not
reduced to the level acceptable to a Turkish government that is
actively pursuing a campaign of genocide denial - both here in the
United States and around the world."
The controversy arose three weeks ago when the United Nations first
postponed the opening of an exhibit on the Rwandan Genocide,
organized by the Aegis Trust, which made reference to the Armenian
Genocide. Over the past several weeks, as the result of intense
pressure from the Turkish government, the United Nations reworded
the exhibit prior to its opening this week. The postponement was
covered widely in the U.S. press, including articles by the New
York Times and Associated Press. A New York Times editorial
regarding the issue stated, "It's odd that Turkey's leaders have
not figured out by now that every time they try to censor
discussion of the Armenian genocide, they only bring wider
attention to the subject and link today's democratic Turkey with
the now distant crime. As for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his
inexperienced new leadership team, they have once again shown how
much they have to learn if they are to honorably and effectively
serve the United Nations, which is supposed to be the embodiment of
international law and a leading voice against genocide." The ANCA,
Genocide Intervention Network, and Armenian Assembly called on the
U.N. to reject Turkey's objections to the exhibit.
Rep. Pallone, clearly incensed by the U.N. decision to reword the
exhibit prior to its opening, remarked:
"How, exactly, are you educating the public about genocide when you
refuse to call the first genocide of the 20th century by its name?
The word 'genocide' was actually created as a way to describe the
barbaric crimes inflicted against the Armenians between 1915 and
1923, but now the word cannot be used in an exhibit at the U.N.
This is utterly ridiculous. . . Would you ever have an exhibit on
Christianity without mentioning the birth of Christ?"
Congressman Pallone's complete House floor statement is provided
below.
#####
Statement by Rep. Frank Pallone
Regarding U.N. Exhibit on the Rwanda Genocide
May 2, 2007
Mr. Speaker, yesterday what was supposed to be an important U.N.
exhibit educating the world about the Rwandan genocide was turned
into a farce thanks to the actions of the Turkish Government. Three
weeks ago, when the Rwanda genocide exhibit was originally set to
open, the Turkish Government did what the Turkish Government often
does, denied historical facts and objected to the exhibit because
it objected to Armenian genocide as an example of genocide.
It was bad enough that this important U.N. exhibit documenting the
Rwanda genocide was delayed by 3 weeks because Turkey continued to
deny the past, but I was appalled when the exhibit was opened
yesterday at the U.N. with one major revision.
Gone was the citing of the systematic killing of 1.5 millions
Armenians as genocide. Instead it was referred to as a mass killing
in order to appease the Turkish Government. No serious historical
dispute exists about the Armenian genocide. Sadly, an intensive and
well-financed effort by the Turkish Government has succeeded in
preventing the United States, and now the U.N., from any formal
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
This is the warped Turkish version of history, and it's simply not
acceptable. The Turkish objection to this exhibit is the latest
example of their genocide denial. It's absolutely ludicrous that an
exhibit dedicated to the education and prevention of genocide would
include Armenia as an example, use the definition of the term
"genocide," but not use the word "genocide" to describe the events.
How, exactly, are you educating the public about genocide when you
refuse to call the first genocide of the 20th century by its name?
The word "genocide" was actually created as a way to describe the
barbaric crimes inflicted against the Armenians between 1915 and
1923, but now the word cannot be used in an exhibit at the U.N.
This is utterly ridiculous.
Would you ever have an exhibit on Christianity without mentioning
the birth of Christ? The same type of absurdity has been used by
President Bush during his annual statement commemorating the
anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Year after year the Bush
administration continues to play word games by not calling evil by
its proper name.
If I could just end by saying, I don't think that the U.N. response
to genocides should be denigrated to a level acceptable to the
Turkish Government. It's about time that the Bush administration
started dictating a policy for Americans, not for a foreign
government like Turkey. This lack of honesty is simply not
acceptable.
Turkey should be condemned for its policy of denying the Armenian
genocide. As a global community we must collectively stand for
historical truth and properly recognize the worst humanitarian
crimes we have seen.
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
May 3, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. PALLONE SLAMS U.N. FOR CAPITULATION
TO TURKISH PRESSURE ON GENOCIDE EXHIBIT
"I don't think that the U.N. response to genocides
should be denigrated to a level acceptable to the
Turkish Government." -- Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
WASHINGTON, DC - In a powerful speech on the House floor,
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
castigated the United Nations for first postponing and then
rewording a Rwandan genocide exhibit in response to protests from
the Turkish Government about its inclusion of a display citing the
Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).
"We thank Congressman Pallone for speaking to his Congressional
colleagues - and the American public - about Turkey's pressure on
the United Nations to water down the reference to the Armenian
Genocide in the recently opened Rwanda Genocide exhibit," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We value Frank Pallone's
leadership and share his principled view that the international
community's efforts to prevent and punish genocide should be not
reduced to the level acceptable to a Turkish government that is
actively pursuing a campaign of genocide denial - both here in the
United States and around the world."
The controversy arose three weeks ago when the United Nations first
postponed the opening of an exhibit on the Rwandan Genocide,
organized by the Aegis Trust, which made reference to the Armenian
Genocide. Over the past several weeks, as the result of intense
pressure from the Turkish government, the United Nations reworded
the exhibit prior to its opening this week. The postponement was
covered widely in the U.S. press, including articles by the New
York Times and Associated Press. A New York Times editorial
regarding the issue stated, "It's odd that Turkey's leaders have
not figured out by now that every time they try to censor
discussion of the Armenian genocide, they only bring wider
attention to the subject and link today's democratic Turkey with
the now distant crime. As for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his
inexperienced new leadership team, they have once again shown how
much they have to learn if they are to honorably and effectively
serve the United Nations, which is supposed to be the embodiment of
international law and a leading voice against genocide." The ANCA,
Genocide Intervention Network, and Armenian Assembly called on the
U.N. to reject Turkey's objections to the exhibit.
Rep. Pallone, clearly incensed by the U.N. decision to reword the
exhibit prior to its opening, remarked:
"How, exactly, are you educating the public about genocide when you
refuse to call the first genocide of the 20th century by its name?
The word 'genocide' was actually created as a way to describe the
barbaric crimes inflicted against the Armenians between 1915 and
1923, but now the word cannot be used in an exhibit at the U.N.
This is utterly ridiculous. . . Would you ever have an exhibit on
Christianity without mentioning the birth of Christ?"
Congressman Pallone's complete House floor statement is provided
below.
#####
Statement by Rep. Frank Pallone
Regarding U.N. Exhibit on the Rwanda Genocide
May 2, 2007
Mr. Speaker, yesterday what was supposed to be an important U.N.
exhibit educating the world about the Rwandan genocide was turned
into a farce thanks to the actions of the Turkish Government. Three
weeks ago, when the Rwanda genocide exhibit was originally set to
open, the Turkish Government did what the Turkish Government often
does, denied historical facts and objected to the exhibit because
it objected to Armenian genocide as an example of genocide.
It was bad enough that this important U.N. exhibit documenting the
Rwanda genocide was delayed by 3 weeks because Turkey continued to
deny the past, but I was appalled when the exhibit was opened
yesterday at the U.N. with one major revision.
Gone was the citing of the systematic killing of 1.5 millions
Armenians as genocide. Instead it was referred to as a mass killing
in order to appease the Turkish Government. No serious historical
dispute exists about the Armenian genocide. Sadly, an intensive and
well-financed effort by the Turkish Government has succeeded in
preventing the United States, and now the U.N., from any formal
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
This is the warped Turkish version of history, and it's simply not
acceptable. The Turkish objection to this exhibit is the latest
example of their genocide denial. It's absolutely ludicrous that an
exhibit dedicated to the education and prevention of genocide would
include Armenia as an example, use the definition of the term
"genocide," but not use the word "genocide" to describe the events.
How, exactly, are you educating the public about genocide when you
refuse to call the first genocide of the 20th century by its name?
The word "genocide" was actually created as a way to describe the
barbaric crimes inflicted against the Armenians between 1915 and
1923, but now the word cannot be used in an exhibit at the U.N.
This is utterly ridiculous.
Would you ever have an exhibit on Christianity without mentioning
the birth of Christ? The same type of absurdity has been used by
President Bush during his annual statement commemorating the
anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Year after year the Bush
administration continues to play word games by not calling evil by
its proper name.
If I could just end by saying, I don't think that the U.N. response
to genocides should be denigrated to a level acceptable to the
Turkish Government. It's about time that the Bush administration
started dictating a policy for Americans, not for a foreign
government like Turkey. This lack of honesty is simply not
acceptable.
Turkey should be condemned for its policy of denying the Armenian
genocide. As a global community we must collectively stand for
historical truth and properly recognize the worst humanitarian
crimes we have seen.