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Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
www.anca.org
Novembe r 12, 2007
Contact: Haig Hovsepian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
Human Rights Supporters Condemn Congresswoman Harman For Genocide Denial At
UCLA Event
Los Angeles, CA - Over one hundred and fifty human right supporters, led by
the Armenian Student Association and the Armenian Graduate Student
Association at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) organized a
demonstration on Saturday, November 10, 2007 on their campus to highlight
the genocide denial being practiced by Los Angeles area Congresswoman Jane
Harman (D-CA-36). Last month it was revealed that Harman had secretly
issued a letter in opposition to the Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res.
106), while publicly being listed as a supporter of the measure.
Expressing solidarity with the demonstrators were representatives of the
Darfur Action Committee and Members of both the UCLA Undergraduate and
Graduate Student Governments. A number of media outlets covered the
protest, which included a broad cross-section of human rights supporters,
young and old, who were united in their belief that Harman's deceitful
actions on the genocide bill fall far beneath even the most basic ethical
standards that her constituents have a right to expect.
Harman was at UCLA to be honored by the Dashew Center for International
Students and Scholars. Sources indicate that Congresswoman Harman and the
Dashews have a decades old relationship, as evidenced by Congressional
remarks on September 10, 1996 and involved participation in Dashew Center
events in 1998 and 2001. At the event, Harman was awarded the Jacoby
International Award, though it was not made clear why she was being granted
this little known honor. As onlookers watched, a number of Turkish students
attended the Dashew event to express their solidarity with the
Congresswoman.
"Jane Harman should be ashamed of herself," commented UCLA AGSA Executive
Officer Raffi Kassabian. "As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, for her
to argue that the 'time is not right to recognize the Armenian Genocide' is
outrageous. Clearly, Jane believes it is better for Congress to remain
silent in the face of Turkish denials and threats. Her failure to speak
truth to power is immoral and, quite frankly, an embarrassment," he added.
Last month, Harman was the focus of a demonstration that shut down a
political event in Lakewood, California. The Lakewood event brought
together over one hundred activists from the Armenian Youth Federation who
hail from in and around the 36th Congressional District represented by
Harman. Human rights champions in the Los Angeles area have vowed to
highlight Harman's immoral position on the Armenian Genocide at all public
events she attends in California and elsewhere. To date, thousands of
emails have been sent to her legislative aides to convey their disgust with
the Congresswoman's denial of the Armenian Genocide and opposition to H.
Res. 106.
The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian-American grassroots political organization. Working
through a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the US and
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
www.anca.org
Novembe r 12, 2007
Contact: Haig Hovsepian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
Human Rights Supporters Condemn Congresswoman Harman For Genocide Denial At
UCLA Event
Los Angeles, CA - Over one hundred and fifty human right supporters, led by
the Armenian Student Association and the Armenian Graduate Student
Association at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) organized a
demonstration on Saturday, November 10, 2007 on their campus to highlight
the genocide denial being practiced by Los Angeles area Congresswoman Jane
Harman (D-CA-36). Last month it was revealed that Harman had secretly
issued a letter in opposition to the Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res.
106), while publicly being listed as a supporter of the measure.
Expressing solidarity with the demonstrators were representatives of the
Darfur Action Committee and Members of both the UCLA Undergraduate and
Graduate Student Governments. A number of media outlets covered the
protest, which included a broad cross-section of human rights supporters,
young and old, who were united in their belief that Harman's deceitful
actions on the genocide bill fall far beneath even the most basic ethical
standards that her constituents have a right to expect.
Harman was at UCLA to be honored by the Dashew Center for International
Students and Scholars. Sources indicate that Congresswoman Harman and the
Dashews have a decades old relationship, as evidenced by Congressional
remarks on September 10, 1996 and involved participation in Dashew Center
events in 1998 and 2001. At the event, Harman was awarded the Jacoby
International Award, though it was not made clear why she was being granted
this little known honor. As onlookers watched, a number of Turkish students
attended the Dashew event to express their solidarity with the
Congresswoman.
"Jane Harman should be ashamed of herself," commented UCLA AGSA Executive
Officer Raffi Kassabian. "As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, for her
to argue that the 'time is not right to recognize the Armenian Genocide' is
outrageous. Clearly, Jane believes it is better for Congress to remain
silent in the face of Turkish denials and threats. Her failure to speak
truth to power is immoral and, quite frankly, an embarrassment," he added.
Last month, Harman was the focus of a demonstration that shut down a
political event in Lakewood, California. The Lakewood event brought
together over one hundred activists from the Armenian Youth Federation who
hail from in and around the 36th Congressional District represented by
Harman. Human rights champions in the Los Angeles area have vowed to
highlight Harman's immoral position on the Armenian Genocide at all public
events she attends in California and elsewhere. To date, thousands of
emails have been sent to her legislative aides to convey their disgust with
the Congresswoman's denial of the Armenian Genocide and opposition to H.
Res. 106.
The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian-American grassroots political organization. Working
through a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the US and
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.