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Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
October 2, 2007
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
House Foreign Affairs Committee to Consider the Armenian Genocide
Resolution
Armenian Assembly Mobilizes Community Support
Washington, DC - As part of the Armenian Assembly's ongoing effort to
secure passage of H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, the
Assembly issued a "call to action" yesterday as the House Foreign
Affairs Committee announced its decision to consider the resolution on
Wednesday, October 10th. The resolution is identical to legislation
adopted by the Committee in 2005 by a vote of 40 to 7, which included
the support of the Chairman and Ranking Member.
The legislation, introduced in January of this year by Congressman Adam
Schiff (D-CA), along with his colleagues Congressmen George Radanovich
(R-CA), Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI), as well as Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Thaddeus
McCotter (R-MI) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), garnered over 150 supporters on
the day of introduction, and has now grown to a majority in the House of
Representatives with over 220 cosponsors. H. Res. 106 also enjoys the
support of millions of Americans as evidenced by the broad-based support
of more than 50 organizations. [See list below]
"Passage of this bipartisan human rights legislation will send a
powerful message to those who continue, despite the incontestable truth,
to deny the Armenian Genocide," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "Now is the time to ensure a resounding victory. We must put
an end to denial and the vicious cycle of genocide."
The Assembly will continue to mount an aggressive campaign, which also
includes raising international awareness of other genocides and
combating denial. Last week, as part of the Assembly's ongoing
commitment to increase awareness of past and current genocides and end
the atrocities in Darfur, the Assembly joined His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams, Armenian Genocide survivors and other human rights activists
for a symbolic torch lighting ceremony honoring genocide victims and
survivors worldwide. Also, last week, the Assembly challenged the
morally bankrupt letter by eight former U.S. Secretaries of State
calling their letter to prevent consideration of H. Res.106
"inconsistent with the fundamental tenets of American values."
H. Res. 106 must pass the House Foreign Affairs Committee before it can
be considered for a vote on the House floor.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
NR#2007-114
Editor's Note: Attached please find a list of more than 50 civic,
religious, human rights, and ethnic organizations that support H.Res.106
and the identical Senate Resolution, S. Res. 106.
American Federation of Jews from Central Europe (New York, NY),
Americans for Peace Now (Washington, DC), American Hellenic Council of
CA (Los Angeles, CA), American Hellenic Institute (Washington, DC),
American Hungarian Federation (Washington, DC), American Jewish World
Service (New York, NY), American Latvian Association in the U.S.
(Rockville, MD), American Values (Washington, DC), Arab American
Institute (Washington, DC), Belarusan-American Association (Jamaica,
NY), Bulgarian Institute for Research and Analysis (Bethesda, MD),
Center for Russian Jewry with Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (New
York, NY), Center for World Indigenous Studies (Olympia, WA), Christian
Solidarity International (Washington, DC), Congress of Romanian
Americans (McLean, VA), Council for the Development of French in
Louisiana (Lafayette, LA), Estonian American National Council
(Rockville, MD), Genocide Intervention Network (Washington, DC), Global
Rights (Washington, DC), Hmong National Development, Inc. (Washington,
DC), Hungarian American Coalition (Washington, DC), Institute on
Religion and Public Policy (Washington, DC), International Association
of Genocide Scholars (New York, NY), Jewish Social Policy Action Network
(Philadelphia, PA), Jewish War Veterans of the USA (Washington, DC),
Jewish World Watch (Encino, CA), Joint Baltic American National
Committee (Rockville, MD), Leadership Council for Human Rights
(Washington, DC), Lithuanian American Community (Philadelphia, PA),
Lithuanian American Council (Rockville, MD), National Ethnic Coalition
of Organizations (New York, NY), National Council of Churches USA (New
York, NY), National Federation of American Hungarians (Washington, DC),
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (Washington, DC),
National Lawyers Guild (New York, NY), Polish American Congress
(Chicago, IL), Progressive Jewish Alliance (Los Angeles, CA),
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote, PA), Slovak League of
America (Passaic, New Jersey), The Georgian Association in the USA
(Washington, DC), The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring (New York, NY), U.S.
Baltic Foundation (Washington, DC), Ukrainian Congress Committee of
America (New York, NY), Ukrainian National Association (Parsippany, NJ),
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (Washington, DC),
United Hellenic American Congress (Chicago, IL), Washington Chapter
Czechoslovak National Council of America (Washington, DC), the Women's
International League for Peace and Freedom (Philadelphia, PA), and the
Zionist Organization of America (New York, NY).
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
October 2, 2007
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
House Foreign Affairs Committee to Consider the Armenian Genocide
Resolution
Armenian Assembly Mobilizes Community Support
Washington, DC - As part of the Armenian Assembly's ongoing effort to
secure passage of H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, the
Assembly issued a "call to action" yesterday as the House Foreign
Affairs Committee announced its decision to consider the resolution on
Wednesday, October 10th. The resolution is identical to legislation
adopted by the Committee in 2005 by a vote of 40 to 7, which included
the support of the Chairman and Ranking Member.
The legislation, introduced in January of this year by Congressman Adam
Schiff (D-CA), along with his colleagues Congressmen George Radanovich
(R-CA), Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI), as well as Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Thaddeus
McCotter (R-MI) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), garnered over 150 supporters on
the day of introduction, and has now grown to a majority in the House of
Representatives with over 220 cosponsors. H. Res. 106 also enjoys the
support of millions of Americans as evidenced by the broad-based support
of more than 50 organizations. [See list below]
"Passage of this bipartisan human rights legislation will send a
powerful message to those who continue, despite the incontestable truth,
to deny the Armenian Genocide," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "Now is the time to ensure a resounding victory. We must put
an end to denial and the vicious cycle of genocide."
The Assembly will continue to mount an aggressive campaign, which also
includes raising international awareness of other genocides and
combating denial. Last week, as part of the Assembly's ongoing
commitment to increase awareness of past and current genocides and end
the atrocities in Darfur, the Assembly joined His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams, Armenian Genocide survivors and other human rights activists
for a symbolic torch lighting ceremony honoring genocide victims and
survivors worldwide. Also, last week, the Assembly challenged the
morally bankrupt letter by eight former U.S. Secretaries of State
calling their letter to prevent consideration of H. Res.106
"inconsistent with the fundamental tenets of American values."
H. Res. 106 must pass the House Foreign Affairs Committee before it can
be considered for a vote on the House floor.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
NR#2007-114
Editor's Note: Attached please find a list of more than 50 civic,
religious, human rights, and ethnic organizations that support H.Res.106
and the identical Senate Resolution, S. Res. 106.
American Federation of Jews from Central Europe (New York, NY),
Americans for Peace Now (Washington, DC), American Hellenic Council of
CA (Los Angeles, CA), American Hellenic Institute (Washington, DC),
American Hungarian Federation (Washington, DC), American Jewish World
Service (New York, NY), American Latvian Association in the U.S.
(Rockville, MD), American Values (Washington, DC), Arab American
Institute (Washington, DC), Belarusan-American Association (Jamaica,
NY), Bulgarian Institute for Research and Analysis (Bethesda, MD),
Center for Russian Jewry with Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (New
York, NY), Center for World Indigenous Studies (Olympia, WA), Christian
Solidarity International (Washington, DC), Congress of Romanian
Americans (McLean, VA), Council for the Development of French in
Louisiana (Lafayette, LA), Estonian American National Council
(Rockville, MD), Genocide Intervention Network (Washington, DC), Global
Rights (Washington, DC), Hmong National Development, Inc. (Washington,
DC), Hungarian American Coalition (Washington, DC), Institute on
Religion and Public Policy (Washington, DC), International Association
of Genocide Scholars (New York, NY), Jewish Social Policy Action Network
(Philadelphia, PA), Jewish War Veterans of the USA (Washington, DC),
Jewish World Watch (Encino, CA), Joint Baltic American National
Committee (Rockville, MD), Leadership Council for Human Rights
(Washington, DC), Lithuanian American Community (Philadelphia, PA),
Lithuanian American Council (Rockville, MD), National Ethnic Coalition
of Organizations (New York, NY), National Council of Churches USA (New
York, NY), National Federation of American Hungarians (Washington, DC),
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (Washington, DC),
National Lawyers Guild (New York, NY), Polish American Congress
(Chicago, IL), Progressive Jewish Alliance (Los Angeles, CA),
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote, PA), Slovak League of
America (Passaic, New Jersey), The Georgian Association in the USA
(Washington, DC), The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring (New York, NY), U.S.
Baltic Foundation (Washington, DC), Ukrainian Congress Committee of
America (New York, NY), Ukrainian National Association (Parsippany, NJ),
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (Washington, DC),
United Hellenic American Congress (Chicago, IL), Washington Chapter
Czechoslovak National Council of America (Washington, DC), the Women's
International League for Peace and Freedom (Philadelphia, PA), and the
Zionist Organization of America (New York, NY).