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HISTORIC RUG WOVEN BY ARMENIAN ORPHANS GOES ON DISPLAY AT WHITE HOUSE
Los Angeles Times
Nov 18 2014
By Matt Hansen
Lawmakers and members of the Armenian American community gathered in
Washington on Tuesday to mark the weeklong display of a historic rug
linked to the Armenian genocide, calling it significant for a nation
that helped support Armenians during some of their darkest chapters.
The Ghazir rug, also known as the Armenian Orphan Rug, went on display
at the White House Visitor Center after years of campaigning from
Armenian American groups and senators representing Armenian communities
throughout the United States, including Southern California and the
state's Central Valley.
"From coast to coast, the community spoke with one voice in asking
that the Ghazir rug be displayed," Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said at
an event celebrating the exhibit. "Without you, we would not be here."
The rug, which has been stored in the White House collection for
decades with few public appearances, was woven by orphans of the
Armenian genocide and given to President Coolidge in 1925 as a token
of gratitude for American relief efforts. It's scheduled to appear
for one week at the White House Visitor Center alongside other gifts
given by countries thanking the United States for disaster assistance.
The White House canceled a planned exhibition of the rug at a book
launch at the Smithsonian Institution in 2013. Senior administration
officials later told the Los Angeles Times that the delay in displaying
the rug was due to protocol governing historic objects, rather than
concerns over political ramifications.
Historians believe an estimated 1.2 million Armenians died at the
hands of Ottoman Turks during the throes of World War I. Turkey
contests that interpretation of the events, saying that Armenians
died instead of starvation and disease.
For lawmakers representing Armenian American communities, the display
of the Ghazir rug is a step toward eventual official recognition of
the genocide by the United States. Past attempts by lawmakers to pass
a resolution recognizing the genocide have stalled.
"For the last 10 years, the Armenian American community has fought to
get this rug released and displayed to the public," said Rep. Judy Chu
(D-Pasadena). "This is only a first step. This story reinforces why
Congress must pass a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide."
Members of the Armenian American community said that the rug is a
tribute not only to their community's resilience but also to the
generosity of the American government, which funded major relief
efforts as the Ottoman Empire dissolved during World War I.
Armenian-American researcher Missak Kelechian visited the site
in Ghazir, Lebanon, where orphaned Armenian girls lived in a
American-sponsored orphanage, working for 10 months to create the
rug as a tribute to the United States.
"The refusal to display the rug is a denial of one of the most
beautiful chapters of American history," he said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-armenian-rug-white-house-20141118-story.html
Los Angeles Times
Nov 18 2014
By Matt Hansen
Lawmakers and members of the Armenian American community gathered in
Washington on Tuesday to mark the weeklong display of a historic rug
linked to the Armenian genocide, calling it significant for a nation
that helped support Armenians during some of their darkest chapters.
The Ghazir rug, also known as the Armenian Orphan Rug, went on display
at the White House Visitor Center after years of campaigning from
Armenian American groups and senators representing Armenian communities
throughout the United States, including Southern California and the
state's Central Valley.
"From coast to coast, the community spoke with one voice in asking
that the Ghazir rug be displayed," Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said at
an event celebrating the exhibit. "Without you, we would not be here."
The rug, which has been stored in the White House collection for
decades with few public appearances, was woven by orphans of the
Armenian genocide and given to President Coolidge in 1925 as a token
of gratitude for American relief efforts. It's scheduled to appear
for one week at the White House Visitor Center alongside other gifts
given by countries thanking the United States for disaster assistance.
The White House canceled a planned exhibition of the rug at a book
launch at the Smithsonian Institution in 2013. Senior administration
officials later told the Los Angeles Times that the delay in displaying
the rug was due to protocol governing historic objects, rather than
concerns over political ramifications.
Historians believe an estimated 1.2 million Armenians died at the
hands of Ottoman Turks during the throes of World War I. Turkey
contests that interpretation of the events, saying that Armenians
died instead of starvation and disease.
For lawmakers representing Armenian American communities, the display
of the Ghazir rug is a step toward eventual official recognition of
the genocide by the United States. Past attempts by lawmakers to pass
a resolution recognizing the genocide have stalled.
"For the last 10 years, the Armenian American community has fought to
get this rug released and displayed to the public," said Rep. Judy Chu
(D-Pasadena). "This is only a first step. This story reinforces why
Congress must pass a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide."
Members of the Armenian American community said that the rug is a
tribute not only to their community's resilience but also to the
generosity of the American government, which funded major relief
efforts as the Ottoman Empire dissolved during World War I.
Armenian-American researcher Missak Kelechian visited the site
in Ghazir, Lebanon, where orphaned Armenian girls lived in a
American-sponsored orphanage, working for 10 months to create the
rug as a tribute to the United States.
"The refusal to display the rug is a denial of one of the most
beautiful chapters of American history," he said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-armenian-rug-white-house-20141118-story.html