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PRESS RELEASE
Date: January 28, 2008
Armenian National Committee of S. Florida
931 NE 48th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33334
Contact: Albert Mazmanian
Tel: 561-628-8982
CONGRESSMAN RON KLEIN REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
RESOLUTION
West Palm Beach, FL- Activists from the Armenian National
Committee of South Florida (ANC of S. FL) and ANCA Eastern Region
Executive Director, Karine Birazian met earlier this month with
Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL-22) and District Director Felicia
Goldstein in West Palm Beach, Florida. The purpose of the meeting
was to thank him for his instrumental vote in the House Foreign
Affairs Committee this past October on the Armenian Genocide
Resolution.
"We are very grateful to Congressman Klein for his principled stand
on genocide recognition. We look forward to continuing to build a
relationship with him and his staff," commented local constituent
and ANC activist Hasmig Eskandarian.
During the thirty-minute meeting, Eskandarian, ANC of S. Florida
Chairman Albert Mazmanian, former Florida activist Nora Keomurjian,
and Birazian thanked Congressman Klein for his support of H. Res.
106 which he insisted he stands firm on. The meeting also provided
an opportunity to give further insight on other Armenian related
issues that the ANCA pursues, including aid to Armenia, military
parity, and self -determination for Nagorno Karabagh.
During the House Foreign Affairs Committee mark-up on the Armenian
Genocide Resolution on October 10th, Klein was one of 27
Representatives who voted in favor of the resolution. In his
powerful remarks to the Committee Klein commented:
"¦ And it wasn't so much of just teaching the Holocaust, but
teaching of what happens when man's inhumanity is allowed to fester
over a period of time, and the result was the Holocaust and other
genocides that have occurred before and after. And I think the
reason that I believe it is important that this historical event is
acknowledged and understood is what the survivors of the Holocaust
use as their two-word phrase: Never again. Never again¦"
(Congressman's Klein full statement can be read below).
Congressman Klein, first term Democrat, has been proudly been
serving the Boca Raton community since 1992, first in the Florida
House of Representatives, and later the State Senate. One of his
proudest achievements was the passage of the Holocaust Education
Act, which mandated the teaching about the lessons of the Holocaust
in all of Florida's public schools. Currently Klein serves on the
House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on
Financial Services. Congressman Klein has been active in promoting
Darfur legislation on Divestment this Congress and currently has an
"A" on the Darfur Score Cards a project organized by the Genocide
Intervention Network.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest
and most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.
####
Photo Caption:
Left to Right: ANC activist and constituent Hasmig Eskandarian,
Congressman Ron Klein, ANCA ER Director Karine Birazian, ANC
activist Nora Keomurjian, and ANC of S. Florida Chair Albert
Mazmanian
TEXT OF REP. KLEIN'S STATEMENT ON H. RES. 106 DURING HOUSE FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MARKUP ON OCTOBER 10, 2007
I think many of us in this room are students of history. We
studied history. Many people in this room lived the history that
we're discussing in this resolution today.
But my experience has been through the study of the Holocaust.
And in Florida, where I was in state legislature, I worked with
many people in the community, including a number of Armenian
residents, to require teaching the Holocaust in our public schools.
And it wasn't so much of just teaching the Holocaust, but
teaching of what happens when man's inhumanity is allowed to fester
over a period of time, and the result was the Holocaust and other
genocides that have occurred before and after.
And I think the reason that I believe it is important that this
historical event is acknowledged and understood is what the
survivors of the Holocaust use as their two-word phrase: Never
again. Never again.
And I know the people that survived the Armenian genocide, the
families, and other situations since that time also believed never
again, but yet we live in a world today that we continue to allow
these things to exist.
The more we can learn from our past, the more we can educate
our children, our adults, our grandparents, the more we can learn
>From these experiences in our country and around the world, and we
can be a beacon along with other countries of high moral values and
understanding that this is unacceptable on so many levels, the
better we will be and the better our children will be and future
generations will be. And it's going to take vigilance to do that.
I also understand the importance of the Turkish relationship
with the United States and with our allies in the Middle East. And
I can't speculate what is going to happen. I don't think any of us
can do that. We've heard signals, we've heard expressions.
I would only hope that we who recognize -- and I think this
entire Congress and most of the United States recognizes that the
Turkish country, the Turkish government of today, is a very
important ally of the United States. They provide support for our
military, they work with us in intelligence, and they're friends of
our friends in the Middle East.
We need to continue to have that relationship with them, and
hopefully this will not provide any long-term disruption, hopefully
not even any short-term, because they need us and we need them.
And I stand ready to do what we need to do to make sure that
Turkey understands that message. This is an historical situation
that took place in a different time, in a different government. But
there still needs to be a historical recognition and
acknowledgement.
My friends who came forward and asked me to support this
Armenian population in my community said: "This is not about
reparations; this is not about restitution. This is about an
historical acknowledgement."
I take them at their words for that; that this is not going to
open up some future discussion about that. But the point is that
this is an important moment in time that we recognize what did
happen. There was loss of life. There was terrible inhumanity. And,
for that reason, I will support this resolution today.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Date: January 28, 2008
Armenian National Committee of S. Florida
931 NE 48th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33334
Contact: Albert Mazmanian
Tel: 561-628-8982
CONGRESSMAN RON KLEIN REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
RESOLUTION
West Palm Beach, FL- Activists from the Armenian National
Committee of South Florida (ANC of S. FL) and ANCA Eastern Region
Executive Director, Karine Birazian met earlier this month with
Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL-22) and District Director Felicia
Goldstein in West Palm Beach, Florida. The purpose of the meeting
was to thank him for his instrumental vote in the House Foreign
Affairs Committee this past October on the Armenian Genocide
Resolution.
"We are very grateful to Congressman Klein for his principled stand
on genocide recognition. We look forward to continuing to build a
relationship with him and his staff," commented local constituent
and ANC activist Hasmig Eskandarian.
During the thirty-minute meeting, Eskandarian, ANC of S. Florida
Chairman Albert Mazmanian, former Florida activist Nora Keomurjian,
and Birazian thanked Congressman Klein for his support of H. Res.
106 which he insisted he stands firm on. The meeting also provided
an opportunity to give further insight on other Armenian related
issues that the ANCA pursues, including aid to Armenia, military
parity, and self -determination for Nagorno Karabagh.
During the House Foreign Affairs Committee mark-up on the Armenian
Genocide Resolution on October 10th, Klein was one of 27
Representatives who voted in favor of the resolution. In his
powerful remarks to the Committee Klein commented:
"¦ And it wasn't so much of just teaching the Holocaust, but
teaching of what happens when man's inhumanity is allowed to fester
over a period of time, and the result was the Holocaust and other
genocides that have occurred before and after. And I think the
reason that I believe it is important that this historical event is
acknowledged and understood is what the survivors of the Holocaust
use as their two-word phrase: Never again. Never again¦"
(Congressman's Klein full statement can be read below).
Congressman Klein, first term Democrat, has been proudly been
serving the Boca Raton community since 1992, first in the Florida
House of Representatives, and later the State Senate. One of his
proudest achievements was the passage of the Holocaust Education
Act, which mandated the teaching about the lessons of the Holocaust
in all of Florida's public schools. Currently Klein serves on the
House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on
Financial Services. Congressman Klein has been active in promoting
Darfur legislation on Divestment this Congress and currently has an
"A" on the Darfur Score Cards a project organized by the Genocide
Intervention Network.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest
and most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.
####
Photo Caption:
Left to Right: ANC activist and constituent Hasmig Eskandarian,
Congressman Ron Klein, ANCA ER Director Karine Birazian, ANC
activist Nora Keomurjian, and ANC of S. Florida Chair Albert
Mazmanian
TEXT OF REP. KLEIN'S STATEMENT ON H. RES. 106 DURING HOUSE FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MARKUP ON OCTOBER 10, 2007
I think many of us in this room are students of history. We
studied history. Many people in this room lived the history that
we're discussing in this resolution today.
But my experience has been through the study of the Holocaust.
And in Florida, where I was in state legislature, I worked with
many people in the community, including a number of Armenian
residents, to require teaching the Holocaust in our public schools.
And it wasn't so much of just teaching the Holocaust, but
teaching of what happens when man's inhumanity is allowed to fester
over a period of time, and the result was the Holocaust and other
genocides that have occurred before and after.
And I think the reason that I believe it is important that this
historical event is acknowledged and understood is what the
survivors of the Holocaust use as their two-word phrase: Never
again. Never again.
And I know the people that survived the Armenian genocide, the
families, and other situations since that time also believed never
again, but yet we live in a world today that we continue to allow
these things to exist.
The more we can learn from our past, the more we can educate
our children, our adults, our grandparents, the more we can learn
>From these experiences in our country and around the world, and we
can be a beacon along with other countries of high moral values and
understanding that this is unacceptable on so many levels, the
better we will be and the better our children will be and future
generations will be. And it's going to take vigilance to do that.
I also understand the importance of the Turkish relationship
with the United States and with our allies in the Middle East. And
I can't speculate what is going to happen. I don't think any of us
can do that. We've heard signals, we've heard expressions.
I would only hope that we who recognize -- and I think this
entire Congress and most of the United States recognizes that the
Turkish country, the Turkish government of today, is a very
important ally of the United States. They provide support for our
military, they work with us in intelligence, and they're friends of
our friends in the Middle East.
We need to continue to have that relationship with them, and
hopefully this will not provide any long-term disruption, hopefully
not even any short-term, because they need us and we need them.
And I stand ready to do what we need to do to make sure that
Turkey understands that message. This is an historical situation
that took place in a different time, in a different government. But
there still needs to be a historical recognition and
acknowledgement.
My friends who came forward and asked me to support this
Armenian population in my community said: "This is not about
reparations; this is not about restitution. This is about an
historical acknowledgement."
I take them at their words for that; that this is not going to
open up some future discussion about that. But the point is that
this is an important moment in time that we recognize what did
happen. There was loss of life. There was terrible inhumanity. And,
for that reason, I will support this resolution today.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.