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AAA: Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone Urges President Obama to

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  • AAA: Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone Urges President Obama to

    ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
    PRESS RELEASE
    Date: October 30, 2013

    Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
    Telephone: (202) 393-3434
    Email: [email protected]
    Web: www.aaainc.org


    ARMENIAN CAUCUS CO-CHAIR FRANK PALLONE URGES PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DISPLAY
    ARMENIAN ORPHAN RUG


    Washington, D.C. - Today, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Representative Frank
    Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a letter to President Obama calling upon the White
    House `to honor Armenian heritage and allow display of [a] culturally
    significant Armenian rug,' reported the Armenian Assembly of America
    (Assembly).

    Congressman Pallone has also joined with his colleagues in signing the
    bipartisan letter currently being circulated by Armenian Genocide
    resolution sponsors Representatives David Valadao (R-CA) and Adam Schiff
    (D-CA) to President Obama calling for the `Armenian Orphan Rug' to be
    exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution as it was originally scheduled for
    display in December 2013. Pallone's letter follows Congressman Brad
    Sherman (D-CA), who sent a similar missive to President Obama last week.

    The Valadao-Schiff initiative, strongly backed by the Assembly, continues
    to garner support. Meanwhile, the Assembly is in close contact with key
    Administration officials urging that the rug be prominently displayed, not
    only at the Smithsonian, but also at the White House and made available for
    display in the U.S. Capitol.

    In 1925, Dr. John H. Finley, editor-in-chief of the New York Times and
    vice-chairman of the congressionally chartered Near East Relief
    organization presented a rug made by orphans of the Armenian Genocide to
    then President Calvin Coolidge. The rug was made in appreciation of
    America's generosity in aiding the survivors of the first genocide of the 20
    th Century. It was previously displayed at the White House in 1984 and
    1995, but not since, an issue which the Assembly has raised with successive
    Administrations.

    `The Assembly appreciates the efforts of the Armenian Caucus, and will
    continue to press the case to ensure that this historical treasure is
    appropriately and permanently displayed for all Americans to enjoy,' stated
    Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. `The Assembly also applauds the
    timely work of Martin Deranian and his new book documenting the history of
    this culturally significant rug and the support of the Armenian Cultural
    Foundation for ensuring its publication,' Ardouny added.

    Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
    Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
    awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
    tax-exempt membership organization.

    ###

    NR# 2013-022

    Below is the text of Congressman Pallone's Letter to President Obama:

    October 30, 2013

    President Barack Obama

    The White House

    1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

    Washington, D.C. 20500

    Dear President Obama:

    I am writing to express deep concern over recent news that the White House
    has refused to loan a rug woven by orphans and presented to President
    Calvin Coolidge in 1925 to be displayed at an event associated with the
    Smithsonian. I understand that Paul Michael Taylor, director of the
    Smithsonian's Asian cultural history program has informed Armenian American
    organizations that the White House has refused to lend the rug with no
    explanation as to the reason.

    Rather than hiding this rug, we should be celebrating its origins and how
    it came to be presented to President Coolidge. The rug, known as the
    Ghazir rug, was woven by children at the Near East Relief orphanage in
    Ghazir, Syria, present day Lebanon. The Near East Relief was established
    in 1915 in response to calls from the U.S. Ambassador, Henry Morgenthau and
    others to assist in saving refugees from the attempted extermination of the
    Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire. The Ghazir rug was presented to the
    White House as an expression of gratitude for U.S. assistance during the
    mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians resulting in the first genocide of the
    20th century.

    Considering the White House has refused to give a reasonable explanation
    for withholding this unique gift to the American people, the suspicion
    exists that the White House is once again capitulating to pressure from the
    Turkish government to prevent any discussion of the period in which the
    Armenian Genocide occurred. It is difficult to express in words how deeply
    troubling it is that a historical and cultural treasure accepted by
    President Coolidge on behalf of the people of the United States may be
    being kept behind closed doors because of Turkish desire to keep discussion
    of certain historical facts out of the public discussion.

    The Ghazir rug would be displayed along with a new book entitled,
    `President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug.' This would be an
    entirely appropriate and meaningful display of the rug. Yet, the refusal
    of the White House's to allow display of the rug without explanation denies
    the American people access to a national treasure and suggests that
    discussion of the events surrounding the Armenian Genocide is unwelcome.
    The Armenian American community continues to make valuable contributions to
    the United States and our government should be committed to helping the
    community explore their history, including the Armenian Genocide.

    Each year on Capitol Hill we observe the anniversary of the Armenian
    Genocide and reflect on the need to prevent such atrocities in the future.
    While I remain disappointed that, as President, you have refused to refer
    to murder of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, allowing the Ghazir rug to
    be displayed serves to facilitate academic discourse and commemoration of
    America's strong role in saving lives during a dark period of history. We
    cannot allow the government of Turkey to dictate whether this occurs.

    I urge you to allow the Ghazir rug to be loaned out for display. In the
    event that there are practical challenges that would endanger preservation
    of the rug, I ask that you explain these obstacles to allowing its
    display. In the event that failure to loan the rug for display is based on
    concerns from the government of Turkey, I strongly urge you to side with
    historical honesty and integrity and reverse course so that the rug may be
    part of an open and educational dialogue.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,



    FRANK PALLONE, JR

    Member of Congress

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