March 28, 2017 - 15:52 AMT
U.S. Congressman demands U.S. recognition of Armenian Genocide

The United States must speak strongly and plainly about the facts of the Armenian Genocide, Congressman Adam Schiff said in a Facebook post on Monday, March 27.

"Over a century ago, 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire in the first Genocide of the 20th century," he reminded.

"America must speak strongly and plainly about the facts of the Armenian Genocide and denounce all crimes against humanity, if we are to live up to our moral and historic responsibility.

"I joined Rep. Trott and other colleagues in the Caucus on Armenian Issues in introducing bipartisan legislation to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. As our resolution makes clear, we cannot take a principled stand against modern day genocides like those carried out by ISIS against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria if we are to pick and choose which horrors to recognize, or shrink from our responsibility because it might alienate friend or foe."

Schiff and Dave Trott introduced legislation to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915 on March 23. The Resolution recognizes the genocide against the Armenian people from 1915-1923 by the Ottoman Empire, while drawing links to the modern scourge of genocide, including attacks on religious minorities in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.