Armenian Assembly announces National Fly-In Day April 21

April 7, 2010 - 12:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) will hold its 2010 National Fly-In Day entitled "Day of Advocacy and Affirmation" on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 in the nation's capital.

"With the House Foreign Affairs Committee adoption of H. Res. 252, the Armenian Genocide resolution, Assembly members, ARAMAC activists, friends and colleagues are all urged to join us in Washington, DC as we push forward," stated Assembly Grassroots Director Taniel Koushakjian. The next step in the legislative process is to secure an affirmative vote on the House floor.

Also, on the evening of April 21, the Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs, Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) will host the Capitol Hill Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, which will be held in the Cannon Caucus Room.

"With April designated as Genocide Prevention Month, the Obama administration has an important opportunity to further the cause of genocide education and prevention through a clear and unambiguous affirmation of the Armenian Genocide," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "We encourage activists and all people of good will to take action to ensure that President Obama and Congress affirm the truth."

The Armenian Genocide resolution

The resolution affirming the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide (H.Res.252) was formally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-CA), George Radanovich (R.-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-NJ), and Mark Kirk (R.-Ill). On March 4, 2010 it was adopted with a 22-21 vote by the House Committee on Foreign Relations. A similar resolution was introduced in the Senate.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.