49 US Lawmakers Urge President Obama to Recognize the Armenian Genocide

WASHINGTON, DC — Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) has joined forty eight house members co-signing a letter to President Obama urging him to acknowledge the Armenia genocide on its 100th anniversary. The letter is being spearheaded by Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.

In the letter the congressmen write: “Please join with us this April in properly commemorating the Armenian Genocide by citing it as a clear instance of genocide. A forthright recognition of this genocide will honor the Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and other Christian victims of this atrocity, pay well-deserved tribute to American humanitarian relief efforts, pave the way toward improved Armenian-Turkish relations, and meaningfully reinforce our own resolve, as Americans, to prevent future genocides.”

The signed letter is available here.

The text of the letter follows:

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to underscore the importance of a full and just acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide in your annual April 24th statement.

A clear recognition of the Armenian Genocide, particularly in this Centennial year, would affirm that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence.

A principled Presidential statement clearly citing the Armenian Genocide would help strengthen condemnations of the past, and recognize the important relationship the United States shares with Armenia today.

Please join with us this April in properly commemorating the Armenian Genocide by citing it as a clear instance of genocide. A forthright recognition of this genocide will honor the Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and other Christian victims of this atrocity, pay well-deserved tribute to American humanitarian relief efforts, pave the way toward improved Armenian-Turkish relations, and meaningfully reinforce our own resolve, as Americans, to prevent future genocides.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.