Rep. Adam Schiff: May Pope’s Words Inspire Our President

WASHINGTON, DC — Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the lead sponsor of the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution, has released the following statement:

“Pope Francis has proven himself a remarkable figure in every way, and his recognition today of the Armenian Genocide was another courageous milestone in his Papacy. The Pope was exactly right when he said that ‘concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it.’ I hope that the Pope’s words will inspire our President and Congress to demonstrate a like commitment to speaking the truth about the Armenian Genocide and to renounce Turkey’s campaign of concealment and denial.

“America must speak plainly about the facts of what happened one hundred years ago, when in the throes of defeat, the Ottoman Empire murdered one and a half million Armenian men, women and children. With the centennial of the genocide fast approaching, and with a few survivors still among us, the time for inexcusable silence has come to an end.”

The Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution is a bipartisan resolution calls upon the President to work toward equitable, constructive, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgement of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution will also establish a fair, just, and comprehensive international record of this crime against humanity.

Later this month on April 22nd, Rep. Schiff will for an entire hour on the House Floor, he will read the names of a small fraction of the 1.5 million people killed during the Armenian Genocide. Congressman Schiff invites the descendants of Genocide victims — in his district and around the nation — to submit the names of family members who were killed for inclusion in his speech and in the Congressional Record. Schiff is encouraging the submission of names by using this online form.