04-R012

2004 -- H 7039

Enacted 01/08/04

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING APRIL 24TH, 2004 AS "RHODE ISLAND DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" IN COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FROM 1915 TO 1923 AND HONORING ARMENIAN-AMERICANS

Introduced By: Representatives Corvese, and Kennedy

Date Introduced: January 08, 2004

     WHEREAS, 1.5 million men, women, and children of Armenian descent were victims of

the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and thereafter; and

     WHEREAS, The United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau,

Sr., stated, “Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts of the human mind can devise, and

whatever refinements of persecutions and injustice the most debased imagination can conceive,

became the daily misfortunes of these devoted people. I am confident that the whole history of

the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of

the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.

The killing of the Armenian people was accomplished by the systematic destruction of churches,

schools, libraries, treasures of art, and cultural monuments in an attempt to eliminate all traces of

a noble civilization with a history of more than 3,000 years”; and

     WHEREAS, Contemporary newspapers, such as the New York Times, carried headlines

including “Tales of Armenian Horrors Confirmed” and “Million Armenians Killed or in Exile”;

and

     WHEREAS, The Armenian genocide has been acknowledged by countries and

international bodies such as Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the Council of Europe, Cyprus, the

European Parliament, France, Great Britain, Greece, Lebanon, Russia, the United Nations, and

Uruguay; and

     WHEREAS, Each year Armenians throughout the world honor those who perished from

1915 to 1923, and all the world’s people should commemorate the Armenian Genocide because it

stands as an ugly testament to man’s inhumanity to man; and

     WHEREAS, We must all do our best to raise awareness about the Armenian genocide not

only because it is an undeniable chapter of world history, but also because learning more about

this unconscionable tragedy will help better understand the necessity of eliminating hatred from

our own communities; and

     WHEREAS, Residents of Rhode Island are highly sensitive to the need for consistently

remembering and openly condemning the crimes committed against any culture or people to

prevent similar atrocities in the future; and

     WHEREAS, Armenian-Americans living in Rhode Island have greatly enriched our State

through their leadership in business, agriculture, academia, government, and the arts; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby proclaims April 24th, 2004 as “Rhode Island Day of

Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide”; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to likewise

commemorate the Armenian Genocide; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of

the United States, the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, the Honorable Donald L. Carcieri,

Governor of Rhode Island, and the Armenian National Committee in Rhode Island.

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LC00268

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