05-R 163

2005 -- H 6320

Enacted 03/31/05

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

PROCLAIMING APRIL 24, 2005 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 Fox, Watson, Corvese, Giannini, and Ajello

Date Introduced: March 31, 2005

     WHEREAS, One and one half 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." 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 three thousand 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 in

order 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 24, 2005 as "Rhode Island Day of Remembrance

of the Armenian Genocide"; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House 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 hereby is 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 Carcieri,

Governor of the State of Rhode Island, the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington, and

the Armenian National Committee in Washington.

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LC02971

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