April 10, 2003

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2003

2003 -- H 6336

HOUSE RESOLUTION

PROCLAIMING APRIL 24TH, 2003 AS "RHODE ISLAND DAY OF REMEBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" IN COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FROM 1915-1923 AND HONORING ARMENIAN-AMERICANS

Introduced By: Representatives Fox and Watson

Date Introduced: April 10, 2003

Referred To: House read and passed

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

WHEREAS, We must all do our best to raise awareness about the Armenian genocide not only because it is an undeniable chaper of world history, but also because learning more about this unconscionalbe tragedy will help better understand the necesity of eliminating hatred from our own communities

WHEREAS, Residents of Rhode Island are highly sensitive to the need for consistenly remebering 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, 2003 as "Rhode Island Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide"; and be 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 resoluiton to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, the Honorable Donald Carcieri, Governor of Rhode Island, the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington, and the Armenian National Committee in Washington.

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