Sam Farr: “82 years ago there began one of the most tragic events in modern history: the persecution of the Armenian population of…”

“82 years ago there began one of the most tragic events in modern history: the persecution of the Armenian population of Ottoman turkey, which led to the death or deportation of some 2 million men, women, and children--solely because of their ethnicity. Over a 10 year period, Turkish Armenians were subjected to arbitrary execution, torture, and forced labor. Armenian women were raped or forced into prostitution, and tens of thousands of men, women, and children were forced onto death marches that claimed their lives. When this horrified tragedy ended, as many as 1.5 million Armenians were dead, and hundreds of thousands of others became refugees. The Armenian genocide decimated the Armenian community in Turkey, reducing its size by some 90 percent. Many years have passed since these events, but we must never forget what happened to the Armenians of Ottoman turkey solely because of their ethnicity. First and foremost, it is a lesson in the terrible tragedy that can so easily result from hatred and bigotry--especially when a country sees political gain in supporting ethnic persecution. Sadly, our modern world is no stranger to events of ethnic atrocity. More recently, Bosnia and Rwanda have been scenes of massacres and human brutality caused by ethnic hatred and prejudice. It is for this reason that we must remember and commemorate the Armenian genocide of 1915-23, to remind ourselves of how prejudice can lead to acts of great evil.”