Steny Hoyer: “April 24 marks the commemoration of the massacre of Armenians in Turkey during and after the First World War. In what…”

“April 24 marks the commemoration of the massacre of Armenians in Turkey during and after the First World War. In what historians refer to as the first of this century's state-ordered genocides against a minority group, more than 1.5 million people were murdered. We mourn the dead and express our condolences to the descendants of those who perished. We must also reflect upon the meaning and lessons of their suffering and sacrifice. As many have observed, the massacres and deportations inflicted upon the Armenian community during that period were to mark this century of horrors. Civilian populations, defined by ethnic, racial, or religious distinctiveness, have become the objects of persecution and genocide simply because of who they are--Armenian Christians, European Jews, Bosnian Muslims. The range of victims--geographical, ethnic, religious, and political--testifies to the universality of human cruelty and fanaticism. The response of the survivors, however, testifies to the indestructibility and the resilence of the human spirit, even in the face of the most virulent evil. Like the phoenix of mythology, the Armenian people survived its bleakest days and arose with renewed vigor. Armenians' sense of national identity has been strengthened and the Armenian language is flourishing. Most important, independent Armenian statehood has been restored to guarantee the security and future of the nation.”