Sander Levin: “today I join voices with my colleagues in Congress and Armenians all over the world as we commemorate the 79th…”

“today I join voices with my colleagues in Congress and Armenians all over the world as we commemorate the 79th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The massacre of one and a half million Armenians, carried out from 1915 until 1923, reminds us of the consequences of silence in the face of oppression. I join the voices calling for recognition of this tragedy once again this year because the horrible truth of the Armenian Genocide is still not universally recognized, even after 79 years. We call attention to the reality of the Ottoman Empire's systematic persecution of Armenians in part so that such inhumanity is not tolerated again, ever. Our outspoken support for the rights of all people is more important than ever as we witness the systematic warfare and extermination claiming the lives of innocent civilians caught in ethnic conflicts today. In Bosnia, the practice of ethnic cleansing threatens the survival of an entire people. In Nagorno Karabagh, ethnic Armenians face oppression and persecution as they strive for self-determination. Those who would take advantage of our indifference must be reminded of our steadfast support for the rights of people all over the world. Our remembrance of the loss of one and a half million lives is our declaration of absolute opposition to such acts of inhumanity and our statement of hope for a world free of genocide.”