WASHINGTON—Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian underscored the Armenian-American community’s long-standing call on President Barack Obama to honor his pledge to speak honestly about the Armenian Genocide, following Pope Francis’ powerful remarks during the unprecedented Vatican Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of that crime.
“Pope Francis’ historic sermon on the Armenian Genocide sets the stage for President Obama to honor his own pledge to recognize this horrific crime,” said Hamparian. “By openly rejecting Turkey’s gag-rule against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, President Obama would, with a bold stroke, end a truly shameful era of complicity in Ankara’s efforts to deny the truth and obstruct justice for this crime. Such a principled position by President Obama would put America back on the right side of this issue, while also advancing U.S. regional interests in fostering a better future for Armenian-Turkish relations based upon an honest reckoning with the past.”
Prior to his election to the oval office, Obama was clear and unequivocal in his pledge to properly characterize the murder of over 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children from 1915-23 by the Ottoman-Turkish government as genocide. “The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As a Senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide,” stated then-Senator Obama in a Jan. 19, 2008 statement. The full text of that statement is available at http://anca.org/change/docs/obama_pledge_011908.pdf.
Since his election in 2008, Obama has yet to honor that pledge, instead succumbing to Turkey’s threats. Obama is expected to make a statement on the topic on April 24, the international day of commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
A complete record of Senator Obama’s statements on the Armenian Genocide prior to his election to the White House is available at http://anca.org/change/docs/Obama_Armenian_Genocide.pdf.
On April 12, in remarks delivered at the opening of the commemorative Mass, Pope Francis clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed the Armenian Genocide, stating, “In the past century our human family has lived through three massive and unprecedented tragedies. The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the 20th century,’ struck your own Armenian people, the first Christian nation, as well as Catholic and Orthodox Syrians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Greeks. Bishops and priests, religious, women and men, the elderly and even defenseless children and the infirm were murdered.”
Pope Francis went on to state, “It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honor their memory, for whenever memory fades, it means that evil allows wounds to fester. Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it!”
Watch the video of Pope Francis’ remarks with English subtitles below:
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Mr. President, 1.2 billion Catholics heard, what Pope said about Armenian Genocide! I am sure those Christian faithfuls, who work within your administration have the same thoughts!
Obama will never recognize our genocide, he is not “permitted” to do so…
On the other hand Turkey is blackmailing the US and Russia at the same time and the East and the West are dancing like puppets on a string to appease Turkey. But soon this blackmailing situation will come to an end and Turkey will be “Balkanized”.
Mr. President, before next 2016 election, do the right move for once , without listening others, and say the G word.
The truth will set you free. Thank you Pope Francis for speaking out about the Armenian Genocide and it’s denial by those that seek to continue it.
Managers do things right – Leaders do the right thing. A manager will always default to ‘what is in it for me’. How disappointing that our current president of the United States has turned out to be more of a manager than a leader.
As an Armenian born in Argentina, added the heavy burden of my family name, I feel doubly or even triple proud and inmensly overtaken by the Popes remarks and lets not underscore the notable speeches by both our patriarcs.
AS an Armenian born in Syria and have lived there for most of my childhood life,I came to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA in 1971 went to school for a wile, but my family was poor so I started to work when I was 15 and paid taxes all my life now I am 57 years old I thank God for the freedom we have here,I pray for all the people in the world to be able to have the same freedom, I thank our POPE FRANCES for bringing up the genocide, and as a US citizen I pray that our president that promised he would recognize the Armenian genocide before he got elected to keep his word.
President Obama your silence is as hurtful as the atrocities which occurred. IT WAS GENOCIDE! Show your daughters and the world what real leaders do. CALL IT GENOCIDE for the sake of all the innocent men women and children murdered by the Ottoman Turks. I beg you.
“POPE… PRONOUNCED WORD GENOCIDE”
On Sunday April 12, 2015…after hundred years…
No one said it before
You… Saint Pope Francis… said it clearly
Standing fearless under your godly arch.
Everyone escaped… fearing Turkish Scimitars
That will reach them and trim their necks
Even God left us to suffer alone…!
If Jesus gave his life to save mankind
We gave 1.5 million lives
Not to betray his heart.
Can we give more …racing alone?
Pope, you are the savior of this century
Your sacred phrases started healing some of our scars
In so many ways…difficult to explain …
We are happy you have arrived
Someone sent you to us to tell the word
How much we suffered to hear that painful word “genocide”.
To de-flame our smoking hearts…
After the First Genocide…
Many Genocides followed of many types
Genocide of Language, Identity, Culture, Faith, Ethnicity…
Not reported yet in any history…
Committed by well-known inhumane, savage minded-hands.
Dr. Sylva Portoian
Written instantly
Personally, I don’t care what Barack H. does. Because of the Holy Father, the world has been put on notice that Armenians will not wait for an unqualified American president to come to our aid. I’m for getting behind people like Pope Francis and Amal Clooney to help us. The Turks need to pay reparations and return our valuable lands and buildings (churches). We also need access to the sea.