RI House passes Armenian Genocide resolution

A view of the House floor from the gallery where members of the RI Armenian community watched the proceedings

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Rhode Island House of Representatives unanimously passed the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Resolution on Tuesday at the RI State House.

Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian of Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church offered the opening blessing as the Armenian flag was displayed behind him.

Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian offering the opening blessing in the Rhode Island House of Representatives with House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi on the right

House Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian introduced House Resolution 6282, “Proclaiming April 24, 2023, as ‘Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day’ to Commemorate the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923, and in Honor of Armenian-Americans” to an attentive floor of representatives as two dozen members of the Armenian community viewed the proceedings from the House gallery.

“With each passing year, I find this day of remembrance gets more and more difficult,” said Kazarian. “I find it painful to remember the tragedies that the survivors (the lucky ones) went through, to hear the stories about how the victims (the unlucky ones) were methodically murdered, and worst of all, to learn that senseless, systematic killings similar to what my ancestors went through are still happening today…” Kazarian went on to inform her colleagues about the impact of the more than four-month-long blockade of Artsakh at the hands of Azerbaijan. “This blockade is another attempt to force Armenians to be displaced or worse, to be killed,” stressed Kazarian, after mentioning that the state of Rhode Island was the first in the nation to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh. She concluded with appreciation to her colleagues in the Rhode Island House of Representatives for supporting and passing the Armenian Genocide resolution each year and gratitude “to live in a state that teaches about the Armenian Genocide in our schools to ensure that our history will not be forgotten.”

RI House Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian introducing the Armenian Genocide resolution

The resolution not only recognizes and remembers the Armenian Genocide of 1915 but also addresses present-day events. “In March through early April of 2022, following several days of escalated tensions, Azerbaijan’s military opened fire on Armenian military posts along the western part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, and days later, shelled various villages, mostly located along the eastern border of Artsakh,” it reads, followed by acknowledgement of continuing hostilities by Azerbaijan against Armenia and Artsakh since March 2023.

Following the reading of the resolution, a reception was held in the House lounge with refreshments from Armenian-owned Sonia’s Near East Market & Deli. State Senator David Tikoian joined his colleagues from the House at the reception and will introduce a similar resolution in the Rhode Island Senate next week. The Armenian National Committee of RI organized the reception, which was generously sponsored by Kazarian and Tikoian.

The introduction of these resolutions is historic for the Armenians of Rhode Island. It marks the first time in the history of the state that both resolutions will have been introduced by the descendants of Genocide survivors.