April 24

[Haykakan]

Re: April 24

Here we go again...i really hate this Karl Levin. He has taken our money for decades and done nothing yet here we are stupidly praising him yet again for being a crook. Yes this is the same guy who invented and forced through the NDAA and he is being hailed as a human rights guy by our idiotic lobby. The Armenian diaspora never fails to make an ass out of itself.

PRESS RELEASE
June 10, 2014

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
Web: www.aaainc.org


SENATORS CARL LEVIN, MICHAEL BENNET COSPONSOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION


WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Carl
Levin (D-MI) and Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) recently cosponsored S.Res.
410, the Armenian Genocide resolution, reported the Armenian Assembly of
America (Assembly). In addition to Levin and Bennet, S.Res. 410, which
passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 10th, has the
support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Majority Whip
xxxx Durbin (D-IL), Select Committee on Intelligence Chairwoman Diane
Feinstein (D-CA), Select Committee on Ethics Chairwoman Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), and Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Sheldon
Whitehouse (D-RI).

`As a Michigander, I'm proud to know Senator Levin continues to fight for
his Armenian American constituents,' stated Michigan State University
student, Ani Stamboulian, who is participating in the Assembly's
Terjenian-Thomas Summer Internship program in Washington, DC. `Thank you,
Senator Levin, for lending your voice to the voiceless - the 1.5 million
Armenians that were murdered by the Ottoman Turks,' Stamboulian said.

S.Res. 410 was introduced on April 3rd by Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a long-time champion of Armenian
issues and powerful voice for justice, along with Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL),
who previously served as Co-Chair of the Armenian Caucus during his tenure
in the House of Representatives.

Chairman Levin and Senator Bennet have strong records in support of
Armenian American issues, particularly US reaffirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. Levin, who is retiring this fall, has cosponsored successive
Armenian Genocide resolutions throughout his 36-year tenure. Senator Bennet
has also cosponsored previous Armenian Genocide resolutions since his
arrival to the Senate in 2009.

`We stand with the Armenian people in remembrance of the genocide that took
place nearly a century ago in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire,'
Senator Bennet told the Assembly. `The catastrophic loss of life,
systematic killing, and displacement of innocent civilians was dreadful and
unthinkable. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that such a
tragedy will never happen again,' Bennet said.

Michigan and Colorado are two of 43 US states to have recognized the
Armenian Genocide and both have substantial records affirming this
historical truth. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (D) signed a
proclamation recognizing the Armenian Genocide in 2011, while the Colorado
legislature passed SJR 14-032, a bill marking the `Colorado day of
remembrance of the Armenian Genocide' on April 24, 2014. Former Michigan
Governor James Blanchard proclaimed `Armenian Genocide Remembrance
Day' in
1990, while the state's legislature adopted a resolution in 2002 that
annually marks April 24th as Michigan's `days of remembrance of the
Armenian Genocide.'

Having passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, S.Res.410 now awaits
a vote on the Senate floor. `We urge the Senate to act and adopt this
important human rights legislation,' stated Assembly Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

###


NR: # 2014-033
Available online: http://bit.ly/1l6cKvO

[Haykakan]

Re: April 24

A full page add in the wall street journal from a Turkish denialist group just in time for genocide commemoration. I suggest you guys cancel your subscriptions to this publication.

https://www.rt.com/news/340446-wsj-ad-denies-armenian-genocide/

[Haykakan]

Re: April 24

Anti-Armenian Documentary Will Be Screened in Toronto

April 21, 2016

A Documentary fim written and directed by turkish director Serkan Koc
will be screened in Toronto, on April 22. The film is titled "1915 in
Armenian Documents".

The documentary is full of anti-armenian statements and false
allegations, and features ''testimonies'' from retired turkish
ambassadors Nuzhet Kandemir and Sukru Elekdag. It also features one of
the world's most vocal Armenian genocide deniers Professor Justin
McCarthy, Dr. Mehmet Perincek and former Turkish Historical Society
President Professor Yusuf Halacoglu.

The documentary film was banned in Germany.

The organizers of this event are The Federation of Canadian Turkish
Associations (FCTA), Turkic Assembly of Canada (TAC), Turkish Culture
and Folklore Society of Canada, Turkish Federation Community
Foundation, and Ankara Library of Toronto.

Friday, April 22, 2016 (8:00pm - 10:00pm)

Federation Center

1170 Sheppard Ave. W, Unit 15

Toronto

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.horizonweekly.ca_news_details_84873&d=CwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=5_NZ5q3rwd9Xc2TWwFot4HtdUSQ-y3cEVFRjYiwHSpw&s=8cscKSBr-R3IFrje5bTr2PqVsZRWuviFCHcfUZbi8d0&e=

[Shant03]

Re: April 24

Turks have been dumping endless resources to campaign against this... I just hope none of our people do anything to them when they show up in Hollywood in a few days, that would really throw off our message.

[Azad]

Re: April 24

They lost it


"New Yorkers are left baffled as skywriters paint 'How happy is the one who says I am a Turk' in TURKISH in the sky above Manhattan - but Armenians are not amused

New Yorkers gazed into the blue sky with bemusement as a skywriting plane carefully scribbled the phrase 'How happy Is the one who says, I am a Turk' in Turkish over Manhattan.
The phrase was coined by the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, in 1933 and was until recently an oath which every Turkish child was obliged to repeat twice a week at school.
But the plane then went on to scrawl more controversial slogans in the sky, including several which denied the Armenian genocide in 1915."

See the pictures

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3552070/Pro-Turkish-skywriters-scribble-slogans-New-York.html

[Haykakan]

Re: April 24

Behold the power of our mighty Armenian lobby yet again!

Reckless Retreat: Obama Not to Recognize Genocide in Final Term

21/4/16

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan taps President Obama’s face

ANCA’s Hamparian: “This, sadly, is President Obama’s legacy – silence
on the Armenian Genocide, complicity in Turkey’s denials, and
encouragement of Azerbaijani aggression.”

WASHINGTON – White House National Security Council officials informed
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Thursday afternoon
that President Obama will refrain from properly commemorating the
Armenian Genocide, as he had promised to do as a candidate, in his
eighth and final “Armenian Remembrance Day” statement, set to be
released in the next few days.

“It seems President Obama will end his tenure as he began it, caving
in to pressure from Turkey and betraying his commitment to speak
honestly about the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian, who met with the officials along with Government
Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian.

“President Obama’s unwillingness to reject Turkey’s gag-rule on the
Armenian Genocide or otherwise confront the growing regional wave of
anti-Armenian aggression – particularly at a time when both Ankara and
Baku are placing targets on the backs of Armenians in Artsakh,
Armenia, Turkey, the Middle East, and across our Diaspora – represents
something far worse than simply a betrayal of his own promise. His
reckless retreat from America’s anti-genocide commitments – under
pressure from Turkey and Azerbaijan – in the face of their open
incitement, outright aggression, and other classic genocide red flags
– emboldens Erdogan and Aliyev to escalate their hostility, raising
the very real risk of large-scale anti-Armenian atrocities. This,
sadly, is President Obama’s legacy – silence on the Armenian Genocide,
complicity in Turkey’s denials, and encouragement of Azerbaijani
aggression,” continued Hamparian.

Prior to his election to the oval office, President Obama was clear
and unequivocal in promising to properly characterize Ottoman Turkey’s
murder of over 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children between
1915 and 1923 as genocide. In a January 19, 2008, statement he wrote:
“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.”

President Obama has broken that pledge in annual Armenian Remembrance
Day statements issued on or near April 24th, the international day of
commemoration of this crime.

The U.S. first recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1951 through a
filing which was included in the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Report titled: “Reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.” The specific reference to the
Armenian Genocide appears on page 25 of the ICJ Report: “The Genocide
Convention resulted from the inhuman and barbarous practices which
prevailed in certain countries prior to and during World War II, when
entire religious, racial and national minority groups were threatened
with and subjected to deliberate extermination. The practice of
genocide has occurred throughout human history. The Roman persecution
of the Christians, the Turkish massacres of Armenians, the
extermination of millions of Jews and Poles by the Nazis are
outstanding examples of the crime of genocide.”

President Ronald Reagan reaffirmed the Armenian Genocide in 1981. The
U.S. House of Representatives adopted legislation on the Armenian
Genocide in 1975, 1984 and 1996.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__asbarez.com_149281_reckless-2Dretreat-2Dobama-2Dnot-2Dto-2Drecognize-2Dgenocide-2Din-2Dfinal-2Dterm_&d=CwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=vYbamVqg1q6K6Sd8V7L_61Jf_bsueZjZ0_k-Wrv478s&s=C6ME2u7V7NP-FVYxnp55chDHRlu_a0lY1ObangmlZLs&e=

[Haykakan]

Re: April 24

George Clooney has just arrived in Armenia. Among those welcoming famous couple was businessman Ruben Vardanyan.

George Clooney will participate in the first awarding ceremony of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity organized by Armenian entrepreneurs Ruben Vardanyan, Noubar Afeyan.

On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity will be granted annually to an individual whose actions have had an exceptional impact on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. The Aurora Prize Laureate will be honored with a US $100,000 grant. In addition, that individual will have the unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that inspired their work to receive a US $1,000,000 award.

The ceremony will take place in Yerevan on April 24. George Clooney will hand over the award.


Inline images 1Inline images 2

https://youtu.be/Cj4t-iyrH7M

http://news.am/eng/news/323573.html

[Shant03]

Re: April 24

No gata for Clooney

[Mher]

Re: April 24

Not be the negative one, but can someone clear up where the money for these Aurora Prize activities are coming from? If they're coming from non-Armenian source, great. But if they're coming from Vardanyan or someone like that I would be greatly disappointed. We have a lot more important needs to fund at the moment than this.

[Haykakan]

Re: April 24

Close to 35 years I have been a part of the Detroit Armenian community. I have been to pretty much every commemoration event regarding the genocide around April 24th. I have watched over the years our lobby and community putting money into the hands of politicians and getting nothing in return. These politicians would come and attend our commemorative events and were guest speakers at many. Over time the politicians stopped making speeches, then they stopped coming and sent lower level representatives, then they sent no one but sent a letter...Mind you that we still finance their campaigns yet our powerful lobby cannot get anyone to come anymore. Hell even the author who was supposed to be pimping his own book was a no show at this years event. Our 50k strong Detroit community could not fill a community center theater hall. I look at the resources we have spent over the years and all I see is a waist of our time, money, effort, manpower...At this point I am convinced that probably most of the actions taken by our community is more about we diasporans feeling good about ourselves instead of trying to make any kind of difference. It is sad because many of our members and organizers really do work hard but their actions amount to nothing more then some letter that some aid to some politician drafted in five minutes full of generic bs. Opportunity cost is what you give up to get what you have and it really comes to play here. Imagine that instead of pissing away our resources we actually used them to do things that generate a real return. There are plenty of things we can do like building in Armenia/Artsakh, like subsidizing trips for our young people to visit our nation and to bond with her. I know that some of this is being done already but given our abilities it is a joke. I was talking to one of the organizers some weeks ago about this issue when he was raving about how great and effective some of the present programs are at doing exactly what I just mentioned (sending young people to homeland). I asked how many people did this program send this year? His answer was three. Sad is all I can say. I am sad that our people have figured out effective programs for doing what is badly needed but instead of funding and encouraging that we prefer to be humiliated time and again by a system in a country built to take our money and give us nothing in return. Just think about what we are doing people. We are asking a country built on genocide and slavery to recognize ours. Imagine what we could have done if we actually worked smart, if we actually were efficient, if we actually cared about nation building instead of whose name was where or who sat in some meaningless seat on some meaningless committee... A sad day made sadder by sad people doing sad things..so sad.