By Katherine Clark
The following op-ed is penned by Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA-5):
The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide marks a grave time in our world history. How we recognize the darkest pages of history ultimately defines what lessons were learned and guides how we approach the future.
Katherine Clark
Last year, I had the honor of participating in the unveiling of the Armenian Orphan Rug displayed in our nation’s capital. For the first time, Americans visiting the White House were able to see a moving, physical reminder of the Armenian Genocide. Four million knots woven by children orphaned by great atrocities serve as a reminder of what happened 100 years ago.
Today, in communities across the world, we live with and learn from the descendants of those families who were scattered by the Armenian Genocide.
In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Watertown has long been a thriving center of the Armenian diaspora. A century after the Armenian Genocide forced their ancestors to seek refuge from mass extermination at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian-American community of today serves as an example of perseverance in the face of extreme adversity. Armenian-American families, their stories, their contributions, and their histories are critical to the fabric of the Commonwealth’s and our country’s society.
The Armenian Genocide is not an opinion or an interpretation of events. It is a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were massacred at the hands of the Ottoman Empire 100 years ago. And while historians, scholars, world powers, and the majority of U.S. states all agree on the Armenian Genocide as historical fact, the governments of Turkey and Azerbaijan continue to deny the truth. The United States government has also failed to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.
On this 100th anniversary, I urge my colleagues to pass the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution, a federal proposal that calls on President Barack Obama to “work toward equitable, constructive, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgement of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide.” The resolution also calls for “a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.”
The lessons of the Armenian Genocide must never be denied and must never be forgotten. On this 100th anniversary of these crimes against humanity, we must recognize facts and history as they happened, for that is the only way to truly heal and learn from our history.
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