Schiff, Hachikian discuss new efforts to recognize Armenian Genocide

April 14, 2011 - 10:35 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - After a discussion of key issues, both men joined House and Senate members for a Capitol Hill Commemoration of the Genocide.U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) met with Armenian National Committee of America Chairman Ken Hachikian to discuss new efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide and address other issues important to the Armenian community.

Later they joined House and Senate members for a Hill Commemoration of the Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.