AAA: U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy rendered invaluable help to Armenian people

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) mourns the loss of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kennedy family," said Assembly Board President Carolyn Mugar. "Throughout his career, Senator Kennedy embodied the principles we hold dear - promoting democracy, championing civil rights and human rights, and standing up for those in need. His support of the Armenian people and contributions to reaffirm the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide are invaluable. We thank him for his extraordinary service to this great nation and the cause of freedom and democracy around the world. Senator Kennedy will be greatly missed, " Assembly Board of Trustees President Carolyn Mugar.



For decades, Senator Kennedy led by example when it came to support for the Armenian people. Just after the devastating 1988 earthquake, Senator Kennedy appealed to many private companies for donations to assist Armenia in its time of need. In early 1990, he initiated a letter urging then Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney to authorize airlifts to Armenia. These airlifts provided bedding, electric heaters, winter clothing and other desperately needed items for the influx of refugees coming from Azerbaijan and to those still suffering as a result of the earthquake. Senator Kennedy's leadership was instrumental and helped save lives during a critical time.



Senator Kennedy pressed for a variety of programs to help Armenian refugee communities across the globe, including those who fled from Iran after the fall of the Shah and those who rebuilt their communities after being caught in the civil war in Lebanon. He also worked to facilitate the exit of Armenian refugees from the Soviet Union in the 1980s. His long-standing support of the Armenian cause has earned Senator Kennedy accolades from the Armenian-American community, including the "Friends of the Armenians" Award from the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

In addition, Senator Kennedy was a staunch supporter of Karabakh's right to self-determination and supported Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts U.S. aid to Azerbaijan because of its hostile actions and blockade of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Senator Kennedy helped champion the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, prohibiting U.S. assistance to any country which restricts the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to other countries. As an original cosponsor of that bill, Senator Kennedy remarked, "The efforts by any nation to block U.S. humanitarian aid are unconscionable. The Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act is a responsible measure that is designed to ensure that individuals in great need will receive U.S. assistance." Kennedy also cosponsored S.1557, a bill to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Armenia.



In regard to the Armenian Genocide, Senator Kennedy was a relentless advocate for affirming this historical fact and the proud chapter in U.S. humanitarianism. During the 85th Commemoration in Boston, Assembly President Mugar had the distinct honor of introducing the senator at Copley Square's Trinity Church the day after Easter with two thousand in attendance. When His Holiness Karekin I, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and the first President of Armenia Levon Ter Petrosian, both visited the U.S., Senator Kennedy hosted them together with the New England Armenian American Community at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.



Throughout his tenure, he was an ardent supporter of resolutions affirming the Armenian Genocide and vigorously defended the truth in the face of Turkish denial. In his numerous speeches, Kennedy made it clear that "It is time for all governments, political leaders and peoples everywhere to recognize the Armenian Genocide. These annual commemorations are an effective way to pay tribute to the courage and suffering and triumph of the Armenian people, and to ensure that such atrocities will never happen again to any people on earth."