Blog Archives
Miami Congresswoman Donna Shalala Commemorates Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL)
South Florida Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-FL) joined 50 of her Congressional colleagues to issue a statement on April 24th, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
“Over 100 years ago, my grandparents fled the Ottoman Empire to escape the #ArmenianGenocide”, she posted on Twitter.
Shalala was the only Florida Representative to issue a statement this year. She was also an outspoken supporter of the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution and spoke on the floor of the House during the debate when it passed on October 29, 2019 for the first time in U.S. history.
Armenians around the world commemorate the World War I-era mass killings of 1.5 million of their kin every year on April 24th, when in 1915 the Ottoman Turkish government rounded up and murdered over 200 Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople (Istanbul) marking the beginning of the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian Genocide Commemorative Events in Florida
Tampa, FL
On Wednesday, April 24th, St. Hagop Armenian Church of Pinellas Park, FL hosted a commemoration of the 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Parishioners gathered for the remembrance of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. “It was a truly moving evening,” stated Rev. Fr. Hovnan Demerjian, pastor of St. Hagop Armenian Church. Mallory Maslar, St. Hagop Parish Council Vice-Chair, organized the commemorative event with the events committee.
An Armenian Genocide Exhibit from the Florida Holocaust Museum was also on display with the assistance of George Kamajian. Michael Shahnasarian and his wife Jean, who chairs the events committee, provided the fellowship. Photography provided generously by Teresa Haidarian and video by Art Ekizian.
Boca Raton, FL
Ft.Lauderdale, FL
Orlando, FL
President Trump Statement on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
Today, the White House released the following statement from President Donald J. Trump:
Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century, when one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. We recall the horrific events of 1915 and grieve for the lives lost and the many who suffered.
We also take this moment to recognize the courage of those individuals who sought to end the violence, and those who contributed to aiding survivors and rebuilding communities, including the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, who sought to end the violence and later raised funds through the Near East Relief to help the Armenian people. We note with deep respect the resilience of the Armenian people, so many of whom built new lives in the United States and have made countless contributions to our country.
As we honor the memory of those who suffered, we also reflect on our commitment to ensure that such atrocities are not repeated. We underscore the importance of acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past as a necessary step towards creating a more tolerant future.
On this solemn day, we stand with the Armenian people throughout the world in honoring the memory of those lost and commit to work together to build a better future.
“It is a sad day when an American President cannot speak the truth about a proud chapter in American history, where, thanks to America’s unprecedented humanitarian relief effort, thousands and thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide were saved in what Ambassador Henry Morgenthau described as a ‘campaign of race extermination,'” stated Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “U.S. credibility on human rights and genocide prevention will be better served when we unequivocally affirm the Armenian Genocide. A genocide denied is an injustice to all,” Ardouny concluded.
* Updated at 3:38pm with the Armenian Assembly of America response.
Florida Armenians 