In remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, Burbank City Hall welcomed the Armenian and non-Armenian community on April 24.
The students of Burbank High School Armenian Club, Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) “Varak” chapter and ANCA Burbank Chapter, presented the case of the Armenian Genocide with diligence. Among the non-Armenian representatives was Congressman Adam Schiff, a staunch supporter who has continuously spoke in favor of genocide recognition over the years.
“We were deeply disappointed today that President [Obama] did not recognize the Armenian Genocide,” Schiff said. ‘We do ourselves no favors; we do Turkey no favors when we fail to speak plainly the truth about the genocide. The denial is the final chapter of genocide.”
Schiff then criticized by stating that even though it happened 97 years ago, the denial undermines the Unites States’ moral authority to speak out in similar cases.
“We have to speak out about the human rights abuses and atrocities wherever they occur and this is all the truth about the genocide. We cannot pick and choose our genocide, we must recognize them, we must speak forcefully about them,” added Schiff.
ANCA-Burbank board member Annette Kargodorian shared the story of her family, who were fortunate to survive the atrocities.
“Had there not been an ethnic cleansing, my father would have remained in Turkey, we probably would have been a prominent family as we lived quite well off. Instead they ended up with zero, having to start again with absolutely nothing and left school at the age of 12 so that he could feed his siblings. Had that not happened, I am sure my life would have been very different. So I consider that a very direct result to me,” she said.
City Mayor Jess Talamantes presented proclamations to ANCA representatives and every City Council Member received a gift from ANCA to commemorate the day.
Students of the Armenian Club at Burbank High School also presented eyewitness accounts by reading about the horrors that many experienced, such as witnessing the death of family members. The stories were devastating as well as the video that followed the speech.
The evening concluded outside when students presented the Genocide case, accompanied with the lighting of candles.
http://yerevanmagazine.com/community-gathers-for-genocide-recognition-at-burbank-city-hall/
The students of Burbank High School Armenian Club, Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) “Varak” chapter and ANCA Burbank Chapter, presented the case of the Armenian Genocide with diligence. Among the non-Armenian representatives was Congressman Adam Schiff, a staunch supporter who has continuously spoke in favor of genocide recognition over the years.
“We were deeply disappointed today that President [Obama] did not recognize the Armenian Genocide,” Schiff said. ‘We do ourselves no favors; we do Turkey no favors when we fail to speak plainly the truth about the genocide. The denial is the final chapter of genocide.”
Schiff then criticized by stating that even though it happened 97 years ago, the denial undermines the Unites States’ moral authority to speak out in similar cases.
“We have to speak out about the human rights abuses and atrocities wherever they occur and this is all the truth about the genocide. We cannot pick and choose our genocide, we must recognize them, we must speak forcefully about them,” added Schiff.
ANCA-Burbank board member Annette Kargodorian shared the story of her family, who were fortunate to survive the atrocities.
“Had there not been an ethnic cleansing, my father would have remained in Turkey, we probably would have been a prominent family as we lived quite well off. Instead they ended up with zero, having to start again with absolutely nothing and left school at the age of 12 so that he could feed his siblings. Had that not happened, I am sure my life would have been very different. So I consider that a very direct result to me,” she said.
City Mayor Jess Talamantes presented proclamations to ANCA representatives and every City Council Member received a gift from ANCA to commemorate the day.
Students of the Armenian Club at Burbank High School also presented eyewitness accounts by reading about the horrors that many experienced, such as witnessing the death of family members. The stories were devastating as well as the video that followed the speech.
The evening concluded outside when students presented the Genocide case, accompanied with the lighting of candles.
http://yerevanmagazine.com/community-gathers-for-genocide-recognition-at-burbank-city-hall/