It is April 24 once again, the most significant date in the history of the Armenian people. A fateful struggle began on that day; to be or not to be, to exist or not to exist. On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire started a campaign of systemic genocide against the Armenian people. They thought the Armenians were weak and frail. Today, on April 24, 2021, the Turkish government, the successors of the Ottoman Empire, knows that we, the Armenian people, are not weak or frail. We are strong and firm in our identity; we are unconquerable, and undefeatable. Today, on behalf of all peace-loving people, we demand universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide to prevent future genocides. We call on Turkish authorities to acknowledge their past and accept the realities of the crimes of their forefathers in the name of justice. In 1915, 1.5 million Armenians were martyred as the world stood in silence. Throughout history there has been much injustice in the world and in the lives of people not because there are evil people in the world, but because there are silent and indifferent people in the world. Today, nearly 1.5 million Armenians live and thrive in this nation, and we are raising our voice to the head of this great nation, President Biden, to make recognition of the Armenian Genocide one of the priorities of his administration, to be the defender and promoter of human rights and justice. Today we say to the world that the Armenian people will continue to be a powerful voice for human rights and justice throughout the world.
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It is an undeniable fact that the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against the Armenian people starting in 1915 during which 1.5 million Armenians were persecuted and executed. Today, the Armenian people across the world are 10 million strong. Many of us live outside of our homeland, but we thrive and flourish wherever we are and our culture and heritage continues to blossom throughout the Diaspora and in particular here in the United States of America. America is rooted in justice and human rights. Over a million Armenians live in this blessed land and we ask for one thing from the leadership of this nation, to hear the word Genocide from the President of the United States, in the name of truth and justice.
