April 24, 1990

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY

WHEREAS, at least 1,500,000 people of Armenian ancestry were victims of Genocide perpetrated by the governments of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923; and

WHEREAS, at the outbreak of World War I, the Young Turks Regime decided to deport the entire Armenian population of over 2,000,000 to Syria and Mesopotamia; and

WHEREAS, these thousands of Armenians of the Christian Faith held to their beliefs and remained true to the faith of their fathers; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia has long been at the forefront of efforts to insure that the victims and survivors of such Genocide are not forgotten;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Lawrence Douglas Wilder, Governor, do hereby recognize April 24, 1990 as ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY and call its significance to the attention of all our citizens.

(SIGNED)
Lawrence Douglas Wilder
Governor