January 12, 2014

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ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION No. 42 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 216th LEGISLATURE PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION Sponsored by:

Assemblyman TIMOTHY J. EUSTACE

District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS Designates April 24 as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day."

A JOINT RESOLUTION designating April 24 of each year as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day" in the State of New Jersey.

WHEREAS, On April 24, 1915, Ottoman Empire authorities arrested, and later executed, more than 200 Armenian community leaders and intellectuals in the capital of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul; and

WHEREAS, This atrocity marked the escalation of systemic persecution and violence against the Armenian people by the government of the Ottoman Empire that continued through 1923; and

WHEREAS, During this period, Armenians were subject to deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre, and starvation, planned and orchestrated by the government of the Ottoman Empire; and WHEREAS, In all, approximately 1.5 million Armenians had perished and hundreds of thousands more had become homeless, stateless refugees at the hands of the Ottoman Empire; and

WHEREAS, By 1923, the Ottoman Empire had eliminated virtually the entire Armenian demographic presence in the vast majority of the historical homeland of the Armenian people; and

WHEREAS, These horrific events constitute what is widely recognized today by numerous scholars, governments, and international organizations as the Armenian Genocide; and

WHEREAS, Notwithstanding the historical evidence to the contrary, some, including the government of the Republic of Turkey, deny to this day that the Armenian Genocide ever happened; and

WHEREAS, The danger of denying these events was manifested when, on the eve of sending his troops into Poland in World War II with orders to kill without any mercy, Hitler said: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"; and

WHEREAS, It is altogether fitting and proper to remember, with the Armenian communities throughout New Jersey, the United States, and the world, and with Armenia, these tragic events to help ensure that such atrocities are never repeated; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. April 24 of each year is designated as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day," in recognition of the atrocities faced by the Armenians at the hands of the government of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 through 1923.

2. The Governor shall annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe April 24 as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day." 3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This joint resolution designates April 24 of each year as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day," in recognition of the atrocities suffered by the Armenians at the hands of the government of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 through 1923. During this period, Armenians were subject to deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre, and starvation, all of which were planned and orchestrated by the government of the Ottoman Empire. These horrific events are widely recognized today by numerous scholars, governments, and international organizations as the Armenian Genocide. This tragic event in history must be acknowledged and remembered to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated.