April 24th
Posted By shirley on March 7, 2010
You may be wondering why there is all this brouhaha lately regarding Turkey and Armenia and the Genocide resolution. April 24th is just around the corner and is a sensitive, mournful and sad time for all Armenians. This coincides with the Armenian Genocide Resolution that is often presented at this time every year.
April 24th is a national holiday in Armenia and observed by the diaspora all over the world. It commemorates the victims of the Armenian genocide from 1915 to 1923. April 24th was adopted as a symbol of mourning for the day that hundreds of Armenian notables were deported from the Ottoman capital. All the intellectuals, community leaders, journalists, writers, and anyone who could have any influence in the Armenian community. Most of these notables were executed. This was the precursor of the events to come.
This date is often called Armenian Martyrs Day and is commemorated in many states such as California where Governor Schwarzenegger signed a proclamation in 2004 proclaiming April 24th as a Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide. In 2004 Vermont passed a resolution and even referred to it as the Armenian Genocide. New Jersey also passed Senate Resolution No. 115. Yet another House Resolution comes from the State of Illinois. Apparently, many states have decided to make their own resolutions rather than wait for our feckless congress to do the right thing.
This is a quick explanation of why there is so much being written, protested, talked about and passions flaring at this time of the year.
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