Educate Your Legislators

February 5, 2007

Last month, President Nurten Ural formed the ATAA Armenian Research Committee to educate lawmakers, policy makers, think tank experts, academicians and the public regarding the various aspects of Turkish-Armenian history, including the Armenian Independence Movement and Revolt (1885-1920) and Ottoman response of relocating Armenian civilians from the war zones (1915), the Armenian Cause and Armenian allegation of genocide, and Armenian terrorism (1973-present).  President Ural appointed Ece Altay-Orhun and Gunay Evinch as co-chairs of ARC.

On January 30, 2007, Congressman Adam Schiff introduced H. Res. 106, which defines the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia as genocide, while ignoring more than 1.1 million Muslims who perished in eastern Anatolia under identical circumstances during WWI and the Armenian Independence Movement and Revolt.  As of February 5, 2007, there were a total of 163 co-signers on H. Res. 106.

ARC states that H. Res. 106:

1. ignores the vast majority of experts on the Ottoman Empire who reject the Armenian allegation of genocide.
2. places the legislature in the seat of the judicial branch by passing judgment on an entire people on a crime defined by international treaty.
3. contravenes U.S. foreign policy, which reserves judgment and supports debate, research and open dialogue on this historical and legal controversy, including Turkey’s proposal to Armenia to establish a joint commission.
4. is anti-Turkish, as well as anti-Muslim, and threatens to undermine U.S. national security interests in and around the region of Turkey.

You can easily identify your representative and his/her contact information by visiting www.house.gov and entering your zip code in the “Find Your Representative” section.  To learn whether your representative is a co-signer of H.. Res. 106, please visit thomas.loc.gov.  The most effective way to have your opinion heard is to draft a personal letter and fax it to the contact number of your representative as provided at www.house.gov.  Please also fax a copy of your letter to the ATAA office at (202) 483-9092.