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The United States’ official recognition of the Armenian Genocide sent powerful messages to those who wish to rewrite history, U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier, co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, said in a video message to Armenpress on the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide marked on April 24.

“As one of two Members of Congress with Armenian heritage and as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, I am honored to join you in commemorating the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Like many of you I feel this tragedy deeply with my own family history and the collective pain of Armenians worldwide.

I will never forget the great sadness in my mom’s eyes when she taught me about the horrors of April 24th, 1915. The cold-blooded, systematic and calculated murder of 1,5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire is undeniably one of the darkest days in history. And we must continue to oppose efforts to erase it.

That’s why I was proud when President Biden officially recognized the Armenian Genocide last year. And that’s why I was honored to help carry the resolution through Congress a few years ago to reaffirm America’s commitment to truth and healing. Actions like these send powerful messages to those who wish to re-write history. But our work is not finished. Turkey continues to deny that the Armenian Genocide occurred. It actively works to suppress firsthand accounts of survivors. Denying survivors their truth not only harms our community’s healing, it actively empowers would-be perpetrators. And just last month, Azerbaijan renewed its aggression against Artsakh, seizing yet another village and leaving the people of Artsakh to freeze in bitter cold by cutting off gas for three entire weeks,” Speier said, referring to the Azerbaijani gas supply cutoff that brought Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) to a humanitarian crisis.

“… In truthfully acknowledging the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide today, we also make a powerful statement – those who attempt to silence us will fail.

I join you on this solemn day to not only memorialize our ancestors who perished at the hands of the Ottomans, but to recommit ourselves to speaking out against global oppression and injustice in their honor. We can and must ensure that justice is done and that their loss has not been entirely in vain,” the congresswoman said.