Illinois Armenian Genocide Recognition

Proclamation by the Governor and Secretary of State
State of Illinois
April 19, 1990

STATE OF ILLINOIS EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, April 24, 1990, marks the 75th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 and should be declared a day of remembrance; and

WHEREAS, this day will honor the 1,500,000 people of Armenian ancestry who were victims of the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire governments from 1915 to 1923; and

WHEREAS, this date will be recognized by all Armenians and their friends throughout the world; and

THEREFORE, I, James R. Thompson, Governor of the State of Illinois, proclaim April 24, 1990, as a DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE in Illinois.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed.

Done at the Capitol in the City of Springfield, this nineteenth day of April in the Year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety, and of the State of Illinois the one hundred and seventy- second.

(SIGNED)

James R. Thompson, Governor
Jim Edgar, Secretary of State

A Proclamation
State of Illinois
April 24, 1996

Executive Department

WHEREAS: the Armenian community in commemoration of the 81^st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; and

WHEREAS: 81 years ago Armenians were forced to witness the genocide of their ancestors and land of their ancestral homelands. The extermination of 1.5 million Armenians and the feared deportation of relatives where by Ottoman Turks between the years of 1915 and 1923 is remembered every year; and

WHEREAS: Ancestral Armenian lands have not been returned to the Armenian people; and

WHEREAS: the Armenian community to be a people full of hope, working side-by-side for the future of Armenia. Through their faith and pride in their heritage the Armenians remain a strong and courageous people working toward rebuilding a firm foundation for Armenia; and

WHEREAS: Armenian Americans have been forging their efforts to preserve their culture, heritage, and ancestors; and

THEREFORE, I, Jim Edgar, Governor of the State of Illinois, proclaim April 24, 1996, as ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY in Illinois in remembrance of the 91^st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed. Done at the Capitol in the City of SpringfieldThis sixteenth day of April in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety six, and of the State of Illinois, the one hundred and seventy-eighth.

A Proclamation by the Governor
State of Illinois
March 23, 1999

Executive Department

WHEREAS, the Armenian community is commemorating the 84th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; and

WHEREAS, 84 years ago Armenians were forced to witness the genocide of their relatives and the loss of their ancestral homelands; and

WHEREAS, the extermination of 1.5 million Armenians and the forced deportation of countless others by the Ottoman Turks between the years of 1915 and 1923 is recognized every year; and

WHEREAS, the Armenians continue to be a people full of hope, working side-by-side for the future of Armenia. Through their faith and pride in their heritage, the Armenians remain a strong and courageous people working toward rebuilding a firm foundation for Armenia; and

WHEREAS, Armenian-Americans have been forthright in their efforts to preserve their culture, heritage and language; and

THEREFORE, I, George H. Ryan, Governor of the State of Illinois, proclaim April 24, 1999, as ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY in Illinois in remembrance of the 84th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed.

Done at the Capitol, in the City of Springfield, this twenty-third day of March, in the Year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, and of the State of Illinois the one hundred and eighty-first.

(SIGNED)

George H. Ryan, Governor

A Proclamation by the Governor and Secretary of State
State of Illinois
April 27, 2000

Proclamation

WHEREAS, 85 years ago Armenians were forced to witness the genocide of their relatives and the loss of their ancestral homelands; and

WHEREAS, the examination of 1.5 million Armenians and the forced deportation of countless others between the years of 1915 and 1923 are recognized each year; and

WHEREAS, the Armenians continue to be a people full of hope, working side-by-side for the future of Armenia. Through their faith and pride in their heritage, the Armenians remain a strong and courageous people working toward rebuilding a firm foundation for Armenia; and

WHEREAS, Armenian-Americans have been forthright in their efforts to preserve their culture, heritage and language; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian-American community has made significant contributions in all areas of life including education, medicine, science, business, arts, government and public service in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian community is commemorating the 85th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; and

THEREFORE, I, George H. Ryan, Governor of the State of Illinois, proclaim April 24, 2000, as ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY in Illinois in remembrance of the 85th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed.Done at the Capitol in the City of Springfield this seventeenth day of April, in the Year of Our Lord two thousand and of the State of Illinois the one hundred and eighty-second.

(SIGNED)

Jesee White, Secretary of State
George H. Ryan, Governor

Illinois’ House Resolution
April 22, 1965

WHEREAS. Of all the world’s peoples who have maintained their faith, integrity of culture and aspirations, the people of Armenia most surely deserve first rank; their determination to survive through the ages in the face of powerful and brutal forces deters truly remarkable; and

WHEREAS. April has been designated as the month in which Armenians throughout the world commemorate the 50th anniversary of the tragedy of the persecutions of the Armenian people by Turkey while most of the world was in the throes of that destructive war, the First World War; accordingly Armenians in the Waukegan area have aside Sunday, April 25th as Armenian Memorial Day of the Martyrs in 1915; and

WHEREAS. The history of the Armenian people is traced back seven centuries before Christ; in ancient times the nation enjoyed glorious status as an empire, but situated at the crossroads of civilization, it was repeatedly invaded and overrun, but for 2,600 years has preserved its faith, its ethnic integrity and its deeply rooted as passions for statehood independence and freedom; and

WHEREAS. In another sense the tragedy of Armenia has enriched the world, for dispersion of the Armenian people, a people with a heritage of faith through the Western nations and notably have in the State of Illinois has added a noble and steadfast thread of culture to the fabric of the community life; and

WHEREAS. It is fitting that we paused to pay tribute to the member of these martyrs and to Armenia itself, a living example of the futility of genocide; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the Seventy fourth general assembly of the State of Illinois, that we exerted our heartfelt sympathy to the Armenians of the American descent on the 50th Anniversary of the 1915 Genocide; and that the words of Yeghise Charentz, a foremost Armenian poet of this century:”O Armenian people, your salvation is in your collective strength,” be a reminder and inspiration to all men who value freedom; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this preamble and resolution be spread upon the journal of this body; and that a suitable engrossed copy thereof, be forwarded to Mayor Robert Sabonjian of Waukegan Commemoration Committee for 50th Observance of Armenian Memorial Day.

Adopted by the House, April 22, 1965.

As Printed in the Armenian Weekly on May 13, 1965, page 4

Illinois’ House Resolution
April 22, 1965

WHEREAS. Of all the world’s peoples who have maintained their faith, integrity of culture and aspirations, the people of Armenia most surely deserve first rank; their determination to survive through the ages in the face of powerful and brutal forces deters truly remarkable; and

WHEREAS. April has been designated as the month in which Armenians throughout the world commemorate the 50th anniversary of the tragedy of the persecutions of the Armenian people by Turkey while most of the world was in the throes of that destructive war, the First World War; accordingly Armenians in the Waukegan area have aside Sunday, April 25th as Armenian Memorial Day of the Martyrs in 1915; and

WHEREAS. The history of the Armenian people is traced back seven centuries before Christ; in ancient times the nation enjoyed glorious status as an empire, but situated at the crossroads of civilization, it was repeatedly invaded and overrun, but for 2,600 years has preserved its faith, its ethnic integrity and its deeply rooted as passions for statehood independence and freedom; and

WHEREAS. In another sense the tragedy of Armenia has enriched the world, for dispersion of the Armenian people, a people with a heritage of faith through the Western nations and notably have in the State of Illinois has added a noble and steadfast thread of culture to the fabric of the community life; and

WHEREAS. It is fitting that we paused to pay tribute to the member of these martyrs and to Armenia itself, a living example of the futility of genocide; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the Seventy fourth general assembly of the State of Illinois, that we exerted our heartfelt sympathy to the Armenians of the American descent on the 50th Anniversary of the 1915 Genocide; and that the words of Yeghise Charentz, a foremost Armenian poet of this century:”O Armenian people, your salvation is in your collective strength,” be a reminder and inspiration to all men who value freedom; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this preamble and resolution be spread upon the journal of this body; and that a suitable engrossed copy thereof, be forwarded to Mayor Robert Sabonjian of Waukegan Commemoration Committee for 50th Observance of Armenian Memorial Day.

Adopted by the House, April 22, 1965.

As Printed in the Armenian Weekly on May 13, 1965, page 4

ILLINOIS 89TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE RESOLUTION 37
April 21, 1995

WHEREAS, April 24, 1995, the Eightieth Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, should be declared a Day of Remembrance; and

WHEREAS, Such a day would honor the 1,500,000 people of Armenian ancestry who were victims of the genocide perpetrated by the governments of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, prior to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey; and

WHEREAS, This date is commemorated by all Armenians and their friends throughout the world; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-NINTH

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we request Governor Jim Edgar to proclaim the Eightieth Anniversary on April 24, 1995, a Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Governor Jim Edgar.

SPONSOR:

Hoffman

A Proclamation by the Governor
State of Illinois
April 24, 1997

90th General Assembly

Legislation

90_HR0113

HOUSE RESOLUTION

LRB9002710CBcbA

WHEREAS, The United States has always been a  haven  for the persecuted  and oppressed, whether by reason of religion or nationality, and;

WHEREAS, We who cherish our freedom can never take it for granted; we who respect justice can never be totally  secure in it, and;

WHEREAS, When   freedom  is  challenged  anywhere,  all humankind must rise up in protest; we must all use our voices and our influence to meet those challenges and help  protect individual life and liberty, and;

WHEREAS, No other human rights violation deserves greater protest and  attention  and  demands  firmer condemnation by freedom-loving people than genocide, and;

WHEREAS, For  the  Armenian  people,  the   horror   and inhumanity of this devastating crime began in 1915 when young men of  Armenian  origin were drafted into the Turkish army, soon to be disarmed, transferred to  labor  battalions,  and then massacred; and

WHEREAS, On  April  24, 1915, authorities of the Ottoman Empire arrested the most prominent intellectuals and leaders of Constantinople;  they  were  exiled  to  the  interior of Anatolia, either perishing on the way or meeting their  fate on arrival, and;

WHEREAS, The  Armenians were rounded up, brutally driven from their homes and their land,  separated  from  families, robbed of everything they owned, and stripped of possessions they carried with them; and

WHEREAS, On a death march to  Der-El-Zor,  more  than  a million died  of  starvation  or  were  killed; thousands of Christian Armenians were tortured and murdered for  refusing to accept  Islam as their religion; the atrocities inflicted on Armenians in concentration camps and on death marches  to Der-El-Zor in  the  Syrian  desert  resemble  those  of  the Holocaust of World War II, and;

WHEREAS, During this act of genocide, 5 million people of Armenian ancestry were victims from 1915 to 1923; at  the outbreak of  World  War  I, the Young Turk regime decided to deport the entire Armenian population of about 75  million to Syrian and Mesopotamia; and

WHEREAS, Talaat Pasha, leader of the Young Turk movement, was the  principal  author  of  the  plan to exterminate the Armenians; the plan of genocide consisted of  deporting  all Armenians of  whatever  age  or  condition  of health to the totally barren Der-El-Zor region of what is now Syria, and;

WHEREAS, The massacre of Armenians who remained in Turkey was called the “most colossal crime  of  all  ages”  by  the examining American  military  mission’s report to the United States Congress, and;

WHEREAS, In a telegram sent  by  S.  Ambassador  Henry Morgenthau to the Secretary of State, Morgenthau warned that “a campaign of race extermination is  in  progress  under  a pretext of reprisal against rebellion”, and;

WHEREAS, Each  year, with solemn religious and patriotic ceremony, Armenians in  the  international  community  honor those who died in 1915 and remind all people that genocide on any scale is a crime against all humanity, and;

WHEREAS, Adolph Hitler, when questioned as to the “final solution” to the Jewish question, said, “Who  remembers  the Armenians?”, and;

WHEREAS, April 24, 1997 will be commemorated by Armenians in this  country  and throughout the world in remembrance of the first instance of genocide in this century, and;

WHEREAS, The People of Illinois, as represented  by  the General Assembly and the Governor, should be mindful of these tragic events,  should  further assure that no future tyrant may ever ask the question asked by Hitler and should act in a spirit of justice and humanity to designate April 24, 1997 as Armenian Martyrs  Day,  a  day  of  remembrance   of   man’s inhumanity to man; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commemorate April  24,  1997  as a day of remembrance of the 82nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923;  and be it further

RESOLVED, That  we  call  upon the people of Illinois to observe that day by remembering the 5  million  people  of Armenian ancestry  who lost their lives during that terrible time; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we request Governor Jim Edgar to proclaim April 24,  1997  as  a  day  of  remembrance in honor of the victims of the Armenian Genocide; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy  of  this  resolution  be presented to Governor Jim Edgar

AN ACT concerning schools

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 27-20.3 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-20.3) (from Ch. 122, par.    27-20.3)

27-20.3. Holocaust and Genocide Study. Every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the Nazi atrocities of 1933 to This period in world history is known as the Holocaust, during which 6,000,000 Jews and millions of non-Jews were exterminated. One of the universal lessons of the Holocaust is that national, ethnic, racial, or religious hatred can overtake any nation or society, leading to calamitous. To reinforce that lesson, such curriculum shall include an additional unit of instruction studying other acts of genocide across the globe. This unit shall include, but not be limited to, the Armenian Genocide, the Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and more recent atrocities in Cambodia,  Bosnia, and Rwanda.

The studying  of this material is a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples from all nations  to never again permit the  occurrence of another Holocaust and a recognition that crimes of genocide continue to be perpetrated across the globe as they have been in the past and to deter indifference to crimes against humanity and human suffering wherever they may be.  The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials which maybe used as  guidelines for development of a unit of instruction under this Section; provided, however, that each school board shall itself  determine the minimum  amount  of instruction time which shall qualify as a unit of instruction satisfying the requirements of this Section. 2     (Source: P.A. 86-780.)

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.29 as follows:

(30  ILCS  805/8.29 new)

8.29. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 94th General

Section  99. Effective date.  This  Act  takes  effect  upon becoming law.

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HR0360

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The 20th Century has witnessed unspeakable acts of murder and  chaos,  from  the  Holocaust,  to  the       massacres    in

Rwanda and Bosnia, the genocidal campaign against the Armenian people symbolizes one of the first in our modem age; and

WHEREAS, Between the years 1915-1923, nearly one and a half million Armenian men, women, and children were massacred by the Ottoman Turkish government; and

WHEREAS, The United Nations defines the term genocide as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, including killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended  to  prevent  births  within  the group; or forcibly transferring children of the group to another; and

WHEREAS, The segregation and degradation of the minority Christian Armenian population by the Turkish government began with Ottoman rule in the mid-l800s; the brutality escalated during the reign of the Young Turks, immediately following the First World War; and

WHEREAS, In 1939, the monster, Adolf Hitler, cited the Armenian genocide as justification for the genocide he himself was about to lead, asking, “Who after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the “; and

WHEREAS, The attempted extermination and forced displacement of the Armenian people not only extinguished precious lives, but also uprooted a centuries-old culture from their ancient homeland; and

WHEREAS, The people of Armenia have witnessed the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great, fought the legions of Rome and Sassanid  Persians,  halted  Arabian  expansion, supplied emperors to the throne of Byzantium, became the first nation to adopt Christianity in 301 CE, and established their language’s alphabet barely a century later in 406 CE; and

WHEREAS, A century ago this year, Armenian heritage came under threat once more, as thousands of their monasteries and churches were desecrated or destroyed, national institutions and schools, razed to the ground, and the surviving Armenian people, scattered across the world; and

WHEREAS, Despite   the   wreckage, the Armenian  people endured, building a new and sovereign nation in the eastern half of their homeland; and

WHEREAS, The 21st Century world continues to face terrifying crimes against humanity even at this very hour, as forces of  repression  and  barbarism  seek  to  roll  back the progress of our age; and

WHEREAS, These forces of terror include the Islamic State, Boko Haram,  the  regional  tentacles  of  al-Qa’ida, al-Nusrah Front, al-Shabaab, Hizballah, and Hamas, along with far too many more; and

WHEREAS, The great champion and prophet of liberty, Martin Luther King powerfully noted that, “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with “; and

WHEREAS, We  must  learn  and  boldly  speak  of, the often heartbreaking but invaluable lessons of our common human past, as well as teach them to our children and our grandchildren in order for  this  world  to  finally  be  free  of      hostility  and violence; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY   THE   HOUSE   OF   REPRESENTATIVES   OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, and all other people of human decency, who speak today of the near annihilation of the Armenian people, and indeed of all those who continue suffering under the heel of tyranny across the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, That  on  this  lOOth  anniversary year of the Armenian genocide, we commemorate the nearly one and a half million precious  lives  lost  and  honor  the  rich, ancient heritage of the Armenian people by dedicating April 24th, 2015 as the Day of Remembrance for the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide

Mayor Robert Sabonjian’s Proclamation
Waukegan, Illinois
April 24, 1965

WHEREAS, fifty year ago on April 24, 1915, the Government of Turkey ordered the commencement of a systematic plan of massacre of the Armenian nation, which before its termination was to take the awful toll of 1,000,000 lives, with an additional 1,000,000 displaced, ill and in want, marked forever by the terrible experiences of the first modern genocide which on the confession of Adolf Hitler himself who, in 1941 in ordering a minority people to its Golgotha asked, “Who today remembers the Armenians?” served as the prototype, inspiration and model of the German Nazi pogroms; and

WHEREAS, the beginning of the Armenian Martyrdom marked at the same time the opening of the many important contributions to the Allied war effort in World War I by the Armenian nation, affectionately termed “the Little Ally” by Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, the awful sacrifice of the Armenian nation in the cause of virtuous government, freedom, justice and human rights, the enormous proportions of which are reflected in the fact that Armenia, although one of the smallest Allies of the Western alliance, suffered more casualties than any other member of that alliance, serves to remind us that mankind is indeed ready to perish in the interest of noble causes nearer and dearer to the human heart than life itself; and

WHEREAS, in this the fiftieth Anniversary Year of the 1915 Turkish genocide of the Armenian nation it would behoove all citizens of This State to remember those innocent men, women and children who perished by the sword of violence, to honor their memory and pay tribute to their self-sacrifice, while at the same time reminding those who would in our day indulge in mass murder that Americans indeed do remember the genocide of 1915 and, in remembering signify their readiness to raise a powerful voice against those forces which would unleash the terrible weapon of genocide; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROBERT SABONJIAN, Mayor of the CITY OF WAUKEGAN, in the State of Illinois, by virtue of the authority vested in me, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM Saturday, April 24, 1965, as Armenian Martyrs’ Day and urge that proper recognition be accorded to this grievous and solemn occasion.

IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Waukegan to be affixed at Waukegan, Illinois, this 24th day of April, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred Sixty-Five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the One Hundred Eighty-Eighth.

ROBERT SABONJIAN
MAYOR

As Printed in the Armenian Weekly, May 13, 1965, page 4

A resolution

adopted by The City Council of the City of Chicago, Illinois

presented by ALDERMAN THEODORE MATLAK OH  MARCH 14, 2007

WHEREAS, The Armenian community, as well as the global community, remembers the Armenian Genocide, which occurred 92 years ago; and

WHEREAS, During this tragic period of history between the years of 1915 and 1923, Armenians were forced to witness the genocide of their loved ones, and the loss of their ancestral homelands; and

WHEREAS, This extermination and forced relocaition of over 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks is recognized every year; and

WHEREAS, Armenians continue to be a people full of hope, courage, faith and pride in their heritage, working together to rebuild a firm foundation for Armenia, and

WHEREAS, Many of the fifteen-thousand Armenian-Americans in Illinois are descendants or survivors of the Armenian genocide, and have been forthright in their efforts to preserve their culture, heritage and language, while contributing much to our state and our nation’s diverse society and economy; and

WHEREAS, Both recognition and education concerning past atrocities such as the Armenian Genocide is crucial in the prevention of future crimes against humanity; and

BE IT RESOLVED, That I, Richard M. Daley, Mayor of the City of Chicago, do hereby proclaim April 24, 2007, as ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY in Illinois, in honor of the 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

(SIGNED)

MAYOR
CITY CLERK