Cicilline, House Members Celebrate White House Display of Armenian Orphan Rug

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) today spoke at the opening of the Armenian Orphan Rug display, which will be showcased at the White House Visitor’s Center today through November 23rd. Last year, Cicilline and 31 of his House colleagues sent a letter urging President Obama to release the Armenian Orphan Rug for public exhibition. The following are Cicilline’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“I want to thank Congressman Schiff, Valadao and all my colleagues for their incredible efforts to display the Armenian Orphan Rug at the White House. I also want to thank the Armenian-American community leaders who made this display possible.

“Rhode Island is home to a vibrant community of Armenian-Americans. I’ve seen firsthand the significant contributions this community has made to our state in business, culture, academia, government, and the arts, and I want to express my deep gratitude to all the Armenian-Americans who live across our country.

“Today we celebrate the display of the Armenian Orphan Rug at the White House Visitor Center. This great artifact is both a symbol of the strong relationship between Armenia and the U.S. and a stark reminder about the first genocide of the modern era where 1.5 million Armenians perished at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

“In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge was presented with a hand woven rug by orphans survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The Ghazir rug, commonly known as the Armenian Orphan Rug, represented a token of appreciation for the generosity of the United States toward survivors and orphans of this genocide.

“Last year, it was reported that the White House would not allow the rug to be loaned to Smithsonian Institution to be displayed for a public event. In November of 2013, my colleagues and I joined together and urged President Obama to allow the rug to be displayed publicly, as it is an essential part of American and Armenian history. Together with leaders in the American-Armenian community we successfully worked with the White House to make sure the rug and its historical meaning were shared with the country.

“As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee  and Congressional Armenian Caucus, I had the opportunity to travel to Armenia earlier this year where I observed the annual Remembrance Day Event to commemorate the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide.

“The United States has a responsibility to condemn acts of religious intolerance and to protect and promote human rights across the globe. My experience in Armenia served as an important reminder that we must do more to honor the survivors and their families and to ensure a tragedy such as the Armenian Genocide never occurs again. Today we have made a small, but important step toward honoring their memories.

“There is still more work to be done. In the past year, I have supported appropriations requests for aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. I voted to pass the Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act to return church properties to their rightful owners and protect religious minority groups from unfair discrimination. And, I’ve fought to ensure the U.S. recognizes the Armenian Genocide.

“As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I will continue to fight to strengthen relations between the U.S. and Armenia.

“Today I am proud to stand with all of you to celebrate this great achievement and to remember all the lives lost during the horrific Armenian Genocide.

“Thank you.”