Rep. Chu Denounces Attacks on Armenian Community in Kessab, Syria

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) delivered the following remarks at a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol denouncing attacks on Armenians and other Christians in Kessab, Syria that took place on March 21, 2014.

Universal human rights are a part of who we are and what we stand for as Americans. The right to live in peace and feel secure belongs to everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from.

But as the Syrian civil war raged for the past three years, thousands have been killed and millions more displaced. The stories of people who fell to the violence and families that fled for their lives outrage us as Americans. And in a conflict where violence strikes the innocent without notice or cause, we see time and again that it’s the Christian minority – including the Armenian community – that is especially vulnerable. This was made tragically clear last month when Islamic militants from Turkey crossed the Turkish-Syrian border and attacked the civilian Armenian population in Kessab.

Kessab served as a refuge for Armenians fleeing the Armenian Genocide. It’s where genocide survivors started a new life. And throughout this Syrian Civil War, this city served as a refuge for Syrian Armenians escaping the violence in Aleppo. Seeing this violence now is an unspeakable tragedy.

That’s why we cannot allow such atrocities to stand. It offends our values – it violates the sanctity of human life – it harkens back to one of the darkest chapters of human history.

Let’s return Kessab to the place of hope that it has been for the Armenian community for so many years.

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