Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate a tragic event in the history of humanity, the persecution and murder of a million and half Armenian men, women and children during the first world war.
Those who managed to flee this genocide have settled throughout the world, and many of their descendants are today citizens of Canada.
It has been said that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. We join today with members of the Armenian community and other Canadians in remembering the atrocity of crimes against humanity.
This grim anniversary is an important reminder to all of us. We share a responsibility to help build understanding between peoples and between nations so that the peace that was denied their ancestors can be experienced by future generations around the world.