Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to commemorate the memory of victims of the Armenian genocide of April 24, 1915.
The Canadian government has yet to recognize in an official way the reality of the genocide committed against Armenians by the Ottoman Turks. However, in answer to my question in the House of Commons on June 10, 1999, the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs said:
On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs I wish to inform the House that together with all Canadians we remember the calamity afflicted on the Armenian people in 1915. This tragedy was committed with the intent to destroy a national group in which hundreds of thousands of Armenians were subjected to atrocities, which included mass deportations and massacres.
May the memory of this period contribute to healing wounds as well as to the reconciliation of present day nations and communities and remind us all of our collective duty to work together toward world peace.
The recognition of Armenian genocide is not complete yet.