Mr. Speaker, on April 7, the House addressed the subject of the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
Today, we commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide which the House condemned as a crime against humanity in April 2004. On April 25, tomorrow, we will remember the 6 million Jews deliberately murdered by Nazis during the second world war.
Without hesitation, we have labeled these massacres as genocides because, for racial, ethnic, religious or political reasons, certain countries have sought to annihilate these populations in violation of their right to life.
Canadians have lost family members in these genocides.
It is our responsibility to commemorate the memory of these victims as we reflect on the senselessness of these sadistic atrocities. Canada must serve as an example to the world that all peoples, regardless of their colour, ethnicity or religion can live with dignity and respect.
Finally, I would like to welcome to Ottawa Canadians of Armenian origin from my riding of Laval—Les Îles.