Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Armenian Weekly Newspaper

CELEBRATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 19, 2004)

Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a treasured institution in the Armenian-American community and in my Congressional District, the "Armenian Weekly Newspaper" which is celebrating its 70th Anniversary of publication this year.

Since 1934, the English-language Armenian Weekly has been published by the Hairenik Association of Watertown, Massachusetts, located in my district. The Association also publishes the Armenian Weekly's parent publication, "The Hairenik," which is the longest running Armenian-language newspaper in the world.

Mr. Speaker, this past April we gathered to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, one of the darkest chapters of World War I, and what is sometimes called the "Forgotten Genocide." The Armenian Weekly plays an invaluable role in helping all of us to remember that tragic period, but more importantly, to celebrate the lives of the survivors and their wonderful and enduring culture.

In September of 1919, President Woodrow Wilson spoke of his vision of a future Armenia. He said, "Armenia is to be redeemed ..... So that at last this great people, struggling through night after night of terror, knowing not when they may come out into a time when they can enjoy their rights as free people that they never dreamed they would be able to exercise." Since the rebirth of the Armenian national following the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the Armenian Weekly has run numerous stories on issues and events affecting the politics and economy of the Republic of Armenia, and the efforts of the Armenian-American community to support its struggle to survive and prosper.

Mr. Speaker, two of our most cherished freedoms in the United States are freedom of speech and freedom of the press. For seventy years now, Armenian-Americans have been celebrating those freedoms through the Armenian Weekly Newspaper. In addition to its extensive coverage of news events of interest to the Armenian-American community, over the years, the paper has printed numerous short stories, essays and poems. For example, the stories that initially brought noted Armenian-American writer and playwright William Saroyan to national attention were first published in the Armenian Weekly.

I congratulate Editor Jason Sohigian and everyone associated with this remarkable publication and I wish the Armenian Weekly Newspaper many more years of service and success.