Armenian Assembly of America: We will always stand in solidarity with Orlando
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) released the following statement in response to the mass shooting by an ISIS supporter on Sunday, June 12 in Orlando, Florida: "The Armenian Assembly of America and all Armenian Americans mourn the victims of the Orlando massacre, the deadliest in United States history. We pray for the victims, their families, and friends. The Assembly condemns the barbaric acts that occurred and the pervasive intolerance, hatred, and inhumanity represented by the perpetrator and those who think like him. A few months ago, Secretary of State John Kerry declared that ISIS is 'responsible for genocide' in Syria and Iraq, including Armenians as one of the groups under attack. As Armenians, we know the fear of being targeted and killed, as we were by the Ottoman Turks during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Azerbaijan starting in the late 1980s, and again by ISIS today. As we face these depraved acts of terror, the imperative of rising above and achieving victory over the perpetrators and their enablers is clear. While our heads are bowed in respect for the painful human loss, we will always stand in solidarity with Orlando."
