CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
O Podamation
WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide commenced on April 24, 1915 during the Ottoman-era with the targeted arrest, exile, and murder of Armenian religious, civic and business leaders that subsequently spread throughout Anatolia; and WHEREAS, from 1915 to 1923 more than 1.5 million men, women, and children of Armenian descent, and hundreds of thousands of Assyrians, Greeks, and other Christians were massacred or marched to their deaths in a campaign of systemic extermination and deportation, constituting one of the most atrocious violations of human rights in the history of the world; and WHEREAS, Orange County is home to thriving Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek communities, many of which are survivors of the Armenian Genocide or their descendants; and
WHEREAS, in Costa Mesa, St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church is a religious and cultural center for Armenian-Americans living in Orange County which provides a place to gather, learn, worship and to celebrate Armenian history and heritage; and
WHEREAS, the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek communities continue to enrich Orange County through their leadership in business, academia, medicine, government, religion, and the arts; and
WHEREAS, the County of Orange, State of California, and United States have a proud history of recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, which was first officially recognized by the United States in a written statement to the International Court of Justice in 1951, and followed by United States Joint House Resolutions in 1975 and 1984, and by President Ronald Reagan's Presidential Proclamation in 1981; and
WHEREAS, April 24, 2022 commemorates the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and is recognized as a day of remembrance across the world.
CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
O Podlamation
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, I, John B. Stephens, Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa, hereby recognize the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance, and reject any efforts that would lead to the denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide. I encourage the public to understand the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the role the United States played in humanitarian relief efforts in the first half of the 20th century.
DATED this 19th day of April, 2022.
John B. Stephens, Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa