BOSTON, Mass.—The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Massachusetts met with Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) last month to discuss issues of concern for the Armenian community and to urge his support for legislation currently under consideration in Congress.
Steve Mesrobian and Dikran Kaligian of the ANC of Massachusetts and Republican activist Bob Semonian met with the Senator and asked that he consider introducing a Senate version of H.Res. 306, the Return of Church Properties Resolution, currently pending in the House. The resolution calls on Turkey to end religious discrimination and to return churches, schools, hospitals, and other religious properties that have been confiscated from the Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and other Christian communities in Turkey.
The ANC representatives also updated Brown on the status of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res. 304, and the possibilities of also introducing it in the Senate. Brown was a strong supporter of genocide recognition efforts when he was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate. “We appreciate Senator Brown’s support of genocide recognition and hope that he will take a high profile role in the Senate on Armenian American issues,” said Mesrobian.
The ANC thanked Brown for co-signing a letter to President Obama criticizing recent Turkish foreign policy decisions that undermine U.S. interests due to its confrontation with Israel. They also discussed the right of self-determination for the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh and including Turkey among the countries covered by a pending bill to establish a “Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom in the Near East and South Central Asia.”
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