'Armenian orphan rug' displayed in Washington
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 19 November 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 'Armenian orphan rug' displayed in Washington, 19 November 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/548ea8d812.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 19, 2014
A rug woven by orphans of Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago has been displayed at the White House Visitor's Center.
The so-called "Armenian Orphan Rug" was presented to then-President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 but has mostly sat in storage since the Coolidge family returned it to the White House in 1982.
Armenian-Americans want the U.S. government to acknowledge that the deaths of their ancestors constituted a genocide.
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I.
But Turkey denies that the deaths were genocide.
Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said the rug is "a silent, beautiful rebuttal to those who deny the murder of a million and a half people."
Schiff was one of several members of Congress at the event on November 18.
Based on reporting by AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
