Statement: ARF Eastern US Condemns Attempts to Change Anthem

CHICAGO, Ill.—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Eastern United States released the following statement on February 24 following the 121st Regional Convention.

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The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Eastern United States 121st Regional Convention is deeply troubled that several members of the Armenian National Assembly’s majority party, headed by the Parliament’s Vice-President, have over-stepped their mandate and are using extra-parliamentary social media and other platforms to change the Armenian national anthem.

We condemn any attempt to discredit our national values and state symbols and emphatically affirm that this discussion about changing state symbols has no legal basis. Our state symbols, which were created thanks to the sacrifices of those who were martyred for the establishment of our nationhood, are non-negotiable.

The newly elected authorities in our Homeland face serious challenges—we demand that they abstain from diverting attention to artificial agendas and concentrate on finding solutions to the vital problems of the Homeland and the Armenian people.