R 166
2015 -- H 5980
Enacted 03/25/2015

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N
CELEBRATING MARCH 25, 2015, AS THE 194TH ANNIVERSARY OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY

Introduced By: Representatives Mattiello, McNamara, Carson, Johnston, and Coughlin
Date Introduced: March 25, 2015

     WHEREAS, On March 25, 1821, the Feast Day of the Annunciation, the Greek nation
reclaimed its ancient heritage as the "Cradle of Democracy" by overthrowing the yoke of
oppression which had enslaved its people since the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Conquered by
the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century, Greece waged a successful War of Independence (1821-
1829) and re-instituted a democratic form of government; and
     WHEREAS, The people of the United States generously offered humanitarian assistance
to the Greek people during their struggle for independence; and
     WHEREAS, The price for Greece in holding onto our common values in their region was
high, as hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed in Greece during World War II; and
     WHEREAS, Greece is only one of three nations in the world, beyond the former British
Empire, that has been allied with the United States in every major international conflict in the last
100 years; and
     WHEREAS, The Government and people of Greece actively participate in peacekeeping
and peace-building operations conducted by international organizations, including the United
Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe, and have more recently provided critical support to the
operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Libya; and
     WHEREAS, Greece, located in a region where Christianity meets Islam and Judaism,
maintains excellent relations with Muslim nations and Israel and demonstrates religious
tolerance; and
     WHEREAS, Greece and the United States are at the forefront of the effort for freedom,
democracy, peace, stability, and human rights; and
     WHEREAS, Those and similar ideals have forged a close bond between Greece and the
United States and their peoples; and
     WHEREAS, In February of 2015, President Barack Obama expressed support for the
new Greek government; and
     WHEREAS, March 25, 2015, Greek Independence Day, marks the 194th anniversary of
the beginning of the revolution that freed the Greek people from the Ottoman Empire and
celebrates the aspirations for democracy and tolerance that the peoples of Greece and the United
States share; and
     WHEREAS, The Government of Greece has taken important steps in recent years to
further cross-cultural understanding, rapprochement, and cooperation in various fields with
Turkey, and has also improved its relations with other countries in the region, including Israel,
thus enhancing the stability of the wider region; and
     WHEREAS, It is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate this anniversary
with the Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which these two great
nations were born; now, therefore be it
     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations hereby celebrates March 25, 2015, as the 194th Anniversary of Greek
Independence, reaffirms Rhode Island's abiding commitment to the magnificent principles of
democracy and religious freedom, and urges Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and be it further
     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of
Cranston, the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church of Pawtucket, the St. Spyridon Greek
Orthodox Church of Newport, the members of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, and
Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Archdiocese of America.
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LC002239
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