System Of A Down rally for genocide

System Of A Down is holding a noon rally on Tuesday, September 27th, at the Batavia, Illinois office of US Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, one hour from downtown Chicago, to ask him to allow a vote on pending Armenian Genocide legislation in the full US House of Representatives. If passed, the legislation will officially recognize the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 at the hands of Turkey. The band has invited their fans to join them at the rally and email Speaker Hastert on the issue.

All four members of System Of A Down lost family members in the genocide and the band has done a number of things, including its annual Souls benefit concert, to increase awareness of the issue. Bassist Shavo Odadjian told us that he believes the group is making headway:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "I think we are. Every time someone asks me a question about it, I think we've gotten a step closer. It's just the fact that it makes news, and people talk about it, and it becomes an issue that it actually did occur. That's our biggest issue with it, that they still don't admit to it occurring."

SOAD will also be joined at the rally by members of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the Armenian Youth Federation and Axis of Justice, the activist organization founded by System singer Serj Tankian and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello.

The House International Relations Committee overwhelmingly approved legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide on September 15th, despite objections from both Turkey and the Bush Administration. Speaker Hastert has twice prevented the legislation from coming to a vote in the full U.S. House of Representatives, despite voicing his support for it in 2000.

SOAD play on Wednesday, September 28th, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The band's second album of 2005, titled Hypnotize, arrives on November 22nd.
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