In her latest appeal to the government — after successfully getting Donald Trump to commute the sentence of Alice Johnson — she’s trying to get the US to use its immense power to ensure there will never be a repeat of the Armenian Genocide.
As followers of history should know, the Armenian people suffered a massacre at the hands of their neighbors in the Ottoman Empire, in present-day Turkey, early in the 20th century. According to a new open letter penned by the Kardashians star and Dr. Eric Esrailian for Rolling Stone, Armenians all over the world are worried it could happen again.
In the piece released on Friday, the reality TV star warns that a land dispute and border blockade occurring with Armenia’s other neighbor, Azerbaijan, could soon lead to more strife and bloodshed.
The blockade centers on the breakaway region of Artsakh. There, per Kim’s letter, “indigenous Christian Armenians” are hemmed in by Azerbaijan and its 99% Muslim population on all sides. These Artsakh residents are being forced to go through checkpoints when going out of their region to Armenia and elsewhere. Plus, with the war between Russia and Ukraine, many countries in that region of West Asia and beyond are relying on Azerbaijan for oil. That economic push is worrying Armenians, as the Azerbaijanis may push the Christian Armenian population out of the region entirely — or worse.
The open letter from the SKIMS founder notes that one ceasefire agreement reached after a 2020 conflict has thus far not been upheld. Further, they demand Biden and other government officials — both in the United States and around the world — cut off foreign aid to Azerbaijan and boycott international events that are scheduled in that country.
Kim and Dr. Esrailian write:
“The collective silence or inaction by individuals, governments, and governmental organizations like the United Nations and European Union has perpetuated the crisis. Every passing day puts more lives in danger. American taxpayer dollars are now facilitating and enabling this behavior by providing foreign aid to an oil-rich nation. Through economic sanctions, cutting off foreign aid to Azerbaijan, boycotting international events in Azerbaijan (such as concerts and sporting events like soccer and Formula 1), and through proceedings in international courts, we can collectively achieve results, but this process has been too slow and time is running out. As citizens, we are appealing to leaders such as President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and their colleagues to take a stand immediately. They must pressure Azerbaijan to open the corridor without preconditions.”
Kim and the doctor go on to note they would continue to sound an alarm until action is taken:
“We are just two people. We have been working behind the scenes to support our Armenian brothers and sisters, but this diplomatic approach has not yielded meaningful results. This crisis will clearly not be remedied by individuals, but we will continue to do what we can to use whatever influence we have. We are not politicians or government leaders, and despite our own diplomatic efforts, this humanitarian crisis has persisted with no clear end in sight — except for the potential for ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population. We will continue to use our voices to amplify the truth.”
And they conclude by begging for help so the people of Artsakh may “live in peace” free from fear of genocide:
“The people in Artsakh want to live in peace. Now is the time for true leadership. We need for those who have a meaningful role in these affairs to immediately demand that the Lachin Corridor is opened to stop another genocide. We want to draw more attention to the crisis and appeal to those in our own government who truly care about humanity to intervene. The United States has the ability to mobilize a response. Leaders who are effective and help our people will be remembered for their heroism. Even if well-meaning, the ones who are inert and ineffective will be remembered for allowing a genocide to take place under their watch. The choice is theirs.”
The entire open letter dives into far greater detail about the situation ongoing in Artsakh. You can read the full thing HERE.
[Image via Nicky Nelson/MEGA/WENN]
