Author: Ara Felekian

The former President of Armenia visited a Flintshire library to pay respects to its founder, William Gladstone. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Dr Armen Sarkissian, who was President of Armenia from 2018 to 2022, visited Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden on May 22 to mark the Library’s Founder’s Day celebrations. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Dr Sarkissian and his delegation was hosted by the library team, led by Warden Andrea Russell, and Trustees of the library, including Patrick Derham, former headmaster of Westminster School and Charles Gladstone, a direct descendant of the Victorian statesman William Gladstone. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

During a one-hour talk, held in the library’s world-famous Reading Rooms, Dr Sarkissian thanked the library, which is a registered charity, for welcoming him, and emphasized the need for strong leaders like William Gladstone, four times British Prime Minister, and for learning spaces like Gladstone’s Library. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

He said: “It is a great privilege to be here for me. Gladstone is a special figure in Armenian history and for the millions of Armenians living worldwide. My grandmother was born in what was Western Armenia and she was one of the survivors of the Armenian genocide. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

“There were stories about her life during the massacres, and there were two distinguished names that came up in her stories, President Wilson of the United States and William Gladstone.” ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

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William Gladstone, he added, was respected by Armenians as he returned to the public eye in his twilight years to advocate against widespread attacks on the Armenian people, which took place in the Ottoman Empire in the late 1800s. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Gladstone died on May 19 1898, less than 20 years before the Armenian Genocide was carried out in 1915. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

The recent Founder’s Day event marks the 125th anniversary of Gladstone’s death. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Patrick Derham, chair of Trustees of Gladstone’s Library, said: “All of us who are privileged to have a connection with the Library are walking in the footsteps of history. We’re just trying to preserve something that is unique, that is very, very special for future generations.” ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Warden Andrea Russell said: “It was so good to share this day with so many people who are passionate about the Library – giving thanks for all that has been and looking forward to developing and widening the Library’s reach.” ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Among those invited to the event were Friends of the Library. As a charity, the Library has recently refreshed its Friends programme and is actively recruiting more supporters who share the Library’s vision to encourage and enable learning for all. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

To find out more about Gladstone’s Library, which has three silent Reading Rooms, 26 bedrooms and a restaurant, visit www.gladstoneslibrary.org. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

Warns that accepting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty could lead to ethnic/religious cleansing

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, June 1, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Christian Solidarity International (CSI) has written to the prime minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, urging him to reaffirm Armenia’s support for Nagorno Karabakh’s right to self-determination, as expressed in the OSCE Madrid Principles of 2007.

In his letter dated 1 June 2023, CSI International President Dr John Eibner warns that Prime Minister Pashinyan’s publicly declared readiness to recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Nagorno Karabakh could open the door to a new genocide of Armenians. This spring, Pashinyan has reiterated that he recognizes Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over the Armenian people of Nagorno Karabakh and their land.

Eibner recalled that in a joint statement issued on 2 November 2008, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia had declared that the final legal status of Nagorno Karabakh – a disputed region in the South Caucasus – would be decided by its population in a plebiscite.

This right to self-determination is also expressed in the OSCE Madrid Principles for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“Following your unilateral concession, Azerbaijan’s ultra-nationalist dictator established a military checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor and has renewed threats of violence against not only Nagorno Karabakh, but also against the Republic of Armenia itself,” Eibner wrote.

The Armenian Church has condemned Pashinyan’s acceptance of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno Karabakh “under the pretext of peace”, Eibner said, out of a fear that rather than peace this capitulation would lead to “a new genocide and depatriation” of the Armenian people in the region.

“Given Azerbaijan’s past and current use of force against the people of Nagorno Karabakh and against the Republic of Armenia, including extensive anti-Armenian Christian ethnic/religious cleansing and the process of anti-Armenian genocide since the end of the 19th century, the judgment of the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church carries with it the seal of prophetic authenticity,” Eibner said.

“CSI urges you to reaffirm Armenia’s commitment to work for the fulfilment of the Madrid Principles, including the right to self-determination for the population of Nagorno Karabakh, and to… pursue within the framework of the OSCE a comprehensive peace agreement with Azerbaijan…,” he concluded.
CSI has supported the people of Nagorno Karabakh’s right to self-determination and has provided humanitarian aid to victims of Azerbaijani aggression since the first Nagorno Karabakh war (1988-1994).

At the end of May, CSI launched a special campaign, The Cost of Silence, to highlight the growing threat of genocide facing Nagorno Karabakh’s Christian population.

CSI is an interconfessional Christian human rights organization, campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity.

Contact: Joel Veldkamp | [email protected]

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
[email protected]

Media Contact:

Jake Bournazian, Knights of Vartan

[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday,

New Video Highlights Parallels Between America 

& Artsakh Roads to Independence

If You Can’t Recognize a Genocide, You Can’t Stop It

…Why the USA Must Stop the Genocide Against Armenians in Artsakh

Washington DC  —   A new video is released on Azerbaijan’s invasion of Artsakh that highlights the parallels between America’s road to independence and the Republic of Artsakh’s struggle for independence. On December 12, 2022, the Republic of Azerbaijan sealed off all roads and blockaded all transportation into and out of the Republic of Artsakh (known as Nagorno-Karabakh during the Soviet era). The entire region is populated by indigenous ethnic Armenians, and they are cut off from food, medicine, water, and other hygienic necessities. Just like the colonial militias’ stand against the British in 1776, the Republic of Artsakh stands alone in its fight for independence.

“This short video raises awareness on the common struggle for freedom and independence between America and Artsakh by looking at the parallels in history from 250 years ago” said Jake Bournazian, spokesperson for the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, the organization responsible for producing the video. “America and the news media should know and understand the difference between a conflict and an invasion and help avoid the first genocide of the 21^st century.”

View Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54CBbcXAzgU

About the Knights and Daughters of Vartan

The Knights of Vartan Inc. is a fraternal leadership and service organization of Armenian men dedicated to safeguarding and perpetuating the Armenian heritage and cultural traditions. Its membership represents the spectrum of the leadership of the Armenian community. It was founded in 1916 in Philadelphia and is based in the United States with 22 local chapters which support Armenian causes around the world. For more information about the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, visit http://kofv.org.

America and Artsakh: A Lot More in Common than You Know