The following is a statement by Armenian Studies Chair holders and Armenian Studies Program and Center Directors in the United States
We have been following with great concern the war being waged against the Republics of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) and Armenia. We condemn the large-scale military offensive against the Republic of Artsakh by the Republic of Azerbaijan which began in the early morning hours of September 27, targeting civilian populations in the capital Stepanakert and other cities. We wish to express our full solidarity with the citizens and the governments of Artsakh and Armenia and support the inalienable right of self-determination for the people of Artsakh. This is the largest military assault since the ceasefire signed in 1994, and shows the reckless disregard of the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey for the peace efforts brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group. The involvement of the Republic of Turkey in the conflict is specially alarming given the Republic’s long history of anti-Armenian policies and persecution. Its aggressive involvement poses serious danger to the security of the entire region and to the physical existence of the Armenian people both in Artsakh and Armenia.
We believe that war and violence cannot take precedence over diplomatic negotiations that were under way for many years. We believe that working within OSCE Minsk Group framework is the only way to come to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We call on the international community to exert their influence on Azerbaijan and Turkey immediately to put an end their military activities and to stop the war.
Hakem Al-Rustom
Alex Manoogian Professor of Modern Armenian History
Assistant Professor of History and Anthropology
Department of History
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Sebouh David Aslanian
Professor of History
Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History, UCLA
Inaugural Director, the Armenian Studies Center at the Promise Armenian Institute
University of California, Los Angeles
Stephan H. Astourian
William Saroyan Director, Armenian Studies Program Associate Adjunct Professor,
Department of History
University of California, Berkeley
Melanie Tanielian
Associate Professor of History
Director, Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Kevork B. Bardakjian
Marie Manoogian Professor of Armenian Language & Literature
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Houri Berberian
Professor of History
Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies
Director of the Armenian Studies Program
University of California, Irvine
Peter Cowe
Narekatsi Chair of Armenian Studies Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
University of California, Los Angeles
Bedross Der Matossian President of the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS)
Associate Professor of History
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Barlow Der Mugrdechian
Berberian Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program
California State University, Fresno
Salpi Ghazarian
Director, USC Institute of Armenian Studies
USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
University of Southern California
Sergio La Porta
Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian Studies
California State University, Fresno
Marc A. Mamigonian
Director of Academic Affairs
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)
Belmont, MA
Christina Maranci
Arthur Dadian and Ara T. Oztemel Professor of Armenian Art
Tufts University
Ina Baghdiantz McCabe
Professor of History
Darakjian Jafarian Chair of Armenian History
Tufts University
Simon Payaslian
Charles K. and Elisabeth M. Kenosian Chair in Modern Armenian History and Literature
Department of History
Boston University
Ara Sanjian
Associate Professor of History
Director, Armenian Research Center
University of Michigan, Dearborn
Vahram Shemmassian
Director of the Armenian Studies Program
California State University, Northridge
1 – Azerbaijan Doesn’t Retrieve Its War Dead;
Continues Shelling Civilians in Artsakh
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Azerbaijan Violates Ceasefire Agreement, Targets Artsakh’s
Hadrut Region
3 – Over 100,000 Armenian Americans, allies join
‘Artsakh Under Attack: March for Victory’ in Los Angeles
4- Lebanese-Armenian opera singer Kevork Hadjian killed in Artsakh
5- Canadian-Armenian killed during Azerbaijan’s Attacks on Artsakh
6- LAUSD board adopts emergency resolution condemning
Azerbaijani aggression, adds day off to commemorate Armenian
Genocide
7- Armenia Continues Fighting Pandemic Amidst Artsakh War
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1 – Azerbaijan Doesn’t Retrieve Its War Dead;
Continues Shelling Civilians in Artsakh
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
Azerbaijan and Turkey kept insisting that they will not accept a
ceasefire until the Armenian armed forces vacate Artsakh. In other
words, they want to reoccupy Artsakh and eliminate the Armenian
presence there.
Turkey, an outsider, kept pouring fuel on the fire by stressing that
the war on Artsakh should not stop until Armenians return the land
back to Azerbaijan. However, as the Azeri and Jihadist terrorists’
losses mounted, Pres. Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan started softening his
stance by announcing last Friday that the “principles to settle the
Nagorno-Karabagh conflict, which had been put forward by the United
States, Russia and France, should form the basis for a settlement.”
That same day, at the invitation of Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia,
the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met for over
10 hours in Moscow and agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire starting on
Oct. 11, at 12 noon (local time), for the purposes of exchanging
prisoners of war and retrieving the bodies of dead soldiers. Under
Islamic law, a burial ceremony should be held within 24 hours of
someone’s death.
However, not surprisingly, Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan had no intention of abiding by the ceasefire. Azerbaijan
continued the shelling of civilian and military targets within few
minutes of the start of the ceasefire. Aliyev showed no respect for
the dead and their grieving families by refusing to make arrangements
to pick up the bodies of killed Azeri soldiers. He also showed no
respect for the strict Islamic burial time table as he is not a devout
Muslim.
The real reason Aliyev pretended to accept the ceasefire was to use it
as a cover to regroup its shattered armed forces and rush in new
military hardware from Israel. Meanwhile, Turkey continued to recruit
more terrorist mercenaries from Syria as they kept getting killed in
the field of battle.
The blatant Azeri and Turkish violations of the ceasefire should
finally wake up Pres. Putin from his slumber. The transfer of these
mercenaries to Azerbaijan is not only against the interests of Armenia
and Artsakh, but more importantly, against the national interests of
Russia. If Putin does not care about the killings of Armenians, he
should care about future acts of terrorism by the mercenaries who had
been fighting in Syria against the Russian forces. Armenia and Artsakh
are doing a big favor to Russia by eliminating hundreds of Islamist
Jihadists that were a menace in Syria and potentially in Russia. These
mercenaries could not fight well against Artsakh since they are not
trained soldiers, but are capable of committing suicide bombings and
blow up civilian targets in Russian cities.
Furthermore, Pres. Putin should feel embarrassed that a ceasefire he
had arranged between Armenia and Azerbaijan is being disrespected by
Aliyev and Erdogan. This may finally force Putin to take more decisive
measures against both Azerbaijan and Turkey. Otherwise, Russia’s own
prestige will go down the drain.
Russia also has to respect its commitment to the CSTO (Collective
Security Treaty Organization) with Armenia. It has to defend Armenia’s
borders since Azerbaijan has repeatedly shelled civilians inside
Armenia.
Even more concerned with these Islamist terrorists is Iran which has
been fighting them in Syria. To have thousands of terrorists on Iran’s
border is a serious security risk. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
has repeatedly warned Azerbaijan and Turkey about the transfer of
these mercenaries to areas next to the Iranian border. Rouhani even
spoke with Putin about this threat. If the danger persists, Iran may
be forced to take military action against these foreign terrorists to
defend its own borders.
One thing that remains puzzling is the polite and civilized reaction
of the Armenian forces in the battle. Azerbaijan has kept shelling the
civilian population of Stepanakert, Artsakh’s capital, on a daily
basis, causing dozens of deaths and injuries both before and after the
ceasefire. However, it is not understandable why the Armenian forces
refrain from shelling Azeri cities and villages in return. The only
exception was the Armenian shelling of the airport of Ganja (Gantsak)
in Azerbaijan where Azeri and Turkish air force jets are stationed.
Armenians have every right to respond to Azeri targets. This is war.
When the enemy does not respect international law and commits war
crimes repeatedly, Aliyev should understand that Armenians will hit
back until he stops targeting Armenian civilians. Even the historic
Cathedral of Ghazanchetsots in Shushi came under Azeri missile attack
causing major damage to this house of worship. Unless such barbaric
Azeri attacks cease, Armenia should hit back all Azeri targets,
particularly Azerbaijan’s oil pipeline.
I was very pleased that on October 11, a massive protest was organized
by the Armenian community of Los Angeles in front of the Turkish
Consulate.
Erdogan, the delirious leader of Turkey, should be pressured to stop
its continuation of the genocide against the Armenian people. Armenian
communities around the world should organize similar demonstrations
against Turkish Consulates and Embassies and demand that all
governments pressure Turkey to stop its involvement in the war and the
recruitment of terrorist mercenaries. The war has unified 10 million
Armenians worldwide who are ready to support their homeland against
the pan-Turkic onslaught which is far more sinister than the
coronavirus pandemic. Everything must be done to foil Erdogan’s
attempt to stick his nose in the Artsakh conflict. Contrary to the
Turkish Foreign Ministry’s announcement, Turkey should have no
involvement either at the war zone or at the negotiating table.
Just as importantly, protests must be held in front of Israeli
Consulates and Embassies in various countries as Israel has sold and
continuous to sell billions of dollars of lethal sophisticated drones
and missiles to Azerbaijan, killing and maiming hundreds of innocent
Armenian men, women and children. A statement circulated on Facebook
appropriately describes this insane situation: “The grandchildren of
genocide perpetrators are killing the grandchildren of genocide
survivors with weapons provided by the grandchildren of Holocaust
survivors!”
Last week, a group of prominent Israeli intellectuals issued a joint
statement calling on Israel “to cease immediately the sales of arms to
Azerbaijan… aimed mainly against a people that like the Jewish people
suffered genocidal attacks in the twentieth century. We call upon
other Israelis to raise their voice on this important issue.” I am
pleased that among the signatories are Professors Yair Auron, Israel
Charny and Michael Stone, who have always defended the truth of the
Armenian Genocide and called for its recognition by the Israeli
government.
Since the Russian government has failed to take decisive action
against Azerbaijan and Turkey, I suggest that protests be organized in
front of Russian Consulates and Embassies in various countries,
particularly in Yerevan and Moscow to let Pres. Putin know that his
inaction in this war is causing Armenians everywhere to lose their
sympathy for Russia and its government.
Finally, the governments of Artsakh and Armenia have urged everyone in
the world to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh.
This is a very sensitive subject with far reaching consequences.
However, given these tragic circumstances, Armenians have no choice
but to resort to such a measure, as a reaction to the Azeri and
Turkish attempts to annihilate the Armenians of Artsakh. The
recognition of Artsakh’s independence would be an adequate response to
Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s war crimes. However, the first step should
be the recognition of the Artsakh Republic by the Armenian government.
Otherwise, when Armenians approach foreign leaders, they will be told
why should they be the first to recognize Artsakh, since Armenia
itself has not!
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2- Azerbaijan Violates Ceasefire Agreement, Targets Artsakh’s
Hadrut Region
By Lillian Avedian
(The Armenian Weekly)—On Saturday, October 10, Azerbaijan failed to
hold its end of the bargain with Armenia, severely violating a
Russian-brokered humanitarian ceasefire by firing on civilian
settlements in the Republic of Artsakh throughout the day and staging
provocations along the Line of Contact.
Moments after the ceasefire agreement was announced by Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow overnight, Azerbaijan increased its
use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the southern direction of
the Line of Contact (LoC). Hostilities persisted along the LoC until
noon—the agreed-upon time of the ceasefire. Armenia’s Ministry of
Defense (MoD) representative Artsrun Hovhannisyan said the Azerbaijani
military suffered 200 casualties and the loss of three UAVs, four
armored vehicles and other small units. Artsakh’s military casualties,
officials say, reached 429 as of October 11.
Later, Armenian officials reported that Azerbaijan began conducting
drone strikes on the territory of Armenia proper, violating Armenian
airspace. The strikes were directed toward the communities of
Artsvanik and Yeritsvank near the town of Kapan in the province of
Syunik; these attacks lasted from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Armenian
officials say one civilian was killed and three wounded. No military
operations took place in the Syunik province after the commencement of
the ceasefire at noon.
Stepanakert was also a target during what was meant to prepare both
sides for a ceasefire as missiles were launched at the capital, as
well as the surrounding towns of Shushi and Martuni. Those attacks
continue tonight. “Baku uses the same style of war crimes by the very
last moment,” Artsakh Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan tweeted.
At 12:00 p.m., the Artsakh Defense Army, in accordance with the truce,
was ordered to cease fire so that they could carry out the
humanitarian purpose of exchanging prisoners of war and collecting
casualties. The Azerbaijani forces, however, ignored the ceasefire,
and at 12:05 p.m., launched an assault on a settlement known as
Karakhambeyli.
Artaskh’s Defense Army attempted to collect the bodies of its
casualties but was impeded by further provocations staged by the
Azerbaijani military along the LoC. In his evening press briefing,
Hovhannisyan asserted that the exchange of bodies will only take place
in the presence of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
moving forward in order to guarantee compliance with the ceasefire
agreement.
The morning of the ceasefire, small groups from the Azerbaijani
military’s diversionary positions attempted to infiltrate the town of
Hadrut in Artsakh. Operations to stop the incursion and halt the
shelling of Hadrut continued for several hours after the start of the
ceasefire. On Friday, President Ilham Aliyev declared that Hadrut had
been captured by Azerbaijan, but according to the MoD, this invasion
was staged one day later to validate Aliyev’s false claim. Two
civilians were killed in their home during the attack, one mother and
her son, who is said to have been disabled. The diversionary positions
were eventually neutralized by the Defense Army.
Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan visited Hadrut on Saturday and
confirmed that the town was under the supervision of the Defense Army.
“The fighting spirit of our boys is strong,” he said.
In a statement condemning Azerbaijan’s “perfidious violation” of the
humanitarian ceasefire agreement, Artsakh’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs also underscored the importance of recognizing the
independence of the Republic. “Azerbaijan’s actions have once again
demonstrated that it is a rogue state, which is not willing to fulfill
its obligations even for minutes,” the statement read. “The
recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh remains the
only way for the international community to stop the rogue state.”
Turkey, for its part, upheld that a humanitarian ceasefire cannot
replace a “lasting solution” for Azerbaijan to “reclaim its
territories under occupation.” “Turkey will continue to stand by
brotherly Azerbaijan on the ground and at the table,” read the
statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which also echoed
President Aliyev’s statements ahead of the Moscow truce talks that
this ceasefire was Armenia’s opportunity to “withdraw from the
territories it has occupied.”
It has been widely reported and asserted by world powers including
France that Turkey has been employing Syrian mercenaries to fight
alongside Azeri forces against Artsakh’s Defense Army. On Saturday,
the Armenian Unified Infocenter published two videos—both graphic in
nature—providing evidence of this claim. The first shows an
Arabic-speaking individual walking around a battlefield filming the
bodies of deceased Armenian soldiers. The second shows a group of
Arabic-speaking individuals firing ammunition in Artsakh.
The ICRC issued a statement on Saturday, October 10 welcoming the
agreement on the humanitarian ceasefire and affirming its role as a
neutral intermediary to facilitate the exchange of the remains of
those killed in action and of released detainees under the dictates of
international humanitarian law.
Overnight on Wednesday, October 7, Azerbaijani forces bombarded the
Holy Savior Cathedral, also known as Sourp Ghazanchetsots, the symbol
of the city of Shushi in Artsakh.
The Artsakh authorities released images of the heavy damages from the church.
Built around 1868 to 1887, the cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of
Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Standing at over 115 feet tall, this cathedral is an iconic landmark
of Shushi and Artsakh.
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3 – Over 100,000 Armenian Americans, allies join
‘Artsakh Under Attack: March for Victory’ in Los Angeles
Tens of thousands of Armenian Americans and their allies marched to
the Turkish consulate in Beverly Hills Sunday to decry the bloodshed
in Artsakh. The march began at 3 p.m. at Pan Pacific Park and
concluded at the Turkish Consulate in Beverly Hills.
Video showed the massive procession—“Artsakh Under Attack: March for
Victory”— make its way from the Fairfax area to Beverly Hills, with
demonstrators waving Armenian flags and raising signs, some of which
read “Armenia wants peace,” “Artsakh is Armenia” and “Turkey guilty of
war crimes.” In a sea of red, blue and orange, demonstrators flooded
Wilshire Boulevard in a passionate call for peace. LAPD’s Wilshire
station said it estimated over 100,000 people participated in the
peaceful march. A group of demonstrators also participated from their
vehicles, blocking a roadway in Beverly Hills with cars displaying
Armenian flags.
“We stand with our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh and the
diaspora in L.A.,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “We welcome
the ceasefire and it must be respected. We need our national
leadership to step up and help bring peace to the region. Turkey must
disengage.”
“In coming together today as a community, we’re hoping to demonstrate,
through this great show of solidarity, is the need for the
international community to act, the need for the international
community to condemn Azerbaijan and Turkey’s aggression and to
immediately place sanctions on Turkey and Azerbaijan and all military
assistance to those two countries,” Alex Galitsky of the Armenian
National Committee of America told KTLA as he stood among the
demonstrators.
Fighting broke out on Sept. 27 in Nagorno-Karabakh, or Artsakh.
Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a Russia-brokered cease-fire in
Nagorno-Karabakh starting Saturday, Oct. but immediately accused each
other of derailing the deal intended to end the worst outbreak of
hostilities in the separatist region in more than a quarter-century.
Turkey is offering strong political support to Azerbaijan, and
Armenian officials say Turkey is involved in the conflict and is
sending Syrian mercenaries to fight on Azerbaijan’s side. Turkey has
denied deploying combatants to the region, but a Syrian war monitor
and three Syria-based opposition activists have confirmed that Turkey
has sent hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters to fight in
Nagorno-Karabakh.
The violence has since prompted several protests in Los Angeles, home
to the largest population of Armenians outside the country itself.
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4- Lebanese-Armenian opera singer Kevork Hadjian killed in Artsakh
(Combined Sources)—Lebanese-Armenian opera singer Kevork Hadjian was
killed in fighting in Artsakh on Tuesday, October 6, Yerkir.am
reports.
Hadjian was a volunteer from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and
a member of the regiment that, alongside a Defense Army special-ops
team overran Azerbaijani positions on the height of Varangatagh
(Lulasaz).
The singer had repatriated to Armenia in 2005 with his wife and young
son. “My life is here. I have some land and a house. My wife and I
have become dual citizens. You can say that I have arrived home. I
should have made the move earlier, but I thank the Lord above that my
dream finally came true.”
In September 2018, Hadjian performed in the Artsakh border village of
Norashen in a program organized by the Artsakh office of the
Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society. On stage, the
Hadjian said that when he sings on the soil of Artsakh, he feels the
full power of every word in his lyrics. He said he is convinced again
and again that the future of the homeland starts with having developed
villages where villagers have opportunities to connect with the
Armenian culture. Hadjian also held concerts at two barracks in
Artsakh to inspire and support the Armenian soldiers. The songs
sounded “more authentic” in the soldiers’ presence, as they were
dedicated to them, Hadjian suggested. The barracks’ command gave the
singer a special certificate of gratitude for his support of the
Defense Army.
“Today I am very saddened to hear about the martyrdom of Deacon Kevork
Hadjian, a person that the New York community got to know and love
very much. Kevork was a graduate of the Armenian theological seminary
in Bikfaya, a place where we sang every morning about the flame of our
Christian faith and the love of our nation inspired us seminarians in
our journey serving the Armenian nation. These are the thoughts and
prayers that shaped someone like Kevork to leave behind his
comfortable life in the suburbs of Yerevan and enlist himself as a
volunteer in Artsakh where he became a martyr of the armenian nation,”
said Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of the St. Sarkis Armenian
Apostolic Church of Douglaston, New York. “Our thoughts and prayers
are with you our beloved Armenian sisters and brothers in Artstakh.
Our hearts are pierced with your pain. We are engaged in different
rallies, demonstrations, fundraising campaigns, seeking humanitarian
aid to support you. We know that whatever we do here is nothing
compared to the sacrifices you are making to protect our lands. And we
are praying for you constantly—asking the merciful Lord to protect and
guard the brave children of Armenia against the vicious strikes of the
enemy. Our people have suffered enough. I pray especially for the soul
of Kevork Hadjian, may he rest in peace.”
Born in Anjar, Lebanon, in 1971, Hadjian studied at the “Parsegh
Ganachian” musical institute of Lebanon’s Hamazkayin Armenian
Educational and Cultural Society and previously conducted the
children’s chorus of Anjar’s “Harach” college, which won first place
in the “Parsegh Ganachian” competition among 14 choruses of Armenian
schools. He performed with the “Shnorhali” Chorus of the Catholicosate
of the Great House of Cilicia, “Kousan” Chorus, “Gomidas” Chorus, and
“Fayha” Chorus of Tripoli, among others. He gave many concerts to
Armenian troops serving on the front lines in Artsakh and in Armenian
border towns. He also performed solo concerts in Lebanon, Syria,
Bulgaria, Kuwait, Armenia, Artsakh, Cyprus, Canada, and across the
United States. ************************************************************************************************************************************************
5- Canadian-Armenian killed during Azerbaijan’s Attacks on Artsakh
By Ben Cousins
TORONTO—A Canadian-Armenian has been killed in the growing conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the separatist region of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Krisdapor Artin, a Toronto native who moved to
Armenia in 2011, was killed while fighting for Armenia, the Armenian
National Committee of Canada (ANCC) confirmed to CTV News.
Artin had been working in the mining industry and owned a business in
Armenia before the conflict began. He lived with his family in Kapan,
a town in southeast Armenia close to the battlegrounds.
In a Facebook post, the ANCC described Artin as “an active member of
the Toronto Armenian community, before repatriating with his family.”
“Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” the post
continued. “May his soul Rest In Peace.”
Sevan Hajiartinian, a member of the Armenian Community Centre of
Toronto and a friend of Artin’s, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview
Wednesday that Artin died on Tuesday while volunteering on the front
lines of the conflict.
She described Artin as a “very humble, honest, loyal friend.”
“He volunteered in our community from the moment that he arrived
here,” she said. “He was a youth group leader. He was a member of the
organization. He was a mentor to all of the youth from age six and up
and everyone looked up to him.”
“He taught us the balance between being Canadian, Armenian and our
passion for the country we live in now and the importance of our
roots.”
Hajiartinian said that Artin had moved to Canada in the 1990s from
Lebanon “to have a better life with his family” and later moved to
Armenia for a temporary job, but found a passion for the country and
decided to stay.
“He felt that that is home for him and they built their future there,” she said.
According to a February 2020 article in TorontoHye, a news site
focusing on topics of interest for the Armenian community in Toronto,
Artin was also involved in chinchilla breeding and the fashion
industry in Armenia, and provided employment to dozens of people
through those ventures.
This article appeared in CTV News on October 7, 2020.
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6- LAUSD board adopts emergency resolution condemning
Azerbaijani aggression, adds day off to commemorate Armenian
Genocide
By Sareen Habeshian and
Ellina Abovian
In a move of solidarity with its students and employees, the Los
Angeles Unified School District Board of Education unanimously adopted
an emergency resolution Tuesday, condemning Azerbaijani aggression
against Armenia.
Los Angeles, home to the largest Armenian population outside of
Armenia, has seen a number of demonstrations in recent days after
Azerbaijan launched a military attack on Sept. 27 in the autonomous
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, also called Artsakh — a mountainous
region bordering Armenia and Azerbaijan.
LAUSD’s resolution, called “Standing with the Armenian People and the
Republic of Artsakh,” states that attacks launched by Azerbaijan’s
military are a direct threat not only to “the Armenian population that
has lived in Artsakh for millennia, but also to regional stability
fundamental to United States’ interests,” according to a press release
from the district.
The resolution comes after the biggest escalation in a decades-old
conflict over the autonomy of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is home to about
150,000 people — about 95% of whom are ethnic Armenians, according to
a 2015 census.
For the past week, the Armenian American community in L.A. has decried
the escalating violence overseas as a massacre against Armenians and
has been calling for international intervention. On Monday, elected
officials from the L.A. area also demanded U.S. action to halt
Azerbaijan’s attacks.
“Innocent Armenian civilians are dying as a result of this unprovoked
attack on their country by Azerbaijan,” said board member Scott
Schmerelson, who authored the resolution. “It is important for people
around the world to condemn the outrageous aggression.”
And, because Turkey intervened in the conflict, LAUSD board members
also called upon the California State Teachers Retirement Fund to
divest from “any and all holdings, debt securities, global equities
and currency investments by the Republic of Turkey for their
continuation of a campaign of genocide against the Armenian people.”
The board also unanimously voted Tuesday to add a new holiday to
school calendars to commemorate Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day on
April 24. Glendale Unified was the first school district in the
country to add the day off in 2016 as a day of remembrance for the 1.5
million Armenians killed at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.
“Our Armenian students are a single example of the immense diversity
that exists among our student body and we want to acknowledge the
significance of their history,” said board member George J. McKenna
III, one of many co-sponsors of the resolution.
Superintendent Austin Beutner added that the board recognizes and
remembers the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in hopes of helping to prevent
such an atrocity from happening again.
“This resolution reaffirms our commitment to teaching students about
the importance of human rights,” Beutner said.
Schmerelson said that the world must be stand with the Armenian people
as they are once again under attack.
“LA Unified has a robust curriculum on the Armenian Genocide and the
Jewish Holocaust,” he said. “I urge every Social Studies and English
teacher in our schools to be sure that they are teaching their
students this curriculum. We must never forget.”
This article appeared in KTLA 5 News October 7, 2020.
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7- Armenia Continues Fighting Pandemic Amidst Artsakh War
Armenia continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as Artsakh is under
attack by Azerbaijan. According to the Ministry of Health, there were
9,904 active coronavirus cases in Armenia as of Monday, October 5. The
Ministry has recorded 56,821 coronavirus cases and 1,026 deaths;
45,891 have recovered.
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Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan confirmed in a press briefing that Azerbaijan’s attempts to secure the southern town of Hadrut following the ceasefire announcement have so far not succeeded. The town is currently under Armenian control but intense fighting continues in the area and the Azerbaijani forces are not far.
Artak Beglaryan, Karabakh Human Rights Defender, noted that on the morning of October 10, Azerbaijani forces entered Hadrut for a period of time and killed two residents in a home, a mother and her disbled son.
“I condemn the ongoing atrocities committed by Azerbaijani forces against Karabakh’s population and I demand the international community to respond adequately to this issue and to pursue punishment for the perpetrators,” Beglaryan said.
Responding to a question about whether the Israeli government knows that its weapons are targeted towards civilians, the Karabakh President said that, “In April 2016 War, Israel had sent experts with the weapons so I am certain that the government of Israel is well aware.”
Armenia’s Ministry of Defense further noted that hostilities are also intensifying in Martakert and the whole southern region.
“The intensity of artillery fire has been calmer since the ceasefire announcement, but there is no decrease in use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Azerbaijan,” said Armenia’s Ministry of defense.
Armenian Prime Nikol Pashinyan echoed his calls for the recognition of Karakh’s independence.
“Artsakh [Karabakh] must become a symbol of justice. The world must recognize Artsakh’s right to self-determination. If governments are unable to do so, then recognition must come from individuals and organizations. This must become a global movement uniting individuals and organizations.”
On the Azerbaijani side, publicist Zabil Magerramov, a member of the Azerbaijany’s Talysh minority community, has told Civilnet that Azerbaijan intentionally sends individuals from national minority groups to the frontline, “which is part of Aliyev’s greater plan of attempting to get rid of the Talysh issue in Azerbaijan.”
Magerramov says that the Talysh community maintains strong neutrality in the ongoing war in Nagorno Karabakh.
“We support the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and have high hopes for Russia, which will make every effort to attain a peaceful and just settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he noted.
People in Nagorno-Karabakh take refuge in a bomb shelter. (AP)
STEPANAKERT: Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Saturday of breaching a fragile cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, minutes after it came into effect at noon.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said Armenian forces had carried out attacks on the frontline and shelled populated areas. “Armenia is blatantly violating the cease-fire regime,” the ministry said.
The Armenian Defense Ministry accused Azerbaijan of shelling a settlement inside Armenia, and ethnic Armenian forces in Karabakh said Azeri forces had launched a new offensive five minutes after the truce took hold.
Nevertheless, there was little sign of the level of violence that has killed hundreds since renewed fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh began on Sept. 27. The mountainous enclave is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but is populated and governed by ethnic Armenians.
The cease-fire followed 10 hours of talks in Moscow mediated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said the two sides were now trying to reach a political settlement, but that there would be further fighting. “We’ll go to the very end and get what rightfully belongs to us,” he said.
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said it was using all diplomatic channels to try to support the truce, and Nagorno-Karabakh’s Foreign Ministry accused Azerbaijan of using the talks as cover to prepare for more military action.
Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Russia would press for peace. “For Russia, the most important issues are the security of its borders from militants … and Turkey’s rising role in the region,” he said. “This means Moscow can’t walk away … and allow a war to rage.”
BROOKLYN — A protest has caused closures and delays on the Brooklyn Bridge, according to Notify NYC.
They say to “expect intermittent road closures, traffic delays and a heavy presence of emergency personnel near the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan,”
They add that drivers should consider alternate routes and allow for additional travel time.
Twitter users and Citizen app video have shown that there is a protest for peace in Armenia.
Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a Russia-brokered cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting Saturday according to the Associated Press, but immediately accused each other of derailing the deal intended to end the worst outbreak of hostilities in the separatist region in more than a quarter-century.
The latest outburst of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces began Sept. 27 and left hundreds of people dead in the biggest escalation since a separatist war there ended in 1994.
Nagorno-Karabakh lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida Armenians gathered to protest in downtown West Palm Beach on Saturday.
There is currently a temporary cease-fire in place between Armenia and Azerbajian.
The two sides have been fighting over a disputed region for the past two weeks.
The BBC reports more than 300 people have died in the latest fighting.
The parliament of the “unrecognized” Republic of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, has asked Armenia, Iran and Russia to establish an anti-Terrorism unit in the area for identification of international terrorists. As per reports, the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament has also called upon the three nations to condemn Azerbaijan’s alleged use of “terrorists”.
Nagorno-Karabakh has emerged as a bone of contention in the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan which killed nearly 300 people in less than two weeks. Last week, Russia sat down with the warring nations to mediate a truce. However, heavy shelling has been reported from Nagorno-Karabakh despite Armenia and Azerbaijan agreeing to a ceasefire.
“The National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic … calls on the authorities of Armenia, Russia and Iran to … establish a joint counter-terrorism coordination centre for determining and developing joint plans to neutralize international terrorists who have infiltrated the region and their military bases,” the statement read.
Armenia-Azerbaijan truce voilated
Last week, Russia sat down with the warring nations to mediate a truce. However, heavy shelling has been reported from Nagorno-Karabakh despite Armenia and Azerbaijan agreeing to a ceasefire.
According to reports, while an Azeri diplomat said that the truce was never enforced, the Armenian military accused opposing forces of shelling the area near Kapan. In response, Azerbaijan’s defense ministry rejected the claims and called it as “provocation”.
In addition, the Azerbaijani forces have accused Armenia of striking missiles in the Terter and Agdam regions and have said that Armenia attempted to launch offensives in the Agdere-Terter and Fizuli-Jabrail areas.
A violent conflict between the two nations started on September 27 and has since then resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people. The Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict has raised international concern about peace and stability in the South Caucasus. A full-fledged war could severely impact the international markets since Nagorno-Karabakh serves as a corridor for oil and gas pipelines from the Caspian Sea to world markets.
Read: Armenia, Azerbaijan Agree To ‘humanitarian Ceasefire’ Under Russia Brokered Deal
Read: Chile Armenians Protest Outside Azerbaijan Embassy
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Hundreds of Armenian Americans gathered at the Michigan State Capitol to protest the treatment of Armenians by Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Armenian American Allan Oganyan’s mother fled the war in the 1990′s and sought refuge in the United States.
“I want the killings to end and I want Armenia to feel safe,” said Oganyan. “That’s it, I just want the safety of my people. We shouldn’t have to worry every time we stand up and say, ‘Look at me, I’m Armenian.’”
Inna Mirzoyan is a student at Michigan State University. She explains why this should matter to Michiganders and the American people.
“While this isn’t something that folks think necessarily affects us locally, there’s communities like this one here and throughout Detroit and other parts of the U.S. where there’s larger Armenian communities that are really impactful to the American people and I feel like this is an opportunity for us to have a strong alliance with each other,” said Mirzoyan.
Marzoyan said she feels the U.S. should do more to help resolve the conflict.
“I feel like America could do more in terms of bringing awareness. A lot of coverage has been coming from Armenian Americans and we really ask that our allies to also speak up for us.”
Mirzoyan and Oganyan are among many people whose families fled the war 30 years ago. However, Edmond Azadian’s parents escaped the Armenian genocide of 1915.
“My mother was a survivor. There were 40 members in the family and they were sent to the deserts of Syria. By a miracle 4 people were saved,” explained Azadian. “If she didn’t survive, like the rest of the other families, I wouldn’t be here to protest. There are many people, if they were alive today, that would be here to protest against the second genocide.”