Category: 2021

ANCA-WR Marks Anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Invasion of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)

Bedik Zaminian
Sept 25 2021
PRNewswire  
5:10pm   

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — September 27th marks the first anniversary of Azerbaijan’s unprovoked invasion of the Artsakh Republic (Nagorno-Karabakh), where for 44 days the region’s indigenous Armenian population were subject to a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing.

Armed with Turkish drones and illegal cluster munitions, Azerbaijani forces routinely bombarded civilian populations resulting in the destruction of schools, homes, medical facilities and cultural sites, displacing up to 100,000 people.

In areas seized during the course of Azerbaijan’s offensive campaign, captured Armenian servicemembers and civilians were subject to torture, mutilation and summary execution at the hands of Azerbaijani forces and foreign terror-linked militias deployed by Turkey – which provided military and logistical support to Azerbaijan during the course of the war.

Hundreds of prisoners of war and civilian captives remain in Azerbaijan’s illegal detention to this day, where they continue to face severe abuse and torture.

Both during and since the fighting, Armenian cultural heritage sites have been desecrated and destroyed, mirroring efforts by the Azerbaijani government to destroy any trace of Armenian civilization in other historically Armenian regions – including Nakhijevan, where the Azerbaijani government undertook the systematic erasure of up to 28,000 cultural monuments in the early 2000s.

Even after a trilateral statement – mediated by Russia – signed on November 10, 2020 put an end to active hostilities, Azerbaijan’s belligerency continued; as it sought to consolidate territorial gains, and encroach into the Republic of Armenia itself.

Today, it is estimated up to a thousand Azerbaijani troops remain entrenched illegally within parts of Armenia, where they have established checkpoints preventing the free transport of people and goods within the sovereign borders of Armenia.

Azerbaijan has also continued its policy of belligerency towards Armenia through its continued state-sponsored propagation of anti-Armenian racism (Armenophobia). The opening of a “War Trophy Park” in Baku displaying racist caricatures of Armenians being killed and taken hostage, the use of genocidal symbolism in state postage stamps depicting Artsakh being chemically cleansed, and the praise of Enver Pasha – one of the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide – at a victory parade following the war attest to Azerbaijan’s genocidal intent.

Despite widespread reports of Azerbaijan’s violations of international humanitarian law, the response of the international community to the brazen act of aggression has been nothing short of negligent.

Azerbaijan and Turkey have demonstrated through their ongoing persecution, dehumanization and aggression against the Armenian people that they are neither able nor willing to secure the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh – reinforcing the urgent need to ensure the right to self-determination by means of remedial secession for the Armenians of Artsakh is upheld.

For the Armenian people, Azerbaijan’s assault on Artsakh could not help but evoke the traumatic memory of the Armenian Genocide – as many feared Azerbaijan’s wanton targeting of civilian communities and hateful rhetoric heralded a continuation of that still-unpunished crime against humanity perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, its allies and its successors.

Azerbaijan’s conduct since the end of the war has not inspired confidence that a peaceful resolution to this crisis is on the horizon.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) calls on the United States to work with fellow co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – which oversees the mediation of the conflict resolution process – to ensure a long-term resolution to this crisis through a status-determination process for Artsakh, which remains the only means of protecting the fundamental human rights and ensuring the basic political, economic and cultural freedoms for the Armenians of Artsakh in the face of the ongoing existential threat represented by Azerbaijan.

 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anca-wr-marks-anniversary-of-azerbaijans-invasion-of-artsakh-nagorno-karabakh-301384984.html

SOURCE Armenian National Committee of America Western Region

Vandal smashes stained-glass windows of Armenian church

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
KSWO – ABC News
Sept 25 2021
Published: Sep. 25, 2021 at 8:25 PM GMT+3

VAN NUYS, Calif. (KCAL) – Security video from the St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in California shows a man walk up to the church at about 1:30 a.m. on Thursday with a bag, a bat and a purpose.

“A young man in his 20′s came, well-organized and you can tell it’s premeditated,” Shnork Demirjian, the church’s parish priest, said.

The man takes a moment to put on a mask and his hat again, then he begins to smash the stained-glass windows along one side of the church.

“Initially you feel surprised and then you realize what’s happening, the devastation and the damage,” Demirjian said. “We have to control our sentiments, but you still feel angry.”

After more than 20 strikes along the wall, the suspect shattered a total of eight windows.

Demirjian called police who are now investigating the incident as vandalism. However, Demirjian believes it’s a hate crime.

“By coincidence on Sept. 21, it was the celebration of the independence of Armenia,” he said. “I really believe that it’s against Armenians who happen to be Christians.”

This isn’t the first time a church in the area has been the target of vandals.

Back in April, someone angrily defaced a Virgin of Guadalupe mural at the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church with a sledgehammer.

“It’s against all people of all nations of religion because disrespect to one religion is a disrespect to other religions,” Demirijan said.

As for the man who damaged the priceless windows at St. Peter Armenian Church, Demirijian hopes his hate will be changed into love.

“Forgiveness, you’re going to receive forgiveness, but you have to pay for what you have done,” he said.

https://www.kswo.com/2021/09/25/vandal-smashes-stained-glass-windows-armenian-church/
Also at
https://www.wagmtv.com/video/2021/09/25/vandal-smashes-stained-glass-windows-armenian-church/
https://www.wafb.com/video/2021/09/25/vandal-smashes-stained-glass-windows-armenian-church/
https://www.wsaz.com/video/2021/09/25/vandal-smashes-stained-glass-windows-armenian-church/

Caught on camera: Suspect smashes stained glass windows at Armenian church

Adrine Hakobian
FOX 11 Los Angeles
Sept 24 2021

An investigation is underway after a suspect used a baseball bat to smash multiple stained glass windows at an Armenian church in Van Nuys, police said. It is being investigated as vandalism but the church community believes it should be considered a hate crime.

Watch the video at

https://www.foxla.com/video/982222

FOX 11 Los Angeles
Sept 24 2021

Police are investigating after St. Peter Armenian Church in Van Nuys was vandalized.

https://www.foxla.com/video/982226

FOX 11 Los Angeles
Sept 24 2021

LOS ANGELES – An investigation is underway after a suspect used a baseball bat to smash multiple stained-glass windows at an Armenian church in Van Nuys, police said. 

Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were called to Saint Peter Armenian Apostolic Church located at the intersection of Louis Avenue and Sherman Way at 1:30 a.m. Thursday. 

Police are investigating after St. Peter Armenian Church in Van Nuys was vandalized.

According to Fr. Shnork Demirjian, the incident occurred one day after the 30th anniversary of the independence of Armenia.

“When you destroy iconic images that represent religion or ethnicity that’s categorized as a hate crime. In our case, destroying the image of Jesus Christ on the stained glass should be undoubtedly considered a hate crime,” Fr. Demirjian stated. 

He says in total, eight stained-glass windows were blown out. A sign on the church of their neighboring property was also vandalized. 

Fr. Demirjian is calling the attack premeditated and deliberate.

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“I don’t have any doubt that this is a hate crime, and based off the video surveillance footage a premeditated and deliberate attack on the sanctuary and the a Christian faith. This is an Armenian church getting attacked, with mostly Armenian faithful worshippers. Armenians have become a target since the Artsakh/Karabagh war last September 2020,” he added. 

The suspect is described as a man in his 20’s dressed in black and masked, he was seen on camera with a black duffel bag and a baseball bat. 

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.

8 Stained Glass Windows Of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church In Lake Balboa Found Shattered By Masked Vandal

Hunanian Jack
CBS Local – Los Angeles
Sept 25 2021

By CBSLA Staff at 7:07 pm
Filed Under:KCAL 9, Lake Balboa, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in Lake Balboa is cleaning up Friday after a vandal broke eight of its sanctuary’s stained glass windows.

“A young man in his 20’s came well-organized and you can tell it’s premeditated,” said Father Shnork Demirjian of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in Van Nuys.

The church’s security video shows a man walking up with a bag, a bat and a purpose. He takes a moment to put on his mask and his hat again. Then he begins to smash the stained-glass windows along one side of the church.

“Initially, you feel surprised and then you realize what’s happening, the devastation and the damage. We have to control our sentiments, but you still feel angry,” the church priest said.

After more than 20 strikes to the church’s windows alongside Sherman Way, the suspect shattered a total of eight windows on Thursday at around 1:30 a.m. Shards of glass were left all over the floor and the window sills of the sanctuary. At least two protective outer windows were also shattered and destroyed. St. Peter’s officials say the vandal also damaged the sign of a neighboring church on the property.

Father Demirjian called the police who are no investigating the incident as vandalism, but Demirjian believes it’s a hate crime.

“By coincidence on September 21, it was the celebration of the independence of Armenia. I really believe that it’s against Armenians who happen to be Christians,” Demirjian said.

This isn’t the first time a Van Nuys church has been the target of vandals. In April, someone defaced a Virgin of Guadalupe mural at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church with a sledgehammer.

“It’s against all people of all nations of religion because disrespect to one religion is a disrespect to other religions,” said Demirjian.

As for the suspect that damaged the priceless windows at St. Peter Armenian Church, the priest hopes his hate will be changed into love.

“Forgiveness, you’re going to receive forgiveness, but you have to pay for what you have,” he said.

The Los Angeles Police Department said has stepped up patrols around the church and in the area and that anyone with information about the incident should contact LAPD’s West Valley Station.

Armenian church in Van Nuys believes vandalism was a hate crime

Emil Lazarian
Daily News
Sept 24 2021




A vandal broke stained-glass windows at St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in Van Nuys on Thursday, Sept 23, 2021. The windows, installed in 1966, depict the life of Jesus Christ. (Courtesy of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church)
By JONAH VALDEZ | [email protected] | San Gabriel Valley Tribune
PUBLISHED:  at 3:15 p.m. | UPDATED:  at 10:51 p.m.

While police continued their search for a vandal who broke eight stained-glass windows at St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in Van Nuys on Thursday morning, Sept. 23, the church’s head priest said Friday he believes his congregation was the victim of a hate crime.

Security camera footage reviewed by LAPD and church officials showed a masked individual dressed in black, armed with a baseball bat and carrying a black duffel bag, walking up to the outside of the church’s sanctuary at 17321 Sherman Way on Thursday around 1:30 a.m., said Shnork Demirjian, the church’s head priest.

The individual goes on to swing the bat at eight of the sanctuary’s stained-glass windows and then leaves, according to the church’s and police accounts. It was unclear what the individual carried inside the bag.

Later Thursday morning, Demirjian’s secretary arrived at the church. Before starting work, the secretary carried out his routine of saying a prayer in the sanctuary, Demirjian said. When he walked inside, the secretary discovered shards of glass scattered throughout the sanctuary and below the damaged windows.

  

The secretary immediately called Demirjian who then alerted other church officials and the police.

Without any written messages, LAPD officers told Demirjian they have little to establish a possible motive in the crime, the priest recalled.

At this stage in the investigation, police called the crime vandalism, but told Demirjian they will still pursue the possibility of a hate crime.

Demirjian said he feels the crime was an anti-Armenian attack, pointing to Armenian Independence Day, which was celebrated days before the incident on Sept. 21.

The timing also prompted Demirjian to recall a separate incident in which an arsonist set fire to an Armenian church and school in San Francisco on Sept. 21, 2020. That incident, which left the church badly damaged, was determined to be a hate crime. Suspect had also scrawled anti-Armenian messages at the church.

Demirjian also felt their Christian faith was a target, adding that the vandal chose specific stained-glass windows that depicted the life of Christ.

“My answer to (police) was if that person takes a baseball bat and shatters the icons of the saints and Christ, that in itself is a message, more than writing on the walls,” Demirjian said.

The LAPD detectives handling the case could not be reached for comment on Friday evening.

The church’s sanctuary, including the stained-glass windows, was built in 1966, according to the church’s Facebook page. The church described itself as “the backbone of this unique Armenian community” in the San Fernando Valley.

Since Thursday’s crime, the church has received an outpouring of donations and support from many in the community who have had ties to the church.

“They came with tears in their eyes, saying ‘I was baptized here, I was married here,’” Demirjian said. “A lot of history.”

On Friday, workers cleaned up the shattered glass and covered the broken windows with wooden boards. Church operations continued. A baptism ceremony was held at the sanctuary on Friday evening.

During Demirjian’s tenure, which began in 1991, he said the church has been victim to several burglaries and another vandalism incident where teenagers had painted satanic symbols throughout the building.

The church is still surveying the cost of the damaged windows.

Armenian calls for Tehran-Yerevan cooperation in oil and gas

Greg Madatian
Iran Front Page
Sept 25 2021
By

 IFP Editorial Staff

 –

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan have held talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

The Armenian foreign minister congratulated Amirabdollahian on his appointment as Iran’s top diplomat. He also described Iran-Armenia talks as “good and expanding”. 

Mirzoyan underlined the need for holding an Iran-Armenia joint commission as soon as possible. He also called for the two countries to start their cooperation in the oil and energy sector. 

Amirabdollahian also underscored the transit capacity between Iran and Armenia and described cooperation in the energy sector as an important component in economic relations. The Iranian foreign minister said the Islamic Republic is ready to host Armenia’s energy minister for a review of the related possibilities of the two countries.

Armenia – Prime Minister Addresses United Nations General Debate, 76th Session | #UNGA

Karagyozian Lena
Sept 25 2021



Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, addresses the general debate of the 76th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, date).

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.

The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

But one thing has stayed the same: it remains the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.

General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/

—————————————-

Watch this video in English: https://youtu.be/KCbabD8ohC8


Armenia Eyes Energy Cooperation with Iran

Chmshkian Vicken
Tasnim News Agency, Iran
Sept 25 2021
  • September, 25, 2021 – 10:25 
  • Politics news 

In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the need to launch cooperation with Iran in the oil industry and energy sector.

Hailing the close and growing relations between Yerevan and Tehran, he urged that Armenia-Iran Joint Commission should convene as early as possible.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described mutual cooperation in the energy sector as an important section of economic interaction between the two neighbors.

Tehran is ready to host Armenia’s energy minister to discuss the capacities for cooperation, he added.

In separate messages to Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on September 21, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed his administration’s willingness to boost relations with Armenia in various fields, saying closer mutual cooperation will fulfill the interests of the two neighbors and strengthen regional security and stability.

From French Chamonix to Armenia’s Dilijan: Third Armenian Summit of Minds to be held in October

Kanayan Tamar
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 25 2021
, 17:30

 1 minute read

Dilijan, Armenia, will host the third Armenian Summit of Minds October 23-24, the President’s Press Office reports.

The recent Summit of Minds traditionally held in Chamonix, France, brought together incumbent and former officials from different countries, well-known figures from political, economic, scientific, cultural and business circles, as well as heads of international think tanks. The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian participated in the summit.

The Summit of Minds is a unique platform for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience, the main goals of which are to present new ideas on key issues, to establish new partnerships through direct discussions.

This prestigious international conference, traditionally held in the French city of Chamonix, was hosted in June 2019 in Dilijan, Armenia. For the first time in its history, the summit was held outside Chamonix. An exceptional agreement on its organization was reached in September 2018, when the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian participated in the summit as keynote speaker.

The conference held in Dilijan was called Armenian Summit of Minds and has become a unique Armenian brand.

Back in 2019, Chamonix expressed a desire to establish deeper friendly relations with Dilijan. Chamonix is a classic example of how a small town can be so successful. Smaller than Dilijan, with a population of less than 10,000, Chamonix receives 5 million tourists a year, from skiing enthusiasts to cultural and conference visits.

Both Chamonix and Dilijan have wonderful nature, clean air, ecologically clean environment. With a clear vision of development, strategy and program, Dilijan also has all the opportunities to become a tourist center, cultural, intellectual, tourist city. The friendship between Chamonix and Dilijan will bring to Armenia not only thoughts and ideas, but also experience, business relations, international partnership.

President Armen Sarkissian invited the participants of the Chamonix discussions to the Third Armenian Summit of Minds scheduled for October 23-24 in Dilijan, which is a unique opportunity to present Armenia’s potential, develop new areas of cooperation and establish business ties.