Category: 2023

Pakistan Today

April 1 2023

By Hilal Ahmad

Experts at the Summit-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group in Baku, Azerbaijan discussed whether Karabakh model was the only way to liberate Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir from foreign occupation.

Azerbaijan is a symbol of resilience against foreign aggression and it has succeeded in liberating the Karabakh region under the valiant leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. During the second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020, Azerbaijan succeeded in liberating its territories. The war lasted over a month and resulted in Azerbaijan’s victory against the Armenia.

Under the visionary leadership of incumbent President Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijan has achieved tremendous success at the national and international levels. The Republic of Azerbaijan became member of the NAM on May 26, 2011 with the unanimous support of the member states. NAM was established in 1961 and is the largest group of states outside the United Nations.

NAM Summit in Baku on March 02, 2023 provided an important platform for member states to come together and discuss the world’s challenges in the post-pandemic era. During the Summit, President Iham Aliyev highlighted NAM’s contributions to the pandemic response, specifically focusing on developing a database for the pandemic needs of NAM member states.

The meeting was attended by almost 70 heads of states and government representatives including important international organizations. The event was widely covered by local and international media. Journalists belonging to different countries and regions of the world physically covered the Baku moot. After the conclusion of NAM summit, a group of foreign journalists visited the liberated areas of Karabakh.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have maintained close relations after forming diplomatic relations. Both the countries have closely worked in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence and Pakistan was the second country to recognize its liberation.

Moreover, Pakistan had always supported Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia at all international forums. Pakistan is the only country in the world which does not recognize Armenia. In April 1993, a meeting of the United Nations Security Council led by Pakistan was held which unanimously adopted a resolution concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

At the same time, Azerbaijan supports Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir dispute. Azerbaijan had always urged on the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. As per stance of the Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, guided by its commitments undertaken upon joining the UN, Azerbaijan always supports and stands for implementation of norms and principles of international law and UN Security Council resolutions in settlement of conflicts and maintenance of international peace and security.

This is the firm and principled position of Azerbaijan. Keeping in view this stance, Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council. It is worth to mention that Azerbaijan is also the member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.

On the invitation of Azeri government, a group of Journalists from across the globe including Pakistan attended the NAM summit in Baku and other places in the first week of March. The media representatives of many countries visited Azerbaijan for the coverage of Summit-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Baku and Karabakh region from 02 March to 05 March 2023.

Azerbaijan is presently carrying out the reconstruction process on large scale in the war-torn areas of Nagorno-Karabakh region. The foreign media persons visited different areas which were liberated by Azerbaijan in 2020 from the occupation of Armenia. The Azeri government is also engaged in rehabilitation process in Aghdam, Fazuli Shusha and other liberated areas.

During their visit to Aghdam, journalists also witnessed the ongoing development process in the liberated areas and inspected the civic facilities, religious, cultural and historical monuments destroyed during the occupation, including the Imaret complex, the Alley of Martyrs and the Drama Theater. The delegation of journalists later left for Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan and stayed there for night.

Foreign journalists, who arrived in Azerbaijan to cover the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement’s Contact Group in response to COVID-19, on March 04, visited the places hit by missiles fired by Armenians in Ganja city. Media delegation visited Victory Park in Ganja.

They were briefed by the local authorities that the Armenian Armed Forces deliberately fired on the Azerbaijani civilians and settlements by using heavy artillery. As a result, 26 people were killed in Ganja, including children, women and the elderly people while as 175 people were injured besides many civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged. Later the journalists departed to Fuzuli city.

The author is a journalist from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir but now based in Islamabad. He could be reached at 

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/04/01/why-karabakh-model-only-way-to-resolve-kashmir/

April 1 2023

Leaflets depicting anti-Armenian sentiment were found near an Armenian church in Glendale on Friday morning. The city’s mayor, Ardy Kassakhian, called the postings “ruthless and intolerable”.

The leaflets, found taped to light poles near St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church, contained messages denying the Armenian Genocide but claiming that Israel “fully supports” its completion. They pointed to Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has turned into a humanitarian crisis.

The region is mainly populated by ethnic Armenians but is within Azerbaijan; Critics say the blockade has cut off the nation’s access to food and medicine.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-04-01/anti-armenian-fliers-posted-near-armenian-church-glendale

April 1 2023

Officials in Glendale have condemned anti-Armenian Flyers found posted on light poles near St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church and in other areas of the city.

Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian and other officials held a news conference Friday at Glendale City Hall to discuss the discovery of the flyers, which contained language denying the Armenian Genocide and minimizing the suffering of the Armenian people.

“As mayor of Glendale, I’m very disturbed and upset that speech inciting violence against Armenians has visited our city by way of individuals vandalizing our city with hate-filled flyers,” Kassakhian said in a statement. “Our police are taking this issue seriously and will be investigating this as a hate crime. I speak for our residents and our council when I say that Glendale is not a place for hate speech against Armenians or any other group.”

The Armenian National Committee of America Glendale Chapter also denounced the flyers.

“We are extremely concerned by the dissemination of these appalling anti-Armenian flyers in Glendale calling for the continuation of the Armenian Genocide,” ANCA Glendale Chapter Chair Lucy Petrosian said in a statement.

“We are currently working with the Glendale Police Department to ensure this act of hate is investigated, and the perpetrators are brought to justice. This is yet another tragic reminder of how the incitement and institutionalization of anti-Armenian hate by the Azerbaijani government has threatened Armenian lives not only in Artsakh and Armenia, but across the diaspora,” Petrosian said.

“As we approach the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, these hate flyers are a stark reminder that we must remain vigilant against the forces of discrimination, hatred and genocide denial,” Petrosian said. “Promoting the continuation of such atrocities is not only morally repugnant — it also constitutes a direct threat to our community’s safety and well-being.”

The flyers, which were distributed in the heart of the Armenian-American community of Glendale, promoted the “completion of the Armenian Genocide,” according to ANCA.

The incident comes months after similar flyers calling on Turkey and Azerbaijan to “wipe Armenia off the map” were distributed in Beverly Hills prior to a demonstration by the Armenian Youth Federation in protest of Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh, which has deprived the region’s 120,000 Armenians of access to food, fuel, medicine and other vital supplies for more than 100 days, ANCA said.

“The Glendale Police Department and I stand with the entire Glendale community against all incidents of hate,” Glendale police Chief Manuel Cid said in a statement. “We will use all the resources available to us to fully investigate any criminal acts associated with this incident while we work in collaboration with our community leaders moving forward.”

GLENDALE, Calif. - Anti-Armenian flyers, promoting the completion of the Armenian Genocide, were spotted in Glendale Friday. 

The flyers were posted on light poles near St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church and other areas of the city. Glendale police say a passerby saw the disturbing flyers and called police to report it. 

"As mayor of Glendale, I'm very disturbed and upset that speech inciting violence against Armenians has visited our city by way of individuals vandalizing our city with hate-filled flyers," Mayor Ardy Kassakhian said in a statement. "Our police are taking this issue seriously and will be investigating this as a hate crime. I speak for our residents and our council when I say that Glendale is not a place for hate speech against Armenians or any other group."

The flyer read "NEVER AGAIN does not apply to GOYIM (Armenia) Israel FULLY SUPPORTS our Azeri-Turk Brothers to complete Armenian Genocide." 

Police are canvassing the area and looking at surveillance video to see who is responsible. 

"So far we do have a surveillance footage of a subject, unfortunately unidentifiable, but he is dressed in all black, carrying a satchel with what appears to be more flyers in his satchel," said police captain Robert William. Police said they found at least 11 flyers posted throughout the city Friday morning. 

Similar anti-Armenian flyers were posted in Beverly Hills in January. 

The Armenian National Committee Glendale Chapter condemned the hate incident and said the incident in Glendale and Beverly Hills showcases a troubling trend of anti-Armenian sentiment and rise in hate crimes. 

"As an organization dedicated to the well-being and advancement of the Armenian-American community, we are deeply disturbed by these hateful acts, and we call on local authorities to thoroughly investigate these incidents and hold the perpetrators accountable," the ANCA wrote in a post online. 

On April 24, 1915, 1.5 million Armenians were massacred at the hands of the Ottoman Empire (modern day Turkey). To this day Turkey and their ally, Azerbaijan, deny the genocide. 

In September of 2020, Azerbaijan launched a full scale war on the Republic of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh). Artsakh is occupied by indigenous Armenians and has been under a blockade by Azerbaijan for over 100 days. The Lachin Corridor has been closed by Azerbaijan since December 12, limiting Artsakh's access to food and medical care. During the blockade, Azerbaijan cut off power to Artsakh, leaving residents without heat in the freezing cold winter. It is the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia and the rest of the world. 

RELATED: 

• US political leaders call for end on Azerbaijani blockade as situation in Artsakh intensifies
• World remains silent as Native Armenians face another humanitarian crisis

Since the war began in 2020, Azerbaijan, with support from Turkey, have been accused of ethnic cleansing. 

In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first US president to formally recognize the genocide.  

The flyers were posted just a day before the start of Armenian History Month. Glendale and Los Angeles have the largest population of Armenians outside of the country itself. 

https://www.foxla.com/news/anti-armenian-flyers-glendale.amp 

WATCH the video report at

https://news.yahoo.com/anti-armenian-flyers-promoting-completion-010914462.html

https://news.yahoo.com/glendale-pd-investigating-anti-armenian-050938494.html

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) – The discovery of anti-Armenian flyers posted outside St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale prompted a condemnation by city officials Friday.

"Unfortunately, anti-Armenian hate and racism is alive and well, and my community continues to be targeted, harassed and traumatized by these acts that have been taking place across the country," Glendale city clerk Suzie Abajian said.

Eleven flyers were found, with one that called for Azerbaijan and Turkey to "complete Armenian Genocide."

The flyer claims to be from supporters of Israel, includes Hebrew, and is signed from a rabbi. The Glendale Police Department, however, said it has no reason to believe the Jewish community has any connection to the flyers.

"The Glendale Police Department and I stand with the entire Glendale community against all incidents of hate," Glendale police Chief Manuel Cid said in a statement. "We will use all the resources available to us to fully investigate any criminal acts associated with this incident while we work in collaboration with our community leaders moving forward."

Glendale police Capt. Robert William said during a Friday afternoon news conference that a similar incident happened in Beverly Hills.

Glendale is home to the largest Armenian American population in the U.S. The Armenian community says they're angry and scared.

"The threat of genocide is not protected speech, but a threat of violence that should be addressed appropriately," Abajian said. "I do not feel safe walking on the streets of our city with the knowledge that some people would like to see Armenians erased from the face of the planet."

Glendale police say surveillance video they reviewed showed a person holding a satchel filled with the flyers, and they believe there could be more around the city.

City News Service contributed to this report.

https://abc7.com/glendale-anti-armenian-flyers-police-investigation-racism/13062080/

Watch the video report at 

A number of fliers containing hateful speech regarding the Armenian Genocide were found posted near a church in Glendale Friday morning, prompting widespread outrage from the community. 

The fliers, which were found on light poles near St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale, contained language denying the genocide of Armenian people during World War I.

In response to the discovery of the fliers, Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian issued a statement denouncing the hateful act. 

"As mayor of Glendale, I'm very disturbed and upset that speech inciting violence against Armenians has visited our city by way of individuals vandalizing our city with hate-filled flyers," the statement said. "Our police are taking this issue seriously and will be investigating this as a hate crime. I speak for our residents and our council when I say that Glendale is not a place for hate speech against Armenians or any other group."

An image of one flyer showed that the posters were calling for the "completion of the Armenian Genocide."

The flyers are similar to those posted months ago in Beverly Hills, which called on Turkey and Azerbaijan to "wipe Armenia off the map," prior to a scheduled demonstration by the Armenian Youth Federation in the area, in which they were protesting Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh, which has deprived the region of access to food, fuel, medicine and other supplies for an extensive period of time, according to the Armenian National Committee of America, Glendale Chapter. 

"We are extremely concerned by the dissemination of these appalling anti-Armenian flyers in Glendale calling for the continuation of the Armenian Genocide," said ACNA Glendale Chapter Chair Lucy Petrosian in a statement. "We are currently working with the Glendale Police Department to ensure this act of hate is investigated, and the perpetrators are brought to justice. This is yet another tragic reminder of how the incitement and institutionalization of anti-Armenian hate by the Azerbaijani government has threatened Armenian lives no only in Artsakh and Armenia, but across the diaspora."

Glendale police Chief Manuel Cid offered support for the community in a statement following the discovery of the flyers. 

"We will use all the resources available to use to fully investigate any criminal acts associated with this incident while we work in collaboration with our community leaders moving forward," he said. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangeles/news/flyers-denying-armenian-genocide-found-in-glendale/

Watch the video report at 

April 1 2023

March 31 2023

Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian and other officials planned a Friday afternoon news conference at Glendale City Hall to discuss the discovery of the flyers, which contained language denying the Armenian Genocide and minimizing the suffering of the Armenian people.

"As mayor of Glendale, I'm very disturbed and upset that speech inciting violence against Armenians has visited our city by way of individuals vandalizing our city with hate-filled flyers," Kassakhian said in a statement. "Our police are taking this issue seriously and will be investigating this as a hate crime. I speak for our residents and our council when I say that Glendale is not a place for hate speech against Armenians or any other group."

The Armenian National Committee of America Glendale Chapter also denounced the flyers.

"We are extremely concerned by the dissemination of these appalling anti-Armenian flyers in Glendale calling for the continuation of the Armenian Genocide," ANCA Glendale Chapter Chair Lucy Petrosian said in a statement.

"We are currently working with the Glendale Police Department to ensure this act of hate is investigated, and the perpetrators are brought to justice. This is yet another tragic reminder of how the incitement and institutionalization of anti-Armenian hate by the Azerbaijani government has threatened Armenian lives not only in Artsakh and Armenia, but across the diaspora," Petrosian said.

"As we approach the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, these hate flyers are a stark reminder that we must remain vigilant against the forces of discrimination, hatred and genocide denial," Petrosian said. "Promoting the continuation of such atrocities is not only morally repugnant — it also constitutes a direct threat to our community's safety and well- being."

The flyers, which were distributed in the heart of the Armenian- American community of Glendale, promoted the "completion of the Armenian Genocide," according to ANCA.

The incident comes months after similar flyers calling on Turkey and Azerbaijan to "wipe Armenia off the map" were distributed in Beverly Hills prior to a demonstration by the Armenian Youth Federation in protest of Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh, which has deprived the region's 120,000 Armenians of access to food, fuel, medicine and other vital supplies for more than 100 days, ANCA said.

"The Glendale Police Department and I stand with the entire Glendale community against all incidents of hate," Glendale police Chief Manuel Cid said in a statement. "We will use all the resources available to us to fully investigate any criminal acts associated with this incident while we work in collaboration with our community leaders moving forward."

City News Service