David Boyajian, writing for Armenian Americans for Human Rights (AAHR), has issued another press release about the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh). In a prefatory note, he says:
AAHR respectfully encourages readers — wherever they live — to ask the USCIRF to condemn aggression against Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) by Azerbaijan, Turkey, and terrorists, and to ask all countries to cease supplying weapons to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Please also ask USCIRF to relay its statement to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
You may use the two USCIRF email addresses below (and request that your message be forwarded to all USCIRF Commissioners and Staff):
media@uscirf.gov
esingshinsuk@uscirf.gov (Ms. Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director)
October 12, 2020
Armenian Americans for Human Rights (AAHR) Asks the Official United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in Washington, DC to Condemn Azerbaijan’s Aggression Against Armenians
AAHR sent the following letter on October 9, 2020 to the USCIRF’s Commissioners and Staff.
Dear USCIRF Chair Manchin, Vice-Chairs Perkins and Bhargava, Honorable Commissioners, and Staff:
I am the Chair of the Armenian Americans for Human Rights (AAHR).
Armenian Americans, Armenia, and the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) have not characterized the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan as religious in nature.
However, given the deliberate attack (September 27, 2020) by Azerbaijan, Turkey (using Turkish military personnel and American-supplied F-16s), and their explicitly anti-Christian jihadi/terrorist allies, those parties clearly intend religion to be a major factor in their war against Armenians.
- Jihadis/terrorists have come from Syria and elsewhere specifically to attack Christian Armenians. ISIS is also present.
This is no surprise. Azerbaijan used mujahedin and similar jihadists against Armenians in the early 1990s.
- On October 8, 2020, Azerbaijan deliberately targeted and severely damaged the well-known Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, Artsakh.
- Over the years, Azerbaijan’s army used pickaxes and dump trucks to destroy the 9th century Armenian Christian cemetery in the Azerbaijani territory of Nakhichevan (formerly Armenian, but cleansed of Armenians over the course of the 20th century). Please see this live video, “New Tears of the Araxes”.
Given the above, AAHR finds it perplexing that USCIRF has apparently issued no statement condemning the current religiously-motivated attacks on Armenia and Artsakh.
AAHR is aware that USCIRF has in the past criticized human rights and religious discrimination in Azerbaijan. That is not the point. Instead, we are directing your attention principally to the war that began on September 27.
AAHR notes that USCIRF Commissioners have spoken about jihadist attacks on Christians in the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts. Why USCIRF has not spoken about the jihadist attacks on Armenia and Artsakh now is inexplicable, or perhaps USCIRF has decided to play politics in this instance. I don’t need to go into details.
AAHR hopes that Commissioner Rev. Johnnie Moore Is not again trying to squelch criticism of Azerbaijan.
Rev. Moore is now defaming Armenia in the international press using such non-sequiturs as Armenia’s relations with Iran.
The fact is that Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s trade and other relations with Iran are vastly greater than Armenia’s.
Moore is now also unfairly tarring Armenia using the Russian bogeyman. Who else would Armenia find a measure of security with — genocidal Turkey?
Some USCIRF Commissioners also have their own strongly Christian organizations.
It is possible that I missed it, but I have seen nothing — not even news — on some of their websites about the attacks on Armenia and Artsakh.
This contrasts with these Christian organizations’ frequently speaking out against jihadist/terrorist attacks in the Syrian and other conflicts. For some reason, Armenians now deserve hardly a mention. Again, no need to go into the motives.
I won’t belabor things. AAHR’s intention is to inform and encourage.
The USCIRF needs to speak up.
The credibility of the USCIRF and its Commissioners is a valuable commodity that should be guided by truth and principle.
Sincerely,
David Boyajian
Chair, AAHR
aahumanrights@yahoo.com
David Boyajian is an Armenian-American freelance journalist. Many of his articles are archived at www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/David_Boyajian.
Previous posts by David Boyajian:
In Russia, everything is more interesting and wonderful. Armenians in social networks and the media they control have begun to inflate Islamophobia. And the Azerbaijanis began to raise questions about the Armenian ethnic mafia. Previously, this topic was taboo – both diasporas were friends against the background of the plunder of people and the country.
I think the Kremlin is terribly afraid of the Turkic and Muslim factor. I think that Russia will surrender Armenia and its interests, especially since in recent years Armenia itself has been opposed to Russia. They sent people to migrate to Russia – to earn money, but the policy itself was Russophobic.
https://poslednie-news.ru/blog/43818408199/Obraschenie-Margarityi-Simonyan
Here is the summer interview of Simonyan (the Kremlin Bagadad Bob), dating back to the time when the provocations in Karabakh had just begun.
The rhetoric itself is such that Russia is going to refuse to support Armenia – “it is their own fault”
Because it’s “islamophobia” when large populations of Muslims are killing your people. Did you really think people don’t recognize your particular brand of ethnic mafia rhetoric Elena? Again the subject here is the “Religiously-Motivated Attacks on Armenia and Artsakh”. The depictions being presented by the authors is accurate. But thank you for another example of the rhetoric being used by the agents of obfuscation. Much appreciation for that.
The Kremlin is a Cold War term for the soviet socialist government that existed from 1917 to 1991. Today the center of government is the Russian Federation Government House, Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya, 2, Moscow, Russia, 103274. No Russian, even Putin is afraid of the Turkic and Muslim factor. Such ethnocentric rhetorical libels are childish and immature to the average GOV audience. Thanks for playing though.
I like what’s going on. Someone had to raise these questions. If the Russians started asking them, then the repressive Putin machine would turn on against them. Armenians and Azerbaijanis can be asked these questions. They can do anything.
I agree with you, but drop that “Russia is afraid of Turks and Muslims” rhetoric. Supporting Armenia is 100% to the regional interest of Russia, but Armenians themselves play real poor. Every time I read an article by David Boyajian, I think he is daydreaming, totally out of touch with realities. Iran and Russia support Armenia because of a dangerous enemy called Turks, not that they are deeply in love with Armenians. If Armenia continues to play poor there is a good chance that their two natural allies will start think of other ways to counter Ottoman expansionism and leave the Armenia on their own. So I agree with you on this part.
America will not give a damn to Armenia, they are united with with Turkey. What benefit can Armenia offer to US feds? Nothing, Armenia absolutely has nothing to offer to America. They have nothing to offer to Russia or Iran either. But Armenia can be a small barrack against Turks, which is the only reason these countries have supported them so far.
Armenia has never been disloyal to Russia.
Armenia is the only Russian ally in the Caucasus and the ONLY block to pan-Turkism.
Sadly, Russians are too chauvinistic to realize this.
Armenia has always tried to balance relations with the West because it needs economic help.
If Armenia falls, so will Russia, and NATO will go all the way to the Caspian.
Then into Central Asia, and Russia will be destroyed. Russia is doing all this to ITSELF.
Putin is a stupid man who can’t control his temper.
All he needs to do to stop this war is threaten Baku’s pipelines to the west.