Texas Rejects Pro-Azerbaijani Resolution

May 8, 2015 By administrator

AUSTIN–Texas State Representative Dwayne Bohab on Thursday pulled from consideration a misleading resolution (HR2309) “Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Black January events in Azerbaijan” he introduced late April filled with factually inaccurate historical information with respect to the events that led to the country’s independence as well as its policies regarding people’s right to self-determination and independence, reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region.

“The power of our grassroots’ in Texas against the persistent, yet failed, efforts backed by the Azerbaijani lobby to shamefully introduce legislation that blatantly misrepresents facts is a real testament to our community’s and organization’s resolve to pursue truth and justice for our Cause,” remarked ANCA-WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan. “We were particularly pleased to see Representative Bohac’s quick response and reconsideration to ultimately withdraw the resolution after gaining better understanding of the facts about Azerbaijan and the region,” added Asatryan.

Jeff Stokes, Legislative Director for State Representative Dwayne Bohac informed Asbarez that Bohac’s office had received numerous requests from constituents to introduce a measure such as HR2309.

“When we realized it was a mistake, we placed it on permanent hold,” said Stokes, who explained that per Texas law once a hold is placed on a piece of legislation, no further action is taken on the matter.

The decision to place a permanent hold on HR2309 came just 16 hours after ANCA WR worked with local community leaders and activists to alert Bohac about the facts surrounding the events that led to Azerbaijan’s independence, the corrupt and authoritarian regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the country’s gross human rights violations, coverage of which has increased in the American press most recently in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, under the headlines, “A Thuggish Regime Challenges the U.S.” and “The Two Faces of Azerbaijan’s Mr. Aliyev” respectively.

More specifically, late Monday evening ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan submitted a written statement to Bohac opposing the resolution on behalf of the regional, Dallas and Houston chapters noting, “The resolution gives the impression that Azerbaijan was invaded in retaliation for its independence movement. However, the truth is that troops were sent to Azerbaijan in order to protect the nearly half million Christian Armenians who were being subjected to violent pogroms and massacres throughout the nation in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Azerbaijan’s hostility was its response to the calls for independence by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR), which was an autonomous region at the time, thereby demonstrating its repressive policies, which are contrary to the claims made in the language of the resolution.”

Asatryan continued on to state, ”Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has the dubious honor of being selected as the most corrupt person by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The NGO’s finding is based on extensive reports and well-documented evidence that the Aliyev family has been systematically grabbing shares of the most profitable businesses in Azerbaijan for many years. Earlier this week, the Committee to Protect Journalists concluded that Azerbaijan is the fifth most censored and repressive country in the world, out of nearly 200 countries in the world. In its report the CPJ concluded that the ‘main sources of information in Azerbaijan are broadcasters which are owned and controlled by the state or its proxies.’ The report also noted that independent media outlets are subjected to harassment and prosecution by officials, and that at least ten journalists and bloggers are currently in Azerbaijani jails on fabricated charges.”

“This being a top priority, our local chapter and I specifically reached out to Representative Dwayne Bohac’s office yesterday to convey our disappointment and opposition to the resolution. Today when I called back to see if we made any headway, I was pleased to hear that the office had already pulled the resolution. This truly shows that each and every one of us can truly make a difference by just making our voice heard,” stated ANCA Dallas Chair Lucia Nazarian. ”Thank you to the Dallas community members for your efforts in shedding light and bringing the truth to the forefront of our Texas legislators,” added Nazarian.

“I am pleased to see that the anti-Armenian resolution was withdrawn and appreciate the diligence of the Houston Armenian community and proud of their dedication for the Armenian Cause, “ remarked ANCA Houston Chair Vrouir Frankian.

Read the text of HR2309.

Read the full text of the ANCA WR written statement.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

U.S. Senators introduce Armenian Genocide centennial resolution

April 20, 2015 By administrator

On the heels of Pope Francis’ historic statement reaffirming the Armenian Genocide and the European Parliament’s overwhelming condemnation of that crime last week, Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Barbara Boxer (D-Ill.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced legislation seeking durable Armenian-Turkish relations based on Turkey’s “full acknowledgment” of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The bipartisan legislation is being launched on the eve of President Barack Obama’s anticipated April 24 statement, widely viewed as a watershed moment in terms of U.S. policy on the Armenian Genocide.

The measure praises the Pontiff for describing “the atrocities perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks against the Armenians as the first genocide of the 20th Century.” It is nearly identical to one introduced in April 2014—with the addition of language regarding the Pope’s reaffirmation. A revised version of the resolution was adopted by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, by a 12 to 5 vote last year.

“The Pope’s inspirational call to conscience—reflected in today’s Armenian Genocide legislation and reinforced by calls from all corners of American civil society—shines a welcome spotlight on the clear choice before President Obama on April 24. With the world watching during this solemn Centennial, President Obama needs to decide. He can speak the truth, and establish a legacy of principled American leadership against genocide; or, he can cave in to Ankara’s threats, allowing the Turkish government to tighten the gag-rule it so publicly enforces on the U.S. government,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“We join with our community and all our genocide-prevention coalition partners in supporting the principled leadership of Senators Menendez, Kirk, Boxer and Gardner. We are particularly encouraged that this forward-looking measure urges President Obama to seek an enduring improvement in Armenian-Turkish relations through the only principled and practical path, Ankara’s full acknowledgement and honest reckoning with this still unpunished crime,” said Hamparian.

Lead sponsors—Menendez, Kirk, Boxer, and Gardner—cited the importance of a clear U.S. policy reaffirming the Armenian Genocide.

“One hundred years ago, 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children were killed by Ottoman Turks during the Armenian Genocide,” Sen. Menendez said. “It is past time for this atrocity to be recognized for what it was: a targeted ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population. This Resolution makes clear that it is unacceptable to deny the facts and history of the Armenian Genocide and continue to silence the voices of those who perished. As the world gathers to commemorate the centenary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, the United States must commit itself to recognizing the full meaning, magnitude and history of this genocide in order to both honor the innocent victims and prevent similar tragedies from happening again,” he said.

“100 years is far too long not to call the murder of 1.5 million Armenians what it was: genocide,” said Kirk. “In April 1915 during the beginning of WWI, the Ottoman Turks systematically killed 1.5 million Armenians and forced many others to flee their homeland. It is long past time that the United States recognize it as a genocide and honor the victims, those who survived and ensure atrocities such as this never happen again.”

“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide—an unspeakable tragedy that has left a dark stain on the collective conscience of the world,” Boxer said. “More than 20 countries, 43 U.S. states and Pope Francis have unequivocally affirmed the Armenian Genocide and it is time for the United States to join them.”

“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of one of the greatest crimes against humanity of the 20th century, the Armenian Genocide,” said Gardner. “The lives of as many as 1.5 million men, women, and children were brutally ended, leaving lasting scars on the families and communities affected. This resolution honors the memory of those who were killed, and helps us resolve anew to never allow such an event to occur again.”

A parallel measure (H.Res.154), the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Robert Dold (D-Ill.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), and David Valadao (R-Calif.).

Chilean Parliament adopts resolution on Armenian Genocide

April 15, 2015 By administrator

Chilean Parliament

The House of Representative of the Chilean Parliament adopted a resolution on the Armenian Genocide. The Resolution N 324 received 78 votes in favor, 1 vote against, still 3 votes abstaining.

The resolution mentions about the solidarity to the Armenian nation and condemns the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

In fact, the Chilean Parliament has no member of Armenian descent.

The only Muslim MP Fuad Chahin, who is Palestinian by descent, also voted in favor.

The Senate, which is the upper house of Chilean Parliament, adopted a resolution on the Armenian Genocide on 5 June 2007.

Centennial renews K Street brawl over Armenian ‘genocide’ resolution

March 25, 2015 By administrator

By Megan R. Wilson – 03/25/15 06:00 AM EDT

Getty Images

Lawmakers in the House are pushing to mark the 100th anniversary of mass killings of Armenians during World War I with a controversial resolution that would officially label it an act of genocide. Report thehill.com

Coming at the centennial, the proposal — which dates back decades — has reignited a lobbying battle, with each side more resolved than ever.

“We’re going to see a level of grassroots activism all across the country that will be unprecedented: huge marches and protests and commemorations, a national campaign to try and move the Congress and the president to recognize the genocide on its centennial,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), one of the resolution’s initial sponsors. “If not after a hundred years, then when?”

Opponents of the measure, led by the Turkish government, have supporters outmatched.

Turkey recognized last year that Armenians faced “inhumane” treatment at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, but its leaders refuse to refer to the mass killings that began in 1915 as genocide.

Unsatisfied, the Armenian National Committee of America spent $120,000 last year lobbying the U.S. government, the most it has spent in at least seven years.

Since 2006, the group has spent $840,000, according to records.

But before lawmakers introduced the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution last week, Turkey renewed its contract with Gephardt Government Affairs, run by former House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt (Mo.), for $1.7 million.

Signed on March 1, the contract also includes payments to four other firms working on behalf of the Turkish government, including Dickstein Shapiro and Greenburg Traurig. The two firms enlist help from former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) and former Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.).

Armenian groups also have public relations operations in place, something the resolution’s supporters hope will make a difference.

“There’s going to be a lot more attention this year,” Aram Hamparian, the executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America said of the events planned to mark the centennial. “Issues like this — human rights issues — tend to do well in the spotlight. They tend to be defeated in the shadows when no one’s looking.”

The issue has been debated in Congress for three decades. Although the resolution has never come to a full vote in Congress, it received as many as 212 co-sponsors in 2007. In 2010, it had under 200. This month, it was introduced in the House with 43.

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) is passing around a “Dear Colleague” letter to urge members not to support the nonbinding resolution. He says its adoption would be “cataclysmic.”

Turkey, a strategic U.S. ally in the Middle East, lobbies on many issues involving its reputation and relationships with American politicians and groups. But its outspoken disapproval of the term “genocide” to describe the mass killings has garnered the most attention. Since 2008, the Turkish government has paid lobbyists more than $12 million.

“Every cycle of Congress, there is a draft resolution,” a Turkish official, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told The Hill.

“We are not happy, because our position has not changed, in two ways:

The fact that [the resolution] does not help anyway, to bring a fair memory or to actually bring reconciliation between Turks and Armenians,” the official said. “To politicize a debate is not helpful at all. … The two communities have suffered.”

A new U.S.-based advocacy organization, Turkish Institute for Progress, recently registered with Levick — and former Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) — to lobby on its behalf in regards to Turkish-Armenian relations. While it does not agree with the resolution, the group said it would not be lobbying against it.

“We believe the resolution introduced last week is shortsighted and only serves to exacerbate the division between two countries that have so many strategic and economic interests in common,” said Derya Taskin, the president of the organization, in an email.

However, the dispute between the two countries may not be solved without a more public debate.

“We are confident that, as has been the case for the 30 years, the U.S. Congress will do the right thing and not get involved in this historical debate,” the Turkish official said.

“The genocide issue is the central issue between the Armenian and Turkish peoples,” said Hamparian. “Ignoring it, or forcing others into silence about it has not worked. It’s beyond being just being morally wrong; it practically hasn’t worked.”

This April marks 100 years since the Ottoman Empire, partly composed of present-day Turkey, began a massacre and relocation of ethnic Armenians, whom it accused of supporting its Russian enemies in World War I. More than 1 million people perished.

How the events are described has caused tension, not only between the two countries but between those countries and the U.S.

As a senator and presidential candidate, Barack Obama promised to be the first commander in chief in 30 years to use the term “genocide” to describe the killings. However, since being elected president, he has avoided the word.

Opponents have said that referring to the events as an act of genocide, which is a punishable crime, as opposed to an act of war could cause an undue rift between the United States and Turkey. In past years, Turkey has threatened to recall its U.S. ambassador and restrict U.S. access to a geographically important military base.

Turkish authorities attempt to prevent U.S. passage of Genocide resolution

March 25, 2015 By administrator

Turkish Parliament Speaker Jemil Cicek arrived Tuesday, March 24 in Washington in a bid to prevent passage by U.S. lawmakers of a resolution condemning Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, ARKA said citing Hurriyet.

The draft resolution was proposed last week by four Republican and Democrat congressmen, who believe the resolution, if adopted, would improve relations between Armenia and the United States through admission of the fact of the Genocide by Turkey.

The resolution is supported by 46 congressmen. Attempts to pass similar resolutions in the Congress have repeatedly failed before.

Cicek met with Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner and other congressmen.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu is expected to travel to the United States in April, RIA Novosti reports.

ARKA. Turkish parliament speaker persuading US congressmen to vote down resolution on Armenian genocide

WASHINGTON: Over 40 House Members Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize Genocide

March 18, 2015 By administrator

Congressional hold press conference to introduce Genocide resolution

WASHINGTON–Representatives Robert Dold (R-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), along with 40 other Members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday introduced the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution. This bipartisan resolution calls upon the President to work toward equitable, constructive, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgement of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution will also establish a fair, just, and comprehensive international record of this crime against humanity.

This year, 2015, marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide – a systematic and deliberate annihilation campaign launched by the government of the Ottoman Empire against its Armenian population which left 1.5 million Armenians dead and millions more displaced. While the Armenian Genocide has been recognized by more than twenty nations including Canada, Italy, Sweden, France, Argentina and Russia, as well as the European Parliament, it has not been formally recognized by the U.S. Congress in decades and has not been recognized by President Barack Obama.

“Denial of the Armenian Genocide undermines foundations for durable peace and security, making future atrocities more likely,” said Rep. Robert Dold. “As the greatest force for human dignity in the world, the United States has an obligation to send an unequivocal message that we will never forget those that were lost, nor shall we tolerate any country that hides behind bully tactics to shroud violations of human rights.”

“One hundred years ago, one and a half million Armenian men, women and children were deliberately murdered in the first genocide of the 20th Century – these facts are indisputable,” said Rep. Adam Schiff. “And on this important anniversary and while there are still survivors among us, we in Congress and the President have an opportunity and an obligation to send a strong message that we will never forget those who were lost, and we will call this crime against humanity what it was, genocide. We feel a powerful sense of urgency and the profound call of moral duty to recognize the Armenian Genocide unequivocally and without delay.”

“One hundred years after the Genocide, the sense of loss and pain is still strong as many in our community have a direct connection to someone who was unable to escape,” said Rep. David Valadao. “While those impacted by the Genocide are always in our hearts, let us take an extra moment to remember the two million Armenians whose lives were lost.”

“As we recognize the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we remember the one and a half million Armenians who were slaughtered by Ottoman Turks,” said Rep. Frank Pallone. “Now is the time for the United States government to do the moral thing and recognize these atrocities for what they are—genocide. While we mark 100 years since this horrible act of violence we also recommit ourselves to the work of speaking out against oppression and senseless violence. Today, I join my colleagues in remembering the victims and paying homage to the Armenian people who, for thousands of years, have shown their perseverance and strength in the face of great challenges,” said Congressman Frank Pallone.

The full text of the resolution, introduced today during a press conference on Capitol Hill, reads:

Calling on the President to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.

Whereas the Obama Administration has, since early 2009, sought to improve Armenian-Turkish relations through diplomatic efforts to lift the Republic of Turkey’s blockade of Armenia and facilitate an end to Ankara’s refusal to establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan;

Whereas at the start of this process, President Barack Obama had, on April 6, 2009, voiced the United States Government’s expectation that Armenia-Turkey dialogue would `bear fruit very quickly’, but that since then, the Obama Administration has commended Armenia’s participation in this dialogue while holding Turkey largely responsible for the lack of results from this process, with the Secretary of State noting, on June 4, 2012, that, on this matter, `the ball remains in Turkey’s court.’;

Whereas on April 24, 2013, President Barack Obama stated, `A full, frank, and just acknowledgment of the facts is in all of our interests. Nations grow stronger by acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past, thereby building a foundation for a more just and tolerant future.’;

Whereas the Republic of Turkey, rather than acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past, has escalated its international campaign of Armenian Genocide denial, maintained its blockade of Armenia, and increased its pressure on the small but growing Turkish civil society movement acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and seeking justice for this systematic campaign of destruction of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Pontians, Syriacs, and other Christians upon their biblical-era homelands;

Whereas the United States is on record as having officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, in the United States Government’s May 28, 1951, written statement to the International Court of Justice regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, through President Ronald Reagan’s April 22, 1981, Proclamation No. 4838, and by Congressional legislation, including House Joint Resolution 148 adopted on April 8, 1975, and House Joint Resolution 247 adopted on September 10, 1984;

Whereas even prior to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the United States has a record of having sought to justly and constructively address the consequences of the Ottoman Empire’s intentional destruction of the Armenian people, including through Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 adopted on February 9, 1916, Senate Resolution 359 adopted on May 11, 1920, and President Woodrow Wilson’s Decision of the President of the United States of America Respecting the Frontier between Turkey and Armenia, Access for Armenia to the Sea, and the Demilitarization of Turkish Territory Adjacent to the Armenian Frontier, dated November 22, 1920;

Whereas President Barack Obama entered office having stated his `firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence’, affirmed his record of `calling for Turkey’s acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide’, and pledged that `as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide’; and

Whereas the United States national interests in the establishment of equitable, constructive, stable, and durable relations between Armenians and Turks cannot be meaningfully advanced by circumventing or otherwise seeking to avoid materially addressing the central political, legal, security, and moral issue between these two nations, Turkey’s denial of truth and justice for the Armenian Genocide: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls on the President to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.

Italy’s Mantua discussing draft resolution on Armenian Genocide

March 18, 2015 By administrator

The city council of Italy’s Mantua is discussing a draft resolution on recognition of the Armenian Genocide that have been submitted by SEL member Fausto Banzi, Gazzetta di Mantova reported.

“The city council of Mantua formally recognizes the genocide of the Armenian nation and expresses solidarity on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the ‘great evil’,” the draft resolution says.

Fausto Banzi said he had accepted the call by the council of the Armenian community in Rome to pass legal acts in solidarity with the memory of the tragedy that occurred back in 1915.

European People’s Party approves resolution on 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide

March 3, 2015 By administrator

European People’s Party (EPP)

The European People’s Party (EPP) has approved a resolution on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenia’s Minister of Science and Education Armen Ashotyan left the following message on his Facebook page.

“I am extremely happy and proud. The European People’s Party has approved today a resolution on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. I congratulate all of us on the support of Europe’s largest political family on the way to historical justice.”

Colorado Senate Kills Pro-Baku Resolution In Presence of Azeri Consul General

January 29, 2015 By administrator

DENVER, Colo.- Only moments before a scheduled vote on Thursday, the Colorado State Senate pulled from consideration a controversial measure (Resolution SJR 15-006) which would have, in the presence of a visiting Azerbaijani diplomat, praised “the strategic partnership between the United States of America and the Republic of Azerbaijan,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR).

Sources from the State Capitol report the co-sponsor of the resolution, Senator Larry Crowder, agreed to withdraw the resolution from Thursday’s vote schedule. The resolution has been rescheduled for a vote on May 15, 2015; the Legislature however adjourns on May 7, 2015 thus effectively signaling its defeat.

Prior to withdrawing the resolution from a vote, however, Senator Crowder took the floor and, in a move that confused many Colorado citizens, acknowledged the presence of Nasimi Aghayev the Consul General of Azerbaijan, paying tribute to a regime in Azerbaijan that is widely criticized as a leading violator of human rights. Aghayev surely expected to return to his office in Los Angeles boasting of a legislative victory in Colorado. No such opportunity was even afforded.

ANCA WR Community Development Coordinator Simon Maghakyan and Armenians of Colorado President Sona Hedeshian

“The speed and power of our grassroots’ mobilization in Colorado against the continued, albeit unsuccessful, attempts from the Azerbaijani lobby to shamefully introduce legislation that blatantly misrepresents facts is a real testament to our community’s and organization’s resolve to pursue truth and justice for our Cause,” remarked ANCA-WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan. “We are pleased that Colorado joins Hawaii, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming in affirming that it too is not for sale to the oil-rich and corrupt regime of Ilham Aliyev’s Azerbaijan. We were particularly gratified to see Senator Crowder reconsider and ultimately withdraw the resolution after gaining a fuller understanding of the facts about Azerbaijan’s domestic abuses and foreign aggression,” added Asatryan.

In the days leading up to today’s vote, ANCA-WR worked with local community leaders and activists to alert state legislators about the corrupt and authoritarian regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the country’s gross human rights violations, coverage of which has increased in the American press most recently in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, under the headlines, “A Thuggish Regime Challenges the U.S.” and “The Two Faces of Azerbaijan’s Mr. Aliyev” respectively.

More specifically, on Monday, January 26 ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan submitted a written statement to the Colorado State Senate voicing strong opposition to SJR15-006, noting the proposed resolution’s blatant misrepresentation of the truth with respect to the Republic of Azerbaijan, U.S.- Azeri relations and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. On Wednesday January 28th, ANCA-WR also issued an action alert, through which Coloradans were actively writing to and calling State Senator Larry Crowder and key state legislators urging that they VOTE NO on SJR15-006.

Upon learning of the resolution, which includes an incorrect citation that the United States recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, the President of Armenians of Colorado, Sona Hedeshian, along with many others quickly reached out to their elected officials urging them to reconsider the vote. “We deeply appreciate that our elected officials took the time to hear our concerns. Hopefully, we will not find ourselves in similar situations in the future,” stated Hedeshian.

Dr. Ken Touryan, a resident of Denver, Colorado, thanked Colorado Senator Kevin Lundberg and the Republican leadership for carefully reviewing the inaccuracies of the proposed resolution and deciding to effectively withdraw it.

“I was shocked that our Colorado state legislature would even consider honoring a dictatorship that threatens Armenia on a daily basis. The defeated resolution would have contradicted Colorado’s staunch support for Armenian issues going back to WWI, including a 1921 joint unanimous resolution on assisting the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and providing support for the Armenian Republic,” stated an active member of Armenians of Colorado, Kim Christianian.

“We are grateful for the collective efforts of the ANCA-WR and for the concerned citizens of Colorado who worked with their elected representatives to help prevent the adoption of an erroneous motion in the Colorado State Legislature,” expressed Robert Avetisyan, Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the United States. “Unfortunately, legislatures across the U.S, are often misguided by biased and one-sided information about Artsakh, which distorts the historical facts and current realities. It is very important that Armenians and all supporters of truth continue sharing objective information regarding the NKR,” he added.

Azerbaijan calls California resolution on Artsakh a mere piece of paper

September 3, 2014 By administrator

By Harut Sassounian
TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry harshly condemned the California Legislature last week after the State Senate adopted resolution AJR 32 that “encourages and supports the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation” and “urges the President and Congress of the United States to support the self-determination and democratic independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.” The resolution also acknowledged that Karabakh (Artsakh) “has historically been Armenian territory… and yet was illegally severed from Armenia by the Soviet Union in 1921 and placed under the newly created Soviet Azerbaijani administration.”

Both Houses of the California Legislature overwhelmingly supported the Artsakh resolution — the State Senate by a vote of 24-0 on August 27, and the State Assembly with a vote of 72-1 on May 8. Thus, California joins Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island in passing such pro-Artsakh resolutions.

The actions of the California Legislature infuriated the Government of Azerbaijan and its diplomats in the U.S. Elman Abdullayev, spokesman of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, dismissed the Artsakh resolution, calling it “nothing more than a piece of paper.” The Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles blasted the local Armenian community, the State of California and AJR 32. To justify his failure to block the resolution, he alleged that California Senators received “massive financial contributions for their election campaigns” from the “Armenian lobby.” Forgetting that he represents one of the most autocratic regimes in the world, the Consul General of Azerbaijan had the audacity to lecture U.S. officials on the “serious flaw in America’s political system that needs an urgent fixing.”

Before making such baseless accusations, the Azeri Consul General should have searched the internet to see how much money, if any, the 24 Senators who voted for the Artsakh resolution had received from Armenian-Americans. Campaign contributions are a public record in the United States, unlike Azerbaijan where visiting politicians are wined and dined and sent home with stacks of cash, cans of caviar, and gold ingots!

The Consul General also credited the passage of AJR to the “inordinate amount of effort by the Armenian lobby in California, where around one million Armenians reside.” The one million number is yet another exaggeration by the Azeri diplomat who went on to falsely claim that the Armenian “ethnic lobby” resorted to “threats, blackmail and other means” against California Senators.

The Azeri Consul General then bragged about his efforts against AJR 32, claiming that he and his Consulate undertook a number of “serious measures,” including “letters of protest to all Senators [and] holding numerous meetings with them….” Despite his frantic activities, not a single Senator voted against the Artsakh bill! Incredibly, the Consul claims he scored a major victory because the final vote was 24-0 in favor of Artsakh, and not 40-0, as some Senators were either absent or abstained!

Conveniently, the Consul General forgets to mention his biggest supporters in opposing the Artsakh bill: the powerful lobbying firms that Azerbaijan has hired in Washington and Los Angeles, at great expense. One of these firms, JCI Worldwide, led by Seth Jacobson, sent to all 40 California Senators a letter signed by Rabbi Dov Newman, Chabad of Beverlywood; Rabbi Mendy Cohen, Chabad of Sacramento; and Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, Pico Shul. The three Rabbis told the Senators that they “strongly oppose AJR 32…. Azerbaijan is an important ally to Israel and Jewish people. Jews live free and protected in Azerbaijan for thousands of years…. As Rabbis and leaders of Jewish communities across California, we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan and demand that you vote No on AJR 32.” These Rabbis clearly embarrassed themselves by sending such a ridiculous letter, since they failed to convince a single Senator to vote against the Artsakh resolution. Furthermore, their circulated letter was a big waste of Azerbaijan’s petrodollars, as JCI’s expensive lobbying proved to be worthless.

One wonders if President Aliyev is aware that Azerbaijan’s Consulate in Los Angeles and Embassy in Washington are wasting millions of dollars on useless lobbying firms. Do the citizens of Azerbaijan, who mostly live in abject poverty, know that their leaders are wasting their country’s resources on political activities overseas just to counter a “piece of paper”? Indeed, if the California Senate resolution was a meaningless “piece of paper,” as the Azeri foreign ministry official claims, why did Azerbaijan spend so much time, effort and money trying to block its passage?