Last September, the Amaras Monastery, a sacred Armenian Christian site, was seized by Azerbaijan during its invasion of the self-governing Armenian enclave of Artsakh. This attack is part of a larger pattern of cultural erasure and genocide against Armenians by Azerbaijan, which has destroyed churches, cemeteries, and other cultural heritage sites. Azerbaijan’s actions violate international law and religious freedom and must be condemned by the international community.
April is Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month, and April 24 is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. In 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government instituted a systematic extermination campaign targeting ethnic Armenians and other Christian minorities within the Ottoman empire. This included Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans and Maronites. By 1923, approximately 1.5 million Armenians were murdered and 300,000 deported. This genocide is recognized in 2019 U.S. House Resolution 296, 2019 U.S. Senate Resolution 150, and annually by President Biden.
On the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Day of Remembrance, co-founder Ruben Vardanyan has issued a global call to action. Vardanyan urges the international community to recognize the atrocities that took place 109 years ago and those that are happening again today, emphasizing the importance of preventing a second Armenian genocide.
On April 24th, the Armenian Genocide will be commemorated, marking the 109th anniversary of the Ottoman Turks’ extermination of over 1.5 million Armenians. Yet, Turkey continues to deny this atrocity. For Armenian Americans, this remembrance is a stark reminder of history’s repetition, as Azerbaijan’s recent illegal war against Nagorno-Karabakh displaced over 120,000 Armenians and created a humanitarian crisis. The aggression by Azerbaijan is seen as a continuation of the Armenian Genocide, threatening the very existence of Armenians globally. Denial of the Armenian Genocide by countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan fosters impunity for autocrats and perpetuates a cycle of violence and hate. Azerbaijan’s president’s rhetoric and actions, coupled with the treatment of Armenian POWs and the glorification of violence, promote anti-Armenian sentiment and foster a dangerous culture of fear across the nation.
