Diaspora

Diaspora

Next annual March 31 action campaign to help recognize the Azerbaijani Genocide started in the US

09 March 2011 08:23 (UTC +04:00)

Washington. Isabel Levine â€“ APA. The Azerbaijani and Turkish Diasporas in the US have started next annual MARCH 31 action campaign, to help recognize the Azerbaijani Genocide in the hands of the Armenian aggressors in 1918, APAâ€™s Washington DC correspondent reports.

â€œMarch 31 is known as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, referring to the tragic events that happened last centuryâ€, say the Diaspora membersâ€™ letters to the US Congressmen and other elected officials.

According to the authors, after the proclamation of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (ADR) on May 28, 1918, the "March Events" were investigated by ADR Government. â€œIn 1919-1920, the ADR observed March 31 as a national day of mourning. This was the first-ever genuine attempt to give political and legal assessment of the policy of genocide against Azeris. No other nation has commemorated genocide as early as 1919 but the Azeris, the first victims of the crimes against humanityâ€.

â€œBeing unable to commemorate the tragedy during Soviet years, observation of March 31was re-established since, to commemorate not just that particular massacre, but the policy of genocide against Azeris carried out since the 19th century and throughout the entire 20th century, with the final act being the Khojaly Massacre of 1992â€, say the letters.

The Diaspora members also remind that, the position of Azerbaijani-Americans is that close to a million Azeris have been massacred in the 20th century as the result of Armenian genocidal campaign.

â€œThis makes for a total of 2,5 million Azeris, Turks, Kurds, Jews, Georgians, Circassians, Tats, Talysh, Lezgins and other people who fell victim to the Armenian policies of ethnic cleansing for the creation of their state, which was supposed to stretch from the Black sea to the Caspian to the Mediterraneanâ€.

The authors ask the US elected officials to join the Azerbaijani-American and other communities, in commemorating the Azerbaijani Genocide by making a statement for the record in their committees, legislature or newspaper column or Congressional Record.