Canadian-Armenians protest Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hundreds of Canadian-Armenians from across the country took part in a demonstration on Friday, March 23 at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ottawa, organized by the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada.

The demonstrators voiced their concern about Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression, intimidation and hostility towards Armenians. They chanted slogans targeting Azerbaijan’s continued aggression toward Armenia, the atrocities and pogroms of Sumgait and Baku, as well as the cultural genocide of Armenian heritage sites within Azerbaijan. They also highlighted the current situation in the Nagorno Karabakh, proclaiming that Armenians have the right to live freely without Azerbaijani constraint and hostility.

The government of Azerbaijan has actively continued a policy of hostility against Armenians; from exile and pogroms in the late 1980s, to the constant war-mongering rhetoric, ever-increasing military budget and threats to end the cease-fire with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic that continue until today. Moreover, the planned destruction of Armenian Khachkars (cross-stones) in the Nakhijevan region (Julfa), which are now declared as items of world heritage by UNESCO, proves to the world that Azerbaijan has been taking active steps towards erasing the memory of Armenians from their country.

Unfortunately, the Embassy of Azerbaijan refused to accept a letter addressed to Ambassador Farid Shafiyev, written by the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada. This lack of dialogue further proves Azerbaijan’s ongoing unwillingness to establish peace and stability in the region.

The Armenian-Canadian community proved, once again, that they believe that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s independence must be universally recognized and that a return to Azerbaijani rule would jeopardize the lives of the Armenians living there and is therefore unacceptable. Furthermore, they urged governments around the world to condemn Azerbaijan for their continued display of religious intolerance, aggression, and constant attempts to destabilize the Caucasus.

Founded in 1934, the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada is the largest and most influential Armenian-Canadian youth organization in Canada, working to advance social, political, educational, and cultural awareness among Armenian-Canadian youth.