Conflict in Armenia as Azerbaijan Attacks
Military fighting has broken out on the Armenian border with Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army is backed by Turkey in this escalating a military conflict, creating real danger not only for Armenians, but also the Christian minority population in the independent territory of Karabakh.
One Free World International conducted a fact-finding mission to the region in 2017 with two Canadian MPs, examining the human rights atrocities committed against the ethnically Armenian people who populate Karabakh, revealing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and schools.
OFWI calls for the immediate ceasefire on both sides of this conflict, and for international health officials to be permitted entry to Karabakh to help in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in the region.
While the region is being rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the uncertainty and threat of war wrecks further havoc on the lives of people who are innocent civilians.
While it is not politically corrected to take sides when a violent conflict breaks out, let's be clear. This is an ongoing threat to Armenian Christians that they have experienced for far too long.
The Azerbaijani government back by Turkey are more interested in their energy politics and throwing their geopolitical weight around, regardless of the impact on human lives and minority populations.
Just as we have seen Turkey indiscriminately attack Kurdish people in northern Iraq and Syria, Azerbaijan is using the backdrop of a global pandemic and anti-Christian nationalist sentiment among their population to wreck havoc with violence in the region.
A ceasefire needs to be immediate. The longstanding territory dispute must be resolved peacefully. Azerbaijan's power-play for territory cannot be allowed to succeed and must be condemned.
Rev. El Shafie being briefed in Karabakh on the frontlines of the conflict with Azerbaijan during OFWI's fact-finding mission. (August 2017)
TAKE ACTION:
Write the Turkey and Azerbaijan Embassies in Ottawa or Washington and:
Demand an immediate ceasefire to end the violence
Respect human rights and the lives of civilians
Azerbaijan
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States of America
azerbaijan@azembassy.us
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Canada
reception@azembassy.ca
Turkey
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey to the United States of America
embassy.washingtondc@mfa.gov.tr
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey to Canada
embassy.ottawa@mfa.gov.tr
Please help take a stand for human rights and let the world's bad actors know we are watching, justice will prevail.
Thank you and God bless.