After spending years fighting against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the same people driven by the same hateful extremist Islamic ideology are back and forming the new government in Syria. The US and EU have already started easing sanctions on Syria with exemptions and are enabling President Ahmed al-Sharaa to consolidate power without any guarantees for democratic reform or human rights.
This month's OFWI Global Snapshot, President & Founder Rev. Majed El Shafie has updates on:
Mission to Israel
Dying To Live now streaming, uncensored, on Rumble
Planning for Syria relief operation
Thank you to all of our volunteers and supporters for helping us continue our mission to be a voice for the voiceless, speaking out on persecution, and taking action to help those who need it.
Watch Majed’s video:
Rev. El Shafie prays at the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. The church was bombed by Azerbaijani forces.
Targeting civilians. Bombed churches. Violating ceasefire agreements. These are just some of the reports coming from Nagorno-Karabakh as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan turned violent in recent weeks.
OFWI has led a fact-finding mission to the region, joined by Icelandic MP Birgir Thorarinsson, to witness firsthand the effects of war, assess the damage, and investigate the reports of human rights abuses.
Early findings:
Civilians are being deliberately targeted by Azerbaijani forces.
Attacks on hospitals and churches are war crimes.
International intervention needed to protect human life.
Azerbaijan’s violent attempt to control the territory with Turkey’s backing by targeting civilians is eerily similar to the ethnic cleansing of 20th century Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire.
International support to rebuild and restore community services will be crucial to support civilians in the months ahead.
President Erdogan has put the force of Turkey’s armed forces behind Azerbaijan and they continue jointly large-scale aerial, missile, and land attacks along the entire line of contact between Artsakh (Nagorno Kharabakh) and Azerbaijan, aiming to resolve the Nagorno-Kharabakh conflict by military means.
OFWI calls on both sides to immediately cease military violence and to return to the negotiating table to come to a peaceful resolution to this dispute.
The OFWI delegation have visited Yerevan, Armenia and Stepanakert, Artsakh (part of the disputed territory in Nagorno-Kharabakh) meeting with local leaders and injured civilians, and surveying the damage.
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OFWI delegation surveying damage and meeting with local leaders in Stepanakert, Artsakh.
Meeting with Artsakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Masis Mayilyan
Meeting with Hon. Ruben Rubinyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations
News Conference with U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Morse Tan
Surveying the damage and praying at the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. The church was bombed by Azerbaijani forces.
Meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian and Dr. Arman Tatoyan Human Rights Defender
The complex and violent history that Artsakh (Nagorno Kharabakh) and Armenia share with Azerbaijan is long and perplex. The two sides have fought over the Artsakh region, and the dispute has constantly meant armed conflict and loss of lives. Azerbaijan continues to claim authority over Artsakh through military violence and political play, and the world is doing little more than watching from the sidelines.
One Free World International led a humanitarian mission to Karabakh in 2017, Majed El Shafie (left) is seen here on the front lines being briefed by local officials.
On September 27, 2020 the most serious and large-scale clashes since 2016 have raised the spectre of a new war between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Kharabakh.
Azerbaijan and Turkey jointly continue large-scale aerial, missile and land attacks along the entire line of contact between Artsakh (Nagorno Kharabakh) and Azerbaijan, aiming to resolve the Nagorno Kharabakh conflict by military means. To this end, Azerbaijan has put forwarded its entire military capacities, reinforced by Turkish military assistance, which also includes extremist terrorist fighters transferred from other conflict zones in the Middle East.
Artsakh, Armenia, OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries have repeatedly called and warned the entire international community to stop aggression, hostilities and deliberate targeting of civilian population. On October 3rd,Azerbaijan attacked Kut village in the Vardenis region of the Republic of Armenia and on the morning of October 4th Azerbaijani armed forces started attacks on the cities of Stepanakert (the capital city of Artsakh) and Martakert, using long-range missiles and involvement of the air force, which resulted in human loss and serious damages in civilian settlements and infrastructures in Stepanakert.
The attacks are mostly carried out with the coordination of the Turkish military specialists and with the military equipment and armaments provided by Turkey to Azerbaijan within the framework of their military-political cooperation.
Sadly, Israel actively supports Azerbaijan in this conflict, continuing its arms sales to Azerbaijan. On October 2nd , Armenia recalled its Ambassador to Israel, issuing a rare diplomatic rebuke over Israel’s arms sales to rival Azerbaijan.
To prevent deliberate targeting of civilian population, the Defense Army of Artsakh was forced to attack the military airport in Ganja, Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani armed forces continue deliberate targeting of journalists with the use of artillery and other heavy weaponry with the aim to hinder the coverage from the conflict zone. All journalists have been attacked in the civilian settlements of Artsakh while carrying out their professional activities. Azerbaijan’s actions constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and should be strongly condemned by the International Community. Azerbaijan only provides access to Turkish and Azerbaijani journalists and denies the access of the international media to hinder the objective and independent reporting on the conflict.
On October 2, the president of Turkey said, “I hope Azerbaijan will keep fighting until all its lands in Kharabakh are freed”. The Foreign Minister of Turkey warned against attempts to cast shadows on Turkey’s support to Azerbaijan, saying,” We are one nation with Azerbaijan. We are two separate states but we act as one if needed”.
These actions aim at depriving the people of Artsakh of their historical homeland by perpetrating mass atrocities. One Free World International stands with justice and finds the deliberate targeting of the civilian population and infrastructure of Artsakh by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan a gross violation of the international humanitarian law, and the latter should bear full responsibility for this war crime.
Being a NATO member, Canada should condemn violence and urge NATO to end this conflict. The International Trade and Aid should concentrate on improving the human rights record in Azerbaijan and Turkey, stopping them from violating the human rights of the civilians of their neighbour country and averting the danger of war. Canada should send observers to monitor the situation on the ground and to take peace-making measures.
One Free World International is ready and eager to present humanitarian aid to the civilians suffering and hurt in the conflict.
Beirut will rebuild. Today we #PrayForLebanon. Majed El Shafie shares a message of hope for Lebanon.🧎🏽♂️🇱🇧🍽️
