Armenian Americans Protest the Surrender of Their Homeland to Azerbaijan
On the afternoon of Nov. 15, Chantelle Nasri, 24, stood with a megaphone raised to her face on the corner of 3rd avenue in New York City. A gathering of about 80 Armenian Americans stood side-by-side in a circle around her.
As Nasri began her speech, her eyes were locked on the 30th floor of 605 3rd Ave, towards The Turkish Consulate General of New York City.
“Although there have been some developments in the news, our message does not change. We are Armenian. We stay united no matter what. Artsakh is Armenia,” she said.
Armenians in New York City and all around the world are taking the streets in protest following a Russia-brokered ceasefire to end six weeks of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nov. 9. Thousands of Armenians were killed as the two countries fought their long-lasting war over the mountainous region dividing them, Nagorno-Karabakh. The region, while internationally recognized as Azerbaijan territory, has been majorly populated and governed by Armenians since it became The Republic of Artsakh, a de facto independent state outside of Azeri rule since the 1990s. While Armenians retreat from the land they have always known to be home, they are burning their houses in the process, leaving nothing behind as Azerbaijan plans its return. In reaction to what is occurring in their homeland, the Armenian diaspora has mobilized to fight for the Armenian people and for Artsakh.
Armenian Americans are currently pushing for two house resolutions and two senate resolutions to be passed before the end of 2020. These resolutions include H.Res.1165, H.Res.1203, S.Res.754, and S.Res.755. According to the United States Congress, H.Res.1165 condemns Azerbaijan’s military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, and H.Res.1203 condemns the military offensive launched by Azerbaijani and Turkish-backed forces on Artsakh and calls to honor cease-fire negotiations. S.Res.754 and S.Res.755 call for sanctions on Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Ani Djirdjirian, a member of the Armenian Unity Project (a group of Armenian diaspora dedicated to preserving Armenian culture), has been using her platform to help as many Armenian Americans she can find to call their representatives regarding these resolutions. Djirdjirian gathered leaders of Armenian communities within each state of the U.S. and through this was able to spread the word of a Zoom session in which Armenian Americans could join to learn who they are calling, why they are calling them, and how to find their representative’s contact information.
“If these resolutions are passed, that is huge,” said Djirdjirian.
Djirdjirian said that Artsakh being recognized as an independent nation, rather than an enclave or occupied territory, gives them the ability to fight for themselves.
“They would be able to fight for themselves and would not have to rely on every other country doing the work for them,” she said.
In addition to pushing for these resolutions, Djirdjirian has been working hard to support Armenia from New York City through fundraisers. So far, she has raised over $27,000 through fundraising efforts such as an Instagram Live event supporting wounded soldiers.
For Nasri, it was in college that she began to feel more in touch with her Armenian roots. This led to her becoming the Chair of the Manhattan Moush Chapter for the Armenian Youth Federation, a global non-profit organization empowering Armenian youth to support a united, free, and independent Armenia. This week, she said, has been a whirlwind of emotions.
“It’s anger, its hate, its sadness. But most of all, it’s like deja vu,” Djirdjirian said. “We hear stories of our ancestors in 1918 during the genocide, being forced out of their homes, out of what has always been their land. And today we are seeing the same thing unfold right before our eyes.”
Aram Balian, the Central Executive Treasurer of the Armenian Youth Federation Eastern Region, was next to deliver a speech at the Nov. 15 protest.
“I have no words to say,” Balian said. “What can we say other than ‘we come together?’ We still come together as Armenians. We come together today for Artsakh. For our homeland. For the veterans who fought and sacrificed so that Artsakh could be free 30 years ago and for the thousands of soldiers who gave their lives for Artsakh these past 45 days.”
Balian took a moment of silence, shaking his head. Gazing up at the sky, his voice grew louder as he continued to speak.
“There are 150,000 innocent civilians who only want peace,” Balian said. “And who still only want peace. Who are now homeless and stateless. And the world stood by and watched and did nothing.”
“I tell you now that this is not a time for despair,” he said. “This is not the time to lose hope. It is our duty to the Armenian nation, to the Armenian people, to the 150,000, to everyone in our homeland and everyone here in the diaspora, to keep working. To stay united. For united we are strong.”
“We are the second army of the Armenian people. We must never, ever forget this,” Balian said.
Knar Alashaian, a member of the Armenian Youth Federation Eastern Region, also stepped in to speak.
“Just because we live far from our homeland does not mean that it is not ours. This is the time that we as a diaspora must unite and fight for those 150,000. We must continue to fight for world recognition,” said Alashaian.
“Because of Turkey and Azerbaijan, 150,000 Armenians were ethnically cleansed from their home. They have no idea where they are going and if they will ever return. 150,000 Armenians were left with mouths that must be fed and hearts that ache to the core,” she said.
Alashaian said that now is the time for Armenians to continue fighting for world recognition and to fight for the United States to pass the resolutions.
“We must continue to make those daily calls and send emails along with donating. We must continue to fight for the thousands of young men who gave their lives up for a war that they did not want to fight,” said Alashaian.
Dimitris Filippidis, general manager at Hellas FM Greek American Radio Station, was at the protest to show that the Greek community is supporting and standing by Armenians right now.
“They lost their lives not in vain,” Filippidis said. “Remember these words. The war has not ended until there is justice. And justice will be served.”
Djirdjirian said that she’s never felt so much existential pain in her life. She grew up in New York City and says she has not met the majority of people she’s fighting for. However, she said that does not matter.
“How can I not care?” Djirdjirian said. “These are my people, and these are people who have survived thousands of years of this exact kind of extermination attempt. And it’s in our blood to care for one another and create a community where there isn’t one.”
Through the work she has done within the Armenia Unity Project, gathering Armenian Americans to participate in donating and calling representatives, she says she has formed a strong and bonded community.
“We all have this one common goal and it’s to not only make sure that our country survives this horrific situation, but it’s so that we make sure that the country and its people thrive afterward. And it’s a hard thing to do. But we are determined,” Djirdjirian said.
“We’re post-war now but there’s still so much work to be done,” she said.
Djirdjirian admits that she does not expect non-Armenians to know about everything that’s going on. But she says it’s when she comes across people on social media who see her posts, see the protests, and don’t care, that she begins to lose hope.
“Our hope is not going to come just from the diaspora and the people in Armenia and Artsakh,” Djirdjirian said. “But it’s going to come from people of different communities and cultures to care about us too. And I think that’s where our biggest job lie is how can we get non-Armenians to donate, to call our representatives and say to them, ‘This is a very important resolution that needs to be passed.’”
For the Armenian community, Nasri said it feels as though other countries do not consider there to be a profitable incentive behind helping Armenia.
“We are fighting a much higher power than any of us are equipped to handle, Nasri said. “So I think whatever strategy we choose to implement, our hands are always going to be tied at some point. And that is because of the political position Armenia is in.”
“We don’t have the oil money that Azerbaijan does, we don’t have the military equipment that Turkey does,” Nasri said. “It just seems like we lack at all fronts and being human beings doesn’t seem to be enough for the world to care.”
