"Azeri" barbarians are destroying what's left of the ancient Jugha cemetery

[Kharpert]

urging Azerbaijan to cease the vandalism

All talk, no action.

[Reincarnated Am]

All talk, no action.

That's how our history was and still is

[Kharpert]

Թուխտէ շերեփ, man, Թուխտէ շերեփ

[Gavur]

British House of Lords to Discuss Destruction of Armenian Khachkars in Nakhichevan

British House of Lords to Discuss Destruction of Armenian Khachkars in Nakhichevan
24.12.2005 18:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The issue of destruction of Armenian Khachkars (cross stones) in Old Julfa cemetery in Nakhichevan December 20 is included in the agenda of the British House of Lords as “a question demanding a written answer.” The consideration of the issue is sponsored by Baroness Cox and John Marx. Baroness Cox specifically urged the British Government to consider the opportunity to express concern via its representative to the UNESCO over destruction of ancient Armenian churches and other artifacts in Azerbaijan, reported IA Regnum.

[Gavur]

Armenian Internet Union Called to Condemn Act of Vandalism in Nakhichevan

Armenian Internet Union Called to Condemn Act of Vandalism in Nakhichevan
22.12.2005 23:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As PanARMENIAN.Net came to know from the OpenArmenia website administration, the Armenian Internet Union made a statement over the destruction of the Armenian Khachkars (cross-stones), gravestones and monuments in Nakhichevan. The statement says in part, “We, the representatives of the Armenian community, with deep regret and pain learned of the destruction of Armenian Khachkars in Old Juga in Nakhichevan, where several dozens of Azeri soldiers, armed with hammers, spades and heavy devices, entered the Armenian cemetery and destroyed the monuments not only of the Armenian but also of world civilization. We call upon the international community to pay attention to this act of vandalism against human cultural heritage.

While the international community is making every effort to reconcile two peoples, this act of vandalism demonstrates the real intention of the Azerbaijani leadership to complete the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nakhichevan by perpetrating cultural genocide and destroying the remnants of the Armenian civilization in this part of Armenians’ historical homeland. Azerbaijan kept on committing acts of vandalism during the whole soviet period and has been doing the same after acquiring independence. In 2002 the destruction of the Armenian Khachkars was stopped thanks to joint effort of Armenia and the UNESCO. However Azerbaijan pursues the policy of cultural genocide roughly violating its commitments to the UNESCO. No single Azeri NGO or intellectual condemned the leadership for their deeds. Such cynicism gives shock. Under such circumstances any call to reconciliation of the Armenian and Azerbaijani nations by the Azerbaijani leadership seems cynical and vulgar.

With this letter we address to international organizations, intellectuals and people of all the nationalities to publicly condemn the acts of vandalism of the Azeri authorities against the medieval Armenian cemetery of Old Juga (Julfa). We call upon the UNESCO and other international organizations to assist in removal of the Khachkars to Armenia, where they will be protected from barbarians.”

The statement was signed by
arev.ru
armenia.ru
armenianhouse.org
artsakh.info
artsakhworld.com
genocide.ru
hayastan.com
openaremenia.com
sumgait.info
Armenischer Jugendausschus München
Centеr of Social Economic Monitoring NGO

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Members Of Congress Urge Azerbaijani Government To

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.anca.org

PRESS RELEASE
December 27, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGE AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT TO
STOP DEMOLITION OF ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN NAKHICHEVAN

WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) added his voice to those
raised by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-chairs Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), today, in calling on the
Azerbaijani Government to end the destruction of centuries-old
Armenian stone crosses (khatchkars) in the historic Djulfa
cemetery, located in southern Nakhichevan.

In a strongly worded letter to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev,
Rep. Schiff condemned "in the strongest terms" the Azerbaijani
action, calling the acts of desecration "offensive, violative of
international treaty obligations." He added that this destructive
behavior "further inflame[s] the relationship between your country
and the Republic of Armenia." The letter went on to note that, "By
permitting, indeed by promoting these acts, the Republic of
Azerbaijan dishonors not only the dead interred at the cemetery,
but Azerbaijan and the Azeri people as well."

Rep. Schiff's letter follows a call from Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, last week, to
"halt the ongoing vandalism in Julfa's Old Cemetery immediately."
In a December 22nd letter to Azerbaijani Ambassador to the U.S.
Hafez Pashayev, Reps. Knollenberg and Pallone went on to "urge the
preparation and presentation of a documented report on the damage
caused to the architectural ensemble as a result of the latest
violence, to lead to a measures in remedy of the situation."

"We want to thank the Co-Chairs of the Armenian Caucus, Frank
Pallone and Joe Knollenberg, and Representative Adam Schiff for
raising Congressional concerns directly with the Azerbaijani
government over the desecration of the Djulfa cemetery - an
important world heritage site of tremendous religious and cultural
significance," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.
"As Americans, we look to our Ambassador to personally visit the
site of this destruction and to report back on the steps that our
government is taking to address this attack on our common
heritage."

Thousands of Armenian Americans have already protested the
destruction of the Djulfa khatchkars, as part of an ANCA WebFax
campaign to Secretary Condoleezza Rice, urging the State Department
to take immediate action and send the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan
to the region to assess the situation. This latest wave of attacks
on these Armenian monuments was documented on video. This footage
clearly shows Azerbaijani soldiers hammering and breaking up the
khatchkars and loading them on military trucks for transport. The
video may be viewed at:

http://www.hairenik.com/Haireniktv/HA_TV_Clip04.htm

The historic Armenian cemetery in Djulfa includes khatchkars from
as far back as the 7th century and is revered as an architectural
treasure. International concerns were raised in 2002, when
hundreds of the khatchkars were destroyed in a similar manner by
Azerbaijan.

Naikichevan is a historic part of the Armenian homeland and was an
integral part of the first Armenian Republic of 1918-1920. It was
arbitrarily severed from Armenia and placed under Azerbaijani rule
as part of the Soviet Union's accommodation with Kemalist Turkey
and Moscow's "divide and conquer" gerrymandering of borders to
facilitate its control of the region. During the Soviet era, the
indigenous Armenian population was pushed out of Nakhichevan due to
discrimination, economic pressure, and other policies advanced by
the Soviet Azerbaijani authorities.

[Reincarnated Am]

Denying the Undeniable

Despite the existence of photographs and videotapes testifying to the recent destruction of the Christian headstones in Nakhichevan, Azerbaijani officials are “dismissing” the “Armenian claims.”

(I-Newswire) - BakuToday, an Azerbaijani newspaper, reports on 27 December 2005, “Azeri officials have dismissed Armenians’ claims on the alleged destruction of Armenian graves at an old cemetery of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, saying that these statements simply target misleading the international community.”

The “Armenian claims” are video and photo documents showing Azerbaijani soldiers destroying the ancient Christian headstones of Old Julfa ( Hin Jugha ) in Nakhichevan. Photographs from the mid-December ( 2005 ) destruction are available at the Web site of the Catholicosate of Cilicia ( http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Photos/Pictures109.htm ). The video, taped by the Armenian Prelacy of Iran at the Iranian-Azerbaijani border, is available at www.azerivandalism.cjb.net ( smaller file ); the same file ( clearer view, but larger file ) is available at www.julfa.cjb.net.

The Azerbaijani officials did not respond to the destruction until two U.S. Congressmen, Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, Jr., sent a letter to Ambassador Pashayev of Azerbaijan on 22 December 2005. The letter urged the Azerbaijani government “to halt the ongoing vandalism in Julfa’s Old Cemetery immediately.”

The Azerbaijani government, nevertheless, is not “simply” saying that the last remains of the ancient Armenian cemetery of Old Julfa were not destroyed. The common denialist tactic of “we did it - but you did it too” is in use again with fabricated stories: on 26 December 2005, as PanArmenian.net informs, “Azeri media reported alleged destruction of an over one thousand years old [Azerbaijani] Agadede sanctuary 10 km away from Yerevan [in Armenia].”

http://i-newswire.com/pr52890.html

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Not surprising.

[Gavur]

Aram I Catholicos Expects Interference Of State Of Iran

ARAM I CATHOLICOS EXPECTS INTERFERENCE OF STATE OF IRAN TO STOP AZERIS' VANDALISM IN OLD JUGHA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Dec 27 2005

ANTELIAS, DECEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. Issues and
programs relating to the Armenian community of Iran, inner state,
interreligious dialogue and activity of Lebanon were discussed at the
meeting of Masud Idrisi, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran
to Lebanon, and Aram I Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, which
took place on December 26 in Antelias and lasted for more than an hour.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Press Service of the Patriarchate of
the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I touched upon the issue
of Armenian khachkars destroyed by the Azerbaijani authorities in Old
Jugha (Nakhijevan) during the last period proposing the interference
of the state of Iran. His Holiness also informed the Ambassador about
a number of programs connected with the interreligious dialogue and
emphasized the role of Iran in that period.

The Ambassador of Iran widely touched upon the role of Iran in the
issue of establishing in Lebanon a dialogue between sides as well as
improvement of the Lebanon-Syria relations. He appreciated constructive
and positive approach of the Armenians in Lebanon. Speaking about
the interreligious dialogue, the Ambassador emphasized the strong
commission of the Islamic Republic of Iran in that direction. The
Ambassador again appreciated the active and practical participation
of the Armenians of Iran in the affair of development and progress
of the country.

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Hay Dat Committee Of Tehran Gives Alarm

HAY DAT COMMITTEE OF TEHRAN GIVES ALARM TO MEDIA AND FOREIGN EMBASSIES ABOUT AZERIS' VANDALISM IN OLD JUGHA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Dec 27 2005

TEHRAN, DECEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. The Hay Dat
Committee of Tehran sent a complaint-call condemning the Azeris'
regular vandalism at the graveyard of Old Jugha (Nakhijevan) to mass
media and foreign representations and embassies accrdited in Iran
persuading to respond the Armenians' alarm.

The complaint-call published by the "Alik" daily of Tehran particularly
reads as the following:

"The Armenians of Iran, condemning similar actions and attitude towards
its historic cultural values and taking into account those terrible
actions' being continued, demands of international organizations,
especially of the UNESCO which is considered the main guardian
protecting models of cultural heritage of the mankind, to make efforts
to stop those violations, condemn and punish those implementing them."

"Just few kilometres far, on the other bank of Araks, we are witnesses
of violations of enemies of history and culture," the Hay Dat Committe
states, emphasizing that Armenian churches and historic monuments on
the territory of Iran met no such ordeals but "were even secured and
restored owing to some financial allocations under the patronage of
the administration of the Islamic Republic."