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ANCA CALLS ON MORNINGSTAR TO REJECT BAKU'S BAN ON ACCESS TO DJULFA CEMETERY
http://asbarez.com/106331/anca-calls-on-morningstar-to-reject-bakus-ban-on-access-to-djulfa-cemetery/
Monday, November 5th, 2012
Djulfa monument destruction (Graphic by Simon Maghakyan)
Urges U.S. Ambassador to Keep Pressing for Visit to Desecrated
Christian Armenian Religious Site
WASHINGTON-The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has
called on U.S. Ambassador to Baku, Richard Morningstar, to honor
his commitment to the U.S. Senate to secure access to the site, in
Djulfa, Nakhichevan, of the Azerbaijani government's 2005 video-taped
destruction of a medieval Armenian cemetery housing thousands of
intricately carved Armenian stone-crosses (khatchkars).
In a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Baku Monday, Ambassador
Morningstar stated that, when he was recently in Nakhchivan, he
"discussed at length with local authorities one such site in Julfa,
where, according to evidence from credible sources, an ancient Armenian
cemetery was desecrated or destroyed. I regret that the authorities,
citing security reasons, made it impossible for me to visit the site
and personally see what is there." Read the complete text.
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/azerbaijan/749085/press/Morningstar_cultur
al_heritage.pdf
"Ambassador Morningstar cannot take no for an answer," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "He can either keep knocking on
the Ilham Aliyev's door until this baseless ban is lifted, or simply
travel to the site of the Djulfa cemetery on his own. Either way,
it's clear that, as Americans, we should neither sell arms to an
Azerbaijani military that destroys cemeteries, nor send any aid to a
government in Baku that blocks U.S. ambassadors from visiting sites
of peace-time cultural desecration."
In response to questions by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) during his confirmation hearing, in June of
2012, Ambassador Morningstar had committed to "make every effort
to visit the cemetery and that any kind of desecration such as that
is unacceptable, outrageous and I will do my best to get there, and
soon." He also said he would: "amplify our concerns to the Government
of Azerbaijan and stress the need to respect and safeguard Armenian
religious and cultural sites in Azerbaijan."
In his recent statement regarding Djulfa, Ambassador Morningstar spoke
of Azerbaijan's "diverse cultural heritage," while remaining silent
on the virulently and violently anti-Armenia policies of the Aliyev
government, including its escalating pattern of fatal cross-border
attacks, and its recent pardon and promotion of Ramil Safarov, who
axed to death an Armenian in his sleep during a NATO-sponsored peace
training program in Hungary.
Click here for more information about the history of the Djulfa
Armenian cemetery and its destruction, during peace-time, by uniformed
soldiers, acting under orders. http://www.djulfa.com.
Click here for a timeline on the international response to the Djulfa
Cemetery destruction and Azerbaijan's obstruction of an investigation.
http://www.anca.org/assets/graphics/2011/djulfa_timeline.pdf
http://asbarez.com/106331/anca-calls-on-morningstar-to-reject-bakus-ban-on-access-to-djulfa-cemetery/
Monday, November 5th, 2012
Djulfa monument destruction (Graphic by Simon Maghakyan)
Urges U.S. Ambassador to Keep Pressing for Visit to Desecrated
Christian Armenian Religious Site
WASHINGTON-The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has
called on U.S. Ambassador to Baku, Richard Morningstar, to honor
his commitment to the U.S. Senate to secure access to the site, in
Djulfa, Nakhichevan, of the Azerbaijani government's 2005 video-taped
destruction of a medieval Armenian cemetery housing thousands of
intricately carved Armenian stone-crosses (khatchkars).
In a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Baku Monday, Ambassador
Morningstar stated that, when he was recently in Nakhchivan, he
"discussed at length with local authorities one such site in Julfa,
where, according to evidence from credible sources, an ancient Armenian
cemetery was desecrated or destroyed. I regret that the authorities,
citing security reasons, made it impossible for me to visit the site
and personally see what is there." Read the complete text.
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/azerbaijan/749085/press/Morningstar_cultur
al_heritage.pdf
"Ambassador Morningstar cannot take no for an answer," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "He can either keep knocking on
the Ilham Aliyev's door until this baseless ban is lifted, or simply
travel to the site of the Djulfa cemetery on his own. Either way,
it's clear that, as Americans, we should neither sell arms to an
Azerbaijani military that destroys cemeteries, nor send any aid to a
government in Baku that blocks U.S. ambassadors from visiting sites
of peace-time cultural desecration."
In response to questions by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) during his confirmation hearing, in June of
2012, Ambassador Morningstar had committed to "make every effort
to visit the cemetery and that any kind of desecration such as that
is unacceptable, outrageous and I will do my best to get there, and
soon." He also said he would: "amplify our concerns to the Government
of Azerbaijan and stress the need to respect and safeguard Armenian
religious and cultural sites in Azerbaijan."
In his recent statement regarding Djulfa, Ambassador Morningstar spoke
of Azerbaijan's "diverse cultural heritage," while remaining silent
on the virulently and violently anti-Armenia policies of the Aliyev
government, including its escalating pattern of fatal cross-border
attacks, and its recent pardon and promotion of Ramil Safarov, who
axed to death an Armenian in his sleep during a NATO-sponsored peace
training program in Hungary.
Click here for more information about the history of the Djulfa
Armenian cemetery and its destruction, during peace-time, by uniformed
soldiers, acting under orders. http://www.djulfa.com.
Click here for a timeline on the international response to the Djulfa
Cemetery destruction and Azerbaijan's obstruction of an investigation.
http://www.anca.org/assets/graphics/2011/djulfa_timeline.pdf