September 27, 2023
Join the Call for the End of the Soft Genocide of Armenian People
Dear Friend of the Ohio Council of Churches,
By now, you have watched, read, or heard news accounts of what is being called the “soft genocide” and "ethnic cleansing" of approximately 120,000 Armenians through the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, as enforced by Azerbaijan, which lasted over nine months, followed by a full-scale attack on Artsakh Armenians. The only route connecting Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh—which turned into an enclave within Azerbaijan following the 2020 war that Azerbaijan started—is the Lachin Corridor. This immoral blockade was cutting Armenians off from food, medical supplies, and other life-sustaining necessities. As a result, Armenians were starving to death. While in this vulnerable state, Armenians were attacked. https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/11/asia/nagorno-karabakh-armenians-genocide-intl-hnk/index.html
“Women and children were slaughtered while the world was watching silently. Azerbaijan launched a full-scale attack on Artsakh Armenians,” wrote the Rev. Fr. Hratch Sargsyan, in a letter to the Ohio Council of Churches. He is pastor of the St. Gregory of Narek Armenian Apostolic Church near Cleveland, Ohio. The Armenian Apostolic Church is the newest denominational member of the Ohio Council of Churches.
Fr. Sargsyan is asking that leaders and members of churches affiliated with the Ohio Council of Churches take action to spread news of the obscene situation of the Armenian people and call for congressional and executive leaders to use their power and influence to stop the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor which is claiming Armenian lives. Here are links Fr. Sargsyan suggests we use to make our voices heard on behalf of Armenian people facing death due to the blockade of the Lachin Corridor:
This link will take you to a related statement from the National Council of Churches: https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/faith-leaders-urge-president-biden-to-end-soft-genocide-in-artsakh/
As people who are sustained by the life-giving love of God while subscribing to the vision of human flourishing as articulated by Jesus Christ, let us pray for the Armenians whose lives are being threatened by the illegal blockade, for Fr. Sargsyan, and for the Armenian Apostolic Church. Once we emerge from our prayer positions, let us join people of faith and goodwill everywhere who are upholding the dignity of Armenians by demanding the end of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor. Amen.
With Hope,
Jack
The Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr.
Executive Director
Upcoming October 12, 2023 event to lend support
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