Pasadena’s Armenian Community Decries Violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, Calls for U.S. Action

Pasadena’s Armenian American community is soliciting donations and supplies and calling for a global response as violence continues in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, following more than a week of fighting that has reportedly taken a heavy toll on civilians.

Hundreds of people have been killed since Sept. 27, when fighting and artillery strikes first broke out in the region, which lies within Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenian forces for more than 25 years, the Associated Press reported. Azerbaijan has denied intentionally targeting civilians and has accused Armenian fighters of doing the same. Turkey has pledged its support to its ally, Azerbaijan, during the largest military exchange in the region since the mid-1990s.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s military said 320 soldiers had been killed as of Wednesday, while figures regarding Azerbaijani losses were not available, according to The AP. “Scores” of civilians on both sides have been killed, prompting statements of concern from numerous world leaders.

But many in Southern California’s Armenian American community believe the United States and the world need to take an active role in quelling the violence.

Longtime Pasadena resident and music producer Saro Paparian said the turmoil has been heartbreaking to see.

“I lived and worked in Armenia for six years. I have immediate family there right now, and a lot of the kids that are defending our people right now and fighting back Azerbaijan’s aggression backed by Turkey — the use of their ISIS fighters that are being flown in from Syria — the kids fighting that back right now are 18- and 19-year-olds,” he said.

“I know these kids, I taught a lot of these kids. There are far too many names that are being released as KIA, killed in action, that I’ve recognized,” Paparian said.

For many, the developments over the past week draw a painful parallel to the Armenian Genocide of a century ago.

“We know that [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, the leader of Turkey, and [Ilham] Aliyev, the leader of Azerbaijan, have openly called for the continued genocide and ethnic cleansing of Armenians from the region,” Paparian said. “And they have unlimited resources and money. They’ve been getting military aid from the U.S. government.”

He said he was encouraged by a letter of support for the Armenian cause authorized by a bipartisan group of several-dozen U.S. Congress members, including Wes Pasadena Congressman Adam Schiff, but what’s really needed is action.

“We need to sanction Turkey. Turkey is a member of NATO, last I checked,” Paparian said. “And they need to use every effort… We’re looking at what’s been admitted by the aggressor openly. That this is an attempted genocide.”

The letter from 49 members of the U.S. House of Representatives expressed “deep concern with Azerbaijan’s renewed aggression against Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and the rising possibility of a wider conflict with Armenia.

“We ask that the Administration use all available diplomatic tools to reduce tensions, end the fighting, and restrain Azerbaijan from further offensive actions,” the letter stated.

“This action is a continuation of increasingly bellicose rhetoric from President Aliyev and his regime towards Artsakh and Armenia, including the threat earlier this year by the Azerbaijani minister of defense to bomb an Armenian nuclear power plant. The sustained and coordinated nature of this action makes clear this attack is qualitatively distinct from previous exchanges of sniper fire or artillery across the line of contact, but appears to represent a planned military operation,” the letter continued.

Members of Congress also said they were concerned by “material assistance and encouragement” being provided to Azerbaijan by Turkey.

“Turkey’s involvement raises the danger of a sustained regional conflict that would be a humanitarian disaster and undermine important U.S. national security priorities,” according to the letter. “In our view, this new round of fighting represents further evidence that the U.S. policy of equivalence between Armenia and Azerbaijan has failed. For far too long, the United States and other members of the Minsk Group have drawn a false equivalence between Armenia and Azerbaijan, even as the latter threatens war and refuses to agree to monitoring along the line of contact.”

The U.S. has sent tens of millions of dollars in military assistance to Azerbaijan in recent years, “while seemingly remaining unable or unwilling to restrain the Aliyev government from offensive military actions or gross human rights violations,” the letter stated. “This policy is a failure, and we must choose a different course”

Paparian’s father, former Pasadena Mayor Bill Paparian, said Armenians throughout the region are rallying to help any way they can.

When he asked the Armenian Ministry of the Diaspora what was needed, they replied with a specific request, he said: Boot socks.

“If you’ll remember, when our soldiers were in Iraq and Afghanistan, that was a frequent request,” he said. “I used to be a supply NCO in the Marine Corps, so I acquired enough boot socks to equip a light company of soldiers, and they’re going to be sent out on a shipment [Thursday].”

For those wanting to help, “There are a lot of things that you can do,” said Armenian Youth Federation “Nigol Touman” Chapter member Lar Tabakian.

“You can attend protests or donate. The Armenia Fund is a very popular one,” she said. “You can also donate to supply drives because Armenia’s Artsakh military is in desperate need of materials right now.”

“People I know personally are going over there,” Tabakian said. “A lot of doctors are now volunteering in hospitals in Artsakh. They’re also volunteering as medics on the field and people are also enlisting.”

The Armenians were severely outnumbered in the conflict, and the situation was dire, she said.

“Although our Armenia is a tiny nation with about a population of three million people, we’re very strong people, but we need all the help that we can get from the international community,” she said. “Because it seems as though we’re just screaming into the void at this point, and everyone is turning a blind eye to the thousands of people being subject to war crimes by the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments.

“America being a beacon of democracy in world politics should be standing in solidarity with Armenian Artsakh and condemning Azerbaijan and Turkey for the war crimes that they’re committing and the propaganda that they’re spreading as well,” according to Tabakian.

Tamar Hamparsomian of Altadena said he was also disappointed by the lack of a swift global reaction to the violence.

“I’m very sad, very hurt, that the world has turned a blind eye to this, it looks like for the second time now,” she said.

“And we feel like, because the Armenian Genocide was never recognized, Turkey is feeling that they could repeat history and it’s happening again. It’s been over a week and no one is intervening, no one is helping and we’re just hurt. We’re tired. We’re in tears all day long. This needs to stop. We are begging for help from the world,” Hamparsomian said.

“It’s not about Armenians anymore. It’s about humanity. This is a human rights affair and this is still going on in silence. How is this possible? How is everyone just sitting there and watching this happen?” she said. “Basically, what’s happening is the grandchildren of genocide survivors are fighting off a second genocide on their people.”