Sunday, September 27, 2020: Artsakh is attacked by Azerbaijan By Ani Semerjian

I saw the news as soon as I woke up in the morning. A somber start to the day, I continued normally, hoping to shield my family from the tragic reality for as long as possible. But that didn’t even last until breakfast. As soon as my grandmother checked her phone and learned of what was unfolding in our homeland, she dissolved into tears.

We hoped that it would end as soon as it had started, much like in July of this year, when Azerbaijan initiated unprovoked attacks on the Armenian border for over one week. Acts of violence against Armenians by Azeris even reached past the border attacks, leading to hostilities towards citizens in various countries including Russia, England, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and the United States. This was when I attended the first protest in Boston against Azeri aggression. While Armenians were protesting for peace, Azeris were protesting for war. Looking back, I wonder how many lives could have been saved if the world had listened then.

Though Artsakh has a population of over 150,000 people, the conflict in this region has a much greater impact. Beyond Artsakh, it touches almost 11 million Armenians: 3 million of whom live in Armenia, and almost 7.8 million in the diaspora across the globe.

During the first few days of the fighting, I was overwhelmed by guilt. It is an inescapable feeling, knowing you are physically safe 5,000 miles away, while your brothers and sisters are risking their lives. It is a privilege to have the option of disconnecting, not reading the news, and allowing your life to continue unaffected. A privilege that I, and seemingly every other Armenian living abroad, refuse to give in to.

Our global community mobilized quickly, responding to the needs of our homeland. In fact, the only times I have felt fully present since the start of the war are when I am actively contributing. Whether it is through fundraising, donating supplies, spreading awareness, protesting, or confronting the spread of misinformation online, we are fighting for justice while everything else fades into the background of everyday life.

If physical violence was not enough to contend against, the Azeri government is a master of propaganda, which reaches beyond their borders and directly affects the media reporting in the United States. This causes confusion among our American neighbors, the majority of whom have never even heard of Artsakh, who may have difficulty filtering through the false information. Our unified protests for justice and peace have, at times, felt like the only time people are listening to our message. Marching through the city, chanting “Artsakh is Armenian,” “Azeri youth, learn the truth,” “Armenians want peace,” I think of our soldiers on the front-lines. I think of their families anxiously waiting for their safe return. I think of the children taking refuge in bomb shelters. A piece of me is right there alongside them. 

Each Armenian life is precious. Watching the death toll increase every morning makes it hard to get out of bed. At this point, over three weeks later, two humanitarian ceasefires have been violated by Azerbaijan. They continue to commit war crimes, as the fighting continues, and the conclusion of this war remains undetermined.

There has been a ceasefire between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Artsakh since 1994. Thousands of lives have been lost over decades, and we must ensure a better future. A secure future where Armenians can live in their ancestral lands in peace, without fear of unprovoked attacks. Too many lives have already been martyred.

There is a picture of 3 generations of Armenian soldiers circulating on social media, meant to be a source of inspiration. But for me, it also prompts frustration and anger. That any grandfather should have to see his children and grandchildren risk their lives for the very same rights he fought to protect. That our parents protested against Turkish and Azeri aggression decades ago when we are here in 2020 protesting the same, unpunished, behavior. That too many generations of Armenians have been forced to witness crimes against humanity.

Growing up, we all learn of various atrocities committed throughout history. The thought is that humanity learned a lesson, which would prevent the repetition of heinous acts. That people back then didn’t know, and surely would have stopped such horrors, if only given the chance. Realizing that this isn’t true is sobering, as the world has been slow to react to Azeri aggression. But I refuse to accept this fact. We must trust that truth, which in this case comes with overwhelming evidence, will prevail. Humanity above all, we will win. And generations to come will not have to continue our fight for justice.