The Silent War Against Armenians
By Elizabeth Ajiduah
Trigger Warning: This Article mentions violence, rape, and murder.
Around the end of July 2020, Azerbaijan’s forces started to direct aggression towards the Armenia population in Artsakh. Tensions were very high and those in Armenian community began to keep a watchful eye on the situation because no one knew what would happen next. Finally, at the end of September, the war for Artsakh began with Azerbaijan conducting a series of airstrikes towards Armenian inhabited areas.
The airstrikes caused a sudden surge of urgency within the Armenian community. I saw many Armenians across the globe informing people on social media platforms like twitter about what was going on in Artsakh. Organizations like Amplify Armenia and Kooyrigs went to work spreading awareness by sharing infographics about Artsakh’s history. One photo that was routinely shared was of the 2,000 year old Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. Armenian Activists used the image to display that,contrary to popular opinion, Armenians have been inhabitants of Artsakh ancient times. Additionally, there were initiatives, like supply drives, set up by the Armenian community in order to help families that were being displaced due to the war. It seemed absurd to many Armenians that the ownership of this land was being contested but most Armenians were steadfast and hopeful that they would win the war
It has been about six weeks since the war began, and Armenians have been left to fight alone. At least 5000 people have lost theit lives and the Armenian army has been suffocated. As a result, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikhol Pashiyan was forced to sign a peace deal brokered by Russia which gave Azerbaijan three new districts in Artsakh. As Armenians were forced to leave, some burned their houses as their last act of defiance.
Many Armenians across the diaspora bear this aching pain. For 14 year old Jess, it has “been really difficult to watch from afar.” For 19 year old Sophie “the past six weeks dealing with Artsakh is a pain that I never really felt before. Saying the names of all the soldiers who died, some of them were younger than me” and is disheartened by the fact that these soldiers “gave their life for Azerbaijan to take our land and continue to abuse our people.”
Jess tries to do her part to help. She posts some content about Armenia on her tik tok and though she has gotten support from her people, she has been routinely bombarded by trolls. One of the tik toks she posted was about an Armenian organized protest against Azerbaijan’s aggression. A troll commented under saying: “I wish Armenian supporting countries if they had neighbors like Armenian would realize that Armenia is beyond humanity.” On another of Jess’s videos, there were comments like “You Armenians suffer from schizophrenia, you need treatment, stop being racist and narcissistic. Karabakh, Azerbaijan” and “We Americans support the american flag and her allies Turkey. You Armenia gypsies have allies too… Russia.” These offensive and harmful comments are not uncommon to be seen under an Armenian’s post or a post about Armenia.
It seems like it is not safe to be an Armenian online; the amount of insults and slurs thrown against Aremnians makes many feel isolated. However, many Armenians eventually find out that they cannot even confide or seek refuge in some of their relationships.
A few weeks before the 2020 presidential elections there were robust initiatives to make sure everyone knew when to vote. Brands, celebrities, and everyday Americans urged those eligible to vote to do so in order to ensure that President Trump is not occupying the white house come January 21st. Many of my fellow zoomers posted several infographics on their instagram stories which gave people quick access to polling information and voter registration. According tho Sophie, one of her friend’s “was really passionate about voting she says “but she didn’t really talk about [Armenia].” Her friend’s silence on Armenians issues left Sophie feeling stuck and puzzled so she tried to reach out. Instead of listening to Sophie”s concerns and doing more to learn and spread awareness about Armenia “she unfollowed me. She blocked me on everything,” Sophie said. “It made me feel like sh*t.”
The lack of international support and for Armenians is remincensnt of the years 1915 to 1923 when about 1.5 millon Armenians were killed in what is known as the Armenian Genocide. During the genocide, numerous Armenians were raped, beaten, or killed but no one offered a word of condemnation against Turkey or any words of support to Armenians. It has been 105 years since that genocide took place and the United States congress just passed a resolution to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. However countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan deny that the Armenian genocide ever took place without any repercussions. For the grandchildren of survivors of the Armenian Genocide like Jess, the attocities committed by Turkish forces still haunt them, especially now. She remembers growing up “going to the church every year on the 24th screaming 1915 never again and here it is,“ she says.
However, it is far from over. Around the same time when tension was boiling in Artsakh, Assyrian villages were caught in the crossfire between Turkish Forces and Kurdish Forces. And as a result have been forced off their lands. For Sophie she knows that “ it’s not going to end with us and it never will. Our oppression will enable others oppression.“ Regardless of the outcome in Artsakh, Armenians know that this conflict is far from over and that other ethnic minorities like them are in danger.
