By Tomris Azeri, head of the Azerbaijan Society of America (AAS)
During my last year of junior high school in the late 70’s, it was common to hear talk about Ottoman Turks killing 200 thousand Armenians and calling that genocide. I did not know what this was, so when I came home and asked my mother, since she went to school in Turkiye, I thought she would know. But she did not; this was also news to her. Then, over the years this number grew and now it ended up with million and a half. Obviously, this number is a gross exaggeration.
How did this start? I remember there was a member of US Congress who was really pushing to get this episode of Turkish history recognized as genocide. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas was a high-ranking senator certain this genocide happened. Senator Dole served in the US Army and fought in World War II and he was injured and the surgeon who treated Senator’s wounds was Armenian. Since then, Senator Dole’s valiant efforts in the US Senate on behalf of the Armenian people were relentless. 30 years later, the publicity generated by Senator Dole’s persistent dedication to the Armenian cause paid off. The US Government recognized Armenian Genocide. A single tale repeated by one senator changed the path of this organized movement.
In politics, that’s how easy it can be to change policy even when archives and historians say otherwise.
I read all kinds of news each day, including Armenian news sources. Lately, the Armenian media is reporting disturbing – and false – “news” that genocide was committed by Azerbaijan during the recent (2020 and 2023) liberation of occupied Karabakh, internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan (occupiers called it Artsakh).
I know some of you are going to say, let them complain since they will not be able to do anything; Karabakh is now liberated and is being fully integrated in the nation of Azerbaijan. It is my contention, based on past experience, that Armenians everywhere, including the American Armenian diaspora, will continue to lobby their governments to protest the loss of their dream of Artsakh and Armenian territorial expansion at the expense of their neighbors. Perhaps not tomorrow, but 20-30 years from now, they may succeed.
Armenia built a strong diaspora while Azerbaijan built a strong country. The global Azerbaijani diaspora community needs to become much stronger so they can make the world more aware of Azerbaijan in a positive way and to counter the strong Armenian diaspora and lobbies. It would be naive of us to imagine that the relentless drive to influence policy in foreign countries will suddenly stop; we need to be strong, committed and organized to resist this effort, to dis-inform others of the reality in the Caucasus region.
In the three decades since its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has developed significantly. Strong military, constant economic growth, restoring the territorial integrity and developing strong regional economic partnerships. The Azerbaijan diaspora community also developed and now has great potential of becoming one of the strongest and effective diaspora communities everywhere. We must improve accountability and the effectiveness of giving back to our homeland. Diaspora philanthropy, charitable giving, supporting causes that benefit our homeland and contributing to that idea, this will make us stronger, dedicated and motivated. We can not sit back and have Baku pay for everything. We must learn Diaspora philanthropy.
Each and every member of Diaspora community has an obligation to the land they were born in, and for those youth born abroad, to feel the connection to their roots.
