ANC-MI Applauds Passage of Rep. Manoogian's Resolution Condemning Azerbaijan’s Attacks on Artsakh

After a marathon session day that lasted until 3:30am, Michigan’s House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s aggression on Artsakh and Armenia (Photo: the office of Rep. Mari Manoogian)

LANSING, Mich.—It was at a recent protest against Azerbaijani aggression in downtown Detroit that Michigan’s 40th district representative Mari Manoogian announced that she had introduced House resolution 319 that same day, condemning Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s attacks against the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia.

Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Michigan sent out an Action Alert right away, asking the community to make calls to their representatives, urging them to support this very important resolution.

The House Resolution 319 condemns Azerbaijan’s coordinated offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and denounces Turkish interference in the conflict. It also urges the U.S. Department of State to work with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Artsakh to achieve a long-lasting and peaceful resolution to the conflict.

In the early hours of Wednesday, October 14th, Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham, Michigan) presented the resolution to the House saying, “This is an incredibly important issue to your Armenian American constituents as well as anyone who wants to achieve lasting peace in a region, that is often flawed by war and humanitarian angst, so under the cover of a global pandemic this conflict has destabilized an already conflicted region. It’s a critically important geopolitical region for the United States of America, and this conflict has brought up also painful memories of passed ethnic cleansing and genocide committed by Turkey’s predecessor state Ottoman Empire. I encourage you all to support this resolution.” Manoogian continued, “I can tell you that your Armenian American constituent day in and day out for the past two and a half weeks, have seen scrolling through their social media feeds images of violence happening in Armenia and Artsakh, and I can tell you as much that I have friends and family members who have lost loved ones over there.”

The passage of this resolution is crucial to the Armenian Americans living in Michigan, when the community is working hard to bring awareness to the violence happening in Artsakh, and the war crimes that are being committed by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“We thank Mari Manoogian for being a champion for the Armenian cause. Mari’s initiative and hard work to pass this resolution speak volumes to her resolute fight for the Armenian people. Azerbaijan and Turkey are committing war crimes against innocent civilians, and this is the first step in holding them accountable. We are proud to have Mari Manoogian representing our community in Michigan’s House of Representatives,” said ANC of MI chair Dzovinar Hatsakordzian.

“I am grateful that my colleagues in the Michigan House of Representatives saw fit to condemn Azerbaijan and Turkey for their ongoing promotion of violence against the Armenian people of Artsakh,” said Rep. Mari Manoogian “As the world quietly watches the actions of Azerbaijan and its allies from afar, the passage of HR 319 has shown that Michiganders stand united with Armenians and the Republic of Artsakh against this senseless violence and support the right of self-determination to which every sovereign people is entitled. I hope this resolution might be a catalyst for our federal government to take a more active role in pursuit of a long-term peaceful resolution to this conflict and to quit abdicating the United States’ role as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.”

“As the descendent of Armenian Genocide survivors, I know how important it is to uplift the struggle of everyday Artsakhstis who are simply trying to build lives for themselves in their own country. Knowing there is more to be done beyond the passage of this resolution, I will continue to use my platform to raise awareness about the violence perpetrated once again by Azerbaijan and Turkey against the indigenous ethnic Armenians of the region.”

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ANCA-Eastern Region

The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region is part of the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots organization, the ANCA. Working in coordination with the ANCA in Washington, DC, and a network of chapters and supporters throughout the Eastern United States, the ANCA-ER actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.