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Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
[email protected] http://www.ancawr.org
PRESS RELEASE
February 25, 2014
Contact: Elen Asatryan
Tel: 818.500.1918
[email protected]
SOUTH DAKOTA REJECTS ANTI-ARMENIAN MEASURE
-- State Legislators Defeat Khojaly Measure Backed by Azerbaijani Government
PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA - The South Dakota House of Representatives today
tabled action on an anti-Armenian resolution initiated by Azerbaijan,
effectively dealing a serious setback to a biased and historically
inaccurate measure pressed aggressively by Baku's U.S.-based
lobbyists, reported Armenian National Committee of America - Western
Region (ANCA-WR).
Sources from the State Capitol report that following an extensive
discussion in the House Republican Caucus on Monday morning, the
sponsor of the resolution, Rep. Lance Russell, agreed to defer and
ultimately officially withdrew the measure.
"It's unfortunate this resolution made it this far in our process but
the positive side of that is there are now 105 legislators in South
Dakota who got a real earful on the plight of persecuted Armenian
Christians," explained Rep. Steve Hickey (R-09), Pastor of the Church
at the Gate in Sioux Falls, who was among the vocal opponents to the
resolution.
"We are deeply gratified that the elected leaders of yet another U.S.
state have stood up to the oil-rich and corrupt President of
Azerbaijan's efforts to export his hateful anti-Armenian campaign to
the American heartland," said Elen Asatryan, ANCA-WR Executive
Director. "We share our profound thanks with the proud people and
principled leaders of South Dakota, a state that has shown remarkable
care and compassion for the Christian nation of Armenia since the
Armenian Genocide era."
A two-page flyer used by local opponents of the Azerbaijani-backed
measure is available via the following link:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/No_on_HCR1020.pdf
In the days leading up to today's vote on HCR 1020, the ANCA-WR worked
with local community leaders and activists to alert state legislators
about Azerbaijan's efforts to use the Khojaly issue to somehow enlist
South Dakota in its increasingly virulent campaign against the
landlocked and blockaded Armenian homeland. The ANCA action alert to
South Dakota legislators can be viewed via the following link:
http://www.anca.org/action_alerts/action_disp.php?aaid=63108851
"Having found safety and the blessing of freedom here in South Dakota
- after having been driven from my home by the Azerbaijani
government's brutality - I am deeply thankful that my state
legislators, today, took a principled stand against intolerance, lies
and hatred," said Vazgen Mikhayelyan of Sioux Falls, who was among
those actively opposing the measure, including Igor Avetisov and Bella
Musayelyan.
Similar legislation promoted by Azerbaijan was also defeated in Hawaii
following testimony by Hawaii Armenian community members spotlighting
the growing democracy in Nagorno Karabakh and ongoing Azerbaijani
aggression. For full coverage of the Hawaii effort,
visit:http://asbarez.com/119530/hawaii-rejects-azeri-lies/
Earlier this month, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued an
open letter to all U.S. state legislatures earlier this week urging
them to take as stand against foreign interference in American civic
life by corrupt Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev. "It is truly a
tribute to our great American democratic tradition that even a regime
as flagrantly corrupt as Ilham Aliyev's is allowed to operate freely
within our open society, " explained Hamparian. "But that does not
mean that American citizens need to remain silent in the face of
meddling by foreign leaders who neither respect our rights nor share
our values -especially when they try to export their intolerance to
our shores."
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.
#####
From: Baghdasarian
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
[email protected] http://www.ancawr.org
PRESS RELEASE
February 25, 2014
Contact: Elen Asatryan
Tel: 818.500.1918
[email protected]
SOUTH DAKOTA REJECTS ANTI-ARMENIAN MEASURE
-- State Legislators Defeat Khojaly Measure Backed by Azerbaijani Government
PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA - The South Dakota House of Representatives today
tabled action on an anti-Armenian resolution initiated by Azerbaijan,
effectively dealing a serious setback to a biased and historically
inaccurate measure pressed aggressively by Baku's U.S.-based
lobbyists, reported Armenian National Committee of America - Western
Region (ANCA-WR).
Sources from the State Capitol report that following an extensive
discussion in the House Republican Caucus on Monday morning, the
sponsor of the resolution, Rep. Lance Russell, agreed to defer and
ultimately officially withdrew the measure.
"It's unfortunate this resolution made it this far in our process but
the positive side of that is there are now 105 legislators in South
Dakota who got a real earful on the plight of persecuted Armenian
Christians," explained Rep. Steve Hickey (R-09), Pastor of the Church
at the Gate in Sioux Falls, who was among the vocal opponents to the
resolution.
"We are deeply gratified that the elected leaders of yet another U.S.
state have stood up to the oil-rich and corrupt President of
Azerbaijan's efforts to export his hateful anti-Armenian campaign to
the American heartland," said Elen Asatryan, ANCA-WR Executive
Director. "We share our profound thanks with the proud people and
principled leaders of South Dakota, a state that has shown remarkable
care and compassion for the Christian nation of Armenia since the
Armenian Genocide era."
A two-page flyer used by local opponents of the Azerbaijani-backed
measure is available via the following link:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/No_on_HCR1020.pdf
In the days leading up to today's vote on HCR 1020, the ANCA-WR worked
with local community leaders and activists to alert state legislators
about Azerbaijan's efforts to use the Khojaly issue to somehow enlist
South Dakota in its increasingly virulent campaign against the
landlocked and blockaded Armenian homeland. The ANCA action alert to
South Dakota legislators can be viewed via the following link:
http://www.anca.org/action_alerts/action_disp.php?aaid=63108851
"Having found safety and the blessing of freedom here in South Dakota
- after having been driven from my home by the Azerbaijani
government's brutality - I am deeply thankful that my state
legislators, today, took a principled stand against intolerance, lies
and hatred," said Vazgen Mikhayelyan of Sioux Falls, who was among
those actively opposing the measure, including Igor Avetisov and Bella
Musayelyan.
Similar legislation promoted by Azerbaijan was also defeated in Hawaii
following testimony by Hawaii Armenian community members spotlighting
the growing democracy in Nagorno Karabakh and ongoing Azerbaijani
aggression. For full coverage of the Hawaii effort,
visit:http://asbarez.com/119530/hawaii-rejects-azeri-lies/
Earlier this month, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued an
open letter to all U.S. state legislatures earlier this week urging
them to take as stand against foreign interference in American civic
life by corrupt Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev. "It is truly a
tribute to our great American democratic tradition that even a regime
as flagrantly corrupt as Ilham Aliyev's is allowed to operate freely
within our open society, " explained Hamparian. "But that does not
mean that American citizens need to remain silent in the face of
meddling by foreign leaders who neither respect our rights nor share
our values -especially when they try to export their intolerance to
our shores."
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.
#####
From: Baghdasarian