 On Sunday, September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked and heinous attack on the peaceful citizens of the Republic of Artsakh. This violent attack killed several thousand people and destabilized the peace and security of the region. Azerbaijan was caught withholding prisoners of war and many other war crimes. In early November, a tentative peace deal was signed, the result of which ceded some 40% percent of the total land area of Artsakh to Azerbaijan. This included the crown city of Shushi, which the Armenian soldiers fought so bitterly to liberate from Azerbaijani captivity in 1992. It should be said that these lands were NEVER a part of an independent, post-Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, and most certainly were not ever a part of Azerbaijan prior to the rise of the Soviet Union, as Azerbaijan did not exist as any kind of Republic or Sovereign Territory until 1918. The lands and provinces that make up Mountainous Artsakh (Lernayin Artsakhi Hanrabedutiun) always have been historic Armenian lands. While still reeling from this tragic loss of our ancestral homelands to a barbaric and hate-filled enemy power, the Armenian Diaspora has sprung into action, providing millions of dollars worth of aid to our compatriots in Stepanagerd and the remaining areas of the independent Artsakh Republic. Our Board of Trustees decided that it must lead our Saint Gregory Church community in helping to provide much needed relief. Providentially, an anonymous donor stepped forward and pledged to match up to $5,000 in donations raised from our community. We would like to say a sincere "thank you" to all who supported our fundraiser for Artsakh. We are pleased to report that our appeal for aid to Artsakh was successful and we were able to meet our goal of raising $5,000, which has been matched by our anonymous donor for a total of $10,000. |
